Physics of Living Systems (PoLS)

Proposal submission Target Date:

• The second Tuesday in January

• January 12, 2027, for fiscal year 2027

• Proposals submitted after the Target Date of the fiscal year may be considered for funding in the following fiscal year.

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The Physics of Living Systems (PoLS) program targets synergy of theoretical and experimental research exploring the most fundamental physical processes that living systems utilize to perform their functions in dynamic and diverse environments. The focus of the research proposals should be on understanding basic physical principles that underlie biological function. The development of novel, physics based experimental techniques, including quantum sensors, reporters, and controllers is also of interest.

PoLS encourages research that emphasizes the physical principles of organization and function of living systems, including the exploration of artificial life forms and artificial intelligence (AI) as well as how life began on this or other planets. While the problems under study must be important to advancing our understanding of the living world in a quantitative way, particular emphasis will be placed on those projects in which lessons learned from the biological application also expand the intellectual range of physics. Awards cover a broad spectrum of physics approaches in biology, ranging from the physical principles and mechanisms at the single cell level such as molecular architecture and dynamics inside cells, energy metabolism, gene regulation and intracellular and intercellular communication, to collective behavior and evolution of complexity in life forms and living populations of organisms. This systems approach in physics has been very successful in understanding inanimate systems and has the potential to bring deep understanding of the world of animated, replicating systems, through testable phenomenological theories. The program funds individual investigators, although collaborative proposals between physicists and biological researchers are welcome. Proposals that combine strong intellectual merit with compelling broader impacts, including potential applications in quantum information science, biologically inspired artificial intelligence and low-power computing, renewable energy, human health, and education—are particularly encouraged.