NSPIRES System User Feedback

External Questions

Form title: NSPIRES System User Feedback

Form Description: NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is soliciting participant feedback on their experiences with submitting proposal or participating in proposal reviews for NASA Grants, Cooperative Agreements and Announcement Opportunities (AO) through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES).

The anonymous form is designed to collect information on your experiences finding funding opportunities, submitting proposals, notification of your proposal status, and panel proposal review participation. Your feedback will help SMD identify IT system enhancements to improve your experience.

There are a total of four sections, which take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

• The first section focuses on your experience using NSPIRES to find funding opportunities and submit proposals.

• The second section asks about your proposal submission process.

• The third section collects your feedback on the panel review process for proposals.

• The final section gathers any final thoughts about your experience and the system utilized to submit and review proposals.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement:  This information collection meets the requirements of 44 U.S.C 3507, as amended by section 2 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. You do not need to answer these questions unless we display a valid Office of Management and Budget control number. The OMB control number for this information collection is 2700-0153 and it expires on 8/31/2027. We estimate that it will take about 15 minutes to read the instructions, gather the facts, and answer the questions. You may send comments on our time estimate above to [email protected]. Send only comments relating to our time estimate to this address.

Questions:

Section 1: How do you find NASA funding opportunities?

This section asks about your experience finding NASA funding opportunities, where you look to find opportunities and how you submit proposals for funding opportunities. If this section does not apply to you, skip to the next section.

1. How do you find out about NASA Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) or NASA Research Announcements (NRA)?

   1. Description: Where do you go to find new NOFOs and NRAs?

   2. Answer options:
      Multiple choice: Grants.gov, NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review System (NSPIRES), other

2. How easy or difficult is it to find NOFOs, NRAs, or AOs?

   1. Description: On a level from 1 to 5, with 1 being very easy, 5 being very difficult, and 3 as neutral, rate your experience finding funding opportunities.

   2. Answer options: Single choice rating, 1-5

3. How do you submit your repose to NOFOs and NRAs?

   1. Description: What mechanism do you use to submit responses? Is there a specific website or are responses mailed?

   2. Answer Options: Multiple choice: NSPIRES, Grants.gov, other

Section 2: Your experience with the NASA submission process

Description: The next section asks about your experience with using the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) to submit a notice of intent (NOI) or proposal. If this section does not apply to you, skip to the next section.

4. What level of ease or difficulty is experienced during the submission process?

   1. Description: On a level from 1 to 5, with 1 being very easy, 5 being very difficult, and 3 as neutral, rate your experience with submitting a response/proposal.

   2. Answer options: Single choice rating, 1-5

5. Why did you select that ease/difficulty rating?

   1. Description: Share why you selected the rating, including examples.

   2. Answer option: Free text paragraph

6. What works well, or is easy, during the submission process?

   1. Description: Describe any parts of the process you feel work well or were easy for you to submit an NOI or proposal.

   2. Answer options: Free text paragraph

7. What do you feel needs to be improved in the submission process?

   1. Description: Describe any parts of the process need to be improved?

   2. Answer options: Free text paragraph

8. How has your experience been with the notification process?

   1. Description: The notification process includes the time between NOFO/ NRA closing, through selection and notification of selection status to proposers.

On a level from 1 to 5, with 1 being very dissatisfied, 3 as neutral, and 5 being very satisfied, rate your experience with submitting a response/proposal.

2. Answer options: Single choice rating, 1-5

9. Why did you select that rating for the notification experience?

1. Description: Share why you selected the rating, providing examples. Share what works well and what can be improved?

2. Answer options: Free form text paragraph

10. What challenges have you experienced when applying to or thinking of applying to an SMD NOFO/NRA/AO?

    1. Description: The process is from identification of NOFO/NRA through selection and notification. Accessibility impacts are any parts of the process which reduce access to the information, submission or any other part of the process.

    2. Answer options: Free text paragraph

Section 3: Your experience with the NASA panel and proposal review process.

Description: This section asks about your experience as a participant of the proposal review process as a panelist. If this section does not apply to you, please skip to the next section.

11. How has your experience been with accessing proposals and submitting feedback been?

    1. Description: As a panel reviewer you access NSPIRES to view the proposals assigned to you and then submit your recommendations. On a level from 1 to 5, with 1 being hard, 3 as neutral, and 5 easy, rate your experience.

    2. Answer options: Single choice rating, 1-5

12. Why is your experience rated this way?

    1. Description: Share why you selected the rating, including examples.

    2. Answer options: Free text paragraph

13. What works well with panel review?

    1. Description: What works when well you are accessing proposals for review and submitting the assessment.

    2. Answer options: Free text paragraph

14. What can be improved with the panel review?

    1. Description: What can be improved in the panel review process?

    2. Answer options: Free text paragraph

Section 4: Final thoughts

Description: This is the last section and collects any other feedback or thoughts you have regarding your utilization of NSPIRES for the submission or panel review process

15. Please share any additional comments, suggestions or feedback regarding your experience with the NASA SMD NRA/NOFO/AO process and NSPIRES.

    1. Answer options: Free text paragraph

Form response:

Thank you for your feedback! The information you shared will be used to identify IT system enhancements to improve your experience. If you have any questions or additional feedback, contact [email protected].