Opportunity Information: Apply for 21 503
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled Sustaining Infrastructure for Biological Research (often referred to as the "Sustaining" Program) is designed to keep important, already-established research infrastructure running and accessible to the broader biology research community. Rather than funding the creation of brand-new platforms or early-stage experimental resources, this program focuses on maintaining mature, proven infrastructure that researchers actively rely on to produce scientific results. The infrastructure supported must advance contemporary biology and align with research areas supported by NSF's Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), meaning it can span a wide range of biological disciplines as long as it serves the BIO community and its collaborators.
A central theme of the opportunity is continuity and broad utility. The program emphasizes sustaining critical resources that function as shared infrastructure, especially in two major categories: cyberinfrastructure (such as data resources, software platforms, computational tools, databases, and related digital systems that enable biological research) and biological living stocks (such as living collections or resources that must be maintained over time to remain valuable, including organisms or other biological materials that are kept viable and distributed for research use). NSF's goal is to ensure these resources remain available and dependable for a wide user base, not limited to a single lab or a narrow research niche. In practical terms, proposals are expected to show that the resource is already in operation, is widely used (or demonstrably positioned to serve a broad community), and is essential to enabling strong scientific outcomes for many users.
This funding opportunity is a discretionary grant program administered by NSF under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA/Assistance Listing 47.074). Proposals can be submitted at any time (there is no fixed deadline listed), which makes it more flexible than many government funding programs that rely on annual cycles. NSF anticipates making about three awards under this opportunity, and the listed award ceiling is shown as 0, which usually indicates the ceiling is not specified in the summary and applicants should consult the full solicitation or program guidance to understand typical award sizes, project scopes, and budget expectations. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," signaling that eligibility may extend beyond the most common categories but requires checking the detailed eligibility language in the full announcement.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NSF's mechanism for keeping key biological research infrastructure stable, maintained, and accessible so that researchers across many institutions and subfields can continue to generate high-impact science. The program prioritizes resources that are already mature and widely applicable, and it expects funded projects to focus on reliable operation, continued availability, and demonstrated value to a broad community of users supported by BIO and collaborating organizations.Apply for 21 503
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sustaining Infrastructure for Biological Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 03, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (21 503) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forest CESU Apply for G20AS00067 Funding Number: G20AS00067 Agency: Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $415,000 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU Apply for G20AS00070 Funding Number: G20AS00070 Agency: Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,098,920 |
| Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research II (GESTAR II) Apply for 80GSFC21R0003 Funding Number: 80GSFC21R0003 Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Apply for 21 505 Funding Number: 21 505 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $19,999,999 |
| Plant Genome Research Program Apply for 21 507 Funding Number: 21 507 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Transitions to Excellence in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research Apply for 21 508 Funding Number: 21 508 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials Apply for 21 510 Funding Number: 21 510 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $700,000 |
| Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations Apply for 21 511 Funding Number: 21 511 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure Apply for 21 512 Funding Number: 21 512 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| EarthCube Apply for 21 515 Funding Number: 21 515 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,800,000 |
| FY2021 Phase II Release 1 Apply for DE FOA 0002380 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002380 Agency: Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| STATEMAP - The State Component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program Apply for G21AS00006 Funding Number: G21AS00006 Agency: Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Community Living and Participation Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR ARCP 0005 Funding Number: HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR ARCP 0005 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Health and Function Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR ARHF 0009 Funding Number: HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR ARHF 0009 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Employment Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR AREM 0007 Funding Number: HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR AREM 0007 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Mid-Career Advancement Apply for 21 516 Funding Number: 21 516 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Early Career Research Program Apply for DE FOA 0002421 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002421 Agency: Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Field Initiated Projects Program (Research) Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR IFRE 0013 Funding Number: HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR IFRE 0013 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Field Initiated Projects Program (Development) Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0012 Funding Number: HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0012 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Switzer Research Fellowships Program Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR SFGE 0010 Funding Number: HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR SFGE 0010 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $80,000 |
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