NSF 26-504: Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

Program Solicitation

Document Information

Document History

• Posted: February 5, 2026
• Replaces: NSF 24-593

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Program Solicitation NSF 26-504

| | | U.S. National Science Foundation

Directorate for Biological Sciences
Division of Biological Infrastructure |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

September 29, 2026

September 28, 2027

Fourth Tuesday in September, Annually Thereafter

Important Information And Revision Notes

The three competitive areas from the previous solicitation have been replaced with a single research focus area: Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations.

The total fellowship amount has increased to $110,000 per year and consists of two types of payments: a stipend ($85,000) and a research and training allowance ($25,000).
The length of the fellowship is now 24 continuous months.

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Use the version of the guide that is in effect on the proposal's due date.

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)
Synopsis of Program:

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Biological Research has the potential to pave the way for breakthroughs in biotechnology and bio-system design that will create innovations, new industries, and jobs. To capitalize on this promise, the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) will make awards for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) to recent doctoral degree recipients, for proposals with a research and training focus at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations. Applying AI to highly complex biological systems will reveal unknown mechanisms in the natural world that hold promise for technological developments.

Candidates with AI and/or biology experience will develop deep expertise in both by proposing additional training in both areas. These combinations of current expertise and new cross-training will produce scientists who work seamlessly at the intersection of AI and biology. The fellows are expected to become field leaders who use AI capabilities to extrapolate from biological data to technological advances.

Proposers are encouraged to consider how to leverage the nation's diversity of existing biological data, and biological infrastructure, such as Biofoundries, Programmable Cloud Labs, Manufacturing USA Institutes, and NEON, to accelerate discovery, innovation and the biotechnology that improves human lives, promotes the U.S. economy, and benefits the nation.

Expanding Participation In Stem, NSF Priorities, And Gold Standard Science

NSF prioritizes cutting-edge discovery science and engineering research, advancing technology and innovation, and creating opportunities for all Americans. NSF has established priorities set forth by Congress, the administration and the NSF director to promote NSF's mission. Proposers should review the list of; NSF priorities and are encouraged to align their proposals with them, where appropriate. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, integrity and adherence to appropriate tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

• Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology, email: bio-dbi-prfb@nsf.gov
  Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

• 47.074 --- Biological Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship

Estimated Number of Awards: 75

Anticipated Funding Amount: $16,500,000

Estimated program budget and number of awards are subject to the availability of funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Not required
• Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required

• Full Proposals:

  • For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply. B. Budgetary Information

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable

• Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
  C. Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time): September 29, 2026

September 28, 2027

Fourth Tuesday in September, Annually Thereafter

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements:

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

I. Introduction

BIO offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology to provide opportunities for scientists early in their careers who are ready to assume independence in their research efforts and obtain training beyond their graduate education. These fellowships are for research at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations. The program advances NSF priorities of AI and biotechnology. Scientists have produced massive amounts of biological data, much of it unexplored. The advent of AI means these data can now be analyzed using automated methods on a scale and with an efficiency that was not previously possible. AI analysis will reveal new properties of biological systems that advance scientific knowledge that could be developed into technological breakthroughs. These new technologies have the potential to grow the U.S. economy and promote quality of human life, thus benefiting the nation.

The fellowships have both research and training goals: Training opportunities will capitalize on collaboration with established scientists and cutting-edge research resources, sites, and facilities to broaden scientific horizons beyond traditional disciplinary lines. Fellows must affiliate with appropriate research institutions and are expected to devote themselves full time to the fellowship activities for the duration of the fellowship.

Through these awards, BIO aims to stimulate research that applies AI to biological systems by leveraging existing large data sets and infrastructure. The training and knowledge generated in the projects is expected to produce actionable information for biotechnology and a cadre of AI-experts prepared for the next era in biology. These scientists will be leaders in growing U.S. biotechnology to secure American prosperity.

II. Program Description

The Program goal is to support the use of AI in conjunction with existing biological data sources and infrastructure to make discoveries that lead to innovations that use biological knowledge to enhance the U.S. economy and the public good. Investments in these fellowship awards target the NSF priorities of artificial intelligence and biotechnology. Advancing the understanding of biological systems through innovative approaches that use AI to analyze biological data will create knowledge for biotechnology applications that are essential to American security and prosperity. The state-of-the-art training that fellows receive will support development of the next generation of AI literate biological sciences researchers.

There are numerous resources available to aid proposers in developing project ideas. The recent " Winning the Race: America's AI Action Plan " articulates how innovative AI approaches should be employed broadly to enhance the lives of the American public. The 2025 report from the National Academies Science Engineering, and Mathematics (NASEM), entitled " A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales ", highlights the progress and promise of large-scale biology research. The final report from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology highlights important areas of research and investment to ensure American security and prosperity. The NSF AI institutes comprise a nationwide infrastructure to promote AI approaches that may represent a valuable resource to applicants seeking to collaborate with experts in AI. The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot represents another important resource as it brings together computational, data, software, models, training, and user support for innovation in AI. Descriptions of some NSF-supported infrastructure resources include: Manufacturing USA Institutes, Biofoundries, Programmable Cloud Labs, and NEON.

It is expected that most applicants will have expertise in AI or biology (some may have both) and will gain competency in both by training in a new area. Correspondingly, proposers are expected to select sponsoring scientists with complementary or dual expertise. To describe the training potential, candidates should explain how the sponsor, the proposed research environment, any co-sponsors and/or other collaborating investigators, will contribute to the specific goals of the proposed project. The fellowships will promote the development of interdisciplinary scientists empowered to apply AI to biological systems to understand how these natural systems can inform the development of technological applications. Success in this endeavor depends on deep competence in both areas.

Authorizing statutes for this funding opportunity include the NSF statute (42 U.S.C. 1861, et seq.), and the CHIPS and Science Act (Public Law 117-167).

General description of BIO Postdoctoral Fellowships

A. Appropriateness for BIO and Program Priorities

Proposers are encouraged to contact a Program Officer at bio-dbi-prfb@nsf.gov to discuss the appropriateness of their projects prior to submission.

While it is expected that research of fundamental biological significance may often have broader impacts on medicine and human health, proposals determined to have a clear biomedical focus will be returned without review (see the PAPPG for additional guidance). If the proposal focuses on human disease, proposers are encouraged to discuss the proposal appropriateness with one of the cognizant Program Officers prior to submission.

B. Location of Work

Research and training supported by these fellowships may be conducted at any appropriate U.S. or international host institution. Appropriate U.S. organizations include institutes of higher education, private nonprofit institutes and museums, government agencies and laboratories, and, under special conditions that require prior approval from a cognizant Program Officer, for-profit organizations. Appropriate international institutions include institutions of higher education and private non-profit institutes and organizations.

Because the objectives of the fellowships include broadening the perspectives and experiences of the Fellows and promoting interdisciplinary research careers, careful consideration and justification should be given to the selection of the sponsoring scientists and host institutions. All proposers, whether remaining in their current institution or moving to a new one, must provide justification for their choice of host institution(s) and sponsor(s) in the context of their professional needs and potential for professional growth.

BIO encourages Fellows to gain international experience by selecting international hosts for all or part of the tenure of the fellowship, if an international site offers strong support for the proposed work.

C. The Sponsoring Scientist(s)

The Fellow must always be affiliated with a host institution(s) during the tenure of the fellowship and select a sponsoring scientist(s) with whom the Fellow will collaborate and who will provide mentoring for both the research and training proposed by the Fellow. The proposer is responsible for making prior arrangements with the host institution(s) and sponsoring scientist(s). Regardless of the number of sponsors or locations, the fellowship proposal requires a single sponsoring scientist statement. When more than one sponsor is proposed, one must be named the lead sponsor and information from all sponsors and their institutions must be integrated into a single sponsoring scientist statement.

An important basis for judging the suitability of the host institution is the degree to which the sponsoring scientist statement describes, and offers, a research environment and mentoring plan that will support the fellowship activities.

