NSF Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR)
To: Chairs, Departments in the Biological Sciences
From: Heather Daniels, Graduate School
Date: May 13, 2013
Subject: NSF Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR)
Deadlines:
Notice of intents are due at the Graduate School on Tuesday, May 28; Deadline for internal competition is TBD.
Project Description:
The Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR) Program funds activities that improve infrastructure for existing living stock/culture collections and specimen-based vouchered natural history collections that serve a broad community of biological researchers. Activities involving the application of new and improved curatorial techniques and tools related to the maintenance, provision, care, preservation, storage, and data management of collections are encouraged. Digitizing activities such as databasing, geo-referencing, and imaging may be funded as activities designed to secure and improve access to collections. Digitizing activities focused on augmenting or enhancing large volumes of data from well-secured collections should consider other funding outlets.
Proposals concerning the preservation and organization of tissues, DNA, images, and collection data that can be linked to voucher specimens will be considered, as will proposals for innovative enhancements for diverse collections and workshops/symposia that will lead to improvements in the security, access, and maintenance of biological collections. As a part of the improvements to collections, all scientifically significant specimens handled---if not already digitized--- should be digitized and the data interfaced with iDigBio (http://www.idigbio.org/), the national Home Uniting Biocollections (HUB) supported by the ADBC program. The CSBR program does not support building a new collection, single-taxon natural history collections devoted to a narrow research focus, or collecting new specimens to augment collections
Competitive Area 1. Natural History Collections
Funds are provided to make improvements in established vouchered natural
history collections for sustained, accurate, and efficient accessibility of the collection to the biological research community. Such improvements include, but are not limited to, securing and organizing specimens and related data and developing methods to improve specimen curation and collection management.
Competitive Area 2. Living Stock Collections
Funds are provided to secure and improve existing collections of living organisms (including viruses and bacteriophages) used in the basic biological research funded by the NSF BIO Directorate. Awards will be made that lead to innovative handling of living stocks or to well-defined improvements in existing collections.
Competitive Area 3. Transfer Ownership of Collections
Funding may be requested to move valuable established collections to a new institutional home or to consolidate or combine collections. Requests for moving or consolidating must include an explicit plan for the activity.
Awards will be up to $500,000 total for up to 3 years.
Eligibility:
The number of proposals UW–Madison may submit is limited to three.
Website:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13557/nsf13557.htm
This contains additional information on the program and specific application instructions, etc.
Internal Competition Application Instructions:
Notice of intent: Send an email message to gsgrants@grad.wisc.edu with "NSF CSBR" by Tuesday, May 28, 2013 to inform us of your intention to submit a proposal. Please include the following in your email message:
--PI name
--Title of proposal
--Competitive Area
--Short paragraph description
Applications for internal competition: Instructions and deadline for an internal competition will be announced if needed.
For the project selected, the proposal must be submitted using FastLane or Grants.gov. Information about campus procedures for FastLane and Grants.gov is posted on the RSP Web site. The full proposal is due on Friday, July 26, 2013 at 5 pm CDT.
If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact Heather Daniels (608) 263-7274 or email gsgrants@grad.wisc.edu