Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS)
04/25/2022
Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS)
Available Formats:
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Document Number: nsf22591
Public Comment:
This is an NSF Program Announcements and Information - Biology item.
Dear Colleague Letter: Partnership for Prototyping of CMOS+X Systems
04/25/2022
Dear Colleague Letter: Partnership for Prototyping of CMOS+X Systems
Available Formats:
HTML: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22076/nsf22076.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_30&WT.mc_ev=click
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Document Number: nsf22076
Public Comment:
This is an NSF Program Announcements and Information - Engineering item.
What’s hot in science and engineering? Check out NSF research news for the day of April 25, 2022
04/25/2022
Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.
Mon, 25 Apr 2022
To cut costs, Weddell seal pups keep swimming when trading in their fluff
Youngsters can take to the water as early as 2 days old
Open water swimming is not for the fainthearted, especially when air and water temperatures are frigid. So how do furry Weddell seal pups born on the Antarctic sea ice keep on swimming?
Although their blanket of fluffy insulation works fine when dry, as soon as the ...
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Mon, 25 Apr 2022
Hundreds of new mammal species waiting to be found, study says
Research suggests where these species may be 'hidden'
Hundreds of still unidentified species of mammals are "hiding" in plain sight around the world, a new study suggests. Researchers found that most of these hidden mammals are small-bodied, such as bats, rodents, shrews and moles.
These unknown mammals are hidden partly ...
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Message from the Assistant Director for Biological Sciences: FY 2022, FY 2023 and how BIO will Partner with NSF's Newest Directorate
Dear Colleagues,
I know this issue is coming out a bit later in the month than previous ones, but there is lots to update you on and we wanted to try and include as much as possible. Read on for information on FY 2022 appropriations, the FY 2023 budget request, and a new MOU between BIO and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Let's start with FY 2022. With the passage of an Omnibus Appropriations Bill by Congress, NSF has funding through the end of the fiscal year and a new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). As you may know from conversations over the last year or so, we have been discussing how BIO will coordinate with TIP to translate BIO-funded advancements from the bench (or field, stream, ocean, etc.) to application. One such avenue is through the new tracks for the Convergence Accelerator, which include areas in which biology can play a leading role; see the link in the Funding Opportunities section for more. There will be more to come in this regard as TIP rolls out more fully.
In addition to the passage of FY 2022 funding, the FY 2023 Budget Request has been released. The top line number for NSF is $10.5 billion, which is a little over an 18% increase above the FY 2022 enacted level. As noted in an appendix to the request, the requested allocation for BIO is $970 million, which is an increase of a little over 18% above our Directorate allocation in FY 2021.
Importantly, the administration identified a few focus areas for NSF, including climate change and clean energy; emerging technologies, including biotechnology; racial equity; and research infrastructure. BIO is well positioned to support these areas through our various programs for research into life on a warming planet, including the new Organismal Response to Climate Change (ORCC) and Biodiversity on a Changing Planet (BoCP); our efforts around biotechnology; our expanded broadening participation portfolio, including Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO) and Leading Cultural Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS); and our core programs in the Division of Biological Infrastructure.
Finally, BIO recently signed a new MOU with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to provide a framework for discussing actions that can accelerate biological research and data collection in support of conservation efforts.
We will be sure to keep you up-to-date on all things TIP and FY 2023 funding as they progress through this newsletter, NSF's social media channels, NSF.gov, and other means.
Sincerely,
Joanne Tornow
NSF Assistant Director for Biological Sciences
📰 View BIO-funded Highlights
For female yellowthroats, there's more than one way to spot a winning mate
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems-funded research shows a geographic divide in the ornamentation that attracts female warblers and denotes the fittest males.
Using citizen science data to investigate unseasonal flowering of Joshua Trees
Data from iNaturalist, which is supported by the Division of Biological Infrastructure, aided research on why Joshua trees were in flue bloom in late autumn.
Plant disease outbreaks may be curbed by periodic wildfire
Research at the Cedar Creek Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) site found that oak wilt rapidly reversed the effect of fire exclusion.
Researchers simulate behavior of living 'minimal cell' in three dimensions
Researchers funded by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences have built a living "minimal cell" with a genome stripped down to its barest essentials -- and a computer model of the cell that mirrors its behavior.
Get more BIO-funded highlights
Reminder: Share your highlights and outcomes with your Program Officer as soon as possible. We also encourage you to illustrate how an NSF award enabled your work when discussing it publicly and promoting it.
Announcements
NSF and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Announce New Partnership on Conservation
(Posted April 21, 2022)
📆 Events
April 28, 2022
Bioeconomy Distinguished Lecture: Pavel Kabat, PhD, Secretary-General of the
International Human Frontier Science
Program (HFSPO) and co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Distinguished Lecture)
🔎 Find Opportunities to Fund Your Research
BIO Core Programs
As a reminder, the core programs in all BIO Divisions accept proposal submissions at any time and have no deadlines. Submissions to these programs must now be made through Research.gov or Grants.gov.
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (Innovation)
Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity)
Sustaining Infrastructure for Biological Research (Sustaining)
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)DEB Core Programs
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)IOS Core Programs
Plant Biotic Interactions
Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP)
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)MCB: Investigator-initiated research projects
Transitions to Excellence in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research (Transitions)
Newly releasedPathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) (Phase I proposal deadline: May 12, 2022; Phase II proposal deadline: October 21, 2022)
Dear Colleague Letter: Incorporating Human Behavior in Epidemiological Models (IHBEM)
Dear Colleague Letter: Nurturing Diverse, Skilled, Capable, and Productive Communities of Cyberinfrastructure Professionals (CIP)
NSF Convergence Accelerator Phases 1 and 2 for the 2022 Cohort - Tracks H (Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities), I (Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges), and J (Food & Nutrition Security) (Letter of Intent deadline: May 31, 2022; Full proposal deadline: July 20, 2022)
Upcoming DeadlinesBuilding Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO) (Full proposal window: June 1, 2022 - June 30, 2022)
Leading Cultural Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS) (Full proposal deadline: July 1, 2022)
Get Program Announcements and Info via Email
Check Out More From NSF
From broader impacts to innovative ways to explain biological science, NSF and the community are communicating the value of fundamental research. Check out these recent stories!
Science Matters: Understanding
long-term changes to global
ecosystems
Through the Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) network, NSF has cultivated 40 years of sustained observations of sensitive ecosystems. Read about three of these projects, which focus on climate change impacts in Antarctica, the mountain ecosystems of the Rockies and urban settings.
Discovery Files Radio Features
Several BIO-funded discoveries and researchers have been selected for inclusion in NSF's Discovery Files radio features. Click the links below to hear about the various topic.
Everglades Ecologist: Learn about Dr. Sparkle Malone and her work to maintain the health of the Everglades ecosystem.
The Science of Equity!: Dr. Sandra A. Murray studies the biology of cells but also the "John Henryism" in PEERS (Persons Excluded from Science because of Ethnicity and Race).
NSF 101: Funding opportunities for minority-serving institutions
Scientist and educators at minority-serving institutions are crucial to advancing the frontiers of knowledge. NSF has many programs designed to support researchers at MSIs and broaden participation of outstanding researchers. Learn some tips on how to apply for these opportunities.
Connect with BIO: Virtual Office Hours
Each division hosts regular office hours on topics of relevance to the community that provide investigators the opportunity to communicate with and ask questions of program officers. Notices are posted on NSF.gov, and more information is available on each division's blog. Division of Biological Infrastructure - Third Tuesday of each month
from 3-4 p.m.
Division of Environmental Biology - Second Monday of each month
from 1-2 p.m.
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems - Third Thursday of each
month from 1-2 p.m.
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences - Second Wednesday
of each month from 2-3 p.m.
To get the latest on what’s happening in BIO and learn about announcements, opportunities, upcoming deadlines and more, visit our directorate page.
BIO Divisions
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)
DBI supports development and enhancement of resources for research, human capital, and mid-to-large-scale infrastructure and centers to promote advances in all areas of biological research.
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
MCB supports quantitative and interdisciplinary approaches to deciphering the molecular underpinnings of complex living systems.
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
DEB supports fundamental evolutionary and ecological research on species, populations, communities and ecosystems, across all spatial and temporal scales.
Emerging Frontiers (EF)
EF supports multidisciplinary research opportunities and networking activities that arise from advances in disciplinary research.
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
IOS supports fundamental research aimed at understanding organisms as units of biological organization, encouraging the use of integrative, interdisciplinary approaches to solving complex problems in organismal biology
Dear Colleague Letter: Sentinel Systems that Detect, Recognize, Actuate, and Mitigate Emergent Biological Threats (DREAM Sentinels)
04/26/2022
Dear Colleague Letter: Sentinel Systems that Detect, Recognize, Actuate, and Mitigate Emergent Biological Threats (DREAM Sentinels)
Available Formats:
HTML: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22077/nsf22077.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_30&WT.mc_ev=click
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Document Number: nsf22077
Public Comment:
This is an NSF Program Announcements and Information item.
Check out the latest from NSF’s Science Matters blog
04/26/2022
SCIENCE MATTERS
Check out the latest from NSF’s Science Matters blog.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
NSF-driven research finding shifts in typical weather patterns
The NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, part of the Directorate for Geosciences, supports research on physical and dynamic meteorology, including the study of winter storms. The work under their programs is finding changes in expected snowfall amounts, the intensity of storms and average temperatures as well as shifts in the expected timing of cold or freezing weather and other impacts.
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For more National Science Foundation Science Matters blog, visit our blog site. Contact the blog team.
What’s hot in science and engineering? Check out NSF research news for the day of April 26, 2022
04/26/2022
NSF NEWS
Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.
Tue, 26 Apr 2022
New technology could make biopsies a thing of the past
3D microscope can see inside living tissue in real-time
U.S. National Science Foundation grantee engineers at Columbia University have created MediSCAPE, a technology with possible surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. MediSCAPE is a high-speed 3D microscope that provides real-time detailed images of live tissue cells. Instead of ...
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Tue, 26 Apr 2022
Ocean water samples yield treasure trove of RNA virus data
Study of organisms in the sea identifies 5,500 new species
Ocean water samples collected around the world have yielded a treasure trove of new data on RNA viruses, expanding ecological research possibilities and reshaping researchers' understanding of how these tiny but ...
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Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.
Wed, 27 Apr 2022
Engineers create frost-resistant, ice-phobic coatings
Alternatives to conventional de-icing technology could reduce environmental harm
Engineers partially supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation have created a new family of frost-resistant and ice-phobic coatings that offer a more durable and efficient ...
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Wed, 27 Apr 2022
Ozone may be heating the planet more than we realize
Ozone in the atmosphere found to have weakened one of Earth's main cooling mechanisms
Ozone may be weakening one of Earth's most important cooling mechanisms, making it a more significant greenhouse gas than previously thought, researchers have found.
A new study has revealed that changes in ozone levels in the upper and lower atmosphere were ...
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New funding tracks from NSF's Convergence Accelerator include food security, sustainable materials and more
The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator is issuing a new funding opportunity focused on three research topics:
Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
Developing use-inspired solutions to enhance the quality of life, employment access and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges
Advancing materials science, design and manufacturing methods for environmental and economic sustainability.
Food and Nutrition Security
Supporting health, combating climate change and addressing the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable by empowering youth, women and disadvantaged communities.
Researchers and innovators in the social, behavioral and economic sciences community are encouraged to apply. Letters of intent are due May 31, 2022.
Read the full announcement
📅 Upcoming webinars
May 4 and 5
Convergence Accelerator informational webinars
Join the Convergence Accelerator staff for an informational webinar about the new funding tracks, including details on how to prepare and submit a proposal.
The event will be held on May 4 and again on May 5. Participants can attend either day. Registration is required.Webinar registration: May 4, 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern
Webinar registration: May 5, 3-4:30 p.m. Eastern
📰 In case you missed it
NSF recognizes 3 scientists with the Alan T. Waterman Award
NSF has named its awardees for this year's Alan T. Waterman Award, the nation's highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers:Daniel B. Larremore, a computer scientist from the University of Colorado Boulder whose research uses network modeling to examine the progress of the U.S. scientific workforce and pandemic public health measures.
Lara A. Thompson, a University of the District of Columbia biomedical engineer who investigates assistive technologies and robotics to improve balance in elderly individuals and survivors of stroke.
Jessica E. Tierney, a University of Arizona geoscientist who studies past climate change through fossilized biomarkers preserved in sediments and rocks.
Read the full announcement
Physics Frontiers Centers
Solicitation: NSF 22-592
Due Date: August 01, 2022
Institutional Limit: 2
Limit Summary: No more than two preliminary proposals may be submitted by any one institution. The same limitation applies to full proposals.
Dear Colleague Letter: Post-Baccalaureate Research Experiences for LSAMP Students (PRELS) Supplemental Funding Opportunity
04/28/2022
Dear Colleague Letter: Post-Baccalaureate Research Experiences for LSAMP Students (PRELS) Supplemental Funding Opportunity
Available Formats:
HTML: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22079/nsf22079.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_29&WT.mc_ev=click
PDF: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22079/nsf22079.pdf?WT.mc_id=USNSF_29&WT.mc_ev=click
Document Number: nsf22079
Public Comment:
This is an NSF Program Announcements and Information - Education item.
What’s hot in science and engineering? Check out NSF research news for the day of April 28, 2022
04/28/2022
Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.
Thu, 28 Apr 2022
Research team develops more efficient photocathodes
Breakthrough could lead to better particle accelerators and novel materials imaging
Photocathodes emit electrons when illuminated and are a vital component of particle accelerators. But the potential of photocathodes is limited by the properties of crystalline. That is, until a team of ...
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Thu, 28 Apr 2022
Rewriting the history books: Why the Vikings left Greenland
Increasing aridity contributed to Norse abandonment of settlements in the 15th century
One of the great mysteries of late medieval history is why the Norse, who established successful settlements in southern Greenland in 985, abandoned them in the early 15th century.
The consensus view has long been that the colder temperatures of the Little Ice Age ...
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ICYMI - April’s Research News Highlights from NSF
04/29/2022
ICYMI - April’s Research News Highlights from NSF
Researchers engineer a new way to model lymph system conditions
Organ-on-a-chip model could result in new treatment options
Did Earth form inside a solar nebula? New research says likely yes
Clue from vast stores of helium from the Big Bang lingering in the core
Chemists synthesize novel neuroactive compound found in rainforest
Breakthrough could result in new psychiatric and neurological pharmaceuticals
Migrants from south carrying maize were early Maya ancestors
Previously unknown migratory movement brought knowledge of maize agriculture
Tree cover helps gray foxes coexist with coyotes in rural areas
Preserving tree cover may be essential in helping the gray fox survive with coyotes
Fast-melting alpine permafrost may contribute to rising global temperatures
Permafrost at high elevations is more vulnerable than Arctic permafrost
Researchers find humans have given wild animals their diseases nearly 100 times
Diseases have undergone 'spillback' from humans to wild animal
Ancient DNA confirms marine mammal tuberculosis strains were found in inland people
Complex web of disease transmission in pre-colonial South America
Robotics and AI used to stabilize enzyme that reduces scar tissue, increases tissue regeneration
Advance could result in promising treatments for spinal cord injurie
COVID-19 variants can't hide from Variabel
Computer scientists develop program to find 'low-frequency' variants in sequence data
New Convergence Accelerator Funding Opportunity
04/29/2022
The NSF Convergence Accelerator has issued a new funding opportunity for three new research track topics aligned to the 2022 cohort. Researchers and innovators have two submission pathways to submit their proposals: Solicitation, NSF-22-583 and Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), NSFBAA-CA22-02.
The funding opportunity track focuses include:
Track H: Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
This track will converge a wide range of disciplines to include social sciences, behavioral sciences, engineering, computer science, ethics, and economics to develop use-inspired solutions to enhance the quality of life, employment access, and opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Track I: Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges
This track will converge advances in fundamental materials science with materials design and manufacturing methods with the goal to couple their end-use and full life-cycle considerations for environmentally and economically sustainable materials and products that address global challenges.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an Australian Government agency, is partnering with the NSF Convergence Accelerator on Track I. Australian researchers have the opportunity to be on multidisciplinary teams that submit proposals aligned to Track I.
Track J: Food & Nutrition Security
This track will converge a wide range of disciplines to address intertwined challenges in supporting population health, combating climate change, and addressing the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable by empowering youth, women, and disadvantaged communities.
Participating in the NSF Convergence Accelerator
Selected teams begin in phase 1, participating in an accelerated 12 month planning effort, with grant funding up to $750,000. Phase 1 teams participate in the program’s innovation curriculum designed to strengthen each team’s convergence approach and to further develop the solution concepts. At the end of phase 1, teams participate in a formal NSF pitch and proposal evaluation. Selected teams advance to phase 2 to continue developing sustainable, impactful solutions. Teams are eligible to receive up to $5 million of funding during phase 2.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DETAILS
Who can Apply:
Researchers and innovators from academia, industry, government, nonprofit, and other organizations are encouraged to submit a letter of intent (required) and full proposal.
Funding Opportunity:
Submit your proposal using one of the submission pathways: Solicitation, NSF-22-583 and the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), NSFBAA-CA22-02
Solicitation Key Dates:
Letter of Intent (required): May 31, 2022
Full Proposal Deadline: July 20, 2022
*Full proposals are due 5 p.m. submitter’s local time.
INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS Join an NSF Convergence Accelerator webinar to learn about the program and the current funding opportunity. During the webinars, participants will learn about the program’s model and fundamentals, including the program’s phased approach and innovation processes used to accelerate basic research into practice; and the solicitation opportunity and the research track focuses, required Convergence Accelerator fundamentals, and important submission information. The goal of these webinars is to bring awareness of this exciting opportunity to develop use-inspired solutions to have a positive impact on national and societal challenges.
May 4, 2022, from 1 – 3 p.m. ET
May 5, 2022, from 3 – 5 p.m. ET
Webinar Registration: http://nsfconvergenceaccelerator.eventbrite.com/
After registering a confirmation email containing the meeting information, including how to join will be provided.
Questions: Convergence-Accelerator@nsf.gov
ABOUT THE CONVERGENCE ACCELERATOR
Research is often driven by a compelling societal or scientific challenge; however, it may take the researcher community years to develop a solution. To deliver tangible solutions that have a nation-wide societal impact and at a more accelerated pace, the NSF Convergence Accelerator brings together multiple disciplines, expertise, and cross- cutting partnerships to develop solutions through a convergence research approach and innovation processes.
To learn about future opportunities with the Convergence Accelerator, visit: beta.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/convergence-accelerator
Dear Colleague Letter: Update on Science Support and Infrastructure in Antarctica
04/29/2022