If a fellowship is offered, the proposer may be requested to provide documentation from the host institution that the terms and conditions of the fellowship are acceptable and that the Fellow will be provided with adequate mentoring, space, basic services, needed resources, and supplies. Once a proposal is submitted, any changes in location or sponsorship for the fellowship must be approved in advance by a cognizant Program Officer.

D. Measures of Success

Successful outcomes include the publication of the results to ensure broad dissemination, the concomitant or subsequent development of applications or techniques that promote biotechnology to grow and secure the U.S. economy, and career trajectories for awardees that continue to capitalize on deploying AI approaches for biological discoveries.

III. Award Information

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

A. Duration and Tenure

Awards are made in the Spring following the deadline. Fellows must request a start date within the time frame of June 1 of the year following the deadline and September 1 of the year after that (a 15-month window). Interruptions in tenure or extensions without additional cost to NSF are permitted only in special circumstances, such as teaching opportunities, or family or medical leave, and require NSF approval. Fellowships are not renewable.

The fellowship tenure is 24 continuous months.

B. Stipend and Allowances

The fellowship amount is $110,000 per year for a duration of two years ($220,000 total). An award consists of two types of annual payments: a stipend ($85,000) and a fellowship allowance ($25,000). The stipend is paid directly to the Fellow.

The fellowship allowance is disbursed at the Fellow's discretion (except for foreign travel, which requires prior NSF approval) for any allowable expenses. The allowance is intended to cover research- and training-related costs, and fringe benefits.

Allowable research costs include travel, such as short-term visits to other institutions or laboratories, field work, and attendance at scientific meetings; training; special equipment; IT equipment and software; supplies; publication costs; access fees for databases; field station costs; and other research-related expenses. Unallowable research costs include stipends, salaries, or other forms of payment for employees. Fellows are not allowed to serve as employers during their tenure.

Allowable costs for fringe benefits include individual or family health insurance (any combination of medical, vision, and/or dental) whether purchased as a group or individual plan, disability insurance, retirement savings, dependent care, and moving expenses.

All payments are made directly to the Fellow as an electronic funds transfer into a personal account at a U.S. financial institution.

Within the fellowship period, up to two months of fellowship duration may be used for paid leave, including parental or family leave. The paid leave cannot be used to increase the level of NSF support beyond the duration of the fellowship.

In addition to the fellowship stipend and research allowance, the Program may support Fellows in attending one or more PI meetings to further support professional development and research networks.

IV. Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Proposals must be submitted by the individual, not the host institution, and awards are made directly to Fellows. Each postdoctoral Fellow must identify a sponsoring scientist(s) and must affiliate with an appropriate U.S. or international host institution at the time of proposal submission. Appropriate U.S. organizations include institutions of higher education, private nonprofit institutes and museums, government agencies and laboratories, and, under special conditions that require prior approval from a Program Officer, for-profit organizations. Appropriate international institutions include institutions of higher education and many government or non-profit research organizations. Who May Serve as PI:

The PRFB awards are intended primarily for graduate students who are seeking independent support for their first postdoctoral position, or postdoctoral Fellows early in their careers. An individual is eligible to submit a proposal if all the following criteria are met:

• Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident, i.e., have a "green card," at the time of submission.
• Must present a research plan that falls within the purview of BIO and that focuses on the research area described in this solicitation.
• Must earn the doctoral degree in an appropriate field prior to beginning the fellowship.
• Must select sponsoring scientists, departments, and institutions that offer a significant opportunity to broaden the proposer's research focus and training.
• Must not have submitted the same research to another NSF postdoctoral fellowship program.
• Must not have worked in any position that requires a doctoral degree for a combined total of more than 15 full-time months prior to the deadline.
• Must not have submitted proposals to the PRFB program more than once in previous years, i.e., you are limited to a maximum of two submissions, regardless of the outcome. Proposals that fail to meet the above eligibility requirements will be returned without review.

