Biophotonics — U.S. National Science Foundation funding opportunity
U.S. National Science Foundation · Federal agency

Biophotonics

TheBiophotonicsprogram is part of the Engineering Biology and Health cluster, which also includes: 1) the Biosensing program; 2) the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering program; 3) the Disability and Rehabilitation Engi...

94
match
Deadline Fixed Location Alabama Type grant Level Federal Open posted Jun 6, 2025
✦ AI Summary
  • Who can apply: Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details).
  • Funding amount: total funding pool ~$6,600,000.
  • Issued by: U.S. National Science Foundation.
Sign in to generate AI summary
How was this generated?

The “key facts” mode pulls structured fields directly from the official source posting (amount, deadline, eligibility tags). The AI mode adds a short plain-English narrative on top, generated from the same source. Always verify with the agency before applying.

AI-generated. Always verify with the official source.

Deadline
Fixed
Total pool
$6.6M

About this opportunity

TheBiophotonicsprogram is part of the Engineering Biology and Health cluster, which also includes: 1) the Biosensing program; 2) the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering program; 3) the Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering program; and 4) the Engineering of Biomedical Systems program. The goal of theBiophotonicsprogram is to explore the research frontiers in photonics principles, engineering and technology that are relevant for critical problems in fields of medicine, biology and biotechnology. Fundamental engineering research and innovation in photonics is required to lay the foundations for new technologies beyond those that are mature and ready for application in medical diagnostics and therapies. Advances are needed in and targeting agents, ultra-thin probes, wide field imaging, and rapid biomarker screening. Low cost and minimally invasive medical diagnostics and therapies are key motivating application goals. Research topics in this program include: Macromolecule Markers: Innovative methods for labeling of macromolecules. Novel compositions of matter. Methods of fabrication of multicolor probes that could be used for marking and detection of specific pathological cells.Pushing the envelope of optical sensing to the limits of identification. Low Coherence Sensing at the Nanoscale: Low coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS). N-dimensional elastic light scattering.Angle-resolved low coherence interferometry for early cancer detection (dysplasia). Neurophotonics:Studies of photon activation of neurons at the interface of nanomaterials attached to cells. Development and application of biocompatible photonic tools such as parallel interfaces and interconnects for communicating and control of neural networks. Microphotonics and Nanophotonics:Development and application of novel nanoparticle fluorescent quantum-dots. characterization of macromolecular properties of cells.Nanomaterials and nanodevices for biomedicine. Optogenetics: Novel research in employing light-activated channels and enzymes for manipulation of neural activity with temporal precision. Utilizing genetic techniques for mapping and studying in real-time physiological processes in organs such as the brain and heart. Innovative proposals outside of these specific interest areas may be considered. However, prior to submission, it is recommended that the PI contact the program director to avoid the possibility of the proposal being returned without review. INFORMATION COMMON TO MOST CBET PROGRAMS Proposals should address the novelty and/orpotentially transformative natureof the proposed work compared to previous work in the field. Also, it is important to address why the proposed work is important in terms of engineering science, as well as to also project the potential impact on society and/or industry of success in the research. The novelty or potentially transformative nature of the research should be included, as a minimum, in the Project Summary of each proposal. The duration of unsolicited proposal awards in CBET is generally up to three years. Single-investigator award budgets typically include support for one graduate student (or equivalent) and up to one month of PI time per year(awards for multiple investigator projects are typically larger). Proposal budgets that are much larger than typical should be discussed with the program director prior to submission. Proposers can view budget amounts and other information from recent awards made by this program via the “What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)” link towards the bottom of this page. Faculty Early Career Development(CAREER)program proposals are strongly encouraged. Award duration is five years. The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year. Learn more in the CAREER program description.

Funding agency

U.S. National Science Foundation
Federal agency

Tags

Agriculture & Farming Healthcare & Biotech Technology & Software Education & Research Rural Development Transportation & Logistics Science, Tech & Engineering (STEM)
Want help applying?

Our specialists will check your eligibility, prepare the application, and walk you through every step — for free. Create a free account →

Who can apply

Eligibility details aren't on file yet — check the agency source link in the Documents tab for the latest rules.

Geographic eligibility

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • District of Columbia

How to apply

We don't have application instructions on file yet — head straight to the official source.

Apply on agency site
Tip from our team:

Read the agency's eligibility checklist before you start — it's almost always shorter than the full NOFO and will tell you in 90 seconds whether to keep going.

Need help getting in touch with the right agency contact?

Create a free account and our specialists will guide you through the application end-to-end.

Source documents

View on agency site
Canonical NOFO, application packet, and forms
No supplemental documents yet.

Direct downloads (NOFO PDFs, application forms, FAQs) will appear here once our team attaches them. For now, the agency site has the canonical packet.

Citation details

Source systemgrants.gov
Source ID359451
PostedJun 6, 2025

Frequently asked questions

No FAQs yet.

Have a question about this fund? Sign in to open a ticket about this fund.

Similar grants

Construction & Housing
Transportation Department

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program

83
match

- **Who can apply:** Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details). - **Issued by:** Transportation Department. - **About:** The Federal Railroad Administration has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (…

Amount varies Rolling Nationwide, USA
Transportation & Logistics
Transportation Department

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Years 2025-2026 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for Projects Located on the Northeast Corridor (Partnership-NEC)

97
match

- **Who can apply:** Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details). - **Issued by:** Transportation Department. - **About:** The Federal Railroad Administration has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (…

Amount varies Rolling Nationwide, USA
Agriculture & Farming
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery

Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program FR91

71
match

Purpose: The Farm & Ranch Solid Waste Clean Up & Abatement Grant program provides funding for cleaning up and preventing illegal dumping on agricultural properties (CCR, Section 17991(d)). Each fiscal year has four ap…

Amount varies Rolling California, USA
Nonprofit & Community
CA State Library

2026-2027 LSTA Digital Literacy and Access

68
match

Purpose: Public libraries provide access to digital resources and the skills to safely use those resources, which are key components of the Broadband for All Initiative . The goals of this opportunity are to help libr…

Amount varies Rolling California, USA
Apply on agency site