FastLane is the National Science Foundation's newest way of exchanging information and facilitating business transactions through the World Wide Web. FastLane contains the following features:

• Proposal Preparation and Submission
• Proposal Status Inquiry
• Final Project Reporting
• Proposal Review
• NSF Award Search

1. The first step is to get a Personal Identification Number, (PIN):
   • In the Twin Cities, contact eprops@umn.edu.
   • In Morris, contact Tom Mahoney at 320.589.6462, e-mail mahoneyt@morris.umn.edu.
   • In Duluth, contact Janice Sakry at 218.726.6593, e-mail jsakry@d.umn.edu.
   
   
2. Go to the FastLane website: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/jsp/homepage/proposals.jsp. Print Help for Proposal Preparations (Prepare a Proposal Functions book) and Frequently Asked Questions About FastLane Proposal Preparation.

3. You will need the following software versions:
   • Netscape Navigator, 3.01 or above, or
   • Microsoft Internet Explorer, 4.01 or above,
   • Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0, or above,
   • A PDF file converter

4. Access FastLane's Homepage at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/jsp/homepage/proposals.jsp to prepare a proposal.

5. Type in your last name, NSF ID, and PIN. Then click the Login button. The PI will get a screen entitled "What do you want work on." Select "Proposal Functions." On the next screen select "Proposal Preparation." Review your PI information and select "Prepare Proposal."

6. Select the forms you need to complete and click the Go To Form button.

7. Once you complete the Cover Sheet and Budget Pages, select the "Allow SRO Access Button" and then "Allow SRO to view, edit and submit proposal" for the grant administrator to have access to the proposal as you are working on it. Please provide this access at least three days prior to the deadline in case there are corrections or technical difficulties. The grant administrator will contact the PI or proposal contact person with changes or additions.

8. Contact the appropriate grant administrators to let them know when the proposal is due and if it is for a specific program announcement. This will give the grant administrator time to read through the program announcement and to guage how many proposals will be submitted for a particular deadline.

9. Once the grant administrator checks to ensure the proposal is complete and correct, submit one full copy of the proposal plus a copy of the PRF, a signed copy of the certification page and any other documents with signatures or required forms not available in FastLane to SPA by 5 p.m. on the day before the submission deadline.

NOTE: PIs may assign a proposal PIN number for a specific proposal to allow others to enter data.