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NSF CSBR (Collections in Support of Biological Research) Grant Opportunity FAQs

What is the NSF CSBR program?

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR) program is a discretionary grant opportunity that supports practical improvements to biological research collections that are important to the NSF Biological Sciences (BIO) research community. The focus is on collection-centered work that strengthens preservation, organization, day-to-day management, and long-term access to accurate specimen-related information.

What is the main goal of CSBR funding?

CSBR funding is intended to help stabilize and secure biological research collections, especially when there is a clear (often time-sensitive) need to address vulnerabilities that could put specimens or associated information at risk. Competitive projects are expected to show how proposed improvements lead to better protected collections, stronger collection management, and more accessible and reliable specimen information over the long term.

What kinds of needs does CSBR prioritize?

CSBR emphasizes projects that address urgent vulnerabilities or gaps affecting a collection, such as risks to specimen preservation, shortcomings in storage or environmental controls, inadequate organization or curation workflows, or weak data systems that threaten accessibility and reliability of specimen-related information.

Does CSBR support digitization or data access improvements?

Yes. A major emphasis is on improvements that make specimen-related information more accessible and reliable over time, including digitized specimen-related data that can be efficiently used by the broader biological research community.

Is the program only about upgrades and modernization?

No. In addition to upgrades and modernization, CSBR can provide supplemental support in situations where collection ownership or stewardship needs to be transferred, or where combining or consolidating collections would improve long-term sustainability and research value.

What types of biological collections can be supported?

The program supports a wide range of biological collections reflecting the diversity of materials used in modern biological research. Examples include established living collections (such as living stocks and culture collections), traditional vouchered non-living natural history collections (such as museum and herbarium specimens), and ancillary materials often co-curated with primary specimens (such as preserved tissue collections and DNA libraries).

What does NSF mean by “collection-centered improvements”?

Based on the opportunity description, collection-centered improvements are practical steps focused directly on the health and usability of a collection. This includes strengthening specimen protection, improving organization and curation practices, modernizing collection management methods, and improving systems that support sustained data accuracy and access.

How do I know if my collection is a good fit for CSBR?

Competitive requests are expected to demonstrate that the collection is significant to NSF/BIO-supported research and that the proposed work directly responds to a clear vulnerability or gap that threatens preservation, management, or long-term data accessibility and reliability.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations that maintain qualifying research collections. Eligible applicants include U.S. colleges and universities, natural history museums (including herbaria), and other collections administered by independent organizations or by state, county, or local governments. Non-federal and nonprofit research organizations that maintain collections and field stations are also included, along with specialized facilities such as marine laboratories, botanical gardens, zoological parks, and aquaria, as long as they maintain living or vouchered research collections significant to the NSF/BIO-funded research community.

Does organization size affect eligibility?

No. The opportunity states that organization size does not affect eligibility.

Are non-federal and nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes non-federal and nonprofit research organizations that maintain collections and field stations, provided they maintain qualifying research collections that are significant to the NSF/BIO research community.

Are government-administered collections eligible?

Yes. Collections administered by state, county, or local governments are included in the eligibility description (as long as they maintain qualifying research collections).

Can a principal investigator submit more than one proposal?

The opportunity notes that there is no stated limit on the number of proposals a principal investigator may submit.

Should applicants contact NSF before applying?

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact CSBR program directors with eligibility questions, especially for proposals tied to specific competitive areas within the program.

What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

The opportunity uses the grant instrument.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that cost sharing or matching is not required.

How many awards does NSF expect to make, and what is the total funding level?

At the time of the referenced announcement cycle, NSF anticipated about 20 awards with an estimated total funding level of $6.5 million.

What is the program classification for this opportunity (CFDA)?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 47.074 (Biological Sciences).

What is the NSF publication or funding opportunity number?

The posted opportunity details identify it as NSF Publication 11-558 (Funding Opportunity Number 11-558).

What is the broader category of activity for this grant?

It falls under “Science and Technology and other Research and Development.”

When are proposals due?

The opportunity references an established proposal target date pattern including October 16, 2011 and July 27, 2012, with a recurring target of the fourth Friday in July in subsequent years. The text also notes that, after the listed cycle, it was awaiting a new publication.

What should I do if I have trouble accessing the electronic announcement?

For access issues with the electronic announcement, applicants were directed to NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.