Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research at the Interface of the Biological and Mathematical Sciences
This funding opportunity supports innovative research collaborations between mathematicians, statisticians, and biomedical scientists to address important biological and biomedical questions.
The Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research at the Interface of the Biological and Mathematical Sciences is a funding opportunity jointly administered by the Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This program supports innovative research at the intersection of mathematics and life sciences, promoting collaborations between mathematicians, statisticians, and biomedical scientists. The initiative offers two tracks for project funding. Track 1 is designed for exploratory projects or those from new teams of collaborators, with a total budget of up to $600,000 for a three-year duration. Track 2 supports projects from well-established teams, with a budget of up to $1,200,000 for a three- to four-year duration. The program aims to advance mathematical and statistical methods applied to biological and biomedical research, with proposals expected to address significant biological or biomedical questions. The program has an anticipated total funding of up to $5 million annually, with approximately 15 to 25 awards. The funding is split between NSF and NIH, depending on the agency's budget availability and the merit of the proposals. Eligible applicants include researchers from institutions that are eligible under NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). There are no restrictions on who may serve as Principal Investigator (PI) or the number of proposals submitted per organization or individual. However, proposals must align with the mission of NIGMS, which focuses on fundamental biological processes rather than specific diseases or conditions. Applications must be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov, following the guidelines provided in the NSF PAPPG. The proposal preparation process includes submission of a project narrative, a management plan, and results from prior NSF or NIH support if applicable. Proposals will be evaluated based on NSF's merit review criteria, including intellectual merit and broader impacts, as well as NIH’s specific review criteria, such as significance, investigators, innovation, approach, and environment. The submission window is from September 1 to September 18 annually.
Award Range
Not specified - $1,200,000
Total Program Funding
$5,000,000
Number of Awards
25
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
1. The following organizations are eligible to submit proposals to NSF: (a) Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members. IHEs located outside the U.S. fall under paragraph 2(c) below. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of U.S. IHEs If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a U.S. IHE (including through use of subawards 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 Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide I-6 NSF 24-1 performed at the U.S. campus. Such information must be included in the project description. The box for “Funding of an International Branch Campus of a U.S. IHE” must be checked on the Cover Sheet if the proposal includes funding for an international branch campus of a U.S. IHE. (b) 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. (c) Tribal Nations The term “Tribal nation” means an American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130- 5131. 2. The following organizations may be eligible to submit proposals to NSF: (a) For-profit Organizations U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation. An unsolicited proposal from a for-profit organization may be funded when the project is of special concern from a national point of view, special resources are available for the work, or the proposed project is especially meritorious. NSF is interested in supporting projects that couple industrial use-inspired challenges and research resources with those of IHEs; therefore, the Foundation especially welcomes proposals for cooperative projects involving both IHEs and industry. Specific NSF funding opportunities also may make for-profit organizations eligible for submission of proposals to the Foundation. US-based affiliates or subsidiaries of foreign organizations must contact the cognizant NSF program officer prior to preparing and submitting a proposal to NSF. (b) State and Local Governments As programmatically necessary and as provided for in a solicitation, State and local governments may be eligible to submit proposals. (c) Foreign Organizations — NSF rarely provides direct funding support to foreign organizations. NSF will consider proposals for cooperative projects involving U.S. and foreign organizations, provided support is requested only for the U.S. portion of the collaborative effort.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
September 1, 2025
Application Closes
September 18, 2025
Grantor
National Science Foundation (NSF)
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