The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The grant program seeks to fund research that addresses the fundamental aspects of living systems at molecular and cellular levels. It emphasizes projects that enhance our mechanistic understanding of life’s building blocks, including their structure, function, and evolution. The program champions quantitative, predictive insights into complex, emergent behaviors within biological systems. It encourages the integration of diverse scientific disciplines (e.g., chemistry, computer science, engineering) to shed light on molecular and cellular biology principles. Research may employ experimental, theoretical, or synthetic approaches, utilizing a wide array of model and non-model organisms. The grant supports high-risk but potentially transformative ideas in areas aligned with the four MCB core clusters: Molecular Biophysics, Genetic Mechanisms, Cellular Dynamics and Function, and Systems and Synthetic Biology.