Designing Synthetic Cells Beyond the Bounds of Evolution

The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, supports research and education across all fields of science and engineering. With a mandate to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare, NSF funds over 11,000 proposals annually, focusing on transformative research and education. The “Designing Synthetic Cells Beyond the Bounds of Evolution (Designer Cells)” funding opportunity, managed by NSF’s Directorates for Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, exemplifies this mission. The Designer Cells program aims to fund innovative research in synthetic biology and cellular engineering to construct synthetic cells or cell-like systems. These projects must fall into one of three categories: identifying minimal cellular functional units, exploring evolutionary questions or biological diversity beyond current natural systems, or engineering novel biotechnology applications. The program also mandates integrating ethical, social, and biosafety considerations into all proposed research, encouraging inclusion of social scientists as collaborators to assess societal impacts and potential misuse of technologies. Applications must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov by February 1, 2024, and then every other year thereafter. The solicitation supports standard or continuing grants with an estimated total funding of $6,000,000 annually, subject to availability. The typical number of awards ranges from five to seven, with award size and duration proportional to project scope. Proposals are evaluated using NSF’s standard merit review criteria—intellectual merit and broader impacts—alongside specific criteria such as the project's use of synthetic biology tools, and its handling of ethical and biosafety dimensions. Eligible applicants include accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, certain non-profit, non-academic organizations, and federally recognized tribal governments. There are no restrictions on the number of proposals per organization or individual applicants. The proposal preparation process adheres to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and includes no requirements for letters of intent or preliminary proposals. Proposals must address all review criteria comprehensively. NSF encourages the inclusion of assessment mechanisms for broader impacts and supports projects that help broaden participation in STEM. In addition to annual project reports, principal investigators must submit final and outcomes reports via Research.gov. NSF underscores the importance of compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act, requiring U.S.-produced materials for funded projects. Specific program contacts are Anthony G. Garza (aggarza@nsf.gov), Steven W. Peretti (speretti@nsf.gov), and Lee D. Walker (lwalker@nsf.gov), who can provide further guidance. Additional support is available through NSF’s Help Desk and Grants.gov Contact Center. Applicants are urged to submit early to avoid technical issues and ensure compliance with submission requirements.