Global Centers (GC): Use-Inspired Research Addressing Global Challenges through the Bioeconomy

The Global Centers program is an NSF-led international initiative implemented in partnership with funding agencies from Canada, Finland, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. It supports large-scale collaborative use-inspired research to address global challenges through the bioeconomy, incorporating any combination of scientific disciplines supported by NSF. The program funds international, interdisciplinary research centers that apply best practices of broadening participation and community engagement to develop bioeconomy research addressing global challenges identified by the scientific community. Centers must integrate multidisciplinary research with stakeholder engagement, workforce development, and education. Proposals must focus on one or both subtopics: (1) Leveraging Biodiversity Across the Tree of Life to Power the Bioeconomy, and (2) Biofoundries using the Design-Build-Test-Learn process. All proposals must integrate two crosscutting themes: public engagement and co-generation of research activities, and workforce development and education. Awards will support prominent, enduring international centers of research excellence that advance knowledge, empower communities, and co-generate discovery and innovative solutions at regional and/or global scales.