Opportunity Information: Apply for 20 513
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity "Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome Theory and Mechanisms" (URoLMTM) is part of NSF's broader "Big Ideas" initiative, a set of long-term priorities meant to push research at the frontiers of science and engineering through convergence and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This program sits under the "Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype" Big Idea, which centers on a core challenge in biology: predicting an organism's observable traits (phenotypes) from its genetic makeup and the environment it experiences. Although proposals are submitted through NSF's Division of Emerging Frontiers in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO/EF), the solicitation is explicitly cross-NSF, with proposals managed by a team of program directors spanning multiple disciplines and organizational units within the agency.
At its heart, URoLMTM aims to move microbiome research beyond description and correlation and toward theory-driven, mechanistic, and predictive understanding. NSF is looking for projects that explain how microbiomes are structured and how they function, and especially how cause-and-effect relationships operate within microbiomes and across the microbiome-host-environment system. The term "microbiome" is used broadly here, meaning collections of microbes in a given habitat, including but not limited to host-associated microbiomes (such as those linked to humans, animals, plants, or other organisms) as well as environmental microbiomes in soil, water, built environments, and other contexts. The program emphasizes that microbiomes can influence host physiology, behavior, development, and fitness; that hosts can shape the microbiome's metabolism, dynamics, and evolution; and that the surrounding environment (including biological, chemical, physical, and even social dimensions) both affects and is affected by host-microbiome interactions.
NSF highlights that recent technological and analytical advances have made it much easier to identify which microbes are present in a system and to measure relevant environmental variables. As a result, the field now has abundant descriptive datasets and many plausible hypotheses about microbiome roles in health, ecosystem function, and system dysfunction. The major gap, and the reason for this program, is the need to integrate these data into causal explanations and generalizable theories that work across scales, from molecules and cells up through organisms, communities, and entire biomes, and across time scales ranging from sub-second dynamics to evolutionary and geologic time. In NSF's framing, this is part of discovering the "Rules of Life": the kinds of conceptual models and theoretical constructs that can explain and predict how living systems behave.
URoLMTM invites integrated, interdisciplinary proposals that combine theory development with strong experimental and/or computational strategies to generate and test hypotheses. Competitive projects are expected to build predictive frameworks rather than simply collecting additional correlational observations. Areas of interest include, for example, applying or extending ecological and evolutionary theory to explain microbiome function and interactions; developing new computational, mathematical, or experimental tools to model microbiome dynamics; uncovering molecular mechanisms that enable communication between hosts and microbiomes or among microbes within a microbiome; and using comparative analyses across microbiomes to identify emergent properties that reveal broader principles about living systems. The solicitation also flags interest in how microbiome relationships shape robustness, resilience, and adaptability at the level of individual organisms, populations, or communities, which fits the broader "predicting phenotype" theme.
A central requirement is genuine convergence across more than one research discipline. NSF explicitly lists fields such as biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geosciences, mathematics, physics, and the social and behavioral sciences as potential contributors, and expects projects to integrate perspectives and methods rather than placing disciplines side-by-side. Along with the science, NSF stresses best practices for rigor and reproducibility, including careful protocol documentation, sound sample selection and study design, transparent data collection and analysis workflows, responsible model and algorithm development, and meaningful data sharing and accessibility. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is also intended to create strong training and outreach components, supporting the development of researchers who are fluent across multiple scientific approaches and helping connect microbiome science to broader society.
URoLMTM supports basic research and offers two funding tracks based on project scope. Track 1 supports projects up to $500,000 total over up to 3 years, while Track 2 supports larger, more ambitious efforts up to $3,000,000 total over up to 5 years. The opportunity is offered as a grant mechanism under NSF's research and development activity categories, with an expected number of awards listed as 12 in the source information. The opportunity was created on November 5, 2019, with an original closing date of March 2, 2020, and eligibility is listed broadly with additional clarification referenced in the solicitation. Overall, the program is designed for teams that can connect microbiome data to testable mechanisms and predictive theory, and that can extract general principles that apply across different microbiome systems and biological scales.Apply for 20 513
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome Theory and Mechanisms" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 05, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 02, 2020. (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 12 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: NSF Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome Theory and Mechanisms (URoLMTM)
What is the URoLMTM funding opportunity?
Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome Theory and Mechanisms (URoLMTM) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity that supports basic research aimed at developing theory-driven, mechanistic, and predictive understanding of microbiomes. The program is intended to move microbiome research beyond description and correlation toward explaining cause-and-effect relationships within microbiomes and across microbiome-host-environment systems.
How does URoLMTM fit within NSF priorities?
URoLMTM is part of NSF's broader "Big Ideas" initiative and sits under the Big Idea "Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype." That Big Idea focuses on a core biology challenge: predicting phenotypes (observable traits) from genetics and environmental context. URoLMTM contributes by targeting predictive principles and mechanisms involving microbiomes.
Which NSF unit receives proposals for this program?
Proposals are submitted through NSF's Division of Emerging Frontiers within the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO/EF). However, the solicitation is explicitly cross-NSF and proposals are managed by a team of program directors spanning multiple disciplines and NSF organizational units.
