|
The FY 2002 Budget Request for
the Biological Sciences Activity (BIO) is $483.11 million, a decrease
of $2.31 million, or 0.5 percent, from the FY 2001 Current Plan
of $485.42 million.
(Millions of Dollars)
The Biological Sciences Activity provides support
for research to advance understanding of the underlying principles
and mechanisms governing life. Research ranges from the study of
the structure and dynamics of biological molecules, such as proteins
and nucleic acids, through cells, organs and organisms, to studies
of populations and ecosystems. It encompasses both internal and
external processes of organisms, and includes temporal frameworks
ranging from measurements in real time through individual life spans,
to the full scope of evolutionary time.
The highest priority within the BIO Activity is to
support the vitality of the biological sciences at U.S. colleges
and universities, especially in those areas where NSF has major
responsibility. The Foundation is the nation's principal supporter
of fundamental academic research on plant biology, environmental
biology, and biodiversity.
Since the early 1980s, the National Science Foundation
has been the lead agency in the support of research using the model
plant Arabidopsis, as well as in the effort to sequence the
Arabidopsis genome. The achievement of the first complete
plant genome sequence was announced by a consortium of scientists,
called The Arabidopsis Genome Initiative, and became public on the
cover of the December 14, 2000 issue of the journal Nature.
This achievement represents the first complete genome sequence of
any plant. Since Arabidopsis is a model organism for plant
biology studies, much of the knowledge generated from its genome
sequence is readily applicable to many other plants. Sequencing
of the Arabidopsis genome was done through an international
effort involving six groups in Europe, Japan, and the United States.
NSF leads the joint U.S. effort that also includes support from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy.
The biological sciences are experiencing the progressive
integration of genomics across all research areas. Genomics is the
development and analysis of sets of data representing the DNA sequences
that encode the total genetic complement of an organism. The genetic
complement is like a blueprint: it contains the plans for the organism's
development and functioning. Scientists visualize an organism's
blueprint by sequencing its DNA. Sequence data is essential but
is not enough to tell us everything about how an organism develops
and functions. Building on the large and growing store of information
amassed in the international sequence databases, biologists are
now able to tackle the next frontier in biology, functional genomics,
which uses the genome sequence information in combination with data
from other biological research to study what genes do - that is,
how patterns of sequence are related to patterns of function. Functional
genomics offers unprecedented opportunity to understand living systems
through use of large scale, genome-derived information.
BIO's first major program in functional genomics,
the "2010 Project", was begun in FY 2001, and will continue
through the year 2010. As described below, its goal is to determine
the functions of the 25,000 genes of the flowering plant, Arabidopsis.
BIO's role in the area of environmental biology is
equally important. Recent findings of the "Deep Green"
project offer a particularly good example. During the past five
years, this collaboratory has blossomed to include over 200 scientists
in 12 countries. Armed with powerful computational and molecular
tools and the conceptual underpinnings of modern systematic biology,
this project made radical new discoveries about the history of plant
life on earth and was featured as the cover story for the journal
Nature on February 1, 2001. Using genomic tools, modern systematists
are rewriting the textbooks on animal and plant evolution. Ramifications
of these findings span practical areas ranging from agriculture
to economics. Knowing the family tree of all life is essential if
we are to make correct choices in combating invasive species, restoring
damaged ecosystems, understanding the functional role of genes,
and discovering new biological compounds.
More than 80 percent of BIO funding is directed toward
investigator-initiated, fundamental research predominantly in colleges
and universities across the U.S. Emphasis is placed on support for
studies that enrich the fundamental knowledge base, for projects
integrating research and education, and for high risk/high potential
research. BIO plays a major role in support of research resources
for the biological sciences including multi-user instrumentation,
living stock centers, systematics collections, biological field
stations, and computerized databases, including sequence databases
for plants and micro-organisms.
People are NSF's most important product. At NSF,
placing research and learning hand in hand is our highest priority,
and the people involved in our projects represent both the focus
of our investments and the most important products of them. Across
its programs in FY 2000, BIO provided support for 8,500 people,
including students, researchers, post-doctorates, and trainees.
