The following funding opportunity was shared by Lewis-Burke Associates LLC on January 21, 2022.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) released a solicitation seeking novel approaches in molecular science to advance biotechnology research. This year’s solicitation for the Molecular Foundations for Biotechnology (MFB) program aims to couple synergistic research at the interface of machine learning (ML)/artificial intelligence (AI) with the biological, physical, and mathematical sciences. The program has expanded significantly this year as compared to last year, with the Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Biological Sciences (BIO), and Engineering (ENG) joining the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) on the new solicitation. This expansion reflects NSF’s broader interests in advancing molecular sciences to drive innovation in biotechnology and grow the U.S. bioeconomy.
As part of the Partnerships to Transform Emerging Industries program, MFB strives to address national priorities through collaborative high risk/high reward projects using ML methods with applications in the physical and life sciences. MFB specifically calls for research that:
-
Bridges computer science expertise in ML/AI with chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and/or mathematics;
-
Focuses on integrated projects that create and utilize new “mechanism-guided machine learning frameworks” to predict and characterize the capabilities of biological macromolecules; and
-
Tests the “validity, specificity, and generalizability” of proposed ML frameworks.
Projects should focus on unique and inventive research, and proposals that can be supported through core NSF programs will not be considered responsive to the solicitation. Proposals to this solicitation should focus on science-driven challenges that:
-
Predict and characterize the functions of intrinsically disordered proteins;
-
Explore the relationship between biopolymer function and the environment;
-
Deepen the understanding of biomolecules in higher order complexes, especially “understanding, building upon, and/or disrupting protein-protein interactions”;
-
“Design, synthesize, and characterize natural and synthetic polymer hybrids”; and
-
Predict the structure and function of RNA.
MFB provides opportunities for professional workforce development. University-based proposals can be altered to include internships or similar opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers to conduct research in non-academic settings.
Eligibility Information: All institutions of higher education may submit proposals. While there is no limit on the number of proposals an organization may submit, a single researcher may be designated as senior personnel on no more than one letter of intent and one full proposal. There are no restrictions on who may serve as a principal investigator. There is no maximum or minimum number of collaborators for research teams.
Due Dates:
- Letters of Intent, which are required, are due on February 14, 2022, by 5:00 PM in the submitter’s local time.
- Full proposals are due on April 14, 2022, by 5:00 PM in the submitter’s local time.
Award Information: NSF anticipates making 6 awards with a total of $9 million in funding.
Sources and Additional Information: