Biology Integration Institutes | 23 511

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Biology Integration Institutes (BII)

1) What is the NSF Biology Integration Institutes (BII) opportunity?

The Biology Integration Institutes (BII) opportunity is a National Science Foundation (NSF) discretionary grant program (Funding Opportunity Number 23-511; CFDA 47.074) in the science and technology research and development category. It is designed to counterbalance the increasing fragmentation of biology into narrow subdisciplines by funding collaborative, team-based institutes that integrate biology across multiple areas and scales.

2) What problem is BII trying to address?

BII is intended to reverse, or at least counterbalance, the growing fragmentation of biology into increasingly narrow subdisciplines. NSF is emphasizing that many major biological discoveries happen when researchers connect mechanisms and patterns across levels of organization rather than staying confined to a single specialty or scale.

3) What does NSF mean by “integration” in this program?

In BII, “integration” refers to intentionally linking biological processes across levels of organization. This includes connections from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms, and from species interactions to ecosystems, biomes, and Earth-scale biology. Integration also includes building real intellectual and technical bridges among disciplines so that insights at one level are meaningfully tied to outcomes at other levels.

4) What kinds of projects does BII fund?

BII funds collaborative, team-based institutes pursuing a shared biological theme that explicitly requires integration across multiple areas of biology. The concept is more than coordinating multiple experts; it is about creating frameworks, methods, and shared approaches that make cross-scale and cross-discipline biological understanding possible.

5) Is BII focused on single research projects or something larger?

BII is structured around institutes rather than isolated projects. The emphasis is on a coordinated, team-based institute built around a unifying biological theme that requires integration and produces outcomes that would be difficult or impossible through disconnected efforts.

6) What makes an institute concept “competitive” under BII, based on the description provided?

Based on the program description, a competitive institute concept would go beyond assembling a multi-disciplinary team and would instead create meaningful intellectual and technical bridges across fields and scales. For example, it would connect molecular or cellular mechanisms to organismal traits and extend those links to population dynamics, community structure, or ecosystem function, aiming for integrative understanding rather than parallel contributions.

7) What biological scales does BII encourage institutes to connect?

The opportunity emphasizes linking across scales, including (but not limited to): molecules, cells, tissues, organisms, species interactions, ecosystems, biomes, and Earth-scale biology. The core expectation is that the institute theme requires these kinds of cross-scale linkages.

8) Does BII encourage integration with fields outside biology?

Yes. While the solicitation is explicitly about integrating biological subdisciplines, it is open to incorporating non-biology fields when they are needed to address the institute’s overarching biological question. Examples mentioned include computation, engineering, math, geosciences, social sciences, and other relevant areas.

9) Why does the program emphasize data, cyberinfrastructure, and enabling technologies?

The opportunity highlights that modern biology generates huge, diverse, and fast-growing data streams. BII encourages institutes to use and advance cyberinfrastructure and enabling technologies such as shared data resources, interoperable tools, scalable computation, and reproducible workflows. These are presented as practical pathways to integration and as ways to make outputs accessible, reusable, adaptable, and durable for future uses.

10) What kinds of “resources” or “connective tissue” does NSF expect institutes to build?

Beyond research findings, BII expects institutes to contribute approaches that help biological subcommunities work together. The description references standards, platforms, and practices that support interoperability, resource sharing, reusability, and reproducibility, with an emphasis on making outputs broadly useful and adaptable for unanticipated future needs.

11) How important is training and workforce development in BII?

Training and workforce development is described as a major, equal-priority pillar of BII. Institutes are expected to serve as engines for education and professional development, not only as research organizations.

12) What is NSF looking for in training models under BII?

The program calls for training models that are groundbreaking and sustainable. The intent is to help students and early-career researchers develop real depth in core areas while also building cross-disciplinary fluency so they can collaborate effectively, interpret complex multi-scale datasets, and innovate in emerging areas.

13) Who is the training component intended to support?

Based on the description provided, the training and workforce development focus includes students and early-career researchers, with institutes expected to help prepare the next generation to work across domains without losing depth.

14) What outcomes and impacts does NSF associate with BII?

NSF frames the longer-term payoff as catalyzing discovery and impact through integrative biological themes that illuminate how life innovates and persists across contexts. The description notes potential downstream benefits such as inspiring biotechnologies and applications, strengthening the bioeconomy, and contributing to solutions for societal challenges tied to organisms and the environment.

15) How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this opportunity?

From the posted opportunity metadata, NSF anticipated making around five awards.

16) What is the closing date listed for this opportunity?

The original closing date listed in the provided metadata is February 21, 2023.

17) What is the CFDA number and the funding opportunity number for BII?

The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 23-511 and CFDA 47.074.

18) What type of grant program is BII (mandatory or discretionary)?

BII is described as a discretionary grant program.

19) What is the program’s category?

The program is in the science and technology research and development category.

20) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described broadly as “Others,” with further clarification referenced in the solicitation’s additional eligibility information. The provided summary does not list the detailed eligibility criteria, indicating those specifics are contained in the full solicitation.

21) Is there an award funding cap (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the provided record. This typically indicates the cap is not specified in that metadata field or is defined elsewhere in the full solicitation rather than implying there is no practical limit.

22) What is the central idea behind the BII program’s research approach?

The central idea is that important biological questions and discoveries often come from connecting mechanisms and patterns across levels of organization. BII supports institutes that intentionally link processes across scales to generate integrative understanding that is difficult to achieve through isolated efforts.

23) Does BII expect institutes to produce only research outputs?

No. The description emphasizes that institutes are expected to do more than publish research. They are also expected to deliver training and workforce development and to advance enabling resources and practices (such as interoperable tools and reproducible workflows) that make outputs durable and broadly useful.

24) How does BII relate to the reality of “fast-growing data streams” in biology?

The opportunity explicitly acknowledges that biology is producing huge, diverse, and rapidly growing data streams. BII encourages institutes to connect disciplines and scales in ways that can interpret and leverage these data, supported by modern cyberinfrastructure and reusable, reproducible approaches.