NSF 26-517: Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core)
Program Solicitation
Document Information
Document History
- Posted: August 17, 2026
- Replaces: NSF 24-543, NSF 24-546, NSF 24-539
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Program Solicitation NSF 26-517
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U.S. National Science Foundation
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Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):
Proposals Accepted Anytime
Important Information and Revision Notes
This solicitation has a single option for where to apply, i.e., Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core). Proposals submitted to the Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) will be sorted centrally and assigned to appropriate review units. This change will remove the burden on the proposer to find the best program fit for their project. It will also permit expedited handling for all proposals, including those with topics that cross multiple areas of science or fall into new areas not previously defined by programs in NSF BIO.
This solicitation invites research that was covered previously by the Divisions of Environmental Biology, Integrative Organismal Systems, and Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. Programs formerly managed within the Division of Biological Infrastructure continue to have separate solicitations with unique submission requirements and merit review criteria. See "Other Opportunities for Funding" below for information on additional NSF BIO solicitations.
For BIO Core proposals that include off-campus or off-site research, the Safe and Harassment-Free Fieldwork Plan (SAHF) should no longer be submitted to NSF with the proposal. A copy of the SAHF Plan will be requested only if a proposal is recommended for an award. However, confirmation that a SAHF Plan exists must be made at the time of proposal submission via the certification signed by the Authorized Organizational Representative, as specified in Chapter II.E.9 of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Use the version of the guide that is in effect on the proposal's due date.
Summary of Program Requirements
General Information
Program Title:
Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core)
Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core) funding opportunity supports foundational and interdisciplinary research projects that expand knowledge of biology at any level of organization, from the molecular to the biome scale. We accept proposals that cover scientific topics associated with legacy programs historically supported by NSF BIO and proposals that explore new areas of biological sciences.
BIO Core funds single- and multi-investigator awards. The portfolio of awards is anticipated to include a range of budgets and durations, including exploratory projects of smaller scope and long-horizon projects that benefit from longer-term commitment. BIO Core awards are subject to the availability of funds.
NSF Priorities
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) supports foundational research that leads to scientific breakthroughs and opens new frontiers of human knowledge. NSF investments in scientific discovery underpin technological innovation across industries, strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness, enhancing national security, and improving quality of life for all Americans.
NSF's priority under this funding opportunity is to advance foundational research, spanning both incremental advances that build systematically on prior scholarship and bold, high-risk inquiries capable of reshaping entire fields. NSF places particular emphasis on projects that challenge prevailing paradigms, ask important questions, develop new theories or methods, create research tools or datasets that enable further research, or open new lines of inquiry. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor must they address later-stage development in a named technology priority to be competitive. NSF further recognizes that the most consequential discoveries increasingly emerge at the boundary between disciplines, and it therefore strongly encourages proposals that forge novel connections across scientific domains.
Within this mandate, NSF is especially interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative research; work that creates opportunities for exceptional early-career investigators; and proposals that leverage emerging technologies, including AI, advanced computation, and automation, to make new modes, methods, or scales of science possible. The use of these tools should be scientifically justified rather than incidental. Beyond accelerating existing workflows, such tools open fundamentally new scientific questions, reveal patterns invisible to prior methods, and enable experimental and analytical capabilities.
To support this vision, NSF seeks proposals spanning a wide range of funding levels and project durations. NSF is working to expand opportunities at both ends of this spectrum, including rapid grants that allow researchers to quickly test exploratory ideas and longer, larger awards that provide sustained support for ambitious, transformative research. For preliminary or time-sensitive work, NSF encourages investigators to use mechanisms such as Planning Proposal, RAPID, EAGER, and RAISE (see Chapter II.F of the PAPPG for more information). Where longer awards would benefit the pursuit of ambitious, transformative research and reduce administrative burden on investigators, NSF encourages proposals requesting up to five years of support. Investigators may consider the options above, and others, outside of the project sizes and durations specified in this funding opportunity.
NSF welcomes submissions from all researchers, particularly those earlier in their careers and those working in the foundational research areas highlighted in the Administration's FY28 Research and Development Budget Priorities Memorandum. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, transparency, reproducibility, research integrity, and adherence to tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.
- Foundations of Life, email: bio-fl@nsf.gov
- Living Systems, email: bio-ls@nsf.gov
- Bioinnovation and Infrastructure, email: bio-bi@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
- 47.074 - Biological Sciences
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 250 to 300
Anticipated Funding Amount: $280,000,000
Estimated program budget and number of awards are subject to the availability of funds.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Letters of Intent: Not required
- Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required
- Full Proposals:
- For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply.
- For proposals submitted via Grants.gov, NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply.
B. Budgetary Information
- Cost Sharing Requirements:
Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
- Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:
Not Applicable
- Other Budgetary Limitations:
Not Applicable
C. Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):
Proposals Accepted Anytime
Proposal Review Information Criteria
Merit Review Criteria:
National Science Board approved criteria apply.
Award Administration Information
Award Conditions:
Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
Reporting Requirements:
Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.
I. Introduction
In alignment with the Administration's Fiscal Year 2028 Research and Development Budget Priorities Memorandum, the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) supports foundational research and rigorous inquiry that advances fundamental understanding, whether driven by scientific curiosity or inspired by potential uses. NSF BIO supports foundational research to discover the principles that govern living systems across scales, from molecules and cells to organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems. BIO welcomes research that deepens understanding of biological structure, function, development, behavior, evolution, and interaction, including work whose most important applications cannot yet be foreseen.
Foundational biological research has repeatedly created capabilities whose eventual uses could not have been predicted at the outset. NSF supported early research on microbial diversity, genome structure, and mechanisms of RNA action that subsequently helped advance CRISPR/Cas9, a technology that emerged from basic investigation of how bacteria defend themselves against viruses. That work ultimately produced a general method for editing genetic material, with applications spanning crop improvement, diagnostics, biotechnology, and medicine. In 2023, the FDA approved the first therapy using CRISPR/Cas9 to treat sickle cell disease. Similarly, NSF support for understanding how life could survive in Yellowstone's hot springs led to the isolation of the bacterium Thermus aquaticus. Its heat-stable DNA-copying enzyme, Taq polymerase, later became the critical enabling component of the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. PCR can rapidly produce billions of copies of a DNA sample and has become foundational to the practice of biological research, disease diagnostics, forensic identification, and pharmaceutical development. The first sequencing of a plant genome arose from NSF's support to adapt the tools and technologies developed for the human genome project. This effort to sequence Arabidopsis thaliana paved the way for sequencing the genomes of numerous economically important plants, including corn, wheat, rice, soybean, and cotton. Building on this foundation, continued NSF support for identifying and discovering the functions of plant genes has led to unprecedented advances that are crucial for meeting the food, feed, and fiber needs of American farmers and consumers. NSF's many decades of support for research on protein structure and protein folding, coupled with its five decades of support for the Protein Data Bank, a global open access repository for 3D protein structures, have been critical for the current advances in artificial intelligence (AI) powered protein structure prediction and design. With applications in areas as far-ranging as nanomaterials, regenerative therapeutics, and biomanufacturing, AI-powered protein design is accelerating the pace of innovation. Continued investments in foundational biological research are expected to yield additional benefits across all sectors of biotechnology.
Research funded by NSF BIO includes approaches and tools from other disciplines, such as chemistry, engineering, physics, and computer science. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of high-performance computing, AI, and lab automation resources available through the Genesis Mission and NSF programs, including the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR), BioFoundries, and Programmable Cloud Labs. Multi-disciplinary research helps to produce new knowledge to fuel tomorrow's biologically derived technology innovations. In turn, such biotechnologies will lead to advances in medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing. These outcomes will result in healthier ecosystems, more resilient communities, and state-of-the-art industries to support the future well-being of the American people.
II. Program Description
Research Priorities
BIO Core supports foundational and interdisciplinary research across all aspects of biological sciences. This includes research that uncovers fundamental and emergent properties of living systems at all scales of biological organization, including subcellular, cellular, organismal, population, community, ecosystem, and biome.
