Opportunity Information: Apply for 10 603
Apply for 10 603
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074 Biological Sciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 20, 2010 and posted on Aug 20, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 10, 2010 Full Proposal Deadline(s) December 10, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Non profit, non academic organizations Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities. State and Local Governments State educational offices or organizations and local school districts. Universities and Colleges Universities and two and four year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions. br /When a consortium of eligible organizations submits a HUB proposal, it must be submitted as a single proposal with one organization serving as the lead and all other organizations as subawardees. Separately submitted collaborative HUB proposals will not be accepted and will be returned without review. Organizations ineligible to submit to this program solicitation may not receive subawards. p classDefaultAll collaborative TCN proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity "Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections" (Funding Opportunity Number 10-603; NSF Publication 10-603) is aimed at building a coordinated, nationwide digital resource that documents biological specimens already held in U.S. scientific collections. The core idea is to unlock the research value of these vouchered collections by converting specimen-associated information into accessible digital data, including images, and then organizing and connecting that information so it can be broadly searched, analyzed, and reused. By doing this at national scale, the program is intended to strengthen biodiversity science and make it easier for researchers, educators, and decision-makers to draw on authoritative specimen records as a baseline for understanding life on Earth and identifying where major knowledge gaps remain.
The opportunity emphasizes that biological collections contain far more than just preserved organisms. Specimens often come with detailed context such as where and when they were collected (geographic distribution and phenology), what environmental conditions and habitats were present, notes from collectors in the field, and links to associated organisms (for example, host-parasite or plant-pollinator relationships). Many collections also include tissues and molecular information derived from specimens, which can be critical for modern genetic and genomic research. Digitizing and standardizing these data makes them dramatically more useful because they become discoverable and comparable across institutions, regions, and taxonomic groups.
A central feature of the program is the plan for a three-level national structure. First, a national hub would serve as a central organizing point for the overall resource, helping coordinate standards, integration, and broad access. Second, thematic networks would connect collaborative groups of collections around shared themes, organisms, regions, or research priorities, allowing institutions to work together to digitize and mobilize data in a coordinated way. Third, the physical collections remain the foundational layer, because the digitized records must trace back to real, curated specimens whose identity and provenance can be verified. This design is meant to build directly on past and ongoing investments in curation and stewardship, while extending their scientific value through digitization and data sharing.
NSF frames this effort as strategically important for both science and societal needs. A robust national digital resource for biological collections can support research into climate change impacts on biodiversity, shifts in species ranges, biological invasions, and responses to natural disasters. It can also contribute to tracking and understanding disease vectors and agricultural pests, where historical specimen records can reveal how distributions and timing have changed over decades. In practical terms, the digitized collection data can enable faster synthesis studies, better modeling, improved risk assessments, and more informed conservation and management decisions.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument, under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, with CFDA number 47.074 (Biological Sciences). NSF anticipated making around 12 awards. The estimated total funding available is $10,000,000, with award sizes ranging from a floor of $3,000,000 up to a ceiling of $10,000,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted on August 20, 2010, and the full proposal deadline was December 10, 2010.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based institutions involved in education or research, but it is also defined with specific constraints. Eligible applicants include accredited U.S. universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) applying on behalf of their faculty; non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with educational or research activities; and state and local government entities such as state educational offices or organizations and local school districts. The solicitation also lays out important rules for collaborative submissions. If a consortium submits a HUB proposal, it must be submitted as a single proposal with one lead organization and the rest as subawardees; separately submitted collaborative HUB proposals are not accepted and would be returned without review. It also specifies that organizations ineligible to submit to the program solicitation cannot receive subawards. For collaborative TCN proposals submitted as multiple separate submissions, they must be submitted through the NSF FastLane system, following the NSF Grant Proposal Guide guidance for collaborative proposals.
Overall, the program is best understood as a national-scale infrastructure and data mobilization effort focused on transforming scattered, under-digitized specimen information into an integrated, accessible digital resource. By improving access to high-quality, vouchered biodiversity data and imagery, the initiative is designed to accelerate research, strengthen collaboration among collections, and provide durable scientific evidence for addressing major environmental, public health, and agricultural challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections (10-603)
What is the purpose of the NSF "Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections" opportunity?
This NSF opportunity is intended to build a coordinated, nationwide digital resource that documents biological specimens already held in U.S. scientific collections. The goal is to convert specimen-associated information (including images) into accessible digital data, and then organize and connect that information so it can be broadly searched, analyzed, and reused.