What does NSF mean by "microbiome" in this solicitation?
The term "microbiome" is used broadly to mean collections of microbes in a given habitat. This includes host-associated microbiomes (for example, associated with humans, animals, plants, or other organisms) and environmental microbiomes (for example, in soil, water, built environments, and other contexts).
What types of research is URoLMTM trying to encourage?
URoLMTM encourages integrated, interdisciplinary research that combines theory development with strong experimental and/or computational strategies to generate and test hypotheses. NSF is looking for projects that build predictive frameworks and identify mechanisms, rather than projects that primarily add additional descriptive or correlational observations.
What is the main scientific gap this program is trying to address?
NSF notes that advances in technology and analytics have made it easier to identify which microbes are present and to measure environmental variables, resulting in abundant descriptive datasets. The major gap is integrating those data into causal explanations and generalizable theories that can explain and predict microbiome structure and function across biological scales (from molecules to biomes) and across time scales (from sub-seconds to evolutionary and geologic time).
What kinds of questions or topics are considered a good fit?
Based on the solicitation description, projects may be competitive if they aim to explain how microbiomes are structured, how they function, and how cause-and-effect relationships operate within microbiomes and across host-microbiome-environment interactions. Areas of interest include applying or extending ecological and evolutionary theory to microbiomes, developing computational/mathematical/experimental tools to model microbiome dynamics, uncovering molecular mechanisms of host-microbiome or microbe-microbe communication, and using comparative analyses to identify emergent properties and broader principles.
Does the program focus only on human health microbiomes?
No. The solicitation uses "microbiome" broadly and includes host-associated microbiomes across many organisms as well as environmental microbiomes (such as soil, water, or built environments). The emphasis is on generalizable theory and mechanisms, not on a single host species or application domain.
What does NSF mean by moving beyond "description and correlation"?
In this program framing, "description and correlation" refers to work that mainly catalogs which microbes are present or links microbiome patterns to outcomes without establishing causal mechanisms. URoLMTM emphasizes theory-driven and mechanistic research that can test hypotheses and support prediction, with attention to cause-and-effect relationships.
Is interdisciplinary work required?
Yes. A central requirement is genuine convergence across more than one research discipline. NSF expects projects to integrate perspectives and methods rather than presenting multiple disciplines side-by-side.
Which disciplines are explicitly mentioned as potential contributors?
NSF explicitly lists biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geosciences, mathematics, physics, and the social and behavioral sciences as potential contributors, among others, with an expectation of integrated approaches.
How does the program treat the environment in microbiome research?
The solicitation emphasizes that the surrounding environment (including biological, chemical, physical, and even social dimensions) both affects and is affected by host-microbiome interactions. Projects that consider microbiomes within broader environmental context and feedbacks align with this framing.
What role do theory and models play in URoLMTM proposals?
The program places strong emphasis on theory development and on conceptual models and theoretical constructs that can explain and predict how living systems behave. Competitive projects are expected to connect theory with experimental and/or computational strategies that generate and test hypotheses, resulting in predictive frameworks.
Are experimental, computational, or combined approaches expected?
URoLMTM invites proposals that combine theory development with strong experimental and/or computational strategies. The solicitation highlights integration and hypothesis testing, which can involve experimental systems, computational/mathematical modeling, or a combination.
What is meant by "generalizable theories" across scales and time?
NSF is seeking principles that can apply broadly across different microbiome systems and that can operate across biological scales (molecules, cells, organisms, communities, biomes) and across time scales (from very fast dynamics to evolutionary and geologic time). The goal is not only system-specific findings, but frameworks with wider predictive value.
Does URoLMTM connect to robustness, resilience, or adaptability?
Yes. The solicitation flags interest in how microbiome relationships shape robustness, resilience, and adaptability at the level of individuals, populations, or communities, aligning with the broader theme of predicting phenotype.
What are the funding tracks and award sizes?
The program offers two tracks based on scope. Track 1 supports projects up to $500,000 total over up to 3 years. Track 2 supports larger efforts up to $3,000,000 total over up to 5 years.
What is the grant mechanism and activity type?
The opportunity is offered as a grant mechanism under NSF research and development activity categories.
How many awards does NSF expect to make?
The source information lists an expected number of awards of 12.
When was this opportunity created and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was created on November 5, 2019, and the original closing date was March 2, 2020.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad, with additional clarification referenced in the solicitation. The provided summary does not include the full eligibility criteria, so applicants would need to consult the solicitation for the specific requirements and limitations.
What does NSF emphasize about rigor and reproducibility?
NSF stresses best practices for rigor and reproducibility, including careful protocol documentation, sound sample selection and study design, transparent data collection and analysis workflows, responsible model and algorithm development, and meaningful data sharing and accessibility.
Are training and outreach components important in this program?
Yes. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is intended to support strong training and outreach components, helping develop researchers fluent across multiple scientific approaches and strengthening connections between microbiome science and broader society.
What would make a proposal less aligned with URoLMTM based on the description?
Based on the program emphasis, proposals that focus mainly on collecting additional descriptive datasets or reporting correlations without building and testing mechanistic, theory-driven, predictive frameworks would be less aligned with the stated goals.
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