Infrastructure Capacity for Biology | 18 594

Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 594

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity called Infrastructure Capacity for Biology (ICB) is designed to strengthen the shared research infrastructure that underpins fundamental discoveries in the biological sciences. Rather than primarily funding new hypothesis-driven biological research projects, this program focuses on building, expanding, or significantly improving the resources that many researchers rely on to do cutting-edge work. The central requirement is that the proposed infrastructure must clearly enable, advance, or transform research areas supported by NSF's Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), and applicants need to make a strong, evidence-based case that the investment will meaningfully raise the community's ability to conduct leading-edge biological research.

ICB can support a wide range of infrastructure types, as long as they are shared and openly accessible to the broader research community. Examples specifically highlighted include cyberinfrastructure (such as data platforms, computational tools, workflows, repositories, or networked resources), scientific instrumentation, biological collections, living stocks, field stations, and marine laboratories. The common thread is that the infrastructure should not be narrowly limited to a single lab's use; it should function as a community resource with clear plans for access, usage, and broad benefit. In practice, competitive projects are typically those that remove bottlenecks for many users, modernize aging capabilities, expand capacity or functionality, or enable new categories of data collection, curation, analysis, or collaboration that were previously difficult or impossible.

A distinguishing feature of this solicitation is its emphasis on delivering or improving infrastructure rather than inventing entirely new infrastructure concepts or simply keeping long-established infrastructure running. NSF notes that other programs within the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) cover those needs (for example, programs aimed at innovative research that leads to new infrastructure, or programs that support sustained operations of mature facilities). ICB sits in a middle space: it targets projects that will provide, broaden access to, or substantially upgrade infrastructure in ways that immediately and tangibly increase research capacity for today's scientific community. The program frames success not only in terms of building a high-quality resource, but also in terms of the novel and potentially transformative scientific outcomes that will be produced by the users of that resource.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by NSF under CFDA 47.074, categorized under science and technology and other research and development. The opportunity number is 18-594, with a creation date of September 1, 2018. Proposals are accepted anytime, which signals a rolling submission process rather than a single annual deadline. The stated award ceiling is $1,200,000, and NSF anticipates making around 80 awards, suggesting a relatively active program with the potential to fund a range of infrastructure scales and community needs. Eligibility is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which indicates that eligibility rules may be broader or more specific than standard categories and should be verified in the full solicitation text before preparing an application.

Overall, the ICB opportunity is best understood as NSF's mechanism for strengthening the foundational tools, platforms, facilities, and shared resources that enable discovery across biological research. Projects are expected to demonstrate broad community value, clear accessibility, and a persuasive pathway from infrastructure investment to stronger, more innovative science produced by a wide base of users across BIO-supported fields.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Infrastructure Capacity for Biology" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 01, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 80 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 18 594

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