COVID-19

MCB ANNOUNCES THE SECOND VERSION OF SENTINELS: DREAM SENTINELS

MCB has replaced the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), Sentinel Cells for the Surveillance and Response to Emergent Infectious Diseases (NSF 20-105) with a new DCL:  

Sentinel Systems that Detect, Recognize, Actuate, and Mitigate Emergent Biological Threats (DREAM Sentinels).

In this new Sentinels DCL, MCB again partners with the Directorate for Engineering’s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems to call for proposals to be submitted to core programs that address novel synthetic biology approaches to quickly sense and respond to the next emergent biological threat prior to its evolution in its host or transmission to human populations.

All proposals submitted in response to this DCL should include biosensing and bioactuation elements that address a biological threat. The biosensing element should leverage the power of modern biotechnology and deliver robust and specific recognition of the biological threat. The results of bioactuation should alert the user, destroy the threat, protect the host, or initiate an immune response or other strategies that would mitigate the threat. Other possible areas of interest are included in the DCL.

Proposals submitted in response to this DCL should have a title prefaced with “DREAM Sentinels:”. Proposals should be submitted to the Systems and Synthetic Biology cluster where proposals are accepted without deadline and are reviewed as they are received.

Investigators interested in submitting a proposal are strongly encouraged to contact Anthony Garza, aggarza@nsf.gov. More information on the DCL can be found here.

It is anticipated that up to $3,000,000 will be allocated annually for DREAM Sentinels awards, subject to the availability of funds.

NSF Issues New Challenge to Identify Systemic Strategies to Address Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 on DEI in STEM

NSF has announced the “Taking Action: COVID-19 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Challenge,” an ideas challenge for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). The challenge is designed to highlight the need for institutional solutions to mitigate the long-term, negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) of undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Because the issues impacting STEM undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty vary, the challenge is divided into four categories:

A banner noting the title of the challenge and sponsoring NSF programs. The banner includes a simulation-derived image of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen.
  1. STEM undergraduates at community and technical colleges;
  2. STEM undergraduates at four-year institutions;
  3. STEM graduate students and postdoctoral researchers; and
  4. STEM faculty.

Each category will have first-, second-, and third-place cash winners and may include up to 10 honorable mention designees.

The NSF programs sponsoring the challenge include: Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), ADVANCE, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES), Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (HSI), Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP), and Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP). 

Eligibility

All eligible IHEs are encouraged and invited to submit descriptions of institutional actions that have been implemented, or will be implemented, such as new and revised policies, procedures, and practices to ensure continued progress toward more diverse, equitable, and inclusive STEM higher education programs and institutions. Submissions from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and community and technical colleges are particularly encouraged in all challenge categories for which they are eligible. IHEs do not need to have a grant from NSF to submit to this challenge. 

More information

You can find more information and apply for this challenge on Challenge.gov.

BIO and COVID-19 Recovery Efforts

Updated 5 Mar 2021: A recording of the session is now available (Access Passcode: ++6ZM*=i).

From BioBuzz, the blog of the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO): “Throughout the past year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported the research community by providing guidance, funding flexibilities, and deadline extensions. This support will remain a top priority for NSF as we seek to recover from the pandemic. Up-to-date information on these offerings continues to be added to the agency’s Coronavirus Information page.”

A BIO-wide virtual office hour event covering how BIO is supporting those impacted will be held Tuesday, Mar. 2, 11 am – 12 pm EST. For more information on these efforts and to register for the office hour, read the full post, linked here.

#NSFSTORIES: GREGORY BOWMAN’S INITIATIVE TO UNDERSTAND COVID-19

One outcome of a CAREER award and supplement made to Dr. Gregory Bowman by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences was an enhanced computing infrastructure developed to better understand protein dynamics. The increased capabilities provided the technology needed to direct Bowman’s attention to COVID-19-related research questions. Bowman is addressing these questions via the Folding@home initiative, which has garnered the support of over 4.5 million citizen scientists. Read more about Bowman’s story on NSF’s beta website here.

Summary of MCB RAPID Awards

This post was updated on Monday, June 22, 2020.

The Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences funded 23 proposals (as of June 22) submitted in response to the Dear Colleague Letter on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (NSF 20-052) released March 4, 2020 (and now archived). The awards, made through the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism, support research focused on the characterization and modeling of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Read more about the RAPID funding mechanism in Chapter II.E.1 (Rapid Response Research) of the Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

The proposed research projects will contribute to viral tracking and prevention efforts, provide information on viral transmission and biology of infection, and aid drug development for infection treatment and prevention. Links to these RAPID awards can be found in the table below. More information on funding made by the National Science Foundation to support research on the coronavirus may be found here.

