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

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The National Science Foundation (NSF) Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program, housed in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), is designed to push engineering research into fast-developing areas where early, high-risk work could reshape what is possible over the long term. This particular opportunity, EFRI: Biocomputing through EnGINeering Organoid Intelligence (BEGIN OI), targets foundational and potentially transformative research aimed at creating engineered organoid systems that can process information in a dynamic way and connect with non-living (synthetic or electronic) systems. In practical terms, the solicitation is looking for advances that move organoids beyond being biological models and toward being engineered, functional biocomputing platforms, where information can be represented, transformed, and used for decision-like behaviors through the organoid's internal dynamics and its interfaces.

BEGIN OI emphasizes the design, engineering, and fabrication of these organoid systems, signaling interest in the full pipeline from concept to buildable systems. The core technical vision is organoid-based biocomputing: living cellular assemblies engineered to exhibit information processing and that can exchange signals with external devices or materials. That framing implies multidisciplinary work spanning bioengineering and tissue engineering (to build organoids with reproducible structure and function), materials and device engineering (to support growth, sensing, stimulation, and interfacing), computing and information science (to define what computation means in these substrates and how to program or train them), and potentially mathematics and physics (to model and quantify complex dynamics). The solicitation 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). That coordination highlights that NSF expects teams to combine engineering depth with biological realism, computational rigor, quantitative theory, and awareness of broader implications.

EFRI solicitations are structured around the idea of transformation rather than incremental progress. Proposals are expected to present bold ideas that could cause a significant shift in fundamental engineering knowledge, with clear potential for long-term impact on national needs or grand challenges. In other words, projects should not only demonstrate a clever device or a one-off proof of concept, but also aim to establish new engineering principles, methods, or platforms that could open up an entire research frontier. While the summary text does not list topic sub-areas, the stated scope suggests competitive proposals will likely address issues such as: how to reliably construct organoids with controllable architectures; how to stimulate and read out signals (electrical, optical, chemical, mechanical) with high fidelity; how to characterize and validate "information processing" in a living system; how to create stable, scalable interfaces between wet biological systems and dry electronics; and how to develop models and metrics that let researchers design organoid intelligence intentionally rather than relying on trial-and-error biological variability.

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. This is typically intended to clarify fit, team structure expectations, and compliance details, and it is especially relevant for EFRI calls because they often have specific requirements about project setup, partnerships, and what constitutes responsiveness to the topic.

Eligibility is limited to two main applicant categories. First, U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations directly associated with education or research activities can apply, such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies. Second, Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) can apply, including accredited two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) that have a campus located in the United States and submit proposals on behalf of their faculty. If a proposal routes funds to an international branch campus of a U.S. IHE, NSF requires a specific justification: the proposal must explain the benefits of performing project work at that international branch and why the work cannot be performed at the U.S. campus. This condition applies even if the international involvement is structured through subawards or consultants.

Principal Investigator rules are also specific. For proposals submitted by IHEs, the lead PI must be full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty. For proposals submitted by a 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 proposed project must align with both the PI's job responsibilities and the mission of the organization or department. Team composition is mandatory: each proposal must include at least one PI and at least two co-PIs. In addition, 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, reinforcing that this is an engineering-led solicitation even though it is deeply multidisciplinary.

From the source listing, this opportunity is a discretionary NSF grant (Funding Opportunity Number 24-508) in the science and technology research and development category, associated with CFDA numbers 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.074, and 47.075. The opportunity record shows an original closing date of 2024-12-12. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided excerpt, so applicants would need to consult the full solicitation for budget limits, project duration details (beyond the four-year expectation implied for PI appointments), and any additional compliance requirements.

Overall, EFRI BEGIN OI is aimed at teams ready to take on high-impact, cross-disciplinary engineering research that treats organoids as an emerging computing substrate. The solicitation is essentially inviting researchers to define and build the engineering foundations for organoid intelligence that can be measured, controlled, interfaced, and ultimately used in new kinds of biocomputing systems, while meeting EFRI's bar for transformative potential and long-term national significance.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (EFRI): Biocomputing through EnGINeering Organoid Intelligence (BEGIN OI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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