The Divisions of Chemical, Bioengineering and Environmental Transport (CBET) and Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Infrastructure (CMMI) in the Engineering Directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) are partnering with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) to solicit research projects in the fields of tissue engineering and mechanobiology that can utilize the International Space Station (ISS) National Lab to conduct research that will benefit life on Earth. Topics must fit the scope of either the Biomechanics and Mechanobiology Program or the Engineering of Biomedical Systems Program and must address fundamental engineering gaps. For utilization of the ISS National Lab through this solicitation, individuals and entities must qualify as a United States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence in the United States, or as a corporation, partnership, or other organization organized under the laws of the United States, respectively.
Full Proposal Deadline Date: March 18, 2025
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (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 performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
- For-profit organizations: U.S. commercial organizations, especially small businesses with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education.
Who May Serve as PI:
The PI and any co-PIs must qualify as a United States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence in the United States, and any corporation, partnership, or other organization organized under the laws of the United States.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: 1
An investigator may only be a PI, co-PI, or other Senior/Key Personnel on one proposal submitted under this solicitation in a given fiscal year. The submitting organization is responsible for ensuring that the PI and all co-PI(s) and other Senior/Key Personnel are participating in only one proposal. If an individual exceeds this limit, the first proposal submitted to include this individual will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review. No exceptions will be made.
Recipients on active NSF-CASIS Tissue Engineering/Mechanobiology grants may not serve as a PI, co-PI, or other Senior/Key Personnel on a subsequent NSF-CASIS Tissue Engineering/Mechanobiology proposal until the active award is closed.
Implementation Partners - commercial companies that work with the ISS National Lab to provide services related to payload development, including the translation of ground-based science to a space-based platform - are exempt from the above limits on the number of proposals per PI or co-PI. Implementation partners may not act as the lead organizations on NSF/CASIS proposals.
NSF Funding (total) available under this solicitation is up to $1.6 million to be distributed in FY 2025. Budget requests may be for up to $400,000 total, direct and indirect costs, and up to three years in duration. The award size and duration should be consistent with the project scope. Collaborative projects from multiple organizations are accepted, according to standard NSF procedures. The total budget for a collaborative project from multiple organizations must not exceed $400,000.
Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.