Data / Federal grants / 26-517
Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core)
U.S. National Science Foundation is accepting applications until October 5, 2076. It lists 300 awards expected, $280 million in total.
SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. It reads every open and forecast federal opportunity on Grants.gov each morning, and this page is that reading. Describe your organization once and the grants that fit arrive in your sheet, CRM, Slack or agent as they are posted.
Key facts
- Opportunity number
- 26-517
- Status
- Posted, open
- Posted
- August 17, 2026
- Closes
- October 5, 2076
- Award floor
- $500,000
- Expected awards
- 300
- Total funding
- $280,000,000
- Cost sharing
- Not required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Assistance listing
- 47.074 Biological Sciences; None None
- Contact
- U.S. National Science Foundation · [email protected] · 703-292-4203
Who can apply
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. -Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1
What the agency says
The U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core) funding opportunity supports foundational and interdisciplinary research projects that expand knowledge of biology at any level of organization, from the molecular to the biome scale. We accept proposals that cover scientific topics associated with legacy programs historically supported by NSF BIO and proposals that explore new areas of biological sciences. BIO Core funds single- and multi-investigator awards. The portfolio of awards is anticipated to include a range of budgets and durations, including exploratory projects of smaller scope and long-horizon projects that benefit from longer-term commitment. BIO Core awards are subject to the availability of funds.
Other open grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation
| Opportunity | Status | Closes | Award ceiling | Total funding | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometric Analysis PD-22-1265 | Open | Nov 3 | $8,800,000 | grants.gov | |
| Topology PD-22-1267 | Open | Nov 3 | grants.gov | ||
| NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation 26-511 | Open | Nov 4 | $40,000,000 | grants.gov | |
| SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) 23-500 | Open | Nov 4 | $170,000 | $3,000,000 | grants.gov |
| U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs: 26-513 | Open | Nov 4 | $100,000,000 | grants.gov | |
| Unlocking Dataset Value for AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery (AI Datasets) 26-512 | Open | Nov 4 | $100,000,000 | grants.gov |
· Everything closing in October 2076
Read from the Grants.gov API, last updated 2026-10-23. The agency's notice on Grants.gov is the official record; check it before you apply.