EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (EFRI): Biocomputing through EnGINeering Organoid Intelligence (BEGIN OI) | 24 508

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF EFRI BEGIN OI (Biocomputing through EnGINeering Organoid Intelligence)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program within the Directorate for Engineering (ENG). The specific topic is EFRI: Biocomputing through EnGINeering Organoid Intelligence (BEGIN OI). It supports early-stage, high-risk engineering research intended to open new frontiers and reshape what is possible over the long term.

2) What is the main goal of EFRI BEGIN OI?

The main goal is foundational and potentially transformative research to create engineered organoid systems that can process information dynamically and connect with non-living (synthetic or electronic) systems. The emphasis is on moving organoids beyond being biological models and toward engineered, functional biocomputing platforms.

3) What does NSF mean by “organoid intelligence” in this solicitation?

Based on the provided description, “organoid intelligence” refers to organoid-based systems whose internal biological dynamics can represent and transform information and produce decision-like behaviors, especially when paired with interfaces that allow the organoid to exchange signals with external devices or materials.

4) What kinds of research activities does BEGIN OI emphasize?

BEGIN OI emphasizes the design, engineering, and fabrication of organoid systems. This signals interest in an end-to-end pipeline from concept through buildable engineered systems, rather than organoids used only as passive models.

5) Is this opportunity focused on incremental improvements or big shifts?

EFRI is framed around transformation rather than incremental progress. Proposals are expected to present bold ideas with the potential to cause a significant shift in fundamental engineering knowledge and to show a clear path toward long-term impact on national needs or grand challenges.

6) What technical challenges are implied by the scope of the solicitation?

The scope suggests competitive proposals may address challenges such as:

• Reliably constructing organoids with controllable architectures and reproducible function
• Creating high-fidelity stimulation and readout methods (electrical, optical, chemical, mechanical)
• Defining, characterizing, and validating “information processing” in a living system
• Building stable and scalable interfaces between wet biological systems and dry electronics or synthetic materials
• Developing models, metrics, and design methods that reduce trial-and-error and quantify complex dynamics

7) What disciplines are expected to be involved?

The solicitation implies multidisciplinary work spanning bioengineering and tissue engineering, materials and device engineering, computing and information science, and potentially mathematics and physics for modeling and quantification of complex system dynamics.

8) Which NSF directorates are explicitly coordinated for this topic?

The topic explicitly notes coordination across multiple NSF directorates: Biological Sciences (BIO), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), in addition to being housed within Engineering (ENG) through EFRI.

9) Does the solicitation require an engineering lead?

Yes. Each proposal must include at least one PI and at least two co-PIs, and either the PI or one of the co-PIs must hold a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty appointment within a College or Department of Engineering. This reinforces that the effort is engineering-led even when the work is deeply multidisciplinary.

10) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to two main applicant categories:

• U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations directly associated with education or research activities (examples provided include independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies).
• Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), including accredited two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) with a campus located in the United States, submitting proposals on behalf of their faculty.

11) What are the PI eligibility rules for proposals submitted by an IHE?

For proposals submitted by Institutions of Higher Education, the lead Principal Investigator must be full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty.

12) What are the PI eligibility rules for proposals submitted by a non-profit, non-academic organization?

For proposals submitted by a U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organization, the lead PI must have a continuing appointment expected to last the full four-year grant period, must hold substantial research responsibilities, and the project must align with both the PI’s job responsibilities and the mission of the organization or department.

13) Is a minimum team size required?

Yes. Team composition is mandatory: each proposal must include at least one PI and at least two co-PIs.

14) Are international branch campuses allowed to participate?

Funds can be routed to an international branch campus of a U.S. IHE, but NSF requires a specific justification. The proposal must explain the benefits of performing project work at the international branch and why the work cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.

15) Does the international branch campus justification requirement apply only to direct work, or also to subawards and consultants?

The condition applies even if the international involvement is structured through subawards or consultants. In other words, the proposal needs to justify the international branch campus involvement regardless of how it is arranged.

16) Is there an informational webinar associated with this solicitation?

Yes. An informational webinar was planned for November 2023 by NSF’s Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities (EFMA) Office to walk through the FY 2024/25 EFRI solicitation and answer questions, with access details posted on the EFRI and solicitation websites.

17) What is the purpose of the NSF informational webinar for EFRI topics?

Based on the description provided, the webinar is typically intended to clarify topic fit, team structure expectations, and compliance details. This can be particularly useful for EFRI calls because they may include specific requirements related to project setup, partnerships, and responsiveness to the topic.

18) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this listing?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 24-508.

19) What type of grant is this?

The listing describes it as a discretionary NSF grant in the science and technology research and development category.

20) Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.074, and 47.075.

21) What is the closing date shown in the opportunity record?

The opportunity record shows an original closing date of 2024-12-12.

22) What is the award ceiling and how many awards will be made?

The award ceiling and the expected number of awards are not specified in the provided excerpt. Applicants would need to consult the full solicitation for budget limits, expected award counts, and any other detailed constraints.

23) How long is the project period?

The excerpt implies a four-year expectation (through the PI appointment requirement for non-profit, non-academic organizations and the four-year grant period reference), but it does not provide full project duration rules. Applicants should consult the full solicitation for definitive project duration details.

24) What does “responsiveness to the topic” likely mean for BEGIN OI?

Based on the scope described, responsiveness likely means proposing engineering research that treats organoids as an emerging computing substrate and advances measurable, controllable, interfaceable organoid-based information processing, rather than using organoids only as biological models without an engineered biocomputing objective.

25) What is the overall theme NSF is trying to advance through BEGIN OI?

The theme is to establish engineering foundations for organoid intelligence: new principles, methods, and platforms to build organoids that can be measured, controlled, and interfaced with non-living systems, enabling new kinds of biocomputing systems with transformative long-term potential.