Research Resources Cluster

NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Updates to NSF Research Security Policies

On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.

Supports development of research tools and other resources applicable to a broad class of biological research questions and that meets the needs of a well-defined community of researchers.

Synopsis

The Research Resources Cluster includes both the innovation and capacity-building investments in the tools and methods that advance contemporary biology in any research area supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences at NSF. These programs focus on research infrastructure that is applicable to a broad class of biological research questions or topics and that meet the needs of a well-defined community of researchers.

In particular, the Innovation Program invests in research tools and methods at the innovation stage, where novel resources are conceived and designed in the areas of bioinformatics, instrumentation, or research methods (e.g., lab- or field-based). The Capacity Program invests in resources that are scaled to be made available to many users in the areas of cyberinfrastructure, biological collections, or biological field stations. The Sustaining Program provides support for critical biology resources and promotes a transition to reduce reliance on direct federal support. The NSF-wide Major Research Instrumentation Program is also managed in the Research Resources Cluster.

Program contacts

Name	Email	Phone	Organization
Reed S. Beaman	DBI-RR-Cluster@nsf.gov	(703) 292-8470	BIO/DBI
Jennifer W. Weller	DBI-RR-Cluster@nsf.gov	(703) 292-8470	BIO/DBI
David Liberles	DBI-RR-Cluster@nsf.gov	(703) 292-8470	BIO/DBI
John Steven C. De Belle	DBI-RR-Cluster@nsf.gov	(703) 292-8470	BIO/DBI
Eric H. Lyons	DBI-RR-Cluster@nsf.gov	(703) 292-8470	BIO/DBI