Opportunity Information: Apply for 20 518
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled "Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Storage and Retrieval" (SemiSynBio-II) is a focused research program aimed at pushing beyond conventional electronic memory and storage by borrowing core ideas from biology and combining them with semiconductor technology. The program is built around the idea that future computing systems, especially ultra-low-energy systems, may rely more on storage-based computing and new device concepts that are inspired by how organic and biological systems store, encode, and retrieve information. NSF is looking for projects that do not just incrementally improve existing memory technologies, but instead explore fundamentally new approaches that could reshape long-term information storage.
A central motivation of the solicitation is the possibility of next-generation storage technologies that use biological principles and biomaterials to achieve extremely dense, durable data storage. The vision described in the opportunity is ambitious: devices and systems that could preserve data for more than 100 years and offer storage capacities on the order of 1,000 times greater than what is typical today. By emphasizing synthetic biology integrated with semiconductors, the program is targeting the scientific and engineering foundations required to make such long-horizon capabilities realistic, including understanding and controlling the physical, chemical, and biological processes that would enable reliable storage and retrieval at scale.
SemiSynBio-II is explicitly high-risk and high-return, meaning NSF is encouraging proposals that may be technically challenging or unconventional but could produce outsized breakthroughs if successful. The work is expected to be strongly interdisciplinary, bringing together expertise across biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, computer science, and engineering. Rather than treating biology as a separate domain, the solicitation emphasizes integration, including new concepts and enabling technologies that address the fundamental scientific issues and technological barriers that arise when synthetic biology approaches intersect with semiconductor platforms and device fabrication.
Administratively, the program is run through multiple NSF divisions: Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), and Materials Research (DMR). It is a discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development category, with CFDA numbers 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, and 47.074. The funding opportunity number is 20-518. The solicitation was created on November 15, 2019, with an original proposal deadline of March 16, 2020. NSF anticipated making about 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $1,500,000 per award. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with applicants expected to consult the solicitation's eligibility section for the exact qualifying categories and conditions.
In practical terms, a competitive proposal under this call would likely frame a clear, testable research vision for biologically inspired or biomaterial-enabled information storage and retrieval, explain why the approach could surpass traditional technologies in density, longevity, or energy efficiency, and present an interdisciplinary plan that connects fundamental mechanisms to device or system-level implications. The program is designed to stimulate cross-field collaboration and to create the conditions for breakthroughs that would be difficult to achieve within a single traditional discipline.Apply for 20 518
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Storage and Retrieval" 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.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 15, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF SemiSynBio-II (Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Storage and Retrieval)
What is the NSF SemiSynBio-II program?
Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Storage and Retrieval (SemiSynBio-II) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) focused research program that supports exploratory work combining ideas from biology (including synthetic biology and biomaterials) with semiconductor technology to create fundamentally new approaches to information storage and retrieval.
What problem is this program trying to solve?
The program targets limitations of conventional electronic memory and storage. It is motivated by the idea that future computing, especially ultra-low-energy computing, may depend more heavily on storage-based computing and new device concepts inspired by how biological systems store, encode, preserve, and retrieve information.
What kinds of research does NSF want to fund under SemiSynBio-II?
NSF is looking for projects that go beyond incremental improvements to existing memory technologies and instead explore fundamentally new storage and retrieval concepts. The emphasis is on biologically inspired principles and/or biomaterials integrated with semiconductor platforms, including research that addresses core scientific mechanisms as well as technology barriers to scaling reliable storage and retrieval.
Is this program aimed at improving current memory technologies (like making today’s memory a bit faster or cheaper)?
No. The solicitation emphasizes approaches that are not merely incremental. Proposals are expected to explore new directions that could reshape long-term information storage rather than simply optimizing conventional electronic memory technologies.
What is the long-term vision described by the opportunity?
The vision includes next-generation storage technologies that use biological principles and biomaterials to enable extremely dense, durable data storage. The opportunity describes an ambitious target of devices and systems that could preserve data for more than 100 years and potentially reach storage capacities on the order of 1,000 times greater than what is typical today.