By signing and submitting the proposal, the proposer is certifying that they meet the eligibility criteria specified in this program solicitation. Willful provision of false information in this request and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There are no restrictions or limits.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1

Individuals may submit only one fellowship proposal to the Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biology program per year and may submit to the program no more than twice in total.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers must submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov.

You must prepare your proposal according to Chapter II.D.2 of the PAPPG, unless this solicitation specifies different instructions. Always use the version of the PAPPG in effect on your proposal's due date.

Preparing the fellowship proposal is different in several ways from preparing a research proposal.

See the "How to Apply" document found on the PRFB Program page for detailed instructions on the proposal submission process. Careful attention to these instructions is essential for submitting a compliant proposal.

Fellowship proposals must be submitted by the fellowship candidate, not by the fellowship candidate's current or proposed organizational Sponsored Projects Officer.

For detailed guidance on how to register and submit a proposal through Research.gov, refer to the "How to Apply" document.

Fellowship Proposal Instructions

Proposals must include all required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF as specified in the PAPPG unless otherwise specified in this solicitation The solicitation takes precedence when requirements supplement or deviate from those in the PAPPG.

Proposers are responsible for submitting all documents through Research.gov, except for the two Reference Letters. Reference letters are submitted directly in the Reference Letter Submission module by the authors and are not uploaded in the proposal by the proposer. Include only the information and documentation requested in this solicitation or the PAPPG. All page limitations include pictures, figures, tables, graphics, etc. Only complete and timely proposals will be accepted. Proposals that do not conform to the requirements will be returned without review.

Solicitation specific guidance beyond that in the PAPPG:

1. See the "How to Apply" document found on the PRFB Program page for detailed instructions on the proposal submission process.

2. NSF Cover Sheet: Enter your requested start date (the 1st or 15th of the month between June 1 of the year following the deadline, and September 1 the year after that - a 15-month window. The duration is pre-populated, read-only (i.e., not editable), in Research.gov per the solicitation. In the Primary Place of Performance section enter primary host institution information.

3. Application Form: These forms are available in the Research.gov module for this solicitation. Only complete portions of the form that are labeled for PRFB Proposals. Proposals where the Application Form is incomplete may be returned without review. Write in "None" or "N/A" if you have no information to provide for any of the items.

4. Project Summary (1-page maximum): The Project Summary must include an overview and separate statements on intellectual merit and broader impacts. List your sponsoring scientist(s), and host institution(s) at the beginning of the overview section. The fellowship consists of research, career development, and broader impact goals; therefore, all of these must be summarized in the overview. The research plans and goals must be described in the section on intellectual merit; benefits to society and beyond, including but not limited to educational or public outreach plans, must be described in the section on broader impacts. Proposals that fail to clearly address the intellectual merit and broader impacts of the fellowship in separate sections will be returned without review.

5. Project Description (6-page maximum): The project description must contain two sections with headings labeled 1) Intellectual Merit and 2) Broader Impacts. Proposals without these separate sections with headings will be returned without review. The 6-page limit includes all figures, tables, etc. Your proposal will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel, and the research portion should not contain jargon and acronyms that are not understandable to a wide range of scientists. You must identify and present goals for the research, training, and broader impacts components you will undertake as part of the fellowship.

In the Intellectual Merit Section, describe the research and training plan and explain how these relate to your career goals. Include the following in the research and training plan:

• A brief and informative introduction or background section.
• A statement of research questions and their significance, research approaches, methods, and expected outcomes and alternatives.
• Training objectives and plan for achieving them (these may include scientific as well as other career preparation activities, such as teaching).
• An explanation of how the fellowship activities will enhance your career development and future research directions as well as an explanation of how this research differs from your dissertation research.
• A justification of your choice of sponsoring scientist(s) and host institution(s) in the context of your research and professional needs and goals.
• A timetable with yearly goals with benchmarks for major anticipated project outcomes. Some proposals may require other documentation before the final decision can be made, e.g., Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) approval, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for research involving human subjects, government permits, letters of collaboration, and commitments from private sources. The need for these should be noted in the research and training plan, but they must not be included in the proposal. NSF may request them later.

