Brett W. Coonley

Departmental Publishing (LaTeX) Assistant

MIT Department of Mathematics
Building 2, Room 235

LaTeX help for NSF proposal writers

Read "Guide to using NSFmaster": ( ps | pdf ) *** PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS :)

IMPORTANT NOTE: NSF Fastlane is trying to minimize font problems by requiring that proposal writers use only certain type fonts, namely: "Use of only the approved typefaces identified below, a black font color, and a font size of 10 points or larger must be used:

For Windows users: Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia
For Macintosh users: Arial, Helvetica, Palatino, or Georgia
For TeX users: Computer Modern"

IMPORTANT NOTE 2: All pages of the proposal must be numbered, including the 1 page summary. You may no longer use the previously posted NSFsummALT.tex which removed the page number of the summary page to give a little extra space.

Download "NSFmaster" template (5 .tex files):

NSFmaster.tex

Master File

NSFsumm.tex

Project Summary

NSFdesc.tex

Project Description

NSFrefs.tex

References Cited

NSFbio.tex

Biographical Sketch

*** please see NSF Grant Proposal Guide, section f for what to include

zipped

NSFtemplate.tar.gz

NSFtemplate.zip

Check these Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: I am using documentclass amsart. How do I make references come out the same size as the text?

A: In the preamble, use the command \renewcommand{\bibliofont}{\normalsize}.
Note: If you opt to use the amsart documentclass, please use this alternative version of NSFmaster.tex: ( NSFmasterALT.tex )

Q: My page numbers disappeared! How do I get them back?

A: Most often the command \renewcommand{\thepage}{} or equivalently \def\thepage{} was issued somewhere to eliminate a page number (this usually happens for the one-page summary). It is best not to change \thepage like this. Instead, use \thispagestyle{empty} to turn off the page numbering of the current page. *** The most recent guidelines require page numbers for every page of the proposal (so you shouldn't need to be turning off page numbers anyway).

Q: The template uses 11pt font. Can I use a different size?

A: You may use 12pt font but not 10pt. (The 11pt font is the minimum font size that I suggest.)
Explanation: The NSF states that the minimum requirement is 10pt, but I have found that proposals formatted at 10pt will sometimes get shrunk down if converted to pdf, or while being checked by the Compliance Checker. The NSF also states that while 10pt is acceptable, the readability of the proposal is of paramount importance. Therefore, the minimum font size that I recommend is 11pt.

This page has been accessed at least times since October 2005. Last updated 11/8/2007.


Q:	I am using documentclass `amsart`. How do I make references come out the same size as the text?
A:	In the preamble, use the command `\renewcommand{\bibliofont}{\normalsize}`. Note: If you opt to use the `amsart` documentclass, please use this alternative version of NSFmaster.tex: ( NSFmasterALT.tex )

Q:	My page numbers disappeared! How do I get them back?
A:	Most often the command `\renewcommand{\thepage}{}` or equivalently `\def\thepage{}` was issued somewhere to eliminate a page number (this usually happens for the one-page summary). It is best not to change `\thepage` like this. Instead, use `\thispagestyle{empty}` to turn off the page numbering of the current page. *** The most recent guidelines require page numbers for every page of the proposal (so you shouldn't need to be turning off page numbers anyway).

Q:	The template uses 11pt font. Can I use a different size?
A:	You may use 12pt font but not 10pt. (The 11pt font is the minimum font size that I suggest.) Explanation: The NSF states that the minimum requirement is 10pt, but I have found that proposals formatted at 10pt will sometimes get shrunk down if converted to pdf, or while being checked by the Compliance Checker. The NSF also states that while 10pt is acceptable, the readability of the proposal is of paramount importance. Therefore, the minimum font size that I recommend is 11pt.