What does “storage-based computing” mean in the context of this program?
In this solicitation, storage-based computing refers to future computing systems that rely more heavily on the properties and behaviors of storage devices themselves (rather than only traditional compute-centric architectures), potentially enabling ultra-low-energy operation. SemiSynBio-II supports research that could make such device and system concepts feasible using biologically inspired storage and retrieval mechanisms integrated with semiconductors.
Why does the program emphasize biology and synthetic biology?
The program borrows core ideas from biology because biological systems provide alternative strategies for encoding, preserving, and retrieving information. SemiSynBio-II seeks to translate those strategies into engineered, semiconductor-compatible approaches, including synthetic biology and biomaterial-enabled concepts that could unlock new storage density, longevity, and energy efficiency regimes.
Does SemiSynBio-II require integrating biological approaches with semiconductor technology?
Yes. The solicitation emphasizes integration rather than treating biology as a separate domain. Projects are expected to address the scientific and engineering issues that arise at the intersection of synthetic biology approaches and semiconductor platforms and device fabrication.
What does NSF mean by “high-risk, high-return” for this opportunity?
High-risk, high-return indicates NSF is encouraging technically challenging, unconventional, or unproven approaches that could lead to major breakthroughs if successful. The program is positioned to support work where the payoff could be outsized even if the research path involves significant uncertainty.
What disciplines and expertise areas are relevant for a strong proposal?
The program is strongly interdisciplinary. The solicitation explicitly points to efforts that bring together expertise across biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, computer science, and engineering. Competitive projects would typically connect fundamental physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms to device-level or system-level implications for storage and retrieval.
Which NSF divisions are involved in administering SemiSynBio-II?
The program is run through multiple NSF divisions: Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), and Materials Research (DMR).
What is the funding opportunity number for SemiSynBio-II?
The funding opportunity number is 20-518.
When was the solicitation created and what was the proposal deadline?
The solicitation was created on November 15, 2019. The original proposal deadline was March 16, 2020.
How many awards did NSF expect to make under this program?
NSF anticipated making about 10 awards.
What is the maximum award size (award ceiling) for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $1,500,000 per award.
What type of grant opportunity is this?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development category.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this NSF opportunity?
The opportunity lists the following CFDA numbers: 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, and 47.074.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." Applicants are expected to consult the solicitation’s eligibility section for the exact qualifying categories and any conditions or limitations.
What makes a proposal competitive based on the description provided?
Based on the information provided, a competitive proposal would likely: (1) present a clear and testable research vision for biologically inspired or biomaterial-enabled information storage and retrieval; (2) explain why the approach could surpass traditional technologies in storage density, longevity, and/or energy efficiency; and (3) lay out an interdisciplinary plan that links fundamental mechanisms to device-level or system-level outcomes and addresses barriers encountered when synthetic biology intersects with semiconductor platforms.
What kinds of outcomes is SemiSynBio-II trying to stimulate?
The program is designed to stimulate cross-field collaboration and create conditions for breakthroughs that are hard to achieve within a single traditional discipline. It aims to establish scientific and engineering foundations that could make extremely long-lived, ultra-dense storage and reliable retrieval realistic at scale.
Is long-term data preservation a key focus of the program?
Yes. A central motivation highlighted in the opportunity is the development of devices and systems that could preserve data for more than 100 years, implying that longevity and durability of stored information are important considerations.
Does the solicitation emphasize scaling and reliability of storage and retrieval?
Yes. The description underscores the need to understand and control the physical, chemical, and biological processes that would enable reliable storage and retrieval at scale, particularly when integrating synthetic biology concepts with semiconductor fabrication and platforms.
Is this program specifically about information storage and retrieval, or broader synthetic biology work?
It is specifically focused on information storage and retrieval. While it uses synthetic biology and biomaterials as key inspiration and enabling components, the central theme is building new storage and retrieval concepts that could redefine long-term information storage in future computing systems.
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