In the Broader Impacts Section, describe activities beyond your own training. It is not adequate to address broader impacts only in the project summary. While this section should include the broader impacts of the research itself, it should also include a clear plan for broader impacts activities to be completed, with milestones and an approximate timeline. Please be sure to consider NSF's updated priorities while developing your broader impacts statement.

6. Budget: The budget section is prepopulated with the stipend and fellowship allowance based on this solicitation. The budget section does not display on the proposal main page after the proposal has been created but can be viewed by clicking Print Proposal. When the proposal is submitted, the budget will be displayed as read-only and will be accessible from the proposal main page.

7. Doctoral Research Abstract (1-page maximum): Submit an abstract of your doctoral research (dissertation and other major projects). Be sure to include sufficient information to allow reviewers to determine the degree of overlap between your doctoral research experiences and proposed research.

8. Reference Letters: References may, but are not required to, include your doctoral advisor. Do not use your sponsoring scientist as a reference unless they also served as your doctoral advisor (please consult with a cognizant Program Officer if you are proposing to conduct the postdoctoral fellowship with your thesis advisor). The proposer will add each nominated reference letter author in the section labeled "Reference Letter Request(s)" in Research.gov. Both nominated reference letter authors will receive a system-generated email with an Invitation Code to access the Reference Letter Submission module in Research.gov. Reference letters are submitted directly in the Reference Letter Submission module by the authors. Reference letters must not exceed three pages. See the PRFB Reference Letter Author Submission Guide for instructions on the PRFB Program Page. Do not submit more than two letters of reference.

9. Sponsoring Scientist(s) Statement (3-page maximum): The sponsoring scientist(s) statement is meant to show how the proposed host(s) and host institution(s) provide a strong environment for the Fellow's proposed research and training plan and form the basis for a future independent high-level career. It should include a specific mentorship plan and a description of how the Fellow's independence will be nurtured, including, as appropriate to the career goals, how the project could continue as an independent research focus for the Fellow in a next position. Regardless of the number of sponsors, one integrated statement must be developed and submitted. If the Fellow plans to teach as part of career development activities, the Fellow is not allowed to be the instructor of record for an entire course unless other mechanisms of support are provided, and prior NSF approval is obtained. The sponsoring scientist(s) statement must detail the mentoring on teaching that the Fellow will receive, if applicable. Sponsors are not expected to provide all the mentoring themselves and may call on all resources available on campus or through other organizations, e.g., professional societies, postdoctoral offices, etc. See the Sponsoring Scientist Statement Instructions n on the PRFB Program Page.

10. Additional Documents

• Personnel Documents: The postdoctoral Fellow is automatically designated as the PI in Research.gov and thus must submit all required Personnel Documents.
  • For Current and Pending (Other) Support, include the active PRFB submission and any current or planned applications/proposals to other fellowship programs.
  • All Sponsoring Scientists must be identified in the proposal. This is done by going to the Personnel Documents section, clicking on the "Add Sponsoring Scientist" tab, and entering the Sponsors' NSF ID, Email, or Personnel name and Organization.
  • The Sponsors' Biographical Sketch, Current & Pending (Other) Support, Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) Information, and Synergistic Activities are required and must be submitted by the proposer. Upload the COA document in "Additional Single Copy Documents". Your sponsor(s) should NOT include the PRFB proposal in their Current & Pending (Other) Support document.
• You must include References Cited and Data Management and Sharing Plan documents as required by the PAPPG.
• The Budget Justification, and Facilities, Equipment, and other Resources documents are not required; when requested in Research.gov, please upload a single sheet for each stating: "Not required for PRFB proposals". Also see the "How to Apply" document found on the PRFB Program page for more detailed instructions on these additional documents.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

The award amount is set for postdoctoral fellowships at $220,000 for 24 months. Research.gov generates the budget; proposers do not need to enter any budget information.

A budget justification is not required. Because the budget justification is a required section in an NSF proposal, please upload a document that states "Not required for PRFB proposals." in the Budget Justification in Research.gov.

