Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 18 1104
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity "Improvements to Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories" (Funding Opportunity Number PD 18-1104) supports upgrades and long-range planning for biological field stations and marine laboratories (often referred to as FSMLs). These stations are off-campus facilities where research and education take place directly in natural settings across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The program is built around the idea that strong field-based science depends on reliable access to study sites and organisms, nearby facilities and equipment that make research practical in remote locations, and a collaborative environment that attracts a broad community of scientists, educators, and students. Because modern field science increasingly relies on advanced instrumentation, data systems, and well-designed workspaces, the program prioritizes proposals that meaningfully strengthen a station's ability to support current and future research and training.
Proposals must fit entirely within one of two categories: Improvement or Planning. Improvement proposals are meant for clearly defined, concrete projects that upgrade a station's capabilities, such as acquiring major shared equipment, modernizing data management and communications, installing or upgrading observational and experimental infrastructure, or improving the physical plant in ways that directly expand research capacity. Planning proposals, by contrast, support strategic institutional planning tied to the station's long-term research and education direction. A key point is that planning grants are not intended for short-term planning or the design work for a specific near-term construction or upgrade project; they are meant to help a station think bigger and further ahead about growth, redirection, or sustained advancement of its programs.
For Improvement projects involving physical plant work, NSF will consider renovations to structures that directly serve research, training and education connected to research, or temporary housing that supports visiting researchers and students. Limited support for new construction may be available, but the emphasis is on facilities that clearly advance research capacity, such as laboratories, greenhouses, or other specialized research structures. The program explicitly does not support improvements aimed primarily at administrative functions, general classroom space, or office space. It also will not fund routine maintenance, repairs, or like-for-like replacement of infrastructure that simply restores previous functionality without expanding capability. In other words, the central test is whether the work produces a unified and demonstrable advance in what science and training the station can support, not whether it addresses general upkeep.
For equipment-focused Improvement proposals, the program expects requests to center on major, shared-use items that are essential to the facility's research and associated training activities. This can include specialized vehicles and boats when they are directly tied to the station's mission and would broaden the range or quality of research that can be conducted. NSF's goal here is to fund items that expand and strengthen research capability and help attract additional users, rather than many small, unrelated purchases. Proposals that read like collections of miscellaneous low-cost supplies, or that bundle multiple unrelated components without a clear unifying research capability gain, are given the lowest priority.
The program also supports investments in observational or experimental infrastructure, such as fixed towers, sensor arrays, gauges, manipulative experimental features, and other built infrastructure used for data collection or field experimentation. Alongside this, NSF encourages modernization of data management and communications systems, with an emphasis on current technology that enables broad community use, internet-based collaboration, and effective research and training coordination. Depending on what is being proposed, applicants may need to explain how the improvements will be extensible, portable, or interoperable, especially if the goal is to enable larger-scale research efforts, replication across sites, or integration with broader networks. Projects that directly benefit multiple stations can be considered, but the principal investigator is expected to consult with the program in advance to confirm eligibility and fit.
The solicitation also clarifies what is out of scope. Requests for improvements to facilities or equipment used for research or education on UNOLS research ships (or similar vessels) are not appropriate under this program and should instead go through NSF's oceanographic facilities and equipment support mechanisms in the Division of Ocean Sciences. More generally, proposals must be framed around strengthening an FSML's station-based capacity rather than supporting ship-based infrastructure.
Administratively, this is an NSF discretionary grant program in the science and technology/research and development category, associated with CFDA numbers 47.050 and 47.074. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), with the caveat that applicants should follow any additional eligibility clarifications in the full solicitation text. Proposals are accepted at any time (no fixed closing date is listed), NSF anticipates making around 20 awards, and the award ceiling is not specified (listed as 0, which typically indicates that a fixed cap is not provided in the summary). Across both Improvement and Planning tracks, successful proposals are expected to do more than describe activities: they need to demonstrate a clear need, explain why the station cannot meet that need with current resources, and provide a realistic, evidence-based case for how the requested work will impact biological and environmental research and education at the facility.Apply for PD 18 1104
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improvements to Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050, 47.074.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 01, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Improvements to Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (PD 18-1104)
1) What is the NSF "Improvements to Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories" opportunity (PD 18-1104)?
This NSF funding opportunity supports upgrades and long-range planning for biological field stations and marine laboratories, often called FSMLs. These are off-campus facilities where research and education occur directly in natural settings across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.
2) What kinds of facilities does this program focus on?
The focus is on biological field stations and marine laboratories (FSMLs) that enable field-based research and training by providing access to study sites and organisms, nearby facilities and equipment that make research feasible in remote locations, and a collaborative environment that draws scientists, educators, and students.
3) What is the main goal of the program?
The program prioritizes projects that meaningfully strengthen a station's ability to support current and future biological and environmental research and training. Because modern field science relies on advanced instrumentation, data systems, and well-designed workspaces, proposals are expected to show a clear, demonstrable improvement in research and education capability.