Support for BIO programs specifically addressing NSF's Strategic
Goal of "People - developing a diverse, internationally competitive
and globally-engaged workforce of scientists, engineers and well-prepared
citizens" totals $48.55 million in FY 2002, an increase of
4.3 percent over FY 2001. Moreover, about 40 percent of the funding
for research grants - approximately $145 million in FY 2002 - will
provide support for researchers and students.
In FY 2002, the BIO Activity funding will decrease
by a total of $2.31 million. However, support within important priority
areas where the role of BIO support is particularly critical will
be maintained or increased. Efforts to enable research awards by
increasing the average award size of research projects will continue.
"2010 Project": In FY 2002, an increase
of $5.0 million, for a total of $20.0 million, provides support
for the next stage of the "2010 Project." With the completion
of the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis, researchers
began a systematic effort in FY 2001 to determine the functions
of the 25,000 genes of this flowering plant. Scientists anticipate
that the "2010 Project" will lead to construction of an
integrated database of a "virtual plant" that will allow
predictive approaches to the science of plant biology. The transfer
of knowledge from research supported in this area is almost instantaneous,
as biotechnology companies seek to transform this information into
better products for society, from food to pharmaceuticals to environmentally
benign products.
In FY 2002, BIO will support research and education
efforts related to broad, Foundation-wide priority areas in Biocomplexity
in the Environment, Information Technology Research, Nanoscale Science
and Engineering, and Learning for the 21st Century.
Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE): BE
research examines phenomena that arise as a result of dynamic interactions
that occur within biological systems and between these systems and
the physical environment. BIO support for BE totals $16.90 million
in FY 2002. Support will be provided for the NSF-wide competition
as well as for more focused activities in Environmental Genomics.
-
Research builds on activities supported in FY
2000 and FY 2001 through the Biocomplexity competitions. Support
will be provided for genome-enabled research to support the
Microbe Project, which will build the knowledge base
of genome sequences and primary databases for research on diverse
microbes and support development of tools and techniques for
microbial genomics; and for the Tree of Life research
project, a systematic approach to the discovery of the genes
that will yield the most robust tree and resolve the genealogical
relationships among multicellular organisms. Areas of special
focus will also include: the origin and dynamics of complexity
in biological systems; studies that integrate and synthesize
extant and new information to achieve a predictive understanding
of system behavior; understanding of how organisms adapt to
their environment, including extreme conditions; and the incorporation
of new tools and approaches, including functional genomics and
phylogenetics, into all areas of biocomplexity research.
Information Technology Research (ITR): In
FY 2002, funding of $5.45 million will be used to support research
as part of:
-
The BIO emphasis area in genome-enabled science.
Examples of relevance include: exploiting the power and storage
capacity of the DNA molecule for computing; support for microbial
genome databases and algorithms for designing, managing, and
linking primary databases, and development of new tools for
microbial genomics; as part of the Tree of Life, development
of innovative data base structures (both hardware and software)
that support distributed storage of very dense files of genetic
sequence and genomic data; development of relational authority
files (databases); development of real time information networks
linking researchers worldwide engaged in Tree of Life research.
-
The BIO emphasis area in systems biology, including
modeling and assimilation of biological data, and improved access
to this data; modeling of complex, multiscale, and interactive
systems in biology; development of robust models to describe
biological processes at multiple scales ranging from molecules
to the global environment; and development of informatics tools
necessary to enhance the predictive ability and broad applicability
of these models.
Nanoscale Science and Engineering: In FY 2002,
funding will be maintained at $2.33 million. Support within this
priority area will continue:
-
Research related to nanoscience focused on living
organisms that operate and replicate themselves using systems
of exquisitely coordinated molecular machines. The proteins,
DNA, RNA, lipids, and carbohydrates that make up these molecular
machines can generate a wide range of minute, three-dimensional
structures and perform a wide range of functions in a diversity
of living systems. Such naturally occurring molecular machines
can serve as prototypes or suggest models for nanoscience and
technology.
