Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research at the Interface of the Biological and Mathematical Sciences

The Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research at the Interface of the Biological and Mathematical Sciences is a collaborative funding program between the National Science Foundation’s Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Both agencies recognize the increasing importance of quantitative approaches to address challenges in biological and biomedical research, particularly as the availability of complex data continues to grow. This program aims to foster interdisciplinary collaborations that bring together expertise in mathematics, statistics, and computational science with life sciences in order to accelerate discovery and innovation. It emphasizes projects that not only address biological or biomedical questions but also advance fundamental methodologies in mathematical sciences. The program provides support through two tracks. Track 1 is intended for high-risk, high-reward exploratory projects or those from new teams of collaborators and offers awards of up to $600,000 over a three-year duration. Track 2 is designed for projects of larger scale or from established teams, providing up to $1,200,000 for a three- to four-year period. Awards may be made by either NSF or NIGMS, at the discretion of the agencies, with up to $5,000,000 available annually. Approximately 15 to 25 new awards are anticipated each year. Funding will support research activities such as novel statistical or computational approaches, mechanistic modeling, predictive modeling from high-dimensional data, uncertainty quantification, and integrated multiscale biological modeling. Eligibility for this initiative is broad and includes academic institutions of higher education, nonprofits, tribal organizations, small businesses, and state and local governments as allowed under the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide. Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible. Collaborations between life scientists and mathematical scientists are strongly encouraged, and proposals from single investigators must show convincing expertise across both domains. International collaborators may participate but must secure their own funding, though certain U.S. host expenses for short-term visits may be allowable. Proposals must be prepared and submitted through either Research.gov or Grants.gov, and must follow specific solicitation instructions. Track 1 proposals should begin with “DMS/NIGMS 1:” in the title, while Track 2 should begin with “DMS/NIGMS 2:”. Required proposal elements include a 15-page project description, divided between intellectual merit and broader impacts, as well as a project management plan and documentation for human subjects or animal use if applicable. Letters of intent are not required, and cost sharing is prohibited. Applicants are encouraged to discuss proposal relevance with program directors before submission. Applications undergo rigorous peer review using NSF’s intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria, alongside NIH’s five core review criteria: significance, investigators, innovation, approach, and environment. Proposals are jointly reviewed by NSF and NIH, and meritorious projects are selected for funding based on program priorities and available funds. For NIH-funded awards, applicants must also submit an R01 application for additional review by the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council. The annual submission window runs from September 1 through September 18. Applications submitted after this date are not accepted, but the opportunity recurs annually. Award notifications typically occur within six months of submission. Principal investigators must submit annual progress reports and a final report through Research.gov. Contacts for inquiries include program directors at NSF and NIGMS, such as Zhilan Feng and Peggy Wang, with a central program email at dms-nigms@nsf.gov. This initiative represents a significant opportunity to bridge mathematical sciences with biological research and to advance both domains through interdisciplinary collaboration.