Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 556
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Global Centers competition (Funding Opportunity Number 24-556) is a grant program designed to create ambitious international research centers that bring together interdisciplinary teams to tackle major global challenges through use-inspired work in the bioeconomy. The core idea is to fund center-scale collaborations that do more than produce scientific results on paper. Projects are expected to generate knowledge and translate it toward practical societal benefit, following a "knowledge-to-action" approach where the potential use of the research helps shape the questions, methods, and outputs. The solicitation explicitly points to "Pasteur's Quadrant" as the guiding concept: research can be both scientifically rigorous and motivated by real-world application, rather than being purely curiosity-driven or purely applied.
A defining requirement of this opportunity is that the proposed center must be international and genuinely collaborative, not simply a U.S. project with minor overseas participation. NSF strongly encourages partnerships that include the United States plus two or more partner countries, and it emphasizes that the global challenge being addressed should require multilateral effort. Proposals are expected to explain why the work can only be accomplished through international cooperation, for example by combining complementary expertise across countries, gaining access to unique ecosystems or data sources, leveraging specialized facilities, or aligning policy and implementation pathways in different regions. A strong proposal clearly lays out the roles, responsibilities, and unique contributions of each national team and shows how the center will operate as an integrated unit rather than a set of parallel projects.
The 2024 topic focus is "Addressing Global Challenges through the Bioeconomy." In this solicitation, the bioeconomy is framed broadly as the part of the economy built from products, services, and processes derived from living systems. NSF highlights biotechnology and biomanufacturing as central, while also stressing that meaningful bioeconomy solutions require contributions from many fields beyond biology and engineering, including chemistry, materials science, geosciences, mathematics, data science, the humanities, and the social sciences. The program is motivated by the scale and urgency of modern challenges such as climate adaptation and mitigation, clean energy, sustainable food systems, water insecurity, emerging infectious diseases, resource efficiency, biodiversity loss, unequal access to biotechnologies, and building a circular bioeconomy. The solicitation even gives a concrete illustration of the kind of bioeconomy impact it has in mind: bio-based materials that improve biodegradability and biosafety compared to plastics that generate microplastics and harm water security and human health.
Within the broad bioeconomy theme, proposals must be centered on at least one of two required subtopics. Subtopic 1 focuses on leveraging biodiversity across the tree of life to power the bioeconomy, which can include discovering, characterizing, and responsibly using biological diversity to enable new processes, materials, medicines, crops, or environmental solutions. Subtopic 2 focuses on biofoundries and the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle in biology, emphasizing systematic, iterative engineering approaches to biological design and biomanufacturing. In addition to choosing one or both subtopics, every proposal must integrate two crosscutting themes. Crosscutting Theme A requires public engagement and co-generation of research activities to strengthen the global science and technology enterprise, meaning communities and stakeholders are not treated as an afterthought but are involved throughout. Crosscutting Theme B requires workforce development and education, with a clear plan to train the next generation and broaden participation in the science and innovation pipeline.
Community engagement is not presented as optional or cosmetic. Proposals are expected to show how research will be co-generated and co-produced with the communities and stakeholder groups named in the proposal, so that the work aligns with their needs and is more likely to be adopted in practice. NSF also stresses that addressing global challenges requires "human action" and therefore the center should integrate social, behavioral, economic, policy, educational, or other human-centered research components alongside the technical and scientific work. The solicitation is explicit that a successful center will weave these human dimensions into the core research plan, creating a holistic structure where scientific discovery, translation pathways, and real-world implementation considerations reinforce each other.
In practical funding terms, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from NSF in the science and technology R and D category, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000 and an expectation of about 7 awards. The original closing date listed is June 11, 2024. Eligible applicants are limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education (two- and four-year accredited colleges and universities, including community colleges) and certain U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies that are directly tied to education or research activities. There is also a specific compliance note for international branch campuses of U.S. institutions: if project funds would flow to a branch campus abroad (including via subawards or consultants), the proposal must justify why the branch campus is necessary and why the work cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.
Overall, the Global Centers program is aiming to fund high-impact, center-level international teams that combine bioeconomy science and engineering with deliberate community partnership, workforce training, and knowledge-to-action translation. The strongest projects will make a credible case that the global problem cannot be solved by one country or one discipline, and they will present an integrated plan where international collaboration, stakeholder co-production, and real-world uptake are built into the design from the start.Apply for 24 556
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Global Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083, 47.084.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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NSF Global Centers (24-556) FAQs
What is the NSF Global Centers competition (Funding Opportunity Number 24-556)?
The NSF Global Centers competition (Funding Opportunity Number 24-556) is a grant program intended to create ambitious, center-scale international research collaborations. The goal is to bring together interdisciplinary teams across multiple countries to tackle major global challenges through use-inspired work in the bioeconomy.
What is the overall purpose of this funding opportunity?
The program aims to fund international research centers that generate new knowledge and actively translate that knowledge toward practical societal benefit. Projects are expected to be designed around a "knowledge-to-action" approach, meaning the intended real-world use of the research helps shape the research questions, methods, and outputs from the start.
What does NSF mean by "use-inspired" research and "Pasteur's Quadrant" in this solicitation?