Proposal IDProposal TitlePI Name
2027070RAPID: Revealing the intermolecular interactions between the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 fusion peptide and the host cell membrane that underlie its flexibility in host tropismDaniel, Susan
2027096RAPID: Biophysical characterization of the native SARS-CoV-2 virion by atomistic simulationsPerilla, Juan
2027169RAPID: Development of Rapid Point of Care SARS-CoV-2 Detection SystemEllington, Andrew D.
2027291RAPID:  Multiscale Modeling Of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Intracellular and Intercellular DynamicsSrivastava, Ranjan
2027611RAPID: Factors Contributing To Sequence Conservation in the SARS-CoV-2 GenomeGrigoriev, Andrey
2028443RAPID: Computational studies of the structural dynamics, function and inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike proteinAndricioaei, Ioan
2028651RAPID: Point-of-Need Detection of COVID-19 using CRISPR-Enabled Cell-Free Synthetic BiologyLucks, Julius
2028935RAPID: Impact of inhibitors on SARS-CoV-2 polymerase and fidelity control of RNA synthesisYu, Jin
2029105RAPID: A multiscale approach to dissect SARS-CoV-2 attachment to host cells and detect viruses on surfacesVahey, Michael D.
2029281RAPID: Ecological Dynamics of Human CoronavirusYin, John
2030080RAPID: Exosomal tRNA fragments may constitute an innate viral defense against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory RNA viruses.Borchert, Glen M.
2030473RAPID: Structure of Membrane-Bound Fusion Peptide of SARS-CoV-2 Required for InfectionVan Doren, Steven R.
2031068RAPID: Determination of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein Palmitoylation and its Contribution to Virus-Cell Fusion and Surface Protein-Protein InteractionsDevaraj, Neal
2031094RAPID: Host-pathogen interactions during genome replication of SARS-CoV2Ha, Taekjip
2031762Collaborative Research: RAPID: Molecular underpinnings that define volatile compound signature of the lungBushan, Abhinav
2032054RAPID: Understanding the Effects of Glycosylation on Spike Vulnerabilities and the Host Range of SARS-CoV-2Amaro, Rommie E.
2032310RAPID: Biomimicry of SARS-CoV-2 and its consequences for infectivity and inflammationWong, Gerard
2032518RAPID: Membrane remodeling dynamics by SARS-CoV-2Serra-Moreno, Ruth
2032861RAPID: What is the role of extracellular vimentin in SARS2 host cell entry?Patteson, Alison
2033354RAPID: Impact of SARS-CoV2 on function of the cellular tRNA methyltransferase 1 and redox homeostasisFu, Dragony
2033695RAPID: Building a visual consensus model of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycleIwasa, Janet
2033939RAPID: Molecular Insights into the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Activation via a Novel Interaction with a Human Cell Surface Target ProteinIzard, Tina
2035558RAPID: Mechanisms of Polymerization Catalyzed by the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA PolymeraseLucius, Aaron

MCB anticipates several more RAPID awards this fiscal year.

DONATING YOUR UNUSED SUPPLIES TO COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Image credit: Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM

Under select circumstances, NSF awardees may donate specific equipment, supplies, and services to entities serving the public in response to COVID-19 as authorized by Memorandum M-20-20, released by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Refer to guidance on NSF’s implementation of M-20-20 to address questions on what items and resources may be donated and for the process on submitting a request to donate.

For more information and FAQs, visit nsf.gov/coronavirus. Address further questions via email to policy@nsf.gov. 

BIO-wide virtual office hours recap

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Directorate of Biological Sciences (BIO) recently held virtual office hours addressing the impact of the pandemic on solicitations and awards. Representatives from all four BIO divisions attended the event, which included information on NSF’s latest community guidance. Access the presentation slides and get further details by visiting the BIO Buzz Blog.

MCB: Still Open for Business

The Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) would like to assure the scientific community that the Division is still fully operational. MCB is committed to supporting the community and accomplishing the mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF). While Program directors and staff are working virtually during this time, MCB continues to welcome your proposal submissions, participation in MCB’s virtual Office Hours, virtual panel service, and general communications.

The Division understands the immense impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research, institutional closures, and personal life. If you find yourself struggling to meet a deadline for proposal or award report submissions, please contact your MCB program director. In accordance with NSF Implementation of OMB Memorandum M-20-17, MCB is flexible in considering extensions.

Stay in the loop by regularly checking the NSF coronavirus information page, NSF Twitter page, the BIO Buzz blog for the Directorate for Biological Sciences, and of course subscribe to the MCB Blog.

Please review the Dear Colleague Letter on COVID-19 inviting submissions of Rapid Response Research (RAPID) awards related to the virus. For specific questions or comments, please reach out to an MCB program director.

BIO-wide Virtual Office Hours

As you may have seen, Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Assistant Director Joanne Tornow, PhD, wrote to the biological sciences community to share information about NSF’s current operations in light of COVID-19 and provide guidance to current awardees.

In that letter, Dr. Tornow noted that BIO staff are interested in hearing how BIO and NSF can mitigate the longer-term harm of COVID-19 on U.S. research and training. We will be holding a series of four BIO-wide virtual office hours next week during which the biological science community can share concerns, ask questions, or offer suggestions on how we can do more to address this national emergency.

Sessions dates and times are as follows and registration and log-in information will be available here shortly. Please feel free to attend the session that best fits your schedule; representatives from across BIO will be in attendance during each session.

  • Monday, March 30, 4-5 pm EDT 
  • Tuesday, March 31, 3-4 pm EDT
  • Wednesday, April 1, 2-3 pm EDT
  • Thursday, April 2, 1-2 pm EDT

For more information on NSF’s activities and response to COVID-19, please visit our coronavirus information page; this site is updated regularly.

Dear Colleague Letter on COVID-19

A new Dear Colleague Letter on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (NSF 20-052) invites non-medical, non-clinical-care research proposals that seek to explore how to model and understand the spread of COVID-19; to inform and educate about the science of virus transmission and prevention; and to encourage the development of processes and actions to address this global challenge.

Proposals may be submitted through the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism as well as through existing funding opportunities.

For more information, please read the full Dear Colleague Letter and reference the FAQs. All questions about this DCL should be directed either to a program officer managing an NSF program with which the research would be aligned or to rapid-covid19@nsf.gov.