-
Research focused on studying the structure and
regulation of macromolecular machines and macromolecular complexes
that are capable of self-replication and self-assembly. Nanoscale
biosensors and information processors provide new opportunities
for understanding cellular communication and detection of environmentally
important signals.
Learning for the 21st Century: Support for
this priority area totals $1.70 million in FY 2002. BIO will continue
to support NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education program
as well as the Interagency Education Research Initiative, a collaborative
program with the Department of Education and the National Institutes
of Health.
STRATEGIC GOALS
BIO's support for ongoing and new activities contributes
to NSF efforts to achieve its strategic goals, and to the administration
and management activities necessary to achieve those goals:
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2001
Estimate |
FY 2002
Estimate |
Percent
Change |
People |
46.57 |
48.55 |
4.3% |
Ideas |
369.02 |
364.73 |
-1.2% |
Tools |
64.16 |
64.16 |
0.0% |
Administration & Management
1 |
5.67 |
5.67 |
0.0% |
Total, BIO |
$485.42 |
$483.11 |
-0.5% |
People
BIO places a high priority on programs to develop
a diverse, internationally competitive workforce of scientists,
engineers and well-prepared citizens. Support for these programs
will seek to broaden participation in biology to reflect the diversity
of the U.S. population. This emphasis ensures that the next generation
of scientists is adequately prepared for a scientific future that
increasingly blurs borders between scientific disciplines, and that
is increasingly dependent on technology and on the sharing and analysis
of information from distributed resources. These efforts also aid
in the development of a scientifically and technologically literate
populace.
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2001
Estimate |
FY 2002
Estimate |
Percent
Change |
K-12 |
0.04 |
0.04 |
0.0% |
Undergraduate |
14.37 |
14.37 |
0.0% |
Graduate & Professional |
32.16 |
34.14 |
6.2% |
Total, People |
$46.57 |
$48.55 |
4.3% |
BIO provides support for NSF-wide research programs
that enable the development of human resources, including the Faculty
Early Career Development (CAREER) program, Research Experiences
for Undergraduates (REU) site awards, the Integrative Graduate Education
and Research Training (IGERT) program, postdoctoral programs, and
REU supplements to existing research projects.
Programs addressing the People strategic goal will
increase by $1.98 million or 4.3 percent over FY 2001. A total of
$14.37 million is used to support undergraduate activities to broaden
participation in science. Examples of some of the programs supported
include the REU sites program, the Undergraduate Mentorships in
Environmental Biology (UMEB) program, begun in FY 1995 specifically
to encourage participation of underrepresented groups within environmental
biology, and the Collaborative Research at Undergraduate Institutions
(C-RUI) program to support new multidisciplinary collaborative research
groups at primarily undergraduate institutions. Each C-RUI group
is composed of faculty members representing at least two disciplinary
areas and includes up to 10 undergraduates.
A total of $34.14 million is used to support graduate,
postdoctoral, and professional-level programs, including the NSF
Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program. BIO
increases its contribution to the Integrative Graduate Education
and Research Training program in FY 2002 by $890,000 for a total
of $6.78 million and adds $1.09 million to the ADVANCE program for
a total of $2.43 million. ADVANCE is designed to increase the participation
and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers.
Postdoctoral research fellowships are supported within
BIO in priority areas where there are shortages of adequately trained
scientists. BIO will invest a total of $5.31 million in FY 2002
for postdoctoral training, including continuing support for the
minority postdoctoral program, the biological informatics postdoctoral
program, and the postdoctoral fellowship program in microbial biology.
Ideas
The Biological Sciences Activity provides support
for research to advance understanding of the underlying principles
and mechanisms governing life. BIO's support for discovery across
the frontier of science spans all the biological disciplines. BIO-supported
research effectively builds the knowledge base for resolution of
societal concerns in areas as diverse as food, nutrition, agriculture,
protection of the environment, and education.
