Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 523
Apply for 11 523
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Theory in Biology" 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 Jan 20, 2011 and posted on Jan 20, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 13, 2011 Full Proposal Deadline(s) April 13, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Biological Sciences Directorate, offered the Advancing Theory in Biology (ATB) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11-523) to support research that pushes forward the conceptual and theoretical foundations of biology. The central aim of the program was to encourage the creation of new theory, models, and overarching conceptual frameworks that improve understanding of broad biological principles, especially principles that help explain biological phenomena that show up across different scales of life. In practical terms, ATB was looking for proposals that do more than explain one narrow system; it emphasized theory that can account for patterns or mechanisms that appear repeatedly at multiple levels of biological organization, for example from molecules and cells to organisms, populations, and ecosystems, or that helps connect and unify insights across those levels.
This opportunity was structured as a discretionary research and development grant competition in the Science and Technology category, listed under CFDA number 47.074 (Biological Sciences). NSF anticipated making about 10 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of about $5,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $250,000 and $750,000 total, with a hard ceiling of $750,000 over a three-year period. For collaborative projects, the $750,000 cap applied to the total budget across all participating investigators and institutions, not per partner, which meant teams had to design their scope and collaboration plans within a single combined budget limit. The solicitation also indicated a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning proposers needed to be prepared to meet NSF’s stated expectations on that front as described in the full announcement.
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the competition was open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications provided in the solicitation’s detailed eligibility language. The proposal deadline for full proposals was April 13, 2011, with the opportunity posted and created on January 20, 2011. The official reference for the complete program details was NSF Publication 11-523, and applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement were directed to contact NSF’s Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
A key contextual detail is that this solicitation was described as the final year NSF would run ATB as a standalone competition. After that year, NSF signaled it would continue supporting theoretical advances in biology, but proposals would need to be submitted through existing core programs within the Biological Sciences Directorate rather than through a separate ATB solicitation. In other words, the topic area was not being discontinued; the funding pathway was being folded into the directorate’s regular program structure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Advancing Theory in Biology (ATB) - Funding Opportunity 11-523
What is the NSF Advancing Theory in Biology (ATB) opportunity?
The Advancing Theory in Biology (ATB) opportunity (NSF Funding Opportunity Number 11-523) was a National Science Foundation program run through the Biological Sciences Directorate to support research that advances the conceptual and theoretical foundations of biology.
What is the main goal of the ATB program?
The central goal was to encourage the development of new theory, models, and overarching conceptual frameworks that improve understanding of broad biological principles, especially principles that help explain biological phenomena that appear across different scales of life.
What kind of research was ATB looking to fund?
ATB emphasized proposals that move beyond explaining a single narrow biological system. The program focused on theory that can account for patterns or mechanisms that recur at multiple levels of biological organization and/or theory that connects and unifies insights across those levels.
Does ATB require cross-scale or multi-level relevance?
Yes. The solicitation highlighted theory that helps explain phenomena across different scales, for example linking understanding from molecules and cells to organisms, populations, and ecosystems, or unifying concepts across those levels.
Is ATB focused on creating new theory, or applying existing theory?
Based on the program description, the emphasis was on advancing theory by creating new models, theory, or conceptual frameworks that push forward foundational understanding in biology.
What agency and directorate offered this opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Biological Sciences Directorate.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and the official NSF publication reference?
The Funding Opportunity Number was 11-523, and the complete program details were referenced as NSF Publication 11-523.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was listed under CFDA 47.074 (Biological Sciences).
What type of grant competition was ATB?
It was structured as a discretionary research and development grant competition in the Science and Technology category.
How much total funding did NSF anticipate for this ATB competition?
NSF anticipated an estimated total program funding level of about $5,000,000.
How many awards did NSF expect to make?
NSF anticipated making about 10 awards.
What was the expected award size range?
Individual awards were expected to fall between $250,000 and $750,000 total.
Was there a maximum award amount?
Yes. There was a hard ceiling of $750,000 over a three-year period.
What was the award duration limit tied to the budget cap?
The $750,000 maximum applied over a three-year period, meaning proposals needed to fit within both the three-year timeframe and the total budget ceiling.
How did the budget cap work for collaborative projects?
For collaborative projects, the $750,000 cap applied to the total combined budget across all participating investigators and institutions. It was not a per-institution or per-partner cap, so the full collaboration had to be designed within a single overall maximum budget.
Did the solicitation mention cost sharing or matching?
Yes. The solicitation indicated a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning proposers needed to be prepared to meet NSF's stated expectations as described in the full announcement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the competition was open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications provided in the solicitation's detailed eligibility language.
When was the full proposal deadline?
The deadline for full proposals was April 13, 2011.
When was the opportunity posted and created?
The opportunity was posted and created on January 20, 2011.
Was this the final year ATB ran as a standalone NSF competition?
Yes. The solicitation stated this was the final year NSF would run ATB as a standalone competition.
Did NSF discontinue support for theoretical advances in biology after this final year?
No. The topic area was not described as discontinued. Instead, NSF signaled it would continue supporting theoretical advances in biology, but proposals would need to be submitted through existing core programs within the Biological Sciences Directorate rather than through a separate ATB solicitation.
Where would proposals be submitted after ATB stopped being a standalone competition?
After this final standalone year, NSF indicated that proposals aligned with ATB's goals would be submitted through existing core programs within the Biological Sciences Directorate.
Who should applicants contact if they cannot access the announcement?
Applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement were directed to contact NSF's Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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