NSF-12, Fellowships and Other Awards

NSF -12

System Name:
Fellowships and Other Awards.
Security Classification:
None.
System Location:
NSF headquarters, Virginia.
Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
Individuals applying or nominated for and/or receiving NSF support, either individually or
through an academic institution, including fellowships or other awards to individuals of various
types.
Categories of Records in the System:
Information varies depending on the type of fellowship or award. Information may include
personal information supplied with the application or nomination; reference reports; transcripts
and Graduate Record Examination scores to the extent required during the application process;
abstracts; evaluations and recommendations; review records and selection process results;
administrative data and any correspondence accumulating during fellows' tenure; demographic
information if voluntarily provided by the individual; and other related materials.
Authority for Maintenance of the System:
20 U.S.C. 3915; 44 U.S.C 3101; and 42 U.S.C. 1869, 1870, 1880, 1881a.
Purpose(s):
To maintain appropriate files and data to evaluate applications or nominations for fellowships or
other awards, to make decisions regarding which proposals to fund or awards to make, to
administer awards, and to carry out other authorized internal duties.
Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories of Users and the
Purposes of Such Uses:
NSF standard routine uses apply. In addition, information may be disclosed to:

(1) Qualified reviewers for their opinion and evaluation of applicants or nominees (and
their proposals, where applicable) as part of the NSF application review process; and to other
Government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as
part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy.
(2) Individual or institutional applicants, nominees and grantee institutions to provide or
obtain data as part of the application review process, award decisions, or administering awards.
(3) Other entities when merging records with other computer files to carry out statistical
studies for or otherwise assist NSF with program management, evaluation, or reporting.
Disclosure may be made for this purpose to NSF contractors and collaborating researchers, and
other Government agencies and qualified research institutions and their staffs. Disclosures are
made only after scrutiny of research protocols and with appropriate controls. The results of such
studies are statistical in nature and do not identify individuals.
(4) Contractors, grantees, volunteers, experts, consultants, advisors, and other
individuals who perform a service to or work on or under a contract, grant, cooperative
agreement, advisory committee, committee of visitors, or other arrangement with or for the
Federal government, as necessary to carry out their assigned duties. The contractors are subject
to the provisions of the Privacy Act.
(5) The applicant, nominating, or grantee institution, or an institution the applicant,
nominee, or fellow or awardee is attending or planning to attend or employed by, may be given
information (such as name, field of study, and other information directly relating to the
fellowship, review status including the agency's decision, year of first award, tenure pattern, start
time, whether receiving international travel allowance or a mentoring assistantship), for purposes
of facilitating review or award decisions or administering fellowships or awards. Notice of the
agency's decision may be given to nominators and home institutions.
(6) In the case of fellows or awardees receiving stipends directly from the
Government, to the Department of Treasury for preparation of checks or electronic fund transfer
authorizations.
(7) Fellows' or awardees' name, baccalaureate institution, current institution, and field
of study may be released for public information/affairs purposes including press releases.
(8) In the case of Presidential awards administered by NSF, including the National
Medal of Science, the Presidential Early Career Awards to Scientists and Engineers, and the
Presidential Awards for Teaching and Mentoring, disclosure may be made to personnel in the
Office of the President for further review, processing, and selection of awardees.
(9) In the case of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and
Engineering Mentoring, the contact information of the awardees, including name, baccalaureate
institution, current institution, field of study, personal address, personal phone number, and
personal e-mail address may be released to the awardees’ United States congressional
representatives, or congressional representatives’ staff members, for the purpose of allowing

congressional representatives to contact the awardee to issue letters of congratulations or
otherwise communicate regarding the award.
Policies and Practices for Storing Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining and Disposing of Records
in the System:
Storage:
Records are stored in paper and/or on electronic digital media.
Retrievability:
Records are retrieved by an applicant or nominee’s name or identification number.
Safeguards:
Records are protected by administrative, technical, and physical safeguards administered by
NSF.
Retention and Disposal:
Records are maintained and disposed of in accordance with National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) - approved record schedules. For example, fellowship application files
for awardees are kept for ten years after completion of fellowship or award, then destroyed,
while unsuccessful fellowship application files are destroyed after three years; files of recipients
of the Vannevar Bush Award are permanent and eventually retired to the National Archives,
while those of non-recipients are destroyed after five years.
System Manager(s) and Address:
Director or designee of particular office or program maintaining such records, NSF headquarters,
Virginia.
Notification Procedure:
Follow the Requesting Access to Records procedures found at 45 CFR Part 613.
Record Access Procedures:
Follow the Requesting Access to Records procedures found at 45 CFR Part 613. You can
expedite your request if you identify the fellowship or award program about which you are
interested. For example, indicate whether you applied for or received a “Graduate Fellowship” as
opposed to merely saying you want a copy of your fellowship records.

Contesting Record Procedures:
Follow the procedures found at 45 CFR Part 613.
Record Source Categories:
Individuals applying or nominated for, or receiving support; references; review records; and
administrative data developed during selection process and award tenure.
Exemptions Claimed for the System:
The portions of this system consisting of data that would identify references, reviewers, or other
persons supplying evaluations of applicants or nominees for fellowships or other awards (and
where applicable, their proposals) have been exempted at 45 CFR 613.5 pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552a(k)(5).