NSF Biological Sciences

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NSF - Biological Sciences
Muriel Poston, Ph.D. mposton_at_nsf.gov National
Science Foundation 2005
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Major BIO Responsibilities

• Long-Term Ecological Research
• Systematic Biology (Biodiversity)
• Evolutionary Biology
• Environmental Biology
• Plant Biology
• Bioinformatics
• Non-medical Microbial Biology

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Biological Sciences Home Page
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Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Mary
Clutter, Assistant Director Joann Roskoski,
Executive Officer
Information and Automation Resources Unit (IAR)
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Mike
Willig, Division Director Penny Firth, Deputy
Director
Division of Integrative Organismal
Biology (IOB) Tom Brady, Division Director Judy
Verbeke, Deputy Director
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) Machi
Dilworth, Division Director Muriel Poston, Deputy
Director
Division of Molecular and Cellular
Biosciences (MCB) Maryanna Henkart, Division
Director Jerry Cohen, Deputy Director
Ecological Biology
HumanResources
BehavioralSystems
Biomolecular Systems
Ecosystem Science
Developmental Systems
Research Resources
Cellular Systems
Population Evolutionary Processes
Genes and Genome Systems
Environmental Structural Systems
Plant Genome Research Program
Systematic Biology Biodiversity Inventories
Functional Regulatory Systems
Emerging Frontiers (EF)
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Current Issues and Challenges

• Implement 21st Century Biology
• Multidimensional
• Multidisciplinary
• Data driven
• Educationally oriented
• Internationally engaged

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Current Issues and Challenges

• Development of the next generation of scientists
• Broadening Participation
• Infrastructure
• Enhance Federal Investment
• Internationalization of science

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BIO Areas of EmphasisFY2005 Budget Request

• NSF-wide Priority Areas
• Biocomplexity in the Environment
• Nanoscale Science and Engineering
• Mathematical Sciences
• Human and Social Dynamics
• Increased award size and duration

• BIO Emphasis Areas
• 21st Century Biology
• Plant genomics
• Microbial biology
• Arabidopsis 2010 Project
• Broadening participation
• Major Research Equipment and Facilities
• National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)

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Division of Environmental Biology
Examples of Research Areas Supported Under DEB

• Systematics
• Population Biology
• Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories
• Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy
  (PEET)
• Ecosystems Studies
• Ecology
• Long-term Ecological Research

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DEB Ecosystem Science

• Biogeochemistry
• Decomposition of organic matter
• Belowground nutrient cycling and energy flow
• Primary productivity
• Radiatively active gas flux
• Element budgets on watershed, regional,
  continental, or global scales
• Relationships between diversity and ecosystem
  function
• Ecosystem services
• Landscape dynamics

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DEB Population and Evolutionary Processes

• Population processes
• Evolutionary ecology
• Evolutionary genetics
• Molecular population biology

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DEB Systematic Biology and Biodiversity
Inventories

• Taxonomy
• Classification
• Phylogenetics
• Expeditionary work to discovery, document and
  describe plant, animal, and microbial diversity

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Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants

• Division of Environmental Biology and the
  Division of Integrative Organismal Biology
• Must pass candidacy by the deadline
• Funds research-related costs only
• Recent changes
• - increased upper limit to 12, 000
• - allows travel to meetings

Deadline 3rd Friday in November, annually
Contact Dr. Mark Courtney, mcourtne_at_nsf.gov
Announcement NSF 02-173
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Division of Integrative Organismal Biology
Research Areas Supported Under IOB

• Behavioral Systems Cluster
• Developmental Systems Cluster
• Environmental and Structural Systems Cluster
• Functional and Regulatory Systems Cluster

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IOB Behavioral Systems Cluster

• Thematic area focuses on the development,
  function, mechanisms, and evolution of behavior,
  biological rhythms, and interactions between
  organisms including animals, plants, and
  microbes
• social and reproductive behavior
• behavioral ecology and physiology
• neural and hormonal mechanisms of behavior
  immunology of behavior
• biological bases of learning, cognition, and
  communication

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IOB Developmental Systems Cluster

• Thematic area focuses on the nature, control, and
  evolution of those processes that comprise the
  life cycle of organisms
• mechanisms of gametogenesis, fertilization,
  embryogenesis, differentiation, pattern
  formation, and morphogenesis
• development, regeneration, and aging of the
  nervous system
• genomic approaches, gene networks, integration of
  developmental gene pathways, and computational
  approaches are included. 

