Implementation of Electronic Signatures at the National Science Foundation

May 23, 2001

For the past several months, NSF has been assessing various solutions for use in implementing electronic signatures for proposals submitted to the Foundation. Upon consideration of the results of pilots conducted on electronic signatures, as well as re-reviewing the existing legal and regulatory requirements relative to government-wide certification requirements, the Foundation has concluded that the most appropriate method for obtaining electronic signatures is to require only Authorize Organizational Representative (AOR) signatures in proposals submitted to NSF.