The slides are available HERE 

The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) held a Virtual Office Hour (VOH) on October 16^th, 2023, providing information on current solicitations and Dear Colleague Letters.  

October’s Virtual Office Hour focused on highlighting four of our many funding opportunities relevant to investigators at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs). Please note that information on eligibility for each opportunity is different and described in detail in each of the solicitations. 

1. The Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) solicitation (NSF 14-579). This opportunity is for any investigator at an eligible PUI and proposals must include a certificate of eligibility completed by a representative of the submitting institution. 
2. The Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO) solicitation (NSF 22-500) is for assistant professors within the first 3 years of their appointment and is focused on helping investigators get research started in their labs. Email BRC-BIO@nsf.gov for more information. 
3. The Faculty Early-Career Development (CAREER) solicitation (NSF 22-586) is for early career investigators who are pre-tenure assistant professors. Contact Joanna Shisler (jshisler@nsf.gov) for more information.  
4. The Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) solicitation (NSF 22-603) is for investigators who either (a) have been at the Associate Professor level for 3 or more years by the submission date, at any eligible institution, or (b) are Full Professors at PUIs applying to participating programs in NSF’s BIO and GEO Directorates. Email MCA.info@nsf.gov for more information. 

There were multiple questions about the MCA, answers are summarized below and in the MCA FAQs: 

• The submission window is February 1 to March 1, which means that proposals are to be submitted during that timeframe. 
• The funding opportunity requires that you work with a collaborative partner of your choosing to help expand and enhance your research and career trajectory. Partner(s) may be at any rank and any type of institution, including international institutions. The partnership should be mutually beneficial and, if appropriate, more than one partner may be included. Partner(s) will need to provide a letter of support.  
• Awarded projects are for a maximum duration of three (3) years.  
• Up to a total of 6.5 months of salary support can be requested for the MCA recipient over the duration of the award.  
• MCA proposals may request one month of summer support for each U.S. collaborative partner. In lieu of summer support for the partner(s), other reasonable collaborative costs may be considered for either U.S. or international partners. 
• You may also request up to $100,000 for other direct costs in support of the research advancement and training plan.  
• Indirect costs are also added to the total expenses. 
• Please be sure to read the MCA solicitation carefully because the requirements differ from a core research proposal. For example, the Project Description is limited to 12 pages and you will have to clearly communicate how this project will substantively enhance and advance your research program through synergistic partnerships.  

Please join us on November 16^th, 2023, for our next IOS Virtual Office Hour where we will discuss the IOS Synthesis Center for Understanding Organismal Resilience (NSF 23-564).