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 Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity) Program aims to support the deployment, expansion, or significant enhancement of research tools, products, and services that further current biological research across any area backed by the NSF's Directorate for Biological Sciences. It emphasizes the development of research infrastructure that benefits a broad spectrum of researchers in three key areas: Cyberinfrastructure, Biological Collections, and Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories. Additionally, the program is open to proposals for planning activities or workshops intended to promote collaboration essential for developing infrastructure that addresses the needs of a research community. It excludes projects focused on creating instrumentation or infrastructure for specific research projects or labs, directing those to the MRI program or relevant BIO programs, respectively. Successful projects are expected to deliver high-quality products, enable significant scientific discoveries, be accessible to a diverse scientific and educational audience, and support a community of researchers beyond any single team.