C. Research.gov Requirements

You must submit proposals in response to this solicitation through Research.gov.

Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on NSF.gov.

Before starting proposal preparation, the proposer must be registered as an individual. To register as a new individual in Research.gov, access Postdoctoral Fellowships on Research.gov. To prepare and submit a proposal via Research.gov, see detailed technical instructions available about Proposal Preparation and Submission. For Research.gov user support, call the Research.gov Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail rgov@nsf.gov. The Research.gov Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the Research.gov system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the PRFB program email: bio-dbi-prfb@nsf.gov.

Submitting the Proposal: Fellowship proposals must be submitted by the Fellowship candidate, not by the Fellowship candidate's current or proposed organizational Sponsored Projects Office (SPO). The Fellowship candidate serves as his/her own SPO/Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for the purposes of any research administration functions in Research.gov. As such, the Fellowship candidate, serving as the SPO/AOR must electronically sign and submit the proposal using the Sign and Submit button in Research.gov. The Fellowship candidate is signing on his/her own behalf. NSF is in no way inferring that the proposer has assumed organizational status by signing the proposal. Further instructions regarding this process are available at Research.gov.

VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures

Information on NSF's proposal processing and review procedures is available on the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page on NSF.gov.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board-approved merit review criteria:

• Intellectual Merit, which encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
• Broader Impacts, which encompass the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes. Information on NSF's merit review principles and process can be found on the How We Make Funding Decisions page on NSF.gov.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

Proposers are evaluated on their ability and accomplishments as evidenced by the submitted Biographical Sketch. The research plan is evaluated on scientific merit, feasibility, potential to generate new biological knowledge, and for evidence of the proposer's strong independent scientific thinking and initiative. The training plan is evaluated for how distinct the proposed research is from the doctoral research, the impact on the career development of the proposer, and the sponsor's expertise related to the proposed research and in mentoring trainees. Reviewers will also evaluate the quality of the sponsoring scientist statement for the research, professional development, and career goals of proposer. Other important evaluative factors are the suitability of the host institution(s), including colleagues and facilities.

To assess alignment to the focus on the intersection of AI and biological science, reviewers will assess how the proposed work: 1) Uses AI to analyze biological systems. 2) Yields insights into biological processes and phenomena that have potential technological applications. 3) Promotes the development of AI literate biological scientists.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review, or Internal NSF Review.

After a proposal passes an initial compliance check, it will be reviewed by an NSF Program Officer. In most cases, three or more external experts will also review it (either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists or both).

Visit the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page for more information on the proposal review and selection process.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of an award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer.

B. Award Conditions

Information on NSF award conditions can be found on the Award Terms and Conditions page on NSF.gov and Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
Information on administrative and national policy requirements can be found on the National Policy Requirements for Recipients of NSF Awards page on NSF.gov.

Special Award Conditions:

The fellowship award is made to the individual, not the institution, and payments are made directly to the Fellow. Awards cannot be extended without prior NSF approval. Federal supplements to this award are not permitted.

By accepting a fellowship award made pursuant to this solicitation, the Fellow agrees to abide by the affiliated institution's policies or codes of conduct.

In addition to the NSF Award Terms and Conditions, there is a Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) Administrative Guide that outlines the administrative policies and procedures for Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB) Fellows and Host Institutions. The Administrative Guide, in conjunction with the award letter, comprises the award terms and conditions for a PRFB Fellowship award. This Administrative Guide is regularly updated, and the newest version supersedes any previous version. The most recent version of the Administrative Guide will be available on the Program Page associated with this solicitation.

C. Reporting Requirements

Unless your award notice says otherwise, NSF requires the principal investigator of every grant to submit annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the general public. For complete reporting requirements, see Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

Fellows must file starting certificates in addition to annual and final technical reports.

VIII. Agency Contacts

For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:

• Research.gov: NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532. The Service Desk is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays).

IX. Other Information

For information on NSF directorates, programs and funding opportunities, go to NSF.gov.

About The National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950." More information about NSF can be found on NSF.gov.

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