4) What proposal categories are available under this opportunity?
Proposals must fit entirely within one of two categories: Improvement or Planning.
5) What is an Improvement proposal under this program?
Improvement proposals fund clearly defined, concrete projects that upgrade a station's capabilities. Examples include acquiring major shared equipment, modernizing data management and communications, installing or upgrading observational and experimental infrastructure, or improving the physical plant in ways that directly expand research capacity.
6) What is a Planning proposal under this program?
Planning proposals support strategic institutional planning tied to a station's long-term research and education direction. These grants are intended to help a station think further ahead about growth, redirection, or sustained advancement of programs.
7) Are Planning grants meant to support short-term planning or design for a specific near-term construction project?
No. The solicitation specifies that planning grants are not intended for short-term planning or for design work for a specific near-term construction or upgrade project. They are meant for long-range, bigger-picture planning.
8) What kinds of physical plant work will NSF consider in Improvement proposals?
For physical plant projects, NSF will consider renovations to structures that directly serve research, training and education connected to research, or temporary housing that supports visiting researchers and students.
9) Does the program support new construction?
Limited support for new construction may be available, but the emphasis is on facilities that clearly advance research capacity, such as laboratories, greenhouses, or other specialized research structures.
10) What types of facility improvements are explicitly not supported?
The program does not support improvements aimed primarily at administrative functions, general classroom space, or office space.
11) Will NSF fund routine maintenance or repairs?
No. The program will not fund routine maintenance, repairs, or like-for-like replacement of infrastructure that simply restores previous functionality without expanding capability.
12) What is the key test NSF applies when evaluating physical plant or infrastructure improvements?
The central test is whether the proposed work produces a unified and demonstrable advance in what science and training the station can support, rather than addressing general upkeep.
13) What does NSF expect for equipment-focused Improvement proposals?
Equipment requests are expected to center on major, shared-use items essential to the facility's research and associated training activities, with a clear unifying capability gain.
14) Can specialized vehicles or boats be included as equipment?
Yes. Specialized vehicles and boats can be included when they are directly tied to the station's mission and would broaden the range or quality of research the station can support.
15) Are proposals made up of many small purchases competitive?
Generally no. Proposals that read like collections of miscellaneous low-cost supplies, or that bundle multiple unrelated components without a clear unifying research capability gain, are given the lowest priority.
16) What types of observational or experimental infrastructure are supported?
The program supports investments in observational or experimental infrastructure such as fixed towers, sensor arrays, gauges, manipulative experimental features, and other built infrastructure used for data collection or field experimentation.
17) Does the program support modernization of data management and communications?
Yes. NSF encourages modernization of data management and communications systems, emphasizing current technology that enables broad community use, internet-based collaboration, and effective research and training coordination.
18) Will applicants need to address interoperability or broader network integration?
Depending on what is proposed, applicants may need to explain how improvements will be extensible, portable, or interoperable, particularly if the goal is to enable larger-scale research efforts, replication across sites, or integration with broader networks.
19) Can a project be designed to benefit multiple stations?
Projects that directly benefit multiple stations can be considered. However, the principal investigator is expected to consult with the program in advance to confirm eligibility and fit.
20) Are improvements to UNOLS research ships eligible under this program?
No. Requests for improvements to facilities or equipment used for research or education on UNOLS research ships (or similar vessels) are not appropriate under this program.
21) Where should requests related to UNOLS research ships be directed instead?
The solicitation indicates these requests should go through NSF's oceanographic facilities and equipment support mechanisms in the Division of Ocean Sciences, rather than through this FSML program.
22) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), with the caveat that applicants should follow any additional eligibility clarifications in the full solicitation text.
23) Is there a fixed deadline to apply?
No fixed closing date is listed in the summary provided. Proposals are accepted at any time.
24) How many awards does NSF expect to make?
NSF anticipates making around 20 awards.
25) Is there an award ceiling (maximum award amount)?
The award ceiling is not specified in the summary (listed as 0), which typically indicates a fixed cap is not provided in the summary information.
26) What type of grant program is this?
This is an NSF discretionary grant program in the science and technology/research and development category.
27) What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 47.050 and 47.074.
28) What should a strong proposal demonstrate beyond listing activities?
Successful proposals are expected to demonstrate a clear need, explain why the station cannot meet that need with current resources, and provide a realistic, evidence-based case for how the requested work will impact biological and environmental research and education at the facility.
29) How should applicants think about "impact" in this program?
Impact is framed around strengthening station-based capacity for research and training, attracting broader community use, and enabling current and future science through improved facilities, equipment, infrastructure, and data/communications capabilities.
30) What is the most common reason a proposal might be considered out of scope based on the summary?
Common out-of-scope issues include proposing administrative/classroom/office improvements, routine maintenance or like-for-like replacements that do not expand capability, or framing a request around ship-based infrastructure (such as UNOLS research ships) rather than station-based FSML capacity.
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