Grants & Funding

National Science Foundation

Published Date: January 21, 2010

Program Information

Program Name:

Assembling the Tree of Life

Program URL:

http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf10513

Type of Scientists Funded:

Junior Faculty, Administrator, Senior Scientist/Faculty

Program Description:

Currently, single investigators or small teams of researchers are studying the evolutionary pathways of heredity usually concentrating on taxonomic groups of modest size. Assembly of a framework phylogeny, or Tree of Life, for all major lineages of life requires a greatly magnified effort, often involving large teams working across institutions and disciplines. This is the overall goal of the Assembling the Tree of Life activity. The National Science Foundation announces its intention to continue support of creative and innovative research that will resolve evolutionary relationships for large groups of organisms throughout the history of life. Investigators also will be supported for projects in data acquisition, analysis, algorithm development and dissemination in computational phylogenetics and phyloinformatics.

In fiscal year 2010, the estimated number of awards is three to six. The anticipated budget available to the program is $12 million. Each award, whether single-institution or collaborative project, may range up to $3 million total, for durations up to 5 years.

Public Contact Information

Program Award Term and Application Process

• Award Term Fixed or Variable?    Variable
• Minimum Term     
• Maximum Term     
• Award Renewable?    No
• Does an individual or institution apply to the program?    Institution
• Is there a training component to this grant?   
• Is there an application deadline?    Yes
• Application deadline(s):
  03/22/2010
• Deadline Comments   
  Full Proposal Deadline(s): March 22, 2010 Fourth Monday in March, Annually Thereafter

Program FUNDS

• Stipend Information:
  
  
• Annual stipend type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Research Allowance Information:
  
  
• Annual research allowance type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Indirect Costs (Institutional Funds) Information:
  
  
• Indirect costs type:    Not Applicable
• 
  Other Costs Information:
  
  
• Other Costs type:    Not Applicable

Program Eligibility Requirements

Research Areas:

Astronomy, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Mathematical and Computational Biology, Microbiology, Other (specify): Phylogeny, Tree of Life, Algorithm Development, Computational Phylogenetics, Phyloinformatics

Application by invitation or nomination only?

No

Are awards limited to specific groups?

None provided

Must applicants be U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents?

U.S. geographic limits?

No

International geographic limits?

Institutional limits?

Yes

Details

Eligible:

Universities and 2- and 4-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.

Nonprofit non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

For-profit organizations: U.S. commercial organizations, especially small businesses with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education. An unsolicited proposal from a commercial organization may be funded when the project is of special concern from a national point of view, special resources are available for the work, or the proposed project is especially meritorious. NSF is interested in supporting projects that couple industrial research resources and perspectives with those of universities; therefore, it especially welcomes proposals for cooperative projects involving both universities and the private commercial sector.

State and Local Governments: State educational offices or organizations and local school districts may submit proposals intended to broaden the impact, accelerate the pace, and increase the effectiveness of improvements in science, mathematics and engineering education in both K-12 and post-secondary levels.

Not eligible:
Foreign organizations: NSF rarely provides support to foreign organizations. NSF will consider proposals for cooperative projects involving U.S. and foreign organizations, provided support is requested only for the U.S. portion of the collaborative effort.
Other Federal agencies: NSF does not normally support research or education activities by scientists, engineers or educators employed by Federal agencies or Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). Under unusual circumstances, other federal agencies and FFRDCs may submit proposals directly to NSF.

Non-research activity allowed for postdoctoral and junior faculty awards?

If yes, specify at least one of the following: percentage time and activities allowed

Program competition information

• Number of Applicants in Most Recent Competition Year:   
• Number of Awards in Most Recent Competition Year:   
• Institutional Award Rates   

  Category	# Applicants	# Awards
  Institutional Awards

• Awardee's subsequent careers/accomplishments tracked after end of term?   
  
• Total dollars awarded in the most recent competition year