This program has been archived.
Biological Information Technology & Systems (BITS) Crosscutting Programs
CONTACTS
See program guidelines for contact information.PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Announcement 01-102Important Information for Proposers
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1), is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after October 4, 2021. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 22-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.
DUE DATES
Archived
SYNOPSIS
The Biological Information Technology and Systems (BITS) Program will support high risk/high return research at the interface of biology and information technology. Biological systems have enormous capabilities as powerful and agile control systems for robotic and regulatory systems, and for pattern recognition, adaptability, information storage, retrieval and processing, sensor fusion and other information-handling tasks. Biology often performs orders of magnitude better than systems based on today's silicon device technologies. Determining what needs to and what can be learned about information processing in biological systems should lead to important new information systems (algorithms, software and systems) and technologies (computer platforms, sensors, robotic devices, etc.). The initial phase of this program will focus on developing computational models and theories for the information processing mechanisms encountered in biological systems that will lead to new information technology systems and hardware platforms. While these new information technology systems will not necessarily or exclusively be implemented in biological matter, the Program will emphasize hybrid (bio-silical) systems, particularly as a means for experimenting with and validating new theories of biological information technologies and systems.