Using the Rules of Life to Address Societal Challenges | 23 512

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the URoLASC grant opportunity?

Using the Rules of Life to Address Societal Challenges (URoLASC) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity that supports use-inspired, convergent research. It focuses on turning prior basic discoveries about how living systems work into practical benefits for society.

What does NSF mean by "Rules of Life" in this program?

In this context, "Rules of Life" refers to established and emerging insights that help predict how key properties of organisms and ecosystems arise from interactions among genomes, phenotypes, and changing environments. URoLASC emphasizes applying these predictive insights rather than primarily discovering new ones.

How is URoLASC different from earlier NSF Rules of Life efforts?

URoLASC shifts the starting point from fundamental discovery to societal benefit. Proposals are expected to begin with the intended outcomes and broader impacts (what will change and for whom), and then describe the research plan that will deliver those outcomes. It also adds strong expectations for co-production with knowledge users, integrated education/training, and DEIA-focused project structures.

What kinds of societal challenges is URoLASC meant to address?

The solicitation highlights challenges tied to living systems and environmental interactions, including climate change and related risks (geohazards, extreme events, biodiversity loss), environmental degradation affecting land and water, inequities in access to essential natural assets, sustainability challenges in food/energy/waste systems, and threats from pandemic disease.

What types of research are a strong fit for URoLASC?

Strong-fit projects connect predictive biology to concrete, measurable societal outcomes. Projects are expected to draw lessons from rules-of-life research across diverse organisms and ecosystems and use that knowledge to design, test, and evaluate approaches that lead to practical outcomes (for example, improved resilience, sustainability, health security, environmental stewardship, or equitable access to resources).

What does "use-inspired, convergent research" mean in URoLASC?

Based on the solicitation description, "use-inspired" means the research is motivated by real-world needs and intended outcomes beyond academia. "Convergent" means the work integrates multiple disciplines and approaches to tackle complex problems that cannot be addressed well from a single field.

Does the program require that proposals lead with broader impacts and outcomes?

Yes. URoLASC explicitly expects proposals to start by describing anticipated outcomes and broader impacts, then explain the intellectual and technical research plan as the mechanism for delivering those outcomes. The proposal should make clear up front what will change and for whom.

What is the co-production requirement, and who counts as a "knowledge user"?

URoLASC requires a co-production strategy that involves both knowledge producers (researchers) and knowledge users throughout all phases of the project. Knowledge users can include community partners, practitioners, decision-makers, industry, nonprofits, agencies, or other stakeholders who are positioned to shape the work and use the results.

Is co-production the same as outreach or dissemination at the end of the project?

No. The program description emphasizes that co-production is not limited to end-of-project outreach. Stakeholder involvement is intended to be embedded from the beginning through design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination so the outputs are relevant, usable, and more likely to be adopted.

How should stakeholders be involved over the life of the project?

The solicitation describes stakeholder engagement as continuous: stakeholders help shape project design, participate during implementation, inform evaluation, and support dissemination and use of outputs. The expectation is that real-world constraints and needs influence research questions and methods, not just the communication of results.

What education and training components does URoLASC expect?

URoLASC requires strong integration of innovative education and training that supports convergent research. Workforce development should not be an add-on; it should be tightly connected to project goals and the co-production approach and help trainees work across disciplines, methods, and sectors.

Who are the intended trainees or learners in URoLASC projects?

The description specifically mentions students, postdocs, and other trainees. Projects are expected to build learning and training structures that help these participants operate effectively in convergent, cross-sector work linked to the project.

What disciplines can be included in URoLASC projects?

The solicitation emphasizes convergent approaches and gives examples of cross-training across biology, engineering, computer science, geoscience, social science, and policy-relevant fields, as long as these elements are tightly connected to project goals and co-production.

What are the DEIA expectations under URoLASC?

URoLASC places clear expectations on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Teams are expected to broaden participation, include people from underrepresented groups (including the "Missing Millions"), and support participation of women and others historically underrepresented in STEM across roles such as PIs/co-PIs, trainees, and key personnel.

Does URoLASC encourage participation from certain institution types?

Yes. The program encourages proposals involving a broad range of institutions, including predominantly undergraduate institutions, minority-serving institutions that are not among the most research-intensive, other Carnegie-classified R2, D/PU, and M1-3 institutions, and institutions in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions.

Is URoLASC a cross-directorate NSF program?

Yes. URoLASC is described as a cross-directorate NSF program intended to bring together expertise and perspectives from multiple NSF areas, rather than being confined to a single disciplinary lane.

Where are URoLASC proposals submitted within NSF?

Proposals must be submitted through the Emerging Frontiers (EF) Division within the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO).

How are proposals reviewed for URoLASC?

Review is handled by a multidisciplinary, cross-directorate team of NSF program officers, consistent with the program's cross-cutting scope.

What is the funding instrument for URoLASC?

The funding instrument is a grant.

What is the maximum award size for URoLASC?

The award ceiling is $3,000,000.

About how many awards does NSF expect to make under URoLASC?

The opportunity description notes an expectation of about 15 awards.

What is the NSF funding opportunity number for URoLASC?

The NSF funding opportunity number is 23-512.

What do the listed CFDA numbers indicate?

The CFDA numbers span multiple NSF programs, which reflects the broad, cross-cutting nature of URoLASC as described in the opportunity summary.

What does NSF mean by "measurable societal outcomes" in URoLASC?

Based on the description, projects are expected to design, test, and evaluate approaches that can lead to tangible benefits outside academia. The emphasis is on outcomes that can be demonstrated and assessed, not only on producing knowledge.

What is the overarching goal of URoLASC?

The program aims to apply predictive capabilities derived from biology to urgent societal problems tied to living systems and their interaction with the environment, while ensuring the work is co-produced with users and paired with training and participation models that strengthen the future convergent research workforce.