Biology
Integration Institutes (BII); January 13, 2021
Agency
National
Science Foundation
Directorate
for Biological Sciences
Description
Biology
has transformed science over the last century through discoveries that cross
subdisciplines from the molecular to the organismal
to the ecosystem level. While making great progress, biology has also slowly
fragmented into subdisciplines, creating a dynamic
tension between unifying principles and increasingly reductionist pursuits. The
aim of this solicitation is to bring researchers together around the common
goal of understanding how the processes that sustain life and enable biological
innovation operate and interact within and across different scales of
organization, from molecules to cells, tissues to organisms, species,
ecosystems, biomes and the entire Earth. The Biology Integration Institutes
(BII) program supports collaborative teams of researchers investigating
questions that span multiple disciplines within and beyond
biology.
Integration
across biological disciplines is essential if we hope to understand the diverse
and ever-increasing data streams of modern biology and tackle emergent
questions about living organisms and the environment. Of equal importance is
the need for groundbreaking and sustainable training programs that prepare the
next generations of scientists to navigate the breadth of biological sciences,
training in multiple disciplines without sacrificing depth of learning or
innovation. In addition, the biology community must continue to develop
practices and adopt strategies that leverage rapid advances in
cyberinfrastructure and other technologies to bridge and integrate across subdisciplines and make resources accessible, re-usable,
and adaptable for unanticipated purposes. In these ways, Biology Integration
Institutes will focus on biological themes that enable the discoveries of
life's innovations. The outcomes from biological integration will inspire new
biotechnologies and applications to drive our bioeconomy and provide solutions
to societal challenges. While this solicitation focuses on the integration of
biological subdisciplines, any field beyond biology
may be included as needed to address the overarching biological
theme.
Announcement
Number:
NSF
20-601
Closing
Date:
January
13, 2021
Link
to Full Announcement
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20601/nsf20601.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
Contact
Information
Reed
Beaman
(703)
292-7163