Four New Solicitations from the NSF

The following four new NSF solicitations may be of interest to the MSA community. Virtual office hours are available for all of these.

NSF 22-508: Biodiversity on a changing planet The NSF is soliciting grant proposals that target hypothesis-testing regarding biodiversity in our changing environment. The goal of the funding is to develop integrative programs that provide opportunities for multidisciplinary fields collaborating to study how functional diversity responds to a changing environment. This is a great opportunity for MSA members to forge domestic or international collaborations studying the impacts of climate change on fungal biodiversity. E.O. Wilson said, “We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.” The solicitation will fund 8–12 proposals with maximum budgets of $500,000 (design track) and $2.5 million (implementation track) per proposal.

NSF 22-513: Organismal response to climate change (ORCC) The NSF is soliciting grant proposals for projects that focus on organismal response to a changing climate. Grants must answer questions dealing with the mechanisms behind organismal changes to a changing climate. Projects must incorporate studies of genomic, physiological, structural, developmental, neural, or behavioral mechanisms. This program is also looking for projects that have anticipated results that can be directly translated to make better predictions or novel management strategies to preserve life in our changing climate. This is a great opportunity for MSA members, and this grant solicitation will fund approximately 6–10 proposals.

Broadening diversity and participation in biological science research

NSF 22-500: Building research capacity of new faculty in biology (BRC)

NSF 22-506: Research and mentoring for post-baccalaureates in biological sciences (RaMP) The NSF is soliciting proposals for two exciting grants that will open doors for research for more diverse awardees and students who have not received opportunities to conduct research. The first solicitation (NSF 22-500) is intended to award new biological science faculty at minority-serving institutions, predominantly undergraduate institutions, and other universities and colleges that are not among the nation’s most research-intensive institutions. Diversity of cultures leads to a diversity in ideas. This is an opportunity for those MSA members who fit the criteria to apply and give opportunities to students who are often not given opportunities to do research. The solicitation is anticipated to award 20–30 proposals.

The second solicitation aimed at broadening participation (NSF 22-506) looks to fund proposals that establish networks to support full-time research, mentoring, and training for recent college graduates who received minimal opportunities for research. These programs should target individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM education, first generation college students, and students at under-resourced institutions. The idea with this solicitation is provide opportunities for research programs that give post-college graduates who had little to no opportunity for undergraduate research, a place to start in research activity. This is important for broadening the scope of participation and making a more equitable opportunity for future development of the next generation of scientists. This solicitation is estimated to fund 13–16 proposals.