DCL – BIO BUZZ

New DCL: Leveraging Innovations From Evolution (LIFE)

January 22, 2024January 18, 2024NSF_BIO2 Comments

Across millennia, life on Earth has solved challenges to innumerable biotic and abiotic pressures. In some cases, similar adaptations and innovations have arisen independently in separate lineages (i.e., convergent evolution). However, despite the remarkable proliferation of genomic resources, organismal and phylogenetic knowledge, and computational capabilities, most of life’s functional solutions remain poorly understood for the vast majority of species. Through this new DCL, NSF BIO is encouraging proposals that use comparative approaches to identify convergent adaptations to life’s challenges and the mechanisms that underlie them.

NSF BIO seeks to speed discovery and understanding of biological innovations that hold significant potential for applications in the bioeconomy, including industrial processes, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, energy production, nature-based solutions to climate change, and planetary sustainability and resilience. Proposals should include relevance of the proposed work to inform applications towards a sustainable global bioeconomy, interpreted broadly.

Read the full DCL on www.nsf.gov for further information and points of contact.

Process for Submitting Proposals relevant to LIFE

Proposals responsive to this DCL should be submitted to one of the following programs, and Principal Investigators (PIs) are strongly encouraged to reach out to a cognizant Program Officer (PO) (see the points of contact in the DCL linked above) to discuss the topic before submission.

Core Programs in any of the following divisions, including as part of the Integrative Research in Biology (IntBIO) track:
- Division of Environmental Biology (currently NSF 23-549)
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (currently NSF 23-548)
- Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (currently NSF 23-547)
Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research program (currently NSF 23-578)

The Bioeconomy Goes Global Centers!

November 28, 2023November 28, 2023NSF_BIO2 Comments

Dear Colleague Letter Released Outlining Addressing Societal Challenges through the Bioeconomy as FY2024 Focus of NSF Global Centers Program

The topic for the FY2024 competition of the Global Centers program is anticipated to be Addressing Societal Challenges through the Bioeconomy and may include research from any combination of research disciplines supported by NSF. The Program anticipates accepting proposals for holistic, multidisciplinary projects that demonstrate integration of international teams as well as the relevant scientific disciplines, including educational and social sciences necessary to achieve use-inspired outcomes.

About Global Centers
Global Centers — launched in FY2023 — is a cross-directorate funding opportunity implemented in partnership with international funding partner agencies. Global Centers supports large-scale use-inspired research in collaboration with international partners to address global challenges that cannot be solved by any single country. The Global Centers program funds research centers that maximize the benefits of international, interdisciplinary collaborations through co-development of research and workforce training with diverse kinds of stakeholders impacted by global challenge themes. Funding levels for NSF Global Centers Implementation awards are up to $5,000,000 for durations of four to five years and Design awards are up to $250,000 in total over two years. In the inaugural FY23 competition, funding of both Implementation and Design awards totaled $76.4M across all partner agencies

Read the full DCL, including information on potential subtopics, international partners, anticipated competition schedule, and anticipated number of awards.

View the program page on NSF.gov.

Help us find the next BIO AD

June 27, 2022June 23, 2022NSF_BIO

Dear BIO Community,

As you may have heard, after 23 years at NSF, I will be retiring at the end of September 2022. It has been a pleasure to serve this community and the nation through multiple steads in the Directorate for Biological Sciences, and especially for the last four years as BIO’s Assistant Director.

I know that, given the staff and leadership in BIO, the community will be in very good hands and NSF will continue to support the cutting edge of biology and its connections to other areas of science and engineering.

That said, NSF has begun a search for the next Assistant Director for Biological Sciences. Director Panchanathan released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) requesting recommendations for the search committee to consider. Specifically, they are looking for outstanding leaders who have a deep record of scholarship and understand the issues facing the biological sciences, particularly in terms of support for fundamental research, innovation, broadening participation, and workforce development.

Recommendations should be sent via email to biosrch@nsf.gov by Friday, August 12, 2022. Further information on the review criteria, BIO, and the search committee can be found in the DCL.

Thank you for all you do to advance the biological sciences and to support the development of the next generation of biologists. The advances this community has made and the ones we will make are critical to addressing the most important challenges and making the best use of the grandest opportunities now and into the future.

