Reproducible Cells and Organoids via Directed-Differentiation Encoding (RECODE)
Funding Agency:
- National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Divisions of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET), Integrative and Organismal Systems (IOS), Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), and Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) seek proposals that elucidate mechanisms of, and develop strategies to, direct the differentiation of undifferentiated cells into mature, functional cells or organoids. Projects responsive to this solicitation must aim to establish a robustly validated and reproducible set of differentiation design rules, mechanistic models, real-time sensing, control, and quality assurance methods, and integrate them into a workable differentiation strategy. They must also deepen our fundamental understanding of how cells develop and differentiate, to provide insights into mechanisms, molecular machinery, dynamics, and the interplay between cells and their environment, such as cell-cell/cell-microbe and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and use this understanding to manipulate cells purposefully. Investigators can choose any undifferentiated cell type from any animal species, including human cell types, as a starting point and choose any appropriate functional product (cell, organoid, etc.) with real-world relevance. The use of non-model systems (e.g., non-human or non-murine systems) is encouraged as is the exploration of non-medical targets. Functional products can span a diverse range of systems (cardiovascular, nervous, immune, etc.). The RECODE program aligns with NSF's commitment to the development of capabilities in biotechnology that advance the U.S. Bioeconomy.
Topics that reside clearly within the boundaries of a single NSF core program are outside of the scope of this solicitation. Specifically, projects centered around the exploration of individual stages/mechanisms of differentiation in isolation or production of engineered cells, tissues, organ-on-a-chip systems, or organoids without developing an understanding of differentiation rules are not responsive to this solicitation.
Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
$6,100,000 to $11,100,000
November 22, 2021
March 31, 2022
- Stephanie George, ENG/CBET, telephone: (703) 292-7825, email: stgeorge@nsf.gov
- Steven L. Klein, BIO/IOS, telephone: (703) 292-7122, email: sklein@nsf.gov
- Laurel C. Kuxhaus, ENG/CMMI, telephone: (703) 292-4465, email: lkuxhaus@nsf.gov