Funding-Surpassing
Evolution: Transformative Approaches to Enhance the Efficiency of
Photosynthesis; November 1, 2010
Agency
National
Science Foundation
Description
Photosynthesis is the basis of energy capture
from the sun in plants and algae and has the potential to be harnessed for
major increases in biomass yield - whether that is for bioenergy,
production of renewable chemicals or boosting crop yields for food. Increasing
the efficiency of photosynthesis is likely to provide solutions for the food,
energy, and environmental challenges of the future. While numerous efforts to
increase photosynthetic efficiency have been made, few gains have been
realized. Nevertheless, an increasingly detailed picture of photosynthetic
mechanisms has been obtained. The emergence of new integrative bioscience
including areas such as functional genomics, metabolic flux analysis, and
synthetic biology bring novel strategies that can position scientists to
surpass those limits. This solicitation encourages proposals that have the
potential to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of photosynthesis beyond
current limits.
The key objective of this joint activity
between the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the US and the Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in the UK is to stimulate
innovative and transformative research proposals for the enhancement of
photosynthetic efficiency. The proposals funded through this activity will
include ideas that could lead to a sea-change in our knowledge, rather than
incremental advances. The proposals will be generated in an Ideas Lab by
multidisciplinary teams, which in addition to scientists from a traditional
biology background may include researchers with expertise in physics,
engineering, mathematical modeling, computer science, chemistry or any other
discipline which may help to shed light on the topic. Members of the
photosynthesis research community and specialists in other areas including but
not limited to bioenergetics, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology,
modeling, and systems biology are strongly encouraged to participate.
The aspiration is that mixing researchers
from diverse backgrounds will engender fresh thinking and approaches that can
be brought to bear on the long-standing problem of increasing efficiency of
photosynthesis. In addition, by bringing together the best researchers
from the US and the UK, the intention is to form strong transatlantic
alliances, where the resulting synergies from the expertise of each partner,
allows for significant added value.
US and UK researchers
can submit preliminary proposals via FastLane for
participating in the Ideas Lab in which a set of multidisciplinary ideas will
be developed. These will be submitted as full proposals. Alternatively, US
researchers who cannot or do not desire to participate in the Ideas Lab can
submit full proposals directly in response to this solicitation. Collaboration
among researchers from USA and UK is strongly encouraged in the full
proposals. International research collaborations between the researchers
from USA and from UK are strongly encouraged in the full proposals.
Announcement
Number:
nsf10559
Closing Date: November 01, 2010
All full proposals, whether or not developed
through the Ideas Lab, must be received by the deadline. Proposers do not need
to have participated in the Ideas Lab to submit a full proposal.
Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (optional):
June 15, 2010
For participation in the Ideas Lab workshop
to be held September 13-17, 2010 at the Asilomar
Conference Center, CA. Selected participants will be notified by July 16, 2010.
Required for consideration of participation in the Ideas Lab.
Link
to Full Announcement
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10559/nsf10559.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
Contact
Information
Mark Brodl,
telephone: (703) 292-7879, email: photosynthesis@nsf.gov.
Robert Burnap,
telephone: (703) 292-7582, email: photosynthesis@nsf.gov.