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IOB Environmental and Structural Systems Cluster

• Thematic area focuses on the function and
  evolution of organisms in their physiochemical
  and biotic environments
• of physiological ecology,
• functional morphology,
• animal sensation and movement,
• molecular bases of tissue biomechanical
  properties,
• environmental genomics. 

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IOB Functional and Regulatory Systems Cluster

• Thematic area focuses on fundamental
  physiological mechanisms and how they have
  evolved, with emphasis on organisms as integrated
  systems.
• comparative physiology
• Neurophysiology
• mechanisms of solute transport
• comparative or evolutionary immunology
• Includes research at the genetic, genomic,
  cellular, tissue, organ, system, and organismal
  levels of organization. 

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Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
Examples of Research Areas Supported Under MCB

• Molecular Structure and Function
• Metabolic Biochemistry
• Cellular Organization
• Signal Transduction and Cellular Regulation
• Mechanisms and Regulation of Gene Expression
• Genetic Mechanisms

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Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
Research Areas Supported Under MCB

• Biomolecular Systems Cluster
• Cellular Systems Cluster
• Gene and Genome System Cluster

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MCB Biomolecular Systems Cluster

• Emphasizes the structure, function, dynamics,
  interactions, and interconversions of biological
  molecules
• includes integrating theoretical, computational,
  and experimental approaches to the study of
  biological molecules and their functional
  complexes
• mechanistic studies of the regulation and
  catalysis of enzymes and RNA
• higher-order characterization of the biochemical
  processes

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MCB Cellular Systems Cluster

• Emphasizes the structure, function, and
  regulation of plant, animal and microbial cells,
  and their interactions with the environment and
  with one another
• Includes studies of the structure, function, and
  assembly of cellular elements, including
  eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell walls and
  envelopes
• Includes intracellular and transmembrane signal
  transduction mechanisms and cell-cell signaling
  processes, including those that occur in biofilms
  
• Includes Microbial Observatories and Microbial
  Interactions and Processes

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MCB Gene and Genome Systems Cluster

• Emphasizes genomes and genetic mechanisms in all
  organisms, whether prokaryote, eukaryote, phage,
  or virus
• Includes structure, maintenance, expression,
  transfer, and stability of genetic information in
  DNA, RNA, and proteins and how those processes
  are regulated
• Areas of interest include genome organization,
  molecular and cellular evolution, replication,
  recombination, repair, and vertical and lateral
  transmission of heritable information
• Includes processes that mediate and regulate gene
  expression, such as chromatin structure,
  epigenetic phenomena, transcription, RNA
  processing, editing and degradation, and
  translation.

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Emerging Frontiers Virtual Division

• An incubator for 21st century biology
• Multidisciplinary research and networking
  activities
• Synergy between disciplines
• New initiatives for later integration into core
  programs
• Currently includes
• All NSF-wide Priority Areas
• Frontiers in Integrative Biological Research
• Tree of Life
• Microbial Genome Sequencing Project
• Ecology of Infectious Diseases
• Research Collaboration Networks

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FIBR Frontiers in Integrative Biological
Research

• Supports integrative research that addresses
  major questions in biology
• Identify under-studied and unanswered questions
• Use innovative approaches
• Integrating science and research tools across
  disciplines
• PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL DEADLINE (required for Full
  Research Proposal submission only) October 4,
  2004
• FULL RESEARCH PROPOSAL DEADLINE February 2005

Read the Program Announcement for more
information. Program Announcement NSF
04-596 Full proposal Deadline February 16, 2005
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Research Coordination Networks in Biological
Sciences

• Foster communication and promote collaboration
  among scientists with common interests from broad
  backgrounds and across geographically,
  disciplinary, and organizational boundaries
• Create new research directions

Program Announcement NSF-04-567 Deadline June
25, 2004 TBA for 2005
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Division of Biological Infrastructure
Examples of Research Areas Supported Under DBI

• Postdoctoral Fellowships Program
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites
• Undergraduate Mentorship in Environmental Biology
• Collaborative Research at Undergraduate
  Institutions
• Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories
• Instrument Development for Biological Research
• Multi-user Biological Equipment and
  Instrumentation
• Biological Databases and Informatics
• Living Stock Collections
• Biological Research Collections

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Plant Genome Research Program