Disciplinary Research: Functional genomics
is revolutionizing biological research in all areas. This emerging
multidisciplinary area provides a new paradigm in biology by linking
sequence data to the biological functions at the cellular, organismal,
ecological, and evolutionary levels. For example, functional genomics
tools allow researchers to conduct sequence comparisons among several
different species to determine the similarities and differences
between their genomes. This approach provides a way to determine
which genes are common to all life forms and which genes are unique
to specific species. Identifying the function of genes has great
practical value for biotechnology applications, as they may be used
to develop improved or novel crop plants of added value. In addition,
gene chip technology can be used to determine all the genes active
in an organism under a specific environmental condition or at a
specific developmental stage. This information allows researchers
to understand how genes interact to bring about normal growth and
developmental processes.
BIO will continue to provide priority support within
the disciplinary base to areas of emerging importance, such as Genome
Enabled Science and Systems Biology. Genome Enabled Science encompasses
three levels of activity: 1) genome sequencing and the assembly
of primary sequence databases; 2) functional analyses, also known
as "functional genomics;" and 3) integrative research.
Systems Biology takes advantage of two areas of opportunity in biological
sciences 1) integrative research focussed on complex biological
systems and 2) enhanced opportunities for integrating rapidly accumulating,
massive amounts and disparate kinds of data into understanding biological
processes.
The NSF priority areas of Biocomplexity in the Environment
(BE) and Information Technology Research (ITR) represent important
areas of emerging scientific importance where funding is needed
to build support for research, infrastructure, and education. BIO's
participation in these priorities recognizes the Activity's role
as the major federal source of fundamental academic research in
plant biology and environmental biology. Sequencing capabilities
and informatics tools are opening the door toward an understanding
of the workings of genes in plants and organisms. Likewise instrumentation,
databases, and enhanced support for collaborative projects across
disciplines have begun to create research programs and teams of
researchers that are attempting to understand the complexity of
biological systems, from the inner workings of the cell to the complexities
of interacting components within a large ecosystem.
Modern biological science increasingly involves teams
of scientists and students at all levels of education, and requires
increasing access to supplies, equipment, and data, the latter often
requiring the ability to access, analyze, and visualize remote databases.
For these reasons, the cost of modern biological research is increasing
and in FY 2002 BIO will continue to focus on enhancing award sizes
for new awards in the NSF priority areas to fully enable the research.
An average new research award within the BIO Activity in FY 2002
will total approximately $152,900 per year over three years of support,
compared to $139,000 per year in FY 2001.
Centers: BIO-supported centers are another
important component in its portfolio of activities. The BIO centers
facilitate the development of new knowledge and techniques and include
Science and Technology Centers (STCs), Long Term Ecological Research
(LTER) sites, the Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (CEAS),
and Plant Genome Virtual Centers.
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2001
Estimate |
FY 2002
Estimate |
Percent
Change |
Science and Technology Centers1
|
3.45 |
3.97 |
15.1% |
Center for Ecological Analysis
and Synthesis |
2.00 |
2.00 |
0.0% |
Long Term Ecological Research
Program |
13.79 |
13.79 |
0.0% |
Plant Genome Virtual Centers |
31.00 |
31.00 |
0.0% |
Total, BIO Centers |
$50.24 |
$50.76 |
1.0% |
The three BIO-supported Science and Technology
Centers (STC) begun in FY 1991 received final funding in FY
2001. They are the Center for Biological Timing at the University
of Virginia, the Center for Engineering Plants for Resistance Against
Pathogens at the University of California - Davis, and the Center
for Light Microscope Imaging and Biotechnology at Carnegie Mellon
University. At the same time, a new STC, the Center for Behavioral
Neuroscience at Emory University, received its first year of support.
This center is co-managed with the Social, Behavioral and Economic
Sciences Activity. The scientific goals of the center involve understanding
how neural processes regulate and are regulated by complex social
behaviors across animal species. Collaborating institutions include
Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse
School of Medicine, and Atlanta University Center. Results of this
research may transform the way we think about how hormones influence
behavior, how genes are regulated, and how neural processes adapt
to different environmental demands.
The Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
(CEAS), established in FY 1995, promotes integrative studies of
complex ecological questions and serves as a locus for synthesis
of large data sets. The goals of the Center are to advance the state
of ecological knowledge through the search for universal patterns
and principles and to organize and synthesize ecological information
so that it will be useful in addressing important environmental
problems.
