Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

Opportunity details

Agency

U — S. National Science Foundation

Notice type

Federal Grant

Original posted

February 5, 2026

Last updated

October 30, 2026

Notice ID

grant-361249

Summary

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Biological Research has the potential to pave the way for breakthroughs in biotechnology and bio-system design that will create innovations, new industries, and jobs. To capitalize on this promise, the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) will make awards for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) to recent doctoral degree recipients, for proposals with a research and training focus at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations. Applying AI to highly complex biological systems will reveal unknown mechanisms in the natural world that hold promise for technological developments.

Summary fields are from official SAM.gov or Grants.gov structured data. CaptureIQ does not republish full solicitation or grant text.

Eligibility

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Proposals must be submitted by the individual, not the host institution, and awards are made directly to Fellows. Each postdoctoral Fellow must identify a sponsoring scientist(s) and must affiliate with an appropriate U.S. or international host institution at the time of proposal submission. Appropriate U.S. organizations include institutions of higher education, private nonprofit institutes and museums, government agencies and laboratories, and, under special conditions that require prior approval from a Program Officer, for-profit organizations. Appropriate international institutions include institutions of higher education and many government or non-profit research organizations.

*Who May Serve as PI: The PRFB awards are intended primarily for graduate students who are seeking independent support for their first postdoctoral position, or postdoctoral Fellows early in their careers. An individual is eligible to submit a proposal if all the following criteria are met:

Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident, i.e., have a "green card," at the time of submission. Must present a research plan that falls within the purview of BIO and that focuses on the research area described in this solicitation. Must earn the doctoral degree in an appropriate field prior to beginning the fellowship. Must select sponsoring scientists, departments, and institutions that offer a significant opportunity to broaden the proposer's research focus and training. Must not have submitted the same research to another NSF postdoctoral fellowship program. Must not have worked in any position that requires a doctoral degree for a combined total of more than 15 full-time months prior to the deadline. Must not have submitted proposals to the PRFB program more than once in previous years, i.e., you are limited to a maximum of two submissions, regardless of the outcome.

Proposals that fail to meet the above eligibility requirements will be returned without review. By signing and submitting the proposal, the proposer is certifying that they meet the eligibility criteria specified in this program solicitation. Willful provision of false information in this request and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).

Eligible applicant categories

• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Official Grants.gov eligibility information. Listed categories are not a determination that an organization qualifies.

Funding and program

Assistance Listing

47.074

Funding instrument

Grant

Cost sharing

Not required

Estimated total program funding

16,500,000

Official modification date

October 5, 2026

Official Funding Information

Estimated total program funding is the government figure for the whole program, not an individual award ceiling. These figures are estimates, not guaranteed funding. The funding-information link is the stored Grants.gov reference, not an application submission URL.

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