• Overall Program Goals
• Support research on the structure, organization
  and function of plant genomes, elucidate
  fundamental biological processes
• Accelerate the acquisition and utilization of new
  knowledge and innovative technologies
• Focus is on plants of economic importance and
  plant processes of potential economic value.
• FY04-05 Program (NSF 04-510)
• Virtual Center Awards in Plant Genome Research
• Individual and Small Group Awards in Plant Genome
  Research

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Funding Opportunities for Plant Research

• Core programs in the BIO Directorate
• DBI
• DEB
• IBN
• MCB
• Cross-cutting programs
• The 2010 Project
• Assembling the Tree of Life (AToL)
• Research Coordination Networks (RCN)
• Frontiers in Integrative Biological Research
  (FIBR)
• Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP)

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What Is Unusual About PGRP Projects?

• Single investigator to multi-institution and
  multi-investigator
• Large budgets
• Genome-scale resource development
• Industrial participants
• International participants
• Training/IP/informatics

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Funded Plants

• Rice
• Soybean
• Sorghum
• Tobacco
• Tomato
• Wheat

• Medicago
• Oat
• Pepper
• Pine
• Poplar
• Potato

• Arabidopsis
• Barley
• Brassica
• Cotton
• Grape
• Lettuce
• Maize

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Individual and Small Group Awards in Plant Genome
Research (ISGA-PGR)

• 300,000 500,000 per year for up to 5 years
• Projects can build on existing PGRP tools

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Plant Genome Educational Resources

• All NSF PGRP projects have training and outreach
  components
• Many other projects have developed educational
  resources
• A collection of these resources can be accessed
  at the Plant Genome Research Outreach Portal
  (PGROP)
• http//www.plantgdb.org/pgrop/pgrop.php

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What is ?

• A continent-wide research tool consisting of
  geographically distributed regional
  observatories, networked via state of the art
  communications
• A virtual lab for research to obtain a predictive
  understanding of the environment
• Collectively, a network of networked
  environmental research facilities and instruments

National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
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Multi-User Biological Equipment and
Instrumentation Resources (MUE)

• provides support for the purchase of major items
• requests can be from 40,000 to 400,000.
• single items of biological equipment or several
  pieces of equipment with a related purpose
• must be shared by 3 to 7 investigators with
  actively-funded NSF research projects.

Program Announcement NSF 05-534 Deadline 1st
Wednesday in July, annually
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Major Research Instrumentation Program

• NSF wide program, BIO managed review
• Designed to improve the condition of scientific
  and engineering equipment and facilities for
  research and research training
• Awards for instrumentation will range from
  100,000 to 2 million.

Deadline 3rd Thursday in January,
annually Program Announcement NSF-05-515
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Field Stations Marine Labs Program

• Successful projects have
• Demonstrated infrastructure need
• High potential biological impact
• Broad user base
• Educational outreach

Read the Program Announcement for more
information. Program Announcement NSF
05-550 April 26, 2005
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Biological Research Collections

• Collection Enhancement
• Computerization of specimen-related data
• Curation and Collection Management research

Program solicitation NSF 04-571
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Biological Databases and Informatics

• To encourage support of new approaches to the
  management of biological knowledge that render
  the collection, maintenance, dissemination and
  query of the data and information therein of
  greater utility to the scientific community.

Read the Program Announcement for more
information. Program Announcement NSF 05-???
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C-RUI Cross-disciplinary Research at
Undergraduate Institutions

• Supports research efforts involving faculty from
  different fields
• Targeted at cross-disciplinary research projects
  that require contribution of from more than one
  disciplinary area
• Focused on undergraduate students from
  predominantly undergraduate institutions
• Anticipated funding for program - 2 million up
  to 8 awards

Read the Program Announcement for more
information. Program Announcement NSF 04-536
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Research Experiences for Undergraduates
effective for attracting and retaining
undergraduates in careers in mathematics,
science and engineering
incorporates active research experience
REU supplements to PIs with existing awards
REU sites NSF 04-584
Sites Deadline Aug. 17, 2004
Supplement Deadline Contact your Program
Officer for details.
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Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology

• institutional awards to give students research
  experience in environmental biology - broadly
  defined
• proposals should emphasize factors that enable
  underrepresented groups to enter and remain in
  environmental biology
• major emphasis on direct student participation in
  research during the academic year and summer,
  with students remaining in program for gt 1 year

