Can PIRE funds be used to support the salary or travel-related expenses of foreign participants?
NSF funds are intended to support the U.S. side of a research and education collaboration; the international collaborators should seek funding for their participation in the project from their own funding sources. NSF’s expectation is that the opportunity to participate in a high-profile, large-scale, multi-year cutting-edge science or engineering research project will provide strong inducement to foreign counterparts, and their funding agencies, to participate in the project without NSF support of their participation. For projects involving exchanges of researchers and/or students, please see the next question. In PIRE projects where collaborators are scientists and engineers from a developing country or from a country whose currency is not convertible, limited funds may be requested to support their participation in the project; proposers should consult with the OISE program officer(s) responsible for the country(ies) in question (listed at http://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/country-list.jsp
