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U.S. National Science Foundation

Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core)

Open

Key facts

Deadline
Due Oct 5, 2076 · 18261 days left
Award size
From $500K
Total available
$280M · about 300 awards
Match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
  • No match required
  • Past Tennessee awards on file: 44

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More from U.S. National Science Foundation

About this grant

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.

Who can apply, from the official notice

*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 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.

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Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Sep14
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
  3. Sep28
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
  4. Oct3
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Oct5
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

Who in Tennessee has won this program

23 awards to Tennessee groups in 3 counties since 2018. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$3M2024
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$2.5M2018
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$2.3M2022
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.7M2024
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$1.5M2024
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.5M2020
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby County$1.5M2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.5M2027
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.4M2021
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.4M2021
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$1.3M2024
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby County$1.3M2021

Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.

Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 21 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, Davidson CountyVirginia Polytechnic Institute & State University$767K2025
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby CountyColorado State University$386K2023
St Jude Children's Research Hospital IncMemphis, Shelby CountyUniversity of Missouri System$291K2023
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyEmory University$288K2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education$244K2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education$165K2024
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby CountyColorado State University$152K2025
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby CountyTexas a&M Agrilife Research$125K2023
Ut-Battelle LLCOak RidgeCornell University$121K2025
Ut-Battelle LLCOak Ridge, Anderson CountyCornell University$118K2024
Ut-Battelle LLCOak Ridge, Anderson CountyCornell University$114K2023
St Jude Children's Research Hospital IncMemphis, Shelby CountyUniversity of Oklahoma$100K2023

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

About the federal program

Biological Sciences, also called “(BIO)”
Program number 47.074 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

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Source: Federal grants from Grants.gov · the official federal record. Last checked by GrantMe Oct 7, 2026.

Reference numbers: official notice number 26-517 · program number 47.074