Sincerely,
Joanne Tornow

Engaging Scientific Societies in Culture Change: New BIO-LEAPS Solicitation

January 10, 2022January 7, 2022NSF_BIO

Building off a successful DCL issued last year, we are pleased to announce the new Leading Cultural Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS) solicitation.

The program aims to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in biology at scale through culture change by leveraging the leadership, broad reach, and unique ability of professional societies. Professional societies are uniquely positioned to help facilitate culture change in their disciplines through: publishing journals, fostering scientific discussion and debate, broad membership (including membership from academia, government agencies, and private businesses), hosting large scientific meetings that can serve as networking and professional development opportunities for people at many professional levels, and electing leaders that greatly influence views and norms within a discipline.

As we recognize that disciplines and societies may be at different points in assessing and addressing their culture, the program has three tracks — Evaluation, Design and Plan, and Implementation. The Evaluation Track is for projects focused on assessment and research of the values, norms, priorities, and practices associated with the culture of the discipline or sub-discipline. The Design Track is for projects to develop an evidence-based plan to address broad-scale culture change within a discipline or sub-discipline. The Implementation Track is for projects to implement evidence-based cultural change strategies that leverage the influence of biological professional societies.

Proposals are due on July 1, 2022.

For further explanation of the tracks, complete submission requirements, and additional information, please see the BIO-LEAPS program page and solicitation 22-542. You can also contact the working group at BIO-LEAPS@nsf.gov.

Two webinars (March 21, 2022 from 2-3 EST and April 22, 2022 from 3-4 EST) are being planned to provide the community the opportunity to learn more about the program and ask questions of cognizant program officers. Please monitor the BIO-LEAPS program page for registration links.

Update: New COVID-19 Response to Support Post-Baccs

May 20, 2021NSF_BIO3 Comments

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) recognizes the importance of early-career research experiences and that the COVID-19 pandemic has denied many undergraduates – especially those from groups underrepresented in STEM – such a research experience, whether it was to be supported by a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site, REU supplements, or individual arrangements with faculty mentors.

BIO has issued a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), Research Experience for Post-Baccalaureate Students (REPS), which invites Principal Investigators (PI) of active awards to submit a supplemental funding request to support the research training of post-baccalaureate students. These supplements will support research experiences for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree but who are not currently enrolled in another degree program and who were denied an undergraduate research experience – whether it was to be supported by a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site, REU supplements or individual arrangements with faculty mentors – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through this DCL opportunity, we expect that PIs will provide the REPS participants with an independent but guided research project and professional development to better prepare them for graduate education or entry into the workforce. Ideally, the REPS participants will be involved in the development of their research project.

REPS supplemental funding requests will be reviewed for funding consideration upon receipt. To receive full funding consideration for FY2021, requests should be submitted by July 2, 2021. Supplemental funding requests submitted after that date will be considered if funds are available.

Full information on this invitation can be found on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21085/nsf21085.jsp?org=NSF.

More information on BIO’s efforts to support the research community in recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic can be found in an earlier post on this blog “Update on COVID-19 Recovery Efforts” or on NSF.gov.

NSF Launches New Opportunity for Professional Societies to Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

February 22, 2021NSF_BIO1 Comment

The National Science Foundation has recently released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) encouraging professional societies to work together to form networks to promote cultural change in biology to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DCL, called LEAPS (LEAding cultural change through Professional Societies) of Biology, intends to fund conference proposals, planning proposals, and Research Coordination Network (RCN) proposals that will facilitate collaboration among biology professional societies with the goal of broadening participation of the STEM workforce at scale.

This DCL encourages submissions from societies focused on broadening participation (SACNAS, AISES, ABRCMS) and/or from the NSF INCLUDES National Network. Professional societies are uniquely positioned to lead cultural, structural, and social change through appointing or electing society leaders, convening meetings, publishing, issuing awards, providing training, and creating career support networks. They can shape the culture at the scale of the (sub-) discipline and have the potential to influence other disciplines, institutions, and departments.

Potential partnerships could also include Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other organizations/institutions serving diverse populations. The participation of multiple societies from more than one biological discipline and/or of multiple societies from the same discipline that range in membership size is also encouraged.

For more information, please read the full DCL. To be considered for funding in fiscal year 2021, proposals should be submitted by May 14, 2021. Proposals submitted after that date will be considered for fiscal year 2022 funding.

