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EMERGING
FRONTIERS
The
Emerging Frontiers (EF) Division was created in Fiscal Year 2003
to catalyze and support multidisciplinary research and networking
activities that arise from advances in disciplinary research.
Administration of EF is a collaborative effort among BIO's Division
Directors and Program Directors.
EF
in Fiscal Year 2004 includes the following activities:
Frontiers
in Integrative Biological Research (FIBR)
Invites new ideas for integrative research on major biological questions
from a multidisciplinary point of view. Relevant scientific questions
will be those recognized both as major challenges in biology and
as beyond the scope of traditional single-investigator or small
team approaches. For more information, see the program
solicitation.
Cognizant
BIO Program Officer:
Dr. Christopher Greer, e-mail: biofibr@nsf.gov.
FIBR
Award Listing
Research
Coordination Networks (RCN)
Seeks to encourage and foster communications and collaborations
among scientists with common goals and interests. RCN provides support
for groups of investigators to communicate and coordinate their
research efforts across disciplinary, organizational, institutional
and geographical boundaries. Networks are formed around a focal
theme and can involve a broad research question, group of organisms,
or particular technologies or approaches. For more information,
see the program
solicitation.
Cognizant
BIO Program Officer:
Dr. Christopher Greer, e-mail: biorcn@nsf.gov.
RCN
Award Listing
Biocomplexity
in the Environment (BE)
Emphasizes research on the dynamics that occur within biological
systems and between these systems and the physical environment via
five topical areas: Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems
(CNH); Coupled Biogeochemical Cycles (CBC); Genome-Enabled Environmental
Science and Engineering (GEN-EN); Instrumentation Development for
Environmental Activities (IDEA); and Materials Use: Science, Engineering,
& Society (MUSES). Further information including results of
previous competitions is available at http://www.nsf.gov/geo/ere/ereweb/fund-biocomplex.cfm.
In addition to
the five topical areas listed above, the BE portfolio in BIO includes
three additional competitions:
-
Assembling the Tree of Life (AToL) --- supports multidisciplinary
teams that conduct innovative and integrative projects to
resolve phylogenetic relationships among significant groups
of organisms and develop innovative data acquisition and analysis
in phylogenetics and phyloinformatics, with the ultimate goal
of reconstructing a framework phylogeny for all species on
earth. For more information, see the program
solicitation and workshop reports.
- Ecology
of Infectious Diseases (EID) --- a joint NSF-NIH initiative--seeks
to understand the ecological and biological mechanisms
that govern relationships between human-induced environmental
changes and the emergence and transmission of infectious
diseases. For more information, see the program
solicitation.
- Microbial
Genome Sequencing Program --- a joint NSF-USDA initiative
which invites research proposals to support high-throughput
sequencing of the genomes of microorganisms (including
viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, oomycetes, protists
and agriculturally important nematodes). For more information,
see the program
solicitation.
Nanoscale
Science & Engineering
Supports science and engineering research and education
in emerging areas of nanoscale science and technology, including:
biosystems at the nanoscale; nanoscale structures, novel phenomena,
and quantum control; nanoscale devices and system architecture;
nanoscale processes in the environment; multi-scale, multi-phenomena
theory, modeling and simulation at the nanoscale; manufacturing
processes at the nanoscale; and studies on the societal and educational
implications of scientific and technological advances on the nanoscale. For
more information, see the program
solicitation and NSE
homepage.
Cognizant
BIO Program Officer:
Dr. Gerald Selzer, e-mail: gselzer@nsf.gov.
Information
Technology Research (ITR)
Broadly invites innovative fundamental research proposals that address
the challenges that face IT or seek advances at the frontiers of science
and engineering through the creative and innovative use and further
development of IT. The ITR Program is interested in fostering visionary
work that could lead to major advances, new and unanticipated technologies,
revolutionary applications, or new ways to perform important activities.
Examples of BIO relevant areas include: algorithms for designing,
managing, and linking primary biological databases, development of
new tools for microbial genomics, development of innovative database
structures (both hardware and software) that support distributed storage
of very dense files of genetic sequence and genomic data; and development
of real time information networks linking researchers worldwide engaged
in Tree of Life research. Further information including results of
previous competitions is available at http://www.itr.nsf.gov.
Cognizant
BIO Program Officer:
Dr. Manfred Zorn, e-mail: mzorn@nsf.gov.
Mathematical
Sciences
Supports interdisciplinary research involving mathematics, science
and engineering, and focuses on mathematical and statistical challenges
posed by large data sets, managing and modeling uncertainty, and
modeling complex non-linear systems. For
more information, see the program
solicitation.
See also: Interdisciplinary
Training for Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences
(UBM).
Cognizant
BIO Program Officer:
Dr. Sam Scheiner, e-mail: sscheine@nsf.gov.
Human
Social Dynamics
Aims to foster breakthroughs in knowledge about human action and
development as well as organizational, cultural, and societal adaptation
and change. Such a transformation in basic understanding would parallel
the explosion of knowledge about the physical and biological worlds
that characterized the twentieth century. HSD aims to increase our
collective ability to anticipate the complex consequences of change;
to better understand the dynamics of human and social behavior at
all levels, including that of the human mind; to better understand
the cognitive and social structures that create and define change;
and to help people and organizations better manage profound or rapid
change. Accomplishing these goals requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary
approach across the sciences, engineering, and education, including
the development of infrastructure that can support such efforts.
The FY 2004
competition will include three topical emphasis areas (Agents of
Change; Dynamics of Human Behavior; and Decision Making and Risk)
and three resource-related emphasis areas (Spatial Social Science;
Modeling Human and Social Dynamics; and Instrumentation and Data
Resource Development). Support will be provided for research-focused,
education-focused, infrastructure-focused, and exploratory projects.
For more information, see the program
solicitation.
Cognizant
BIO Program Officer:
Dr. Mark Walbridge, e-mail: mwalbrid@nsf.gov.
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