Biosensing

The Biosensing Program supports fundamental research in engineering areas related to:Novel sensitive, discriminative, low cost, and easy to operate biosensing systemsInnovative ideas in the development of novel biorecognition strategiesMultifunctional nanomaterials and interfaces with predefined physical, chemical or biological characteristics for biosensing applicationsFundamental study of bio-macromolecules confinement and orientation at the micro- and nano-interfaces for biosensing applicationsMolecular sensors capable of monitoring biological structures interaction (protein-protein interactions, cell-to-cell talk, interkingdom signaling, etc.)Proposals outside of these specific interest areas are welcome. In particular, the Interfacial Processing and Thermodynamics Program and the Biosensing Program may jointly support novel projects related to surface functionalization at the molecular level. The Biosensing Program supports innovative, transformative and insightful fundamental investigations of original technologies with broad long term impact and applications that require novel use of bio-inspired engineering principles and sophisticated approaches to meet the engineering and technology needs of the nation. The program is targeting research in the area of the monitoring, identification and/or quantification of biological phenomena and will support potential technological breakthroughs that exist at the intersection of engineering, life science and information technology. Projects submitted to the Program must advance both engineering and life sciences.

The development of novel principles and approaches will require highly collaborative interactions between engineers, life scientists and experts in nanotechnology, biomaterials, bioinformatics, and the chemical and physical sciences. The Program recognizes the important role of education and workforce development specifically relevant to the multidisciplinary nature of the area of biosensing. The Program does not support applications with incremental improvements of existing approaches/technologies, nor does the Program support any device development such as point-of-care diagnostic systems or any applied medical technologies.The duration of unsolicited awards is generally one to three years. The average annual award size for the program is $100,000 (including indirect cost). Proposals requesting a substantially higher amount than this, without prior consultation with the Program Director, may be returned without review. Small equipment proposals up to $70,000 will also be considered and may be submitted during the annual proposal submission window. Innovative proposals outside of these specific interest areas can be considered. However, prior to submission, it is recommended that the PI contact the Program Director to avoid the possibility of the proposal being returned without review.Additional Program Information - 7909: (e.g., Areas of Research, Research Highlights, Conferences and Workshops, Program Director Information, etc.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------INFORMATION COMMON TO MOST CBET PROGRAMSProposals should address the novelty and/or potentially transformative nature http://www.nsf.gov/about/transformative_research/faq.jsp of the concept being proposed, compared to previous work in the field. Also, it is important to address why the proposed work is important in terms of engineering science, as well as to also project the potential impact on society and /or industry of success in the research. The novelty or potentially transformative nature of the research should be included, as a minimum, in the Project Summary of each proposal. Proposals submitted to this program are subject to the scope of the program's description and the availability of funds. Decisions about particular proposals are often very difficult to make and factors other than reviewer comments and ratings enter into the decision. Maintaining appropriate balance among subfields, the availability of other funding, the total amount of funds available to the program, and general Foundation policies and priorities are also important decision factors. Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program proposals are strongly encouraged. Award duration is five years. The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year. Please see the following URL for more information: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214Proposals for Conferences, Workshops, and Supplements: Proposals involving these activities should ideally be submitted during the regular annual proposal window. PIs are strongly encouraged to discuss their requests with the Program Director before submission of the proposal.Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) are also considered when appropriate. Please note that proposals of these types must be discussed with the Program Director before submission. Further details are available in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) download. Proposals received outside of the Announced Proposal Window dates will be returned without review..