The solicitation points to "Pasteur's Quadrant" as a guiding idea: research can be both scientifically rigorous and motivated by real-world application. In this program, a strong proposal is not purely curiosity-driven and not purely applied; it is designed to advance fundamental understanding while being shaped by an intended pathway to societal benefit.
Is this opportunity meant for single-investigator projects?
No. The program is designed for center-scale collaborations. It emphasizes integrated, interdisciplinary, international teams rather than standalone projects.
What makes a proposed center "international" under this program?
A defining requirement is that the center must be genuinely international and collaborative, not simply a U.S.-based project with minor overseas participation. Proposals are expected to demonstrate real integration across national teams, with clear roles, responsibilities, and unique contributions from each country involved.
How many countries should be involved in a competitive proposal?
NSF strongly encourages partnerships that include the United States plus two or more partner countries. The solicitation emphasizes that the global challenge being addressed should require multilateral effort.
How should applicants justify the need for international collaboration?
Proposals are expected to explain why the work can only be accomplished through international cooperation. Examples mentioned include combining complementary expertise across countries, accessing unique ecosystems or data sources, leveraging specialized facilities, or aligning policy and implementation pathways in different regions.
What topic does the 2024 Global Centers competition focus on?
The 2024 topic focus is "Addressing Global Challenges through the Bioeconomy."
How does the solicitation define the bioeconomy?
In this solicitation, the bioeconomy is framed broadly as the part of the economy built from products, services, and processes derived from living systems. NSF highlights biotechnology and biomanufacturing as central, while also emphasizing that meaningful solutions often require contributions from many other disciplines.
Which disciplines are considered relevant for this bioeconomy-focused program?
Beyond biology and engineering, NSF explicitly notes that contributions can come from chemistry, materials science, geosciences, mathematics, data science, the humanities, and the social sciences, among others.
What kinds of global challenges is NSF trying to address through this program?
The solicitation cites challenges such as climate adaptation and mitigation, clean energy, sustainable food systems, water insecurity, emerging infectious diseases, resource efficiency, biodiversity loss, unequal access to biotechnologies, and building a circular bioeconomy.
Does the solicitation give an example of the type of impact it is looking for?
Yes. One illustration provided is the development of bio-based materials that improve biodegradability and biosafety compared to plastics that generate microplastics and harm water security and human health.
Do proposals have to choose specific subtopics within the bioeconomy theme?
Yes. Proposals must be centered on at least one of two required subtopics.
What is Subtopic 1?
Subtopic 1 focuses on leveraging biodiversity across the tree of life to power the bioeconomy. This can include discovering, characterizing, and responsibly using biological diversity to enable new processes, materials, medicines, crops, or environmental solutions.
What is Subtopic 2?
Subtopic 2 focuses on biofoundries and the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle in biology. It emphasizes systematic, iterative engineering approaches to biological design and biomanufacturing.
Are there required crosscutting themes that every proposal must include?
Yes. In addition to selecting one or both subtopics, every proposal must integrate two crosscutting themes: (A) public engagement and co-generation of research activities, and (B) workforce development and education.
What does Crosscutting Theme A require?
Crosscutting Theme A requires public engagement and co-generation of research activities to strengthen the global science and technology enterprise. The solicitation frames this as involving communities and stakeholders throughout the work, rather than treating engagement as an afterthought.
What does Crosscutting Theme B require?
Crosscutting Theme B requires workforce development and education, including a clear plan to train the next generation and broaden participation in the science and innovation pipeline.
Is community engagement optional?
No. The solicitation presents community engagement as a core expectation, not a cosmetic add-on. Proposals are expected to show how research will be co-generated and co-produced with the communities and stakeholder groups named in the proposal so the work aligns with their needs and is more likely to be adopted in practice.
Does NSF expect human-centered research components in these centers?
Yes. NSF stresses that addressing global challenges requires "human action" and therefore centers should integrate social, behavioral, economic, policy, educational, or other human-centered research components alongside technical and scientific work.
How should proposals handle the relationship between science, translation, and implementation?
The solicitation calls for a holistic structure in which scientific discovery, translation pathways, and real-world implementation considerations reinforce each other. A strong proposal weaves the human dimensions and stakeholder co-production into the core research plan.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is $5,000,000.
About how many awards does NSF expect to make?
The solicitation states an expectation of about 7 awards.
What type of grant is this?
This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity from NSF in the science and technology research and development (R&D) category.
What is the closing date listed for this opportunity?
The original closing date listed is June 11, 2024.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education (two- and four-year accredited colleges and universities, including community colleges) and certain U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies that are directly tied to education or research activities.
Can non-academic nonprofits apply?
Yes, if they are U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, or professional societies, and they are directly tied to education or research activities.
Are international branch campuses of U.S. institutions allowed to receive project funds?
The solicitation includes a specific compliance note: if project funds would flow to a branch campus abroad (including via subawards or consultants), the proposal must justify why the branch campus is necessary and why the work cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.
What does NSF mean by an "integrated" center rather than parallel projects?
The solicitation emphasizes that the center should operate as an integrated unit, not a set of parallel, loosely connected projects. A strong proposal clearly lays out how the national teams will work together, what each team uniquely contributes, and how responsibilities are coordinated across the center.
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