BIO Core broadly encompasses topics that fall into the following thematic areas of NSF BIO:
- Foundations of Life: Exploring natural or synthetic molecules, cells and tissues, and the physiology of living things
- Living Systems: Understanding how species evolve, interact, and shape Earth's biodiverse ecosystems
- Bioinnovation and Infrastructure: Investigating the functional genomic complexity of life and developing the tools, data, and technologies to drive biological discovery
See "Other Opportunities for Funding" below for additional topic areas for proposal submission to NSF BIO.
BIO Core research may focus on a single topic area, span sub-disciplines of biology, or cross the boundaries of disciplines outside biology. Participation can vary from single investigators to small groups to consortia of investigators.
BIO Core proposals focus on basic research in all areas of biology that advances fundamental understanding, whether driven by scientific curiosity or inspired by potential uses. Basic and foundational research supported by BIO Core may have major implications for healthcare, biotechnology, and biomanufacturing. However, research focused on routine application of established methods, product or drug development, and later-stage deployment are outside the scope of this core opportunity.
NSF BIO has particular interest in proposals that support Administration priorities by advancing foundational research underpinning critical and emerging technologies. In the biological sciences, priority areas include molecular, cellular, and structural biology; biochemistry and chemical biology; genetics, genomics, synthetic biology, and biological engineering; neuroscience and the neural basis of cognition and behavior; and microbiology and quantitative biology. NSF BIO also encourages the development of new methods for observing, measuring, modeling, and manipulating biological systems; the creation and stewardship of high-value biological datasets and shared research infrastructure; and the scientifically justified use of AI, advanced computation, and laboratory automation to reveal biological mechanisms or enable new modes or scales of experimentation. Researchers specifically interested in exploring the intersection of biology and AI or other priority areas should review the Dear Colleague Letters on the solicitation Program Page for up-to-date opportunities.
BIO Core invites proposals on new topics that span the breadth of the biological sciences and continues to cover scientific topics included in legacy NSF BIO programs formerly in the Divisions of Environmental Biology, Integrative Organismal Systems, and Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. The following links can be used to access web pages with detailed information for these legacy programs.
Behavioral Systems (includes Animal Behavior)
Cellular Dynamics and Function
Designing Synthetic Cells and Cellular Components
Developmental Systems (includes Plant, Fungal, and Microbial Developmental Mechanisms; Animal Developmental Mechanisms; and Evolution of Developmental Mechanisms)
Enabling Discovery Through Genomics
Leveraging Innovations From Evolution
Neural Systems (includes Organization, Activation, and Modulation)
Physiological and Structural Systems (includes Symbiosis, Infection, and Immunity; Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics; and Integrative Ecological Physiology)
Population and Community Ecology
Systematics and Biodiversity Science
Tool Development for Molecular and Cell Biology
Expanding Geographic Reach
NSF BIO encourages proposal submissions from institutions in jurisdictions eligible for the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The aim is to promote funded activities that enable sustainable growth in the research enterprise in these geographic areas. Collaborative proposals between institutions in EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions that are led by the institution in the EPSCoR jurisdiction are particularly welcomed.
Measures of Success
Proposals submitted to this solicitation should have (or demonstrate) the potential to advance one or more of the following measures of success: publications from the research or other scholarly outputs; data sets established or expanded; new technologies or techniques established; improvements in student educational outcomes; undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows supported; or undergraduate and graduate students trained in a specific critical area.
Dear Colleague Letters
Links to Dear Colleague Letters (DCLs) that direct proposal submission to this solicitation can be found on the BIO Core solicitation program page listed as 'related programs'. Each DCL will describe the scope and proposal submission instructions.
These may include:
- International Lead Agency Opportunities
- Partnerships with Domestic Organizations
- Priority Areas of Interest
Other Opportunities for Funding
NSF BIO supports research in topic areas that lie outside of this solicitation. Information on all other NSF BIO solicitations are here, and those specifically associated with human, cyber, and physical infrastructure, can be found here.
NSF BIO also participates in a variety of Foundation-wide activities in the scientific topical areas described in this solicitation:
- Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) proposals may be submitted following the deadlines and proposal preparation guidance in the CAREER solicitation.
- Mid-Career Advancement program (MCA) proposals may be submitted following the submission window and proposal preparation guidance in the MCA solicitation.
- Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) proposals may be submitted at any time but must follow the proposal preparation guidance in the RUI solicitation.
- Renewal and Accomplishment Based Renewal (ABR) Proposals will be accepted. Information on eligibility, scope, and format for Renewal and ABR submissions can be found in the PAPPG. If you are considering an ABR submission you are strongly advised to contact NSF BIO prior to submission.
- Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID), Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), Research Advanced by Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (RAISE), Planning proposals, and proposals for Travel or Conference support, including workshops, can be submitted at any time. These types of proposals should be submitted in accordance with the guidance in the PAPPG. Note that for RAPID, EAGER, RAISE, or Planning proposals, a concept outline must be submitted prior to submission, and approval from NSF BIO is required before submission of a full proposal. You are strongly advised to contact NSF BIO prior to submission.
III. Award Information
Estimated program budget and number of awards are subject to the availability of funds.
IV. Eligibility Information
Who May Submit Proposals:
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
- Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.
Who May Serve as PI:
There are no restrictions or limits.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
There are no restrictions or limits.
Limit on Number of Proposals Per PI or Co-PI:
There are no restrictions or limits.
V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
You must prepare your proposal according to Chapter II.D.2 of the PAPPG, unless this solicitation specifies different instructions. Always use the version of the PAPPG in effect on your proposal's due date.
- For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply.
- For proposals submitted via Grants.gov, NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply.
In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:
Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research.gov. PAPPG Chapter II.E.3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing:
Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
C. Research.gov/Grants.gov Requirements
You can submit proposals in response to this solicitation through Research.gov or Grants.gov, unless otherwise noted.
Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on NSF.gov.
VI. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
Information on NSF's proposal processing and review procedures is available on the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page on NSF.gov.
A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board-approved merit review criteria:
- Intellectual Merit, which encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
- Broader Impacts, which encompass the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
Information on NSF's merit review principles and process can be found on the How We Make Funding Decisions page on NSF.gov.
B. Review and Selection Process
Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review, or Internal NSF Review.
After a proposal passes an initial compliance check, it will be reviewed by an NSF Program Officer. In most cases, three or more external experts will also review it (either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists or both).
Visit the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page for more information on the proposal review and selection process.
In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), all else being equal after merit review, NSF may give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates.
VII. Award Administration Information
A. Notification of the Award
Notification of an award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer.
B. Award Conditions
Information on NSF award conditions can be found on the Award Terms and Conditions page on NSF.gov and Chapter VII of the PAPPG.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
Information on administrative and national policy requirements can be found on the National Policy Requirements for Recipients of NSF Awards page on NSF.gov.
Consistent with the requirements specified in 2 CFR § 200.332, recipients of NSF awards must adhere to the requirements for pass-through entities in establishing and managing subawards issued ensuring alignment with Administration and NSF policies and priorities.
In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), proposers should be aware that NSF awards offered under this funding opportunity may include termination for convenience provisions.
Special Award Conditions:
For BIO Core proposals that include off-campus or off-site research, the Safe and Harassment-Free Fieldwork Plan (SAHF) will be requested if a proposal is recommended for an award.
C. Reporting Requirements
Unless your award notice says otherwise, NSF requires the principal investigator of every grant to submit annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the general public. For complete reporting requirements, see Chapter VII of the PAPPG.
VIII. Agency Contacts
For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:
- Research.gov: NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532. The Service Desk is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays).
For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
- Grants.gov: The Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. (Contact if the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submitting an application.)
Inquiries regarding this solicitation can be sent to the following:
Foundations of Life (bio-fl@nsf.gov): Exploring natural or synthetic molecules, cells and tissues, and the physiology of living things.
Living Systems (bio-ls@nsf.gov): Understanding how species evolve, interact, and shape Earth's ecosystems.
Bioinnovation and Infrastructure (bio-bi@nsf.gov): Investigating the functional genomic complexity of life and developing the tools, data, and technologies to drive biological discovery.
IX. Other Information
For information on NSF directorates, programs and funding opportunities, go to NSF.gov.
About the National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950." More information about NSF can be found on NSF.gov.
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Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements
The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950," as amended. More information can be found on the Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements page on NSF.gov.
