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• NSF Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 03-2)

NSF Formatting Guidelines to Prevent Application Rejection

The National Science Foundation rejects proposals which do not follow margin, font and spacing requirements.

Checking the printed version for these requirements will not ensure the acceptability of the electronic submission.

The following method can be used to ensure compliance of your *.pdf files:

1. After each file is uploaded, the system will prompt the user to proofread the document. At this step, you need to save the document you are proof reading to your hard drive.
   
   
2. Start the Adobe Acrobat Reader and open the file saved to your hard drive.
   
   
3. From the View menu, select Grid.
   
   
4. A grid pattern will appear over the text of the document you are reviewing. Each grid box represents 2.5 cm.

The following are spacing requirements as specified by NSF Fastlane:

1. Spacing Requirements:
   
   
   1. Proposals must have 2.5 cm margins at the top, bottom and on each side.
      
      
   2. The page number should be placed above the 2.5 cm margin.
      
      
2. Font Requirements:
   
   
   1. The type size must be clear and readily legible.
      
      
   2. The height of the letters must not be smaller than 10 point. 2.
      
      
   3. Type density must be no more than 15 characters per 2.5 cm (for proportional spacing, the average for any representative section of text must not exceed 15 characters per 2.5 cm).
      
      
   4. No more than 6 lines must be within a vertical space of 2.5 cm