For questions concerning the DCL, please contact one of the following Program Directors:

Dan Marenda (dmarenda@nsf.gov)
Wilson Francisco (wfrancis@nsf.gov)
Jodie Jawor (jjawor@nsf.gov)
Maureen Kearney (mkearney@nsf.gov)

Reminder: Integration Institutes Request for Information Due March 1

February 26, 2019February 26, 2019NSF_BIO

This is a reminder that the deadline for the Integration Institutes Request for Information is this Friday, March 1. The BIO Directorate is seeking high-level ideas from the community on fundamental biological research questions and topics poised for major advances. For more information, please visit our previous post, visit the Dear Colleague Letter or send an email to BIO-RFI-II@nsf.gov.

New DCL Seeks to Discover the Rules of Life

December 18, 2017December 18, 2017NSF_BIO2 Comments

Care Of New Life - Baby Plant — *Image: Romolo Tavan*

In 2016, NSF Director France Córdova unveiled ten “Big Ideas” to shape NSF’s priorities for investment at the frontiers of science and engineering, and drive American science into the future. One in particular – “Understanding the Rules of Life” – has reshaped how we at the BIO Directorate think about scientific inquiry in the biological sciences. The Rules of Life Big Idea seeks discoveries that will allow us to accurately predict change and outcomes in biological systems, and to develop infrastructure and innovative tools to help us ask more complex questions than ever before.

NSF has now published a Dear Colleague Letter (“DCL”; NSF 18-031) catalyzed by this Big Idea, titled, “Rules of Life: Forecasting and Emergence in Living Systems.” This DCL solicits research proposals to develop a better understanding of complex interactions within biological systems, and identify causal, predictive relationships across scales, levels of organization and layers of complexity – so-called “rules” for how life functions.

This DCL describes an initial opportunity to identify areas where such rules may exist, to drive progress toward their discovery, and to focus efforts on using these rules for prediction and design of biological systems. Activities supported through this DCL include conferences, EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGERs) and Research Advanced by Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (RAISE) grants to create opportunities for enabling predictive capability.

The knowledge, infrastructure and human capital that will be needed to successfully address such complex questions and identify Rules of Life will require convergence of research across many disciplines. As a result, Directorates across NSF are participating in this DCL, including BIO, Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Education and Human Resources (EHR), Engineering (ENG), Geosciences (GEO), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). Interdisciplinary and collaborative research proposals are welcomed under this DCL.

Be sure to read the DCL and Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide to find complete details about the Rules of Life, instructions for submission and all deadlines.

Questions? Comments? Feedback? Email RoLBIO@nsf.gov.

NSF Announces Participation in National Microbiome Initiative

May 13, 2016June 29, 2016NSF_BIO2 Comments

(Updated May 16, 2016)

On May 13, 2016, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in collaboration with Federal agencies and private-sector stakeholders, announced the National Microbiome Initiative (NMI).

As shared by OSTP, “Microbiomes are the communities of microorganisms that live on or in people, plants, soil, oceans, and the atmosphere. Microbiomes maintain healthy function of these diverse ecosystems, influencing human health, climate change, food security, and other factors. The NMI aims to advance understanding of microbiomes to aid in the development of useful applications in areas such as health care, food production, and environmental restoration.”

To kick off the NMI, OSTP hosted an event at the White House to hear from community and research leaders about microbiome science, and opportunities for collaboration and progress. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Assistant Director for the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), Dr. Jim Olds, participated in the event as a member of a federal agency panel.

Dr. Olds was proud to announce NSF’s participation in this initiative through a Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 16-087) highlighting NSF BIO’s vision and approach to support and encourage microbiome research across the phylogenetic spectrum and biological scales; from host – microbe interactions to ecosystems. NSF BIO will also foster the development of a national research infrastructure to support collaborative science on microbiomes.

NSF BIO encourages proposals that advance discovery in the realm of microbiomes with support through several programs in fiscal year 2017. These programs cross the entire BIO Directorate and span basic science through translational research that addresses pressing global challenges and support the development of tools needed for the 21st century.

To learn more about NSF BIO’s participation in the National Microbiome Intiative, access the Dear Colleague Letter here: http://go.usa.gov/cuSMH

Scuba diving researchers collect samples from coral. — Researchers Rebecca Vega Thurber and Ryan McMinds on a mission to obtain samples from a reef. Research on coral microbiomes is funded by the NSF through a Dimensions of Biodiversity award. Read more: http://go.usa.gov/cuS6m
Photo Credit: Ryan McMinds