Program Announcement NSF 05-558 Preliminary
proposal Deadline May 18th 2005 Full proposal
Deadline October 17th 2005
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Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs

• Awards for research and training
• Applicants choose sponsoring scientist and
  provide research/training plan
• Two year awards
• Minority Postdoctoral Fellowships
• Program announcement NSF 00-139
• Deadline First Monday in December
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in
  Interdisciplinary Informatics
• Program Announcement NSF 04-539
• Deadline April 11th, 2005

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Award Supplement Opportunities

• Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
• Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)
• Research Assistantships for Minority High School
  Students (RAMHSS)
• Facilitation Award for Scientists and Engineers
  with Disabilities

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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR TEACHERS

• 1-year supplement to current NSF Awards
• help build long term collaborative relationships
  between K-12 teachers of science and mathematics
  and the NSF research community
• encourages researchers to form partnerships with
  teachers at inner city schools and less well-
  endowed school districts

Consult with the Program Director of your
particular NSF award. Dear Colleague Letter NSF
05-524
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Research Opportunity Award
Supplementary funding through ongoing NSF
research grants to allow faculty at predominantly
undergraduate institutions or secondary schools
to participate in research activities under the
aegis of NSF-supported investigators

• details located within the RUI program
  announcement

Consult with the Program Director of your
particular NSF award. Dear Colleague Letter NSF
05-548
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Research Assistantships for Minority High School
Students (RAMHSS)

• involves high school minority students in
  research
• provides funding supplements to PIs supported by
  NSF
• occurs throughout the academic year and summer

Contact the Program Officer in the appropriate
program for details.
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Useful URLs - Bookmark!!
NSF Home Page http//www.nsf.gov Search NSF
Awards http//www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/ Search
NSF Documents On-Line http//www.nsf.gov/publica
tions/ods/ FastLane Home Page https//www.fastla
ne.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp NSF Custom News
Service http//www.nsf.gov/mynsf/ Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG) http//www.nsf.gov/pubsys/o
ds/getpub.cfm?ods_keynsf0423 Guide to
Programs http//www.nsf.gov/ pubsys/ods/getpub.cf
m?ods_keynsf04009
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Directorate for Education and Human Resources
Math and Science Partnership (MSP)
Division of Human Resource Development (HRD)
Division of Elementary, Secondary and
Informal Education (ESIE)
Division of Research, Evaluation
and Communication (REC)
Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
Division of Graduate Education (DGE)
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Division of Elementary, Secondary and Informal
Education (ESIE)

• Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT)
• Informal Science Education (ISE)
• Information Technology Experiences for Students
  and Teachers (ITEST)
• Instructional Materials Development (IMD)
• Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education
  (NSEE)
• Presidential Awards
• Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC)
• Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

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Informal Science Education (ISE)

• Promotes the public interest, understanding, and
  engagement in STEM informal opportunities.
• Television, films, and radio shows
• Exhibits and educational programs at museums,
  science and technology centers, etc.
• Educational activities through community and
  youth-based programs
• One-year to five-year projects
• 50,000 to 3 M

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Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

• Promotes improvement in undergraduate
  technological education (joint program with
  ESIE DUE)
• Curriculum development
• Preparation of college faculty and secondary
  school teachers
• Professional development for faculty and teachers
• Research relating to technician education
• Emphasis on two-year colleges
• Education of technicians for high-technology
  fields
• Promotes articulation between two-year and
  four-year institutions

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Division of UndergraduateEducation (DUE)

• Workforce Development
• Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
• Computer Science, Engineering Mathematics
  Scholarships (CSEMS)
• Federal Cyber Service Scholarship for Service
  (SFS)
• Robert Noyce Scholarship Program
• STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP)
• Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) 

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Division of UndergraduateEducation (DUE)

• Curriculum, Laboratory Instructional
  Development
• Course, Curriculum Laboratory Improvement
  (CCLI)
• National STEM Education Digital Library (NSDL)
• NSF Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching
  Scholars (DTS)

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NSF Merit Review Criteria

• Criteria include
• What is the intellectual merit and quality of the
  proposed activity?
• What are the broader impacts of the proposed
  activity?

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Ad hoc/ mail review or Panel Service

• Gives you insight into the review process
• Allows you to see fundable research proposals
• Great service to the community

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Ad hoc/ mail review or Panel Service

• Gives you insight into the review process
• Allows you to see fundable research proposals
• Great service to the community