What kind of material is being digitized under this program?
The focus is on biological specimens and the information associated with those vouchered specimens that are already held in U.S. scientific collections. The digitization effort includes specimen-associated data and images, with an emphasis on making records discoverable and comparable across institutions.
Why does NSF emphasize "vouchered" biological collections?
The program highlights vouchered collections because digitized records must trace back to real, curated specimens whose identity and provenance can be verified. The physical collections are described as the foundational layer of the overall national digitization effort.
What types of information can be included with specimen records?
According to the opportunity description, specimens can include detailed context such as where and when they were collected (geographic distribution and phenology), environmental conditions and habitats, notes from collectors in the field, and links to associated organisms (for example, host-parasite or plant-pollinator relationships). Many collections may also include tissues and molecular information derived from specimens.
Does the opportunity include digitizing images as well as data?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes converting specimen-associated information into accessible digital data, including images.
What is the national structure NSF envisions for this program?
The opportunity describes a three-level national structure: (1) a national hub that serves as a central organizing point for coordination, standards, integration, and broad access; (2) thematic networks that connect collaborative groups of collections around shared themes, organisms, regions, or research priorities; and (3) the physical collections, which remain the foundational layer supporting verification of identity and provenance.
What is a national hub expected to do in this program model?
The national hub is described as a central organizing point for the overall resource, helping coordinate standards, integration, and broad access across the nationwide digitization effort.
What are "thematic networks" in the NSF program description?
Thematic networks are collaborative groups of collections connected around shared themes, organisms, regions, or research priorities. They enable institutions to digitize and mobilize data in a coordinated way.
How does digitization increase the research value of collections?
NSF frames digitization and standardization as making specimen information dramatically more useful by making it discoverable and comparable across institutions, regions, and taxonomic groups. Organizing and connecting the information supports broad searching, analysis, and reuse.
What scientific and societal needs does NSF say this program supports?
The opportunity describes uses such as research into climate change impacts on biodiversity, shifts in species ranges, biological invasions, and responses to natural disasters. It also notes value for tracking and understanding disease vectors and agricultural pests, where historical specimen records can show changes in distributions and timing over decades.
What practical outcomes does NSF associate with having digitized biological collection data?
NSF notes that digitized collection data can enable faster synthesis studies, better modeling, improved risk assessments, and more informed conservation and management decisions.
What is the funding opportunity number and NSF publication number for this program?
The funding opportunity is "Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections" with Funding Opportunity Number 10-603 and NSF Publication 10-603.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement.
How much total funding was anticipated to be available?
The estimated total funding available was $10,000,000.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making?
NSF anticipated making approximately 12 awards.
What are the minimum and maximum award sizes stated in the opportunity?
The stated award size range includes a floor of $3,000,000 and a ceiling of $10,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the CFDA number and program area?
The CFDA number is 47.074, associated with Biological Sciences.
What activity category is listed for this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.
When was the opportunity posted and when was the proposal deadline?
The opportunity was posted on August 20, 2010, and the full proposal deadline was December 10, 2010.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based institutions involved in education or research. The opportunity lists eligible applicants as accredited U.S. universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) applying on behalf of their faculty; non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with educational or research activities; and state and local government entities such as state educational offices or organizations and local school districts.
Are non-profit museums and similar organizations eligible?
Yes. The opportunity includes non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with educational or research activities.
Are state and local government entities eligible applicants?
Yes. The solicitation includes state and local government entities such as state educational offices or organizations and local school districts.
How must a consortium submit a HUB proposal?
If a consortium submits a HUB proposal, it must be submitted as a single proposal with one lead organization and the rest included as subawardees.
Are separately submitted collaborative HUB proposals allowed?
No. The solicitation states that separately submitted collaborative HUB proposals are not accepted and would be returned without review.
Can an organization that is ineligible to submit to the solicitation still receive a subaward?
No. The solicitation specifies that organizations ineligible to submit to the program solicitation cannot receive subawards.
How are collaborative TCN proposals submitted when there are multiple separate submissions?
The solicitation states that collaborative TCN proposals submitted as multiple separate submissions must be submitted through the NSF FastLane system, following the NSF Grant Proposal Guide guidance for collaborative proposals.
What is the core outcome NSF is trying to achieve at national scale?
The core outcome is a coordinated, nationwide digital resource that unlocks the research value of specimen-based biological collections by making specimen-associated data and images accessible, standardized, connected, and broadly reusable.
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