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Title: Dear Colleague Letter: Enabling Partnerships to Enable Science ("Tools")
Date: 03/05/10

NSF 10-028

Dear Colleague Letter: Enabling Partnerships to Enable Science ("Tools")

   Directorate for Biological Sciences
   Office of the Assistant Director
   March 5, 2010

   Dear Colleague:

   The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) in the Biological
   Sciences Directorate recognizes the need for resource and tool
   development to stimulate progress across all areas of biology
   supported by IOS.  Therefore, in FY 2010, IOS is augmenting funding to
   support the collaborative development of enabling tools and resources.
   Examples of such needs might include, but are not limited to:
     * High-throughput measurements on individual organisms in laboratory
       and field settings
     * High-accuracy measurements in the field
     * Wireless data collection
     * Imaging of live organisms and associated analysis tools
     * Data analysis tools
     * Genomic resources

   IOS Principal Investigators (PIs) would benefit greatly from new tools
   and resources that could be developed for use in their research.  PIs
   who are developing tools and resources, and who may wish to
   collaborate with IOS scientists, often lack strong collaborative
   connections to potential end-users. This hinders their ability to
   discuss specific end-user needs as tools are being developed, and
   limits understanding of the common characteristics of tools and
   resources that are needed across the discipline.  Accordingly, NSF
   intends to use a Wiki, a social networking vehicle, to facilitate and
   increase the number of collaborations between end-users and
   investigators who develop tools and resources, and to promote
   downstream dissemination and development of outcomes. On the Wiki,
   principal investigators will be able to describe their needs for tools
   and resources, and others will be able to describe their expertise and
   interest in developing such resources.

   Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to register for the Wiki
   to take advantage of the opportunity to network with potential
   collaborators. The Wiki will be accessible at
   [1]https://extwiki.nsf.gov/signup.action for first-time users who must
   register for an account. Once registered, users will be directed to
   the main page of the NSF Wiki. From the main page menu, users should
   click the link for this activity to access the Home page for "Tools."
   Users will then need to read and agree to the Terms and Conditions for
   use of the "Tools" Wiki space before gaining access. Registered users
   with an account may access the "Users and Developers Comments" page at
   [2]https://extwiki.nsf.gov/display/tools/USER+and+DEVELOPER+Comments.

   Interested investigators are encouraged to submit Grants for Rapid
   Response Research (RAPID) or Early Concept Grants for Exploratory
   Research (EAGER), which include tool and resource development projects
   derived from collaborative interactions initiated on the Wiki, to any
   program or cluster in IOS (see Grant Proposal Guide at
   [3]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg ).
   Development of tools and resources may be part of a hypothesis-driven
   project or may be the focus of an entire project.

   The guidelines for RAPID and EAGER proposals should be reviewed
   carefully prior to submission to ensure that the proposed research
   fits the criteria for these funding opportunities. Specifically, RAPID
   proposals must address projects "...having a severe urgency with
   regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities, or
   specialized equipment...," as described in the Grant Proposal Guide.
   The Grant Proposal Guide states, "The EAGER funding mechanism may be
   used to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but
   potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This work
   may be considered especially `high risk-high payoff' in the sense that
   it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new
   expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary
   perspectives."  Principal investigators must contact the program
   officer in IOS whose expertise is most germane to the proposed project
   prior to submission of either a RAPID or EAGER proposal. NSF is
   particularly interested in projects that establish new and appropriate
   collaborations to develop the tools and resources. The most
   competitive proposals will include a compelling rationale describing
   how development of the resources or tools will result in significant
   scientific progress in one or more areas of organismal biology.

   This is not a special competition or new program. Relevant proposals
   are to be submitted to an existing cluster/program in IOS. Applicable
   programmatic areas may be found on the cluster web pages accessible
   from the IOS home page at [4]http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=IOS.

   RAPID and EAGER proposals received by June 1, 2010 will receive full
   consideration for funding. RAPID proposals will receive expedited
   review and funding decisions consistent with the urgent nature of such
   requests. The review process will follow standard practices for RAPIDS
   and EAGERS as described in the Grant Proposal Guide. We look forward
   to discussing your ideas.

   Sincerely,

   Joann P. Roskoski
   Assistant Director for Biological Sciences (Acting)
   National Science Foundation

References

   1. https://extwiki.nsf.gov/signup.action
   2. https://extwiki.nsf.gov/display/tools/USER+and+DEVELOPER+Comments
   3. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
   4. http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=IOS