Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 542
The National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) grant opportunity called Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS) is designed to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the biological sciences by using professional societies as the main engines for large-scale culture change. The program is built on the idea that many of the barriers to participation and advancement in biology are not only individual or institutional, but cultural: the shared values, norms, traditions, and everyday practices that shape who feels welcome, who is recognized as a "real scientist," and who has access to opportunities. NSF BIO frames culture as something that develops over long periods through interactions among scientists, their workplaces, their professional networks, and especially their societies. Because those cultural experiences can differ widely between individuals, the same discipline can feel supportive to some and hostile or exclusionary to others, particularly for people historically excluded from science based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability status, sexual orientation, and intersecting identities.
BIO-LEAPS focuses on professional societies because they have unusual leverage points that can influence an entire field at once. Societies publish journals and set expectations around authorship, peer review, and editorial representation; they convene major conferences that shape networking, visibility, and professional development; they create awards and honors that define prestige; they maintain broad memberships that span academia, government, and industry; and they elect leaders whose decisions and public signals often set the tone for acceptable behavior and professional norms. The NSF is essentially asking societies to use these mechanisms intentionally and persistently to reshape the culture of biology so that it becomes more equitable and inclusive and better reflects the demographic composition of the United States.
The types of projects envisioned are evidence-based efforts that do more than deliver one-off trainings or statements. The program emphasizes sustained, innovative approaches that can create meaningful, lasting change, including work that establishes transparent norms and practices that strengthen belonging and scientific identity for people from diverse backgrounds. It also supports initiatives aimed at reducing systemic drivers of inequity, such as narrow or biased perceptions of who a scientist is and structural features that discourage participation or advancement. Another major thrust is assessment: societies can be funded to examine their existing norms, policies, and practices, and to evaluate the broader disciplinary ecosystem they influence, using data to identify where inequities arise and how they persist. Finally, BIO-LEAPS supports the planning, implementation, and evaluation of society-sponsored culture-change activities, with examples including safer conference practices, approaches to mitigate implicit bias in selection or promotion processes for society leadership, and diversification of journal editorial boards and related gatekeeping structures.
From an administrative standpoint, this is an NSF discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 22-542) in the science and technology research and development category (CFDA 47.074). The opportunity listed an award ceiling of up to $2,000,000, with an anticipated 14 awards. The original closing date shown in the source information was July 1, 2022, and the opportunity was created on December 23, 2021. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text, which typically means the program expects applications from professional societies and related organizations positioned to influence disciplinary culture at scale.
Overall, BIO-LEAPS is less about funding biological research directly and more about funding the infrastructure of fairness and inclusion that determines who gets to participate in that research community, who thrives in it, and who is recognized and retained over time. The central expectation is that professional societies will partner with or engage experts in DEI-focused organizational change, use data and evaluation to guide decisions, and implement reforms that can shift norms across the life sciences in ways that persist beyond the grant period.Apply for 22 542
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 23, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 01, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BIO-LEAPS grant opportunity?
BIO-LEAPS (Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) grant opportunity designed to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the biological sciences by supporting culture change efforts led by professional societies.
What is the main goal of BIO-LEAPS?
The main goal is to create meaningful, lasting improvements in the culture of the biological sciences so that participation, advancement, recognition, and access to opportunities are more equitable and inclusive, and better reflect the demographic composition of the United States.
Does BIO-LEAPS fund biological research projects?
BIO-LEAPS is described as being less about funding biological research directly and more about funding the infrastructure of fairness and inclusion that shapes who gets to participate in the research community, who thrives, and who is recognized and retained over time.
Why does the program focus on "culture change" instead of only individual or institutional barriers?
NSF BIO frames many barriers in biology as cultural as well as individual or institutional. Culture is described as shared values, norms, traditions, and everyday practices that affect who feels welcome, who is recognized as a "real scientist," and who has access to opportunities. The program emphasizes that these cultural experiences can differ widely across people and identities.
Why are professional societies the central focus of BIO-LEAPS?
Professional societies are positioned as high-leverage engines for field-wide change because they can influence norms and opportunities at scale through journals and publishing practices, conferences, awards and honors, membership networks spanning sectors, and elected leadership that signals acceptable professional behavior and expectations.
What kinds of barriers and inequities is BIO-LEAPS trying to address?
The opportunity highlights barriers affecting people historically excluded from science based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability status, sexual orientation, and intersecting identities. It also points to systemic drivers of inequity, such as narrow or biased perceptions of who a scientist is and structural features that discourage participation or advancement.
What types of projects does BIO-LEAPS support?
BIO-LEAPS emphasizes evidence-based, sustained, and innovative approaches that go beyond one-off trainings or statements. Supported efforts may include establishing transparent norms and practices that strengthen belonging and scientific identity, reducing systemic drivers of inequity, assessing society norms and policies using data, and planning, implementing, and evaluating society-sponsored culture-change activities.
Does the program emphasize long-term change rather than one-time activities?
Yes. The program description specifically emphasizes sustained approaches and meaningful, lasting change, rather than one-off trainings or statements.
What role do journals and publishing practices play in the program?
Journals are highlighted as one of the key leverage points societies control. Societies can influence expectations around authorship, peer review, and editorial representation, including efforts such as diversifying journal editorial boards and related gatekeeping structures.
What role do conferences play in BIO-LEAPS projects?
Conferences are described as major settings that shape networking, visibility, and professional development. The opportunity includes examples of society-sponsored culture-change activities such as safer conference practices.
How do awards, honors, and recognition factor into culture change?
The opportunity notes that societies create awards and honors that define prestige. This makes recognition systems a potential mechanism for changing norms and ensuring equitable visibility and advancement.
What does BIO-LEAPS say about leadership within professional societies?
Society leadership is described as influential because leaders decisions and public signals often set the tone for acceptable behavior and professional norms. The opportunity also gives examples such as mitigating implicit bias in selection or promotion processