U.S.NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION,update

Update from the Assistant Director: Dear Colleagues, This will be my last message as I prepare to leave the NSF and return to my home institution (UC Berkeley) later this month. It is a bittersweet goodbye as it has been an incredible opportunity and privilege to oversee the BIO Directorate and help guide the funding of science at a national level for the last three years. Yet I am also eager to return to the broader community. My three years at NSF have been professionally rewarding and challenging. The past year has been particularly challenging for both me and the Directorate as we navigated many changes. Rest assured that BIO has remained steadfast in its mission of enabling foundational research and training across the broad area of biological sciences. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues in the BIO directorate. It’s because of their dedication, resilience, and passion that the Directorate continues to fund exciting, state-of-the-art science. During my time at NSF, I was repeatedly struck by just how much work and effort goes into the review and management of the thousands of proposals we receive every year and the stewardship of the thousands of active awards we support. I also want to thank all of you, the broader community, for your help and support; it truly takes a village. As I prepare for this transition, I have had the opportunity to reflect on all the exciting science we have enabled these last few years. At the heart of it are the core research awards supporting PIs across the nation, many receiving their very first NSF award. In addition, we started a broad array of large-scale centers, including synthesis centers, multidisciplinary centers focused on the prediction and prevention of pandemics, and biofoundries that are advancing biotechnology tools while expanding access to those tools. And, of course, we continued to support many established centers, as well as instrumentation and infrastructure facilities for use by the community. In closing, I want to say a special thanks to my colleague, Dr. Theresa Good, Directorate Head of BIO (formerly Division Director of MCB). I leave knowing that BIO is in good hands. I am excited to return to the community and am leaving with the same conviction that brought me to the NSF— that so many of the world's current challenges have solutions rooted in biology. With you, I am committed to doing all I can to make sure the future is an exciting time for biology and cross-disciplinary discovery. The relationships I developed or strengthened over the past three years have been incredibly meaningful to me. I look forward to crossing paths and continued collaboration to realize our shared goals for science in the years to come. Best, Susan Marqusee, MD, PhD Assistant Director, Biological Sciences Reorganization Together with the rest of NSF, BIO has reorganized its administrative structure. We no longer have Divisions as organizing units for scientific grouping. Rather, we are using three thematic areas to describe the science areas we support. The thematic areas are: Foundations of Life, Living Systems, and Bioinformatics and Infrastructure. Collectively, these areas cover the science we have supported for years through many of our legacy programs. Learn more NSF is hiring! NSF BIO is looking for new program directors! For scientists at multiple career stages, this is a great opportunity to have an impact on scientific research directions and funding at NSF. We are especially interested in researchers with expertise in biophysics, neuroscience, cell biology, synthetic biology, plant biology, systems biology, computational biology/artificial intelligence, ecological physiology, infrastructure/instrumentation, and project management. Positions will be available for both permanent staff and “rotators” hired on temporary assignments of one to three years via the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) mechanism. Find out more about coming to NSF on a temporary assignment: NSF rotator programs. Keep an eye out for job announcements on https://www.USAJobs.gov, and be ready to act fast, as postings are often only open for a short time. More funding opportunities for biology researchers  Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER), NSF 22-586.  Applications due July 22, 2026. Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites, NSF 23-601. Applications due August 19, 2026. Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology, NSF 26-504. Applications due September 29, 2026. News and Updates Hooked hairs’ give bean roots an advantage in poor soils NSF-funded researchers have identified a new cell type hidden on the roots of common beans that may hold the key to helping young plants survive nutrient-poor, dry soils long before their mature root systems take shape. New biotech tool locks DNA with a genetic passcode To protect valuable engineered cell lines from vulnerability to industrial theft or espionage, researchers have designed a new biological security technology, known as GeneLock™. Researchers simulate cell division process In work that represents a breakthrough in computer vision, a research team supported by NSF has produced the most detailed computer-generated simulation of a dividing cell ever made. NSF and BioMADE partner to support bioindustrial manufacturing The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorates for Engineering and for Biological Sciences have partnered with BioMADE, which is funded by the U.S. Department of War, to co-fund seven integrated projects that will advance the manufacturing of innovative bio-based products using state-of-the-art methodologies.

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The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships invites you to attend the fourth of four introductory webinars on the recently released NSF X-Labs initiative. This fourth webinar will focus on the topic "Q&A for NSF X-Labs on Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics." Tuesday, June 30, 2-3 p.m. EDT NSF X-Labs represent a bold, flexible and outcome-driven initiative designed to build and accelerate novel platform technologies capable of unlocking entirely new sectors, including new fields of scientific inquiry. The program will support full-time research and development (R&D) teams focused on use-inspired scientific breakthroughs and foundational platform technologies that traditional university and industry labs cannot easily address. NSF X-Labs teams will benefit from ambitious R&D goals, operational autonomy, milestone-based funding and the ability to engage across academia, industry, national laboratories and nonprofit sectors. NSF X-Labs will select ambitious, full-time teams that are working with urgency and purpose and provide them with the structure, resources and flexibility necessary to cultivate early-stage platform technologies that will accelerate breakthroughs and unlock entirely new sectors of the economy. REGISTER NSF X-Labs on this topic will focus on the research and development of technologies to enable next-generation quantum interconnects, integrated quantum photonics and/or their supporting technologies. NSF X-Labs teams will target specific platform technologies that, if successful, will provide a roadmap for the integration of second-generation quantum systems. NSF X-Labs on this topic will aim to develop foundational platform solutions that can form the basis for broad industry adoption. The webinar will be structured as a Q&A. Respondents are recommended to review the funding opportunity before the webinar to maximize the effectiveness of the Q&A session. We look forward to welcoming you, NSF X-Labs Team About NSF TIP The NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) seeks to engage all Americans in accelerating key technologies to advance U.S. competitiveness. The directorate partners across sectors to advance three primary focus areas – accelerating technology translation and development, fostering regional innovation and economic growth, and preparing the American workforce for better-quality, higher-wage jobs. For more information about NSF TIP, visit new.nsf.gov/tip/latest.