Procedure Library

NSF Proposal File Updates & Budget Revisions

Purpose

To outline the steps for Principal Investigators (Ps) to initiate and route a Proposal File Update or Budget Revision in Research.gov. 

Not all roles are authorized to initiate a proposal file update or budget revision. 

Applicability

Proposal File Updates allow PIs or co-PIs to replace uploaded proposal documents or revise certain proposal attributes for a previously submitted NSF proposal. 

A PFU will be accepted by NSF if it is received before:

• The NSF deadline;
• The start of external peer review for proposals with a target date; or
• The start of external peer review for unsolicited proposals.

Requests submitted after these timeframes require acceptance by the cognizant NSF Program Officer.

Additional considerations:

• NSF will consider only one PFU request per proposal at a time; multiple requests for a single proposal are expected to be rare. 
• Once a PFU is accepted, the updated files or attributes immediately replace the prior version and become part of the official proposal record.  See PAPPG, Chapter III.C

Instructions

Accessing PFUs and Budget Revisions

PI's can initiate the Proposal File Updates (PFUs) and Budget Revisions links via the Submitted Proposals module in Research.gov. 

Editing a Proposal

The method for editing depends on the proposal type and submission status.

1. Single Submissions or Single Submission with Subawards
   • All edits must be made using the Initiate PFU/Budget Revision button on the submitted proposal page.
2. Separately Submitted Collaborative Proposals
   • If the lead or non-lead proposal is submitted but others in the collaboration are pending, the submitted proposal will appears as Submission Pending.
   • When a proposal is in Submission Pending status, an Edit Proposal button is visible to the PI/co-PI, SPO, AOR, and OAU.
     • Selecting Edit Proposal returns the proposal to In Progress status and requires resubmission by the AOR.
   • Once all proposals in the collaborative group have been submitted, edits may be made only via the Initiate PFU/Budget Revision button

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How to Locate the PFU/Budget Revision Option

1. Log in to Research.gov
2. Go to Proposal Preparation > Submitted Proposals
3. In the proposal list, located the desired proposal.
4. Under the proposal number, select Associated Actions: Proposal File Update.
   

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Allowing an OAU/Dept Admin to Assist

Use the Research.gov feature for managing access permissions:

• Add or Remove Other Authorized Users (OAUs)
• Share PFU/Budget Revision access with the SPO/AOR

These instructions correspond to How to Add or Remove an Other Authorized User (OAU) and How a PI/co-PI Shares Proposal and Proposal File Update/Budget Revision Access with the SPO/AOR in Research.gov.

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OSP Instructions

Submitting the PFU/Budget Revision

1. Log in to Research.gov and select the Update menu option.
2. Search for the PI or proposal.
   
3. Under Associated Actions, open the PFU or Budget Revision.
4. Review the updated components (e.g., budget, narrative files).
5. Verify revisions and submit following standard OSP procedures.

 

Related Policies and Procedures

• NSF Research.gov Access
• NSF > How OSP Submits Proposal File Updates/Budget Revisions