NSF 18-595: Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI) (NSF 27-500). Status: Closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left). It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2025.
U.S. National Science Foundation offered grants of up to $800,000 (at least $300,000) to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 40 awards worth $10.0 million in total. It is no longer open on Grants.gov.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed June 7, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$800,000
- Award floor$300,000
- Total funding$10.0 million
- Expected awards40
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Other notices with this title
| Notice | Posted | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF 21-502 | June 6, 2025 | Closed | Closed |
Key dates
| Posted | June 6, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Archived by Grants.gov | June 7, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. *Who May Serve as PI: There are no restrictions or limits.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Biological Sciences awards averaged $609,810; this notice allows up to $800,000 per award.
- Most of the program's money (82% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (IIBR) solicitation supports new and innovative research in biological informatics, instrumentation and associated methods, as well as multidisciplinary approaches to these broad themes that address needs in basic biological research. These awards support pioneering approaches that develop de novo infrastructure, significantly redesign existing infrastructure, or apply existing infrastructure in novel ways. Activities must demonstrate the potential to advance or transform research in biology as supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences at the National Science Foundation (http://nsf.gov/bio). The “Rules of Life” is one of the NSF’s ten big ideas for future investment. Understanding these basic “Rules” and how they operate across scales of time, space, and complexity to determine how genes function and interact with the environment will enable us to predict the phenotype, structure, function, and behavior of organisms. Providing scientists with the instrumentation and resources necessary to make these discoveries requires investments in new instrumentation capabilities and extending access to existing instrumentation and experimental facilities.
Who has won Biological Sciences grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Biological Sciences (47.074) awarded $4.2 billion across 6,885 grant awards, an average of $609,810 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battelle Memorial Institute | Ohio | 8 | $381 million |
| Arizona State University | Arizona | 57 | $108 million |
| Cornell University | New York | 85 | $85.6 million |
| University of Florida | Florida | 100 | $70.6 million |
| Michigan State University Foundation | Michigan | 105 | $67.9 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NSF 27-500, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is NSF 18-595 still open?
No. It is no longer open on Grants.gov. A newer notice is open: NSF 27-500, closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left).
Who can apply for Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research?
U.S. National Science Foundation accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research?
Closed. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $800,000 each. About $10.0 million in total across about 40 awards.
Who has won Biological Sciences grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Battelle Memorial Institute, Arizona State University, Cornell University. The program made 6,885 awards worth $4.2 billion in that time.