Procedure Library

NSF Research.gov Access

Purpose

To obtain a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research.gov account in order to prepare proposals, submit post-award actions, and meet federal and University of Utah compliance requirements.

Applicability

Principal Investigators (PIs) and their designees who apply for or manage NSF-funded projects.

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Instructions

1. Registering for a New Account or Adding a Role
   Users now self-register for NSF accounts. To create an account or Add a New Role:
   
   
   • Go to Research.gov and select Register in the top navigation, or
   • Follow NSF's and Register for an NSF Account instructions.
     
     Important:
     PI should maintain only one NSF account. When changing institutions, request affiliation, not a new account
     
     Per University Policy 4-010, users must list a University of Utah enterprise email. Accounts submitted with personal email addresses will be denied until corrected. 
2. Affiliation with the University of Utah
   Accounts must be affiliated with the University of Utah before proposals can be routed to OSP for submission.
   
   To affiliate an existing NSF account:
   Add a new organizational role to your current account (see Working at Multiple Organizations or Moving to Another Organization in NSF's registration guidance).
   
   The primary organization is the institution associated with the most recently added role. To change it:
   1. Sign in to Research.gov
   2. Select View My Roles from the left navigation
   3. In Active Roles, locate the correct organization
   4. Expand the row using the + sign
   5. Check the Primary Organization box next to the PI role.v
      
      
3. OSP Approval
   

   OSP must approve your requested role in Research.gov.
   To avoid delays, notify your Sponsored Projects Officer that your affiliation request is pending.

   Once Approved
   Users now self-register for NSF accounts. To create an account or Add a New Role:
   
   
   • OSP receives a notification
   • The individual user receives a confirmation email
   • Follow NSF's and Register for an NSF Account instructions.
     
     Important:
     PIs with existing accounts must request affiliation themselves - OSP cannot do this on their behalf.

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Notes on Roles

• Investigator
  For senior/key personnel on proposals. Faculty should request only this role.
• Other Authorized User (OAU)
  For departmental research administrators who assist investigators.
  Department staff should request only this role.
• Organizational and Financial Roles
  Not authorized for most users.

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Additional Important Information

• OSP can manage only University of Utah affiliations.
• Users must request their own password resets - OSP cannot initiate them.
• OSP can view the email associated with an account but cannot change it.

Related Policies and Procedures

• Grant Life Cycle > Submit Proposal > Electronic Submission & Registration > NSF Research.gov
• NSF Research.gov About Account Management
• OSP STAFF ACCESS ONLY Confluence > Internal OSP Process on Responding to NSF Role Requests