In FY 2001, NSF supported 24 Long Term Ecological
Research (LTER) sites. The LTER sites are representative of
major ecosystems. Four sites are located in coastal ecosystems,
two are in human-dominated, urban ecosystems, and the remaining
18 sites cover a broad range of ecosystems including the Arctic
tundra of Alaska, the deserts of New Mexico, the rainforests of
Puerto Rico, and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. BIO provides support
for 21 of these sites. This support will be maintained in FY 2002.
No additional sites will be established at this time.
The Plant Genome Research Subactivity supports
virtual centers (centers without walls) or collaboratories where
coordinated, multi-investigator teams pursue comprehensive plant
genome research programs relevant to economically important plants
or plant processes. Currently active centers range in size and scope,
some with a focus on functional genomics and others with a focus
on developing tools and resources for plant genomics studies for
the scientific community. For example, one center's goal is to identify
all the plant genes encoding plant responses to drought and salinity
stresses. Another center is aimed at providing specialized plant
materials and structural genome data to identify and map maize (corn)
genes. All centers have a significant component to train a new generation
of scientists well versed in plant genomics.
Tools
In FY 2002, BIO will maintain support for research
resources at a total of $63.06 million. The BIO Activity supports
research resources for the biological sciences that include databases,
multi-user instrumentation, development of instrumentation and new
techniques, living stock centers, marine laboratories, and terrestrial
field stations. Support for infrastructure ranging from databases
and the informatics tools and techniques needed to manage them to
instrumentation development is essential to areas of research including
the priority areas of BE and ITR, as well as across biology where
functional genomics is becoming a significant component of many
research portfolios.
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2001
Estimate |
FY 2002
Estimate |
Percent
Change |
Research Resources |
63.06 |
63.06 |
0.0% |
NNUN |
0.30 |
0.30 |
0.0% |
CHESS |
0.80 |
0.80 |
0.0% |
Total, Tools |
$64.16 |
$64.16 |
0.0% |
In FY 2002, BIO will maintain support for the National
Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN) at the level of $300,000 to
facilitate participation by biologists. This facility is supported
in partnership with NSF's Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
and Engineering Activities.
The BIO Activity also provides $800,000 in support
for the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) in conjunction
with the Materials Research Subactivity in the MPS Activity. CHESS
is one of the premier facilities for synchrotron x-ray crystallography
in the U.S. The high intensity electron beams of synchrotron sources
are used for high-resolution studies of biological crystals such
as viruses.
Administration and Management
Administration and management provides for administrative
activities necessary to enable NSF to achieve its strategic goals.
This includes $5.67 million for the cost of Intergovernmental Personnel
Act appointments and contractors performing administrative functions.
Number of People Involved in
BIO Activities
|
FY 2000
Actual |
FY 2001
Estimate |
FY 2002
Estimate |
Senior Scientists |
2,299 |
2,570 |
2,440 |
Other Professionals |
1,307 |
1,460 |
1,390 |
Postdoctorates |
1,165 |
1,230 |
1,110 |
Graduate Students |
1,944 |
2,170 |
2,070 |
Undergraduate Students |
2,704 |
2,910 |
2,790 |
Total Number of People |
9,419 |
10,340 |
9,800 |
BIO Funding Profile
|
FY 2000
Actual |
FY 2001
Estimate |
FY 2002
Estimate |
Numbers of Requests for Funding |
7,373 |
7,500 |
7,500 |
Dollars Requested (in thousands) |
$2,960,000 |
$3,200,000 |
$3,500,000 |
Total Number of Awards |
3,474 |
3,474 |
3,150 |
Statistics for Competitive Awards: |
|
|
|
Number |
1,424 |
1,425 |
1,100 |
Funding Rate |
25% |
25% |
19% |
Median Annualized
Award Size1 |
$100,000 |
$116,000 |
$127,600 |
Average Annualized
Award Size1 |
$119,906 |
$139,000 |
$152,900 |
Average Duration
(yrs)1 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
|