Biophotonics | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Biophotonics opportunity, housed within the BISH program (Biophotonics, Imaging, and Sensing for Human Health), supports high risk, high impact basic research at the intersection of photonics, imaging, and sensing with clear relevance to human health. The emphasis is on foundational science and engineering that can enable future diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, rather than incremental work on tools that are already mature and close to routine clinical application. In practical terms, NSF is looking for new physical principles, new device concepts, and new ways to measure biological systems using light that could ultimately transform how diseases are detected, monitored, and understood.

A central theme of the program is molecular specificity paired with extreme sensitivity and resolution. The solicitation highlights the need for “molecular photonics” approaches that can sense, image, or monitor biological processes in ways that can discriminate among many different biomolecules, cell states, or pathological changes. Another recurring driver is affordability and scalability: low cost diagnostics are framed as requiring genuinely novel integration across photonics, molecular biology, and materials science, not just miniaturization of existing platforms. The program also notes that advanced biosensors and photonic sensing concepts can have spillover value beyond medicine, including environmental monitoring and homeland security, especially where the task involves detecting and distinguishing among complex mixtures of biological targets.

The announcement provides illustrative topic areas rather than strict requirements. One example is low coherence sensing at the nanoscale, including approaches such as low coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS), elastic light scattering methods, and angle resolved low coherence interferometry, with early cancer detection (for example dysplasia) mentioned as a motivating use case. Another area is macromolecule markers, covering new labeling strategies for biomolecules and new probe materials or fabrication methods that enable multicolor marking and in vitro detection of pathological cells or pathogens. The program also encourages multi probe molecular manipulation concepts, meaning optical techniques that can trigger or control specific molecular actions in cells when two or more probes bind concurrently to distinct macromolecular markers, enabling higher specificity than single marker strategies.

Neurophotonics is another highlighted direction, focused on biocompatible optical detection technologies that could act as massively parallel interfaces to cellular networks such as brain tissue slices, as well as studies involving photon activation of neurons at interfaces where nanomaterials are attached to cells. The solicitation also calls out biomimetic and miniaturized devices, including small optical tools that can interrogate, manipulate, or induce specific reactions in complex cell or organ culture systems. Finally, it emphasizes fundamental studies of photon cell interactions, particularly how nanoparticles and optical reporters behave photonicly and how they interact with cells and intracellular organelles, which ties directly to safety, functionality, and the limits of signal generation in biological environments.

On the engineering and enabling technology side, the program lists a broad set of fundamental research targets that could underpin new biophotonic capabilities. These include fluorescent nanoparticle quantum dots, novel waveguiding structures, plasmon surface resonance and plasmonic nanostructures, nanofluidics and nanochannel interconnects, and bio inspired device concepts like lens microarrays. It also includes advanced detector and imager concepts such as multifunction or multispectral focal plane arrays, radiation sources and detectors spanning infrared through extreme ultraviolet, and miniature power sources such as nano bio batteries. Additional photonics platform areas of interest include photonic bandgap devices, novel refractive index materials, N dimensional photonic crystal microcavities, and quantum cascade photonics. The overall message is that proposals can be competitive either by advancing a new biophotonic application concept or by developing core photonic components that remove current constraints on sensitivity, specificity, miniaturization, multiplexing, or biocompatibility.

In terms of award structure and timing, the opportunity is offered as NSF grants under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants), with no cost sharing requirement and broadly unrestricted eligibility (open to any applicant type, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement). Typical unsolicited research awards run about one to three years. The solicitation states average annual award sizes of roughly $100,000 per year for single investigator projects and $200,000 per year for multi investigator projects, indicating an expectation of focused, research driven efforts rather than large scale centers. Proposals must be submitted by the announced dates; submissions outside the window are returned without review. Historically, the solicitation listed annual deadlines around August 15 and September 15, though the notice also indicates that this particular announcement was later replaced (archived) by a subsequent program description number, so applicants would need to confirm the current active solicitation and dates.

The announcement also points to other NSF mechanisms relevant to this program area. CAREER proposals have a five year duration, with Engineering CAREER deadlines typically in July each year. Conference, workshop, and supplement proposals may be submitted at any time but require prior discussion with the program director. Likewise, RAPID and EAGER proposal types (which replaced the older SGER mechanism) must be discussed with the program director before submission. Proposal preparation is governed by the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) referenced in the announcement, and applicants are directed to NSF support contacts for access or technical issues.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Science Foundation

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: Phased Innovation Award Program for AIDS Vaccine Research (R21/R33)

Previous opportunity: Perception, Action Cognition

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for PD 10 7236

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PD 10 7236) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "PD 10 7236", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.