A Message from the Assistant Director for NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few months, we have been working to compile and analyze summary data on NSF's, and specifically BIO's, awards and investments in Fiscal Year 2023, which ended on September 30. The work and community that BIO funds is broad and extensive -- in Fiscal Year 2023, we funded more than 14,000 individuals across the career continuum at over 425 institutions and through over 1,000 awards. What those numbers don't show, however, are two things: the great science that those awards support and where in the country those people and institutions are.

From the smallest scales to the largest, BIO has funded science that cuts across biology and across other disciplines, as well. Some new highlights from that work are linked below, but there are countless more on NSF.gov. BIO has supported advances in basic science from the discovery of new species, to understanding how neurons direct behavior and molecular pathways direct the opening and closing of plant stomata. BIO-funded research also is having impact on and contributing to new understanding of critical aspects of societal challenges -- from molecular studies that are helping to advance health and wellness (see the part on molecular glue, specifically) to ecological research aiding in mitigating the negative impacts of wildfires to studies of plant-biotic interactions that are helping ensure we can feed our growing population sustainably by protecting crops from disease. Our infrastructure investments are providing data and tools that enable new types and avenues of research; see the story on the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) below. In short, BIO-funded research is transforming science, our nation, and our world.

In terms of geography, NSF is charged with supporting the whole of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise and that charge filters down to BIO to support the whole of the biological sciences community. The first goal in our Strategic Plan is to "empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering." One of the key ways we achieve that goal is through supporting research in EPSCoR — short for Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research — jurisdictions. There are currently 28 jurisdictions identified as eligible for EPSCoR. By awarding resources and grants to science and engineering research in EPSCoR jurisdictions, NSF and BIO advance on our goal of supporting opportunities everywhere, while also empowering researchers in EPSCoR jurisdictions to advance the nation in the biological sciences.

What can you do?

• Keep proposing great science in every facet and discipline of biology and science that makes use of NSF-supported data from NEON, the Ocean Observatories Initiate, and elsewhere. Take a moment to see our current funding opportunities and then reach out to our program officers or engage with institutional representatives to find more information on how you can apply to NSF funding.
• Tell your program director when you've made a discovery, have a publication in press, or have any great news to share. Don't wait until your annual report.
• If you work in an EPSCoR jurisdiction, we hope to receive proposals from you and we are happy to field your questions about how to apply. If you do not work in an EPSCoR jurisdiction, please consider potential collaborators in EPSCoR jurisdictions with whom you might partner.    

We look forward to your proposals and the exciting possibilities they hold. 

Sincerely,

Susan Marqusee, MD, PhD
NSF Assistant Director for Biological Sciences

📰 View BIO-funded Highlights

Caribbean parrots thought to be endemic are relicts of millennial-scale extinction Researchers supported by the Division of Environmental Biology two species of parrots thought to be endemic to islands were once more widespread and diverse helping to explain how parrots rapidly became the world's most endangered group of birds.

Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime Researchers funded by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems found that the differences in jaw shapes ans sizes of noctillonoid bats follow some consistent modifications to tooth number, size, shape and position

Exascale revolution: Supercomputers unleash a new era in biophysics discovery Scientists supported by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences provided a perspective for a future in which discoveries are made with new precision using supercomputers to reshape the landscape of biophysics.

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.

📢 BIO News

Transitioning funding for macrosystems biology and NEON-enabled science
(Posted November 14, 2023)

DCL released outlining Addressing Societal Challenges through the Bioeconomy as FY2024 Focus of Global Centers (Posted November 29, 2023)

📆 Events

February 9, 2024 or February 16, 2024
Webinar: Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies (ReDDoT)
Program Webinar

February 12, 15, 21, and 22, 2024
Catalyzing Across Sectors to Advance the Bioeconomy (CASA-Bio) Research Community Town Halls
Community Engagement/Town Halls

March 12, 2024
Webinar: Revised Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 24-1)
Informational Webinar

🔎 Find Opportunities to Fund Your Research

Other items of interest to the BIO Community

NEON: Opening Doors with Open Data 2023 is the Year of Open Science, and from soil samples to measurements taken by airplanes flying overhead, the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) delivers hundreds of data products free and open to all. Those data are powering research and transforming the field of ecology, expanding both how research can be conducted and who can conduct it.

Video: Discovery Files Podcast - Insect Scents In a new video as part of NSF's Discovery Files podcast series, Nathan Pottker sits down with BIO-funded researcher and Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University Coby Schal to discuss the vital roles insects play in our ecosystems and the ways in which moths and cockroaches communicate.

New NSF-funded infrastructure will transform ability to study elemental processes in living systems A nearly $20 million award through the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure 1 program will support the construction of the new X-rays for Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Agriculture and Plant Sciences (XLEAP) facility at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) facility at Cornell University. XLEAP is novel infrastructure that will enable new levels of understanding of living systems that can aid in feeding the world sustainably, accelerate carbon sequestration, and sustainably extract rare earth elements and metals critical to electronics and other products.

NSF establishes 10 inaugural Regional Innovation Engines across the country Each NSF Engine will transform its region into a self-sustaining, technology-and-innovation-driven hub of economic activity. Biology-focused Engines include the North Dakota Advanced Agriculture Technology Engine, Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine, and the Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine. Explore the Engines

New NSF Brand Policy America's economic and national security depend on the ability to invest heavily in the technologies of today while making the discoveries that are the foundation for the technologies of tomorrow. Increased public and stakeholder understanding of the U.S. National Science Foundation's mission and the tremendous value the foundation's research investments can bring for the U.S. can help connect us with new partners and expand support.   The new "Official Policy on Brand Standards of the U.S. National Science Foundation," which became effective on December 1, 2023, governs the use of the NSF logo and brand identity for both internal and external stakeholders and will help ensure consistent and accurate representation in all communications and products related to NSF-invested research and activities. It provides guidance to award recipients on how the NSF brand should be included as part of their funding acknowledgment on communications and materials related to NSF-invested research and activities. We encourage you to read the policy, explore the other resources linked below, and begin adopting these practices into your communications and materials as soon as possible. Additional Information: NSF Policy on Brand Standards NSF Brand Identity Portal NSF Brand Standards Manual Policy Fact Sheet for Award Recipients Policy FAQs for Award Recipients

💬 Connect with BIO: Virtual Office Hours

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