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Directorate
for Biological Sciences
Emerging Frontiers – Bio's Virtual Division
The Emerging Frontiers (EF) Virtual Division was proposed in fiscal year
(FY) 2003 to serve as an incubator for 21st Century Biology. EF supports
evolving multidisciplinary research opportunities and networking activities
that arise from advances in disciplinary research. By encouraging synergy
between disciplines, EF provides a mechanism by which new initiatives will
be fostered—and subsequently integrated—into core programs.
• 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 program solicitation NSF
03-581.
• 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 program
announcement NSF
00-56.
• 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: (1) Dynamics of Coupled
Natural and Human Systems (CNH); (2) Coupled Biogeochemical Cycles (CBC);
(3) Genome-Enabled Environmental Science and Engineering (GEN-EN); (4) Instrumentation
Development for Environmental Activities (IDEA); and (5) 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 here, the BE portfolio in BIO
includes the following three 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 program announcement NSF
03-536.
- Ecology
of Infectious Diseases (EID)—A joint NSF-National Institutes
of Health initiative that seeks to understand the ecological and biological
mechanisms that govern relationships between human-induced environmental
changes and the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases.
- Microbial
Genome Sequencing Program—A joint NSF-U.S. Department
of Agriculture initiative that invites research proposals to support high-throughput
sequencing of the genomes of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria,
archaea, fungi, oomycetes, protists, and agriculturally important nematodes
(program announcement in progress).
• Nanoscale Science & Engineering
Research is focused
on studying the structure and regulation of macromolecular machines and
macromolecular complexes that are capable of self-replication and self-assembly.
Further information, including results of previous competitions, is available
at http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/nano/start.htm.
• 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
in the future, 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.
• 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 nonlinear systems.
• Human Social Dynamics
Focuses on research in behavior,
cognition, development, and neuroscience. For more information, see program
announcement NSF
03-552.
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