What is Biological Infrastructure?
Biological infrastructure, put plainly, is the infrastructure that supports biology. As such, biological infrastructure encompasses many different things. In terms of resources for research, it can include biological informatics, cyberinfrastructure, museum collections, living stock collections, field stations, marine labs, and instrumentation, all of which act to support and advance biological research. But biological infrastructure also relates to the human resources that make up the scientific workforce in the field of biology. The Division of Biological Infrastructure supports the development of this workforce by supporting fellowships for postdoctoral research, research experiences for undergraduates, and research coordination networks in undergraduate biology education. Finally, biological infrastructure also includes biology centers and other mid- to large- scale infrastructure, existing either physically, virtually, or both, that address a particular scientific and educational mission and/or are designed to meet a particular community need in the biological sciences.
Research Resources Programs:
- Advances in Biological Informatics (ABI)
- Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR)
- Improvements in Facilities, Communications, and Equipment at Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML)
- Instrument Development for Biological Research (IDBR)
- Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
- Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC)
Human Resources Programs:
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
- Research Coordination Networks (RCN)
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)
Centers and Other Mid- to Large-Scale Infrastructure:
DBI supports different types of Centers and other Mid- to Large Scale Infrastructure investments that provide resources to the scientific community. These investments generally fall into four categories: synthesis centers, science and technology centers, nanoscale science and engineering centers, and other mid- to large scale infrastructure. Below you will find a general description of each of these categories along with the particular investments DBI currently supports within each of these categories. These investments are not NSF programs that provide funding opportunities, but rather represent infrastructure developed to address a particular scientific mission in biology. That being said, several of the Centers do offer funding opportunities in the form of fellowships and other activities. For more information about opportunities provided by the Centers, click on the names of the Centers below to visit their websites.
Synthesis Centers synthesize scientific knowledge to develop new tools and standards for managing data, new analysis capabilities with broad utility, and host interdisciplinary workshops.
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)
Science and Technology Centers support innovative, potentially transformative, research and education projects that lie at the interface of disciplines and/or employ fresh approaches within disciplines.
- Bio/computational Evolution in Action CONsortium (BEACON)
- Biology with X-Ray Free Electron Lasers (BioXFEL)
Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers aim to advance nanoscale research and education and also address the social and ethical implications of such research.
- University of California Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN)
- Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT)
Other Mid- to Large Scale Infrastructure:
