Biological Sciences
Inactive
- Assistance listing
- 47.074
- Agency
-
National Science Foundation
- Grant awards
- 46,767 $18,251,818,057 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) funds foundational basic research across the biological sciences through predominantly Project Grants, with the most recent grant award issued on March 1, 2027.
NSF is the sole significant funder under this program, accounting for $11.57 billion of the $18.25 billion in combined federal obligations across 46,767 awards since 1991. Within NSF, four divisions drive activity: the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems ($1.65 billion across 2,329 awards), the Division of Biological Infrastructure ($1.54 billion across 1,671 awards), the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences ($1.34 billion across 1,921 awards), and the Division of Environmental Biology ($1.28 billion across 2,214 awards). Project Grants comprise 99 percent of the portfolio, with Cooperative Agreements representing the remaining one percent.
Program activity has slowed markedly in recent years. Awards peaked at 1,073 per year in 2023 but declined to 781 in 2025, 555 in 2026, and only 27 in the first quarter of 2027—indicating either a reduction in submission volume, a shift in funding allocation strategy, or a gap in award processing. Awarded research spans host-microbe interactions (REU Site at University of Iowa on microbiology at the host-pathogen interface, $441,657), evolutionary mechanisms (collaborative research on gut microbiota in wild mammals, $434,617 and $838,435), bioinformatic infrastructure (EukPhylo phylogenomic platform, $736,602), and ecological resilience (wild bee response to heat waves across multiple sites, with awards ranging from $174,877 to $570,713).
Recent grant opportunities reflect NSF's current research priorities. The Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core) solicitation (26-517, due October 5, 2076—note: deadline appears incorrectly dated) and the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program (24-592) remain active. The Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology program (26-504, due September 28, 2027) emphasizes artificial intelligence applied to biological research. Organismal Response to Climate Change (22-513) and Division of Environmental Biology core programs (22-541) support ecological and evolutionary research. None of the solicitations currently open carry application deadlines in the immediate weeks ahead.
Objective and description
- Objective
To promote the progress of the biological sciences and thereby strengthen the Nation's scientific enterprise; to increase scientific knowledge and enhance understanding of major problems confronting the Nation. Most of the research supported is basic
Grant opportunities
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Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 46,767 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Battelle Memorial Institute | $882,831,321 | 5% |
| 2 | National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. | $418,880,296 | 2% |
| 3 | Cornell University | $341,263,347 | 2% |
| 4 | Michigan State University | $325,649,964 | 2% |
| 5 | University Of California, Davis | $277,751,991 | 2% |
| 6 | University Of Wisconsin System | $274,250,013 | 2% |
| 7 | University Of Arizona | $268,371,264 | 1% |
| 8 | University Of Florida | $246,288,901 | 1% |
| 9 | University Of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. | $241,941,146 | 1% |
| 10 | Duke University | $220,057,397 | 1% |
10 of 1,103 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $480,462,861 |
| FY2025 | $775,357,015 |
| FY2024 | $782,974,802 |
| FY2023 | $806,554,435 |
| FY2022 | $833,976,405 |
| FY2021 | $852,946,220 |
| FY2020 | $819,440,208 |
| FY2019 | $792,841,505 |
| FY2018 | $752,695,097 |
| FY2017 | $779,929,078 |
| FY2016 | $832,045,331 |
| FY2015 | $747,220,317 |
| FY2014 | $809,405,339 |
| FY2013 | $755,641,179 |
| FY2012 | $753,105,739 |
| FY2011 | $740,270,552 |
| FY2010 | $724,145,958 |
| FY2009 | $678,410,498 |
| FY2008 | $644,477,503 |
| FY2007 | $635,100,446 |
| FY2006 | $582,360,713 |
| FY2005 | $575,042,031 |
| FY2004 | $374,807,960 |
| FY2003 | $547,509,048 |
| FY2002 | $441,879,469 |
| FY2001 | $415,989,668 |
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Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 47.074?
Assistance Listing 47.074 is Biological Sciences, a federal grant program run by National Science Foundation. It is inactive.
What is the CFDA number for Biological Sciences?
Its CFDA number is 47.074: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 47.074 awarded?
46,767 grant awards under 47.074 have obligated $18,251,818,057 in federal funds to 1,103 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 47.074?
The recipients obligated the most under Biological Sciences are Battelle Memorial Institute ($882,831,321), National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. ($418,880,296) and Cornell University ($341,263,347).
How much did 47.074 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 47.074 obligated $775,357,015 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 47.074?
4 of the latest 50 opportunities under 47.074 are open or forecasted. The latest, Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes (QLCI), was posted on October 9, 2026.
On GovTribe
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