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Ideas Lab: Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design

ID: 24-550 • Type: Posted

Description

The U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) is charged with accelerating use-inspiredand translationalresearch and development (R&D) to advance U.S. competitiveness in key technology focus areas. The Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design (USPRD) initiative will accelerate the translation of novel approaches to protein design and enable new applications of importance to the U.S. bioeconomy. Significant advances have been made in the ability of researchers to predict the three-dimensional (3D) structure of proteins from primary sequence, and to use that information to design proteins with desired characteristics. These advances have been enabled by: macromolecular modeling; training data available in repositories such as the Protein Data Bank (PDB); the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning; and high-throughput protein characterization. The improved accuracy of in-silico design has reduced the number of constructs that need to be validated in costly and time-consuming wet lab experiments. USPRD aims to advance protein design and its applications to the next level by:

A. Accelerating the use of protein design technologies to enable applications beyond human therapeutics, e.g., applications to advanced materials, biomanufacturing, agriculture and food security, environmental remediation, sustainability, and climate-related challenges.

B. Extending the range of accurate prediction models to enable the design of enzymes and families of enzymes. This will require models and tools that account for the dynamic nature of protein structures. USPRD seeks significant breakthroughs in the application of protein design through:

a) Use-driven activities that design novel proteins with specific characteristics and demonstrate their application, e.g., the design and characterization of specific enzymes or enzyme families that promote sustainability by degrading specific bio-contaminants.

b) Infrastructure components, such as software tools, datasets, and characterization services that can readily be accessed by protein designers.

c) Designer-facing components that will ensure the accessibility of the infrastructure components and collaboration with protein designers engaged in the third-party use-driven activities.

d) Ecosystem components, such as standards and roadmaps, that help coordinate the actions of multiple parties within the emerging ecosystem. This may also include open-source software and/or data repositories.

e) Workforce components focused on the training of translational talent with the skills and passion to engage in use-driven protein design activities. USPRD will use the Ideas Lab process (see PAPPG Chapter II.F.6),starting with an intensive meeting that brings together multiple diverse perspectives. A key aim of this Ideas Lab workshop will be to identify an aggressive (but attainable) set of use-driven activities together with the infrastructure component breakthroughs, designer-facing components, and ecosystem components required to realize them. USPRD includes two tracks:

Track I. Use-driven application for small binders.

Track II. The design and use of enzymes and families of enzymes.

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Overview

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Category of Funding
Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Instruments
Grant
Grant Program (CFDA)
47.084 - NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships
Grant Category
Discretionary
Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement
False
Source
Grants.gov
On 2/22/24 National Science Foundation posted grant opportunity 24-550 for Ideas Lab: Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design with funding of $40.0 million. The grant will be issued under grant program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships. It is expected that 8 total grants will be made.

Timing

Posted Date
Feb. 22, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EST
Closing Date
Aug. 30, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EDT Past Due
Last Updated
March 5, 2024, 1:00 a.m. EST
Version
3
Archive Date
Sept. 29, 2024

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Additional Info
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Foreign organizations: For cooperative projects involving U.S. and foreign organizations, support will only be provided for the U.S. portion. -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. -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. -Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): Contact the appropriate program before preparing a proposal for submission. -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. -Tribal Nations: 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. *Who May Serve as PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

Award Sizing

Ceiling
$3,750,000
Floor
Not Listed
Estimated Program Funding
$40,000,000
Estimated Number of Grants
8

Contacts

Contact
National Science Foundation
Contact Email
grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
Email Description
If you have any problems linking to this funding announcement, please contact the email address above.
Contact Phone
(703) 292-4261
Additional Information
NSF Publication 24-550
Additional Information Site
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf24550

Documents

Posted documents for 24-550

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