NSF 07-597: Center for Research at the Interface of the Mathematical and Biological Sciences (CIMBS)
Program Solicitation
Document Information
Document History
- Posted: September 25, 2007
This document has been archived. Program Solicitation NSF 07-597
Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required):
Full Proposal Target Date(s):
Revision NotesIn furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals, or will require that proposers utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online. In response to this program solicitation, proposers may opt to submit proposals via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system. Summary Of Program RequirementsGeneral InformationProgram Title:
Synopsis of Program:
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
Award InformationAnticipated Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Number of Awards: 1 , contingent on the quality of proposals received and pending the availability of funds Anticipated Funding Amount: $16,000,000 The initial term of the award will be 5 years, with the potential for renewal for another 5 years. Pending availability of funds we anticipate a budget of up to $2,500,000 in year 1, $3,000,000 in year 2, and $3,500,000 in years 3, 4 and 5. We strongly encourage creative thinking about the potential range of activities that might occur at a CIMBS and their budgetary needs. Eligibility InformationProposals may only be submitted by the following:
PI Limit:
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:
Proposal Preparation and Submission InstructionsA. Proposal Preparation Instructions
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
Proposal Review Information CriteriaMerit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Award Administration InformationAward Conditions: Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. I. Introduction
II. Program DescriptionGeneral Characteristics A Center for Research at the Interface of the Mathematical and Biological Sciences (CIMBS) is expected to play a vital and important role in answering fundamental questions about biology that require the tools, approaches and development of mathematics and statistics. This broad support of fundamental research at the interface of the biological and mathematical sciences is a goal of the National Science Foundation. A major role of the Center will be the formulation and analysis of models describing biological phenomena, which may require new mathematical and computational approaches. Such a center is expected to overcome many current challenges to progress at the interface of the biological and mathematical sciences. Important goals include:
The Center is expect to integrate experts and expertise for the analysis, modeling, prediction, and control of biological phenomena. By bringing together researchers from distant locations, the Center can increase the productivity of its participants. Integration is essential because it brings together a wide range of disciplines, and brings together the individuals that can contribute to problem definition and solution. Many times complex problems can be better attacked if correctly formulated in a multidisciplinary approach with an interdisciplinary methodology. The Center can accomplish these goals by a variety of mechanisms. One blueprint is provided by the workshop report [www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?ods_key=biorpt701]. We stress, however, that other formats and ranges of activities are possible. We urge broad and creative thinking about the form, structure, and activities of the Center. However, the Center must be national and international in scope and disseminate both specific results and a culture of research to a broad community. Response to National Needs Common mathematical frameworks can be used to understand disparate biological phenomena, ranging from cellular and neural systems to population and ecosystem dynamics. Common mathematical themes include: stochastic dynamical systems, effects of network architecture on dynamics, multiple temporal and spatial scales, methods for model reduction, methods for fitting models to data. These approaches can be used to understand issues in
Advances in understanding of fundamental biological questions, such as the dynamics of networks, would naturally increase understanding of, and ability to answer, applied questions such as optimal ways of dealing with emerging diseases and basic questions such as how cells use signaling networks to control cell growth. In addition to the goal of broad support of fundamental research at the interface of the biological and mathematical sciences, the Center will also address more narrowly-focused problems. Mathematical modeling and analysis can provide predictive understanding. With predictive understanding comes the ability to plan for and respond to specific problems. For example, epidemiological and economic models are frequently used to inform policy decisions, compare and simulate effects of control measures under different disease outbreak scenarios, train response personnel, and educate industry professionals. The Center is expected to bring together scientists from academia, the federal government, and private industry to form new types of partnerships and expand the modeling community in these areas. The Center will be expected to devote a portion of its capacity to addressing national needs, such as: understanding complex biological systems; predicting effects of global climate change; managing invasive species; and modeling infectious diseases, especially diseases of livestock and wildlife [http://ostp.gov/nstc/html/FADT%20R&D%2016%20Feb%202007.pdf] and of plants. These efforts will focus on improving operational models used to guide infectious disease monitoring, prediction, simulation, and response. To facilitate the transition of these models from basic research to operational capability, efforts will include coordination with other centers and national initiatives. This additional, more specific mission of the center meets the goals of the Departments of Homeland Security and Agriculture. We urge broad and creative thinking about how the Center can meet national needs through the promotion of fundamental research at the interface of the biological and mathematical sciences. Education Progress at the interface between mathematics and biology has been hindered by the lack of appropriately trained scientists. Few individuals are able to do research in both mathematics and biology. Thus, the Center is expected to address needs in education at this interface. Educational activities may be targeted at all levels: elementary, secondary, undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral. Such activities should emphasize active guidance and exposure to both the mathematical and biological sciences. Computational Aspects Computation is central to progress in mathematical biology. The Center is expected to include computer support staff that would actively participate in and support research activities. These individuals should have expertise in biological systems, numerical analysis, mathematical and statistical analysis, and programming. The role of this staff would be to help develop and maintain computer code and ensure the stability, quality and coherence of computer programs. The Center is expected to foster the development of open source software and maintain a software database (i.e., act as archivist of software) so as to serve as a source of knowledge transfer among Center researchers and the larger scientific community. Of particular importance is coordination with federal and other agencies in the development and maintenance of software to address national needs. Because some models require high performance computing, provision should be made for access to the necessary computing capabilities. Center Director Because the Center Director is essential to the successful operation of the CIMBS, the qualifications of the Director are crucial. The Director will be responsible for management and staffing; for the design and maintenance of appropriate oversight; for effective communication with the research community, government agencies, and the general public; for the procurement, use, maintenance, and control of equipment, supplies, and facilities; and for management of the research funds allocated to the CIMBS. The principal investigator of the proposal should be the anticipated Center Director or the Interim Director. In the latter case, the proposal must clearly describe the process to be used to identify candidates and to make the final selection for the Center Director. Note that no co-PIs are permitted. Proposal Content All proposals should address the following areas:
The Center may be multi-institutional. If so, the proposal must come from a single institution with other institutional partners as subawardees. The proposal should indicate what synergies and advantages are accrued by such a multi-institutional arrangement and how activities will be coordinated if spread across multiple locations. The proposal should NOT specify the membership of any oversight or executive board, but it should indicate how such a board will be recruited and constituted. The proposal should clearly and concisely justify Center support. Especially important general considerations are: focus, breadth of vision, education and outreach including international dimensions; communication and knowledge transfer; rationale for a Center-mode of activities; and management plan. We emphasize that this proposal is NOT a research plan; rather it is a plan for how research activities will be fostered. Additional Information The Biological Sciences Directorate currently supports two synthesis centers: the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS; see http://www.nceas.org) and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent; see http://www.nescent.org). Additionally, the Division of Mathematical Sciences supports the Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI; see http://www.mbi.osu.edu). While the goals and focus of the CIMBS differ, proposers should take advantage of lessons learned from these organizations in developing a concept for the CIMBS. III. Award InformationAnticipated Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Number of Awards: 1, contingent on the quality of proposals received and pending the availability of funds Anticipated Funding Amount: $16,000,000 The initial term of the award will be 5 years, with the potential for renewal for another 5 years. Pending availability of funds we anticipate a budget of up to $2,500,000 in year 1, $3,000,000 in year 2, and $3,500,000 in years 3, 4 and 5. We strongly encourage creative thinking about the potential range of activities that might occur at a CIMBS and their budgetary needs. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. IV. Eligibility Information
PI Limit:
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:
V. Proposal Preparation And Submission InstructionsA. Proposal Preparation InstructionsPreliminary Proposals(required): Submission of a preliminary proposal is required for eligibility to submit a full proposal. The preliminary proposal must be submitted via FastLane and must contain the following:
Following review of the preliminary proposals, proposers with promising programs will be invited to submit a full proposal. Comments of the preliminary proposal reviewers will be considered during review of the full proposals. Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.
Full proposals will be accepted only from PIs who have submitted Preliminary proposals in the current review cycle. Eligible proposals must originate from principal investigators whose projects are successful in the preceding preliminary proposal competition described above and must be based on those preliminary proposals. All proposals not meeting these requirements will be returned without review. Submission of full proposals by PIs whose preliminary proposals received a review recommendation of “not invited” will be returned without review.
Checklist for Proposal Preparation
B. Budgetary InformationCost Sharing: Cost sharing is not required by NSF in proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation. C. Due Dates
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. The Grants.gov's Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive reference document that provides technical information about Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation. Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing. VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review ProceduresProposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program and, if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements, for review. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer. A. NSF Merit Review CriteriaAll NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. The two NSB-approved merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which the reviewer is qualified to make judgements.
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:
Additional Review Criteria: Following panel review, site reviews will be done for one or more finalists. The analysis by the site review teams will be critical in making the final award recommendation. B. Review and Selection ProcessProposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Panel Review and/or Site Visit Review. Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by a three-stage review process. First, all proposers must submit a preliminary proposal that provides the information described in Section V of the Program Solicitation. Following review of preliminary proposals, selected proposers will be invited to proceed to the next stage of review with submission of a full proposal. Those who did not submit preliminary proposals are ineligible to submit a full proposal. Full proposals submitted without a corresponding preliminary proposal in the current review cycle will not be accepted. Eligible full proposals will be evaluated by panel reviews. The outcomes of this evaluation will then be used to select proposals for the third stage of review consisting of a site visit by a panel of outside experts. Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation. After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the date of receipt. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation. A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding. In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk. VII. Award Administration InformationA. Notification of the AwardNotification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See Section VI.B. for additional information on the review process.) B. Award ConditionsAn NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail. *These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/general_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov. More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag. Special Award Conditions: NSF has responsibility for providing general oversight and monitoring of the Center to help assure effective performance and administration. Because the award resulting from this funding opportunity will require substantial NSF oversight, it will be made in the form of a Cooperative Agreement. The Cooperative Agreement will contain two types of terms and conditions, the Programmatic Terms and Conditions (PTC) which relate to the actual science research and education projects, and the Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (FATC) which relate to management of funds that support the project. C. Reporting RequirementsFor all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report. Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data. PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on activities and findings, project participants (individual and organizational) publications; and, other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system. Submission of the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete. The PI of this center will submit annual or other special reports of progress and plans with the contents of the reports to be determined by the terms of the cooperative agreement. External review in the form of a site/reverse site visit will be conducted by NSF approximately 12 months after the start of the award, and as often as necessary thereafter. The results of such review(s), the contents of annual reports, and the response of the Center to the reports it receives from its advisory group(s) will be among the factors used to determine the continuation of support. VIII. Agency ContactsGeneral inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
IX. Other InformationThe NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this Website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, MyNSF (formerly the Custom News Service)is an information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new publications are issued that match their identified interests. MyNSF also is available on NSF's Website at https://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/. Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this new mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov. About The National Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering." NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research. NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals. The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339. The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.
Privacy Act And Public Burden StatementsThe information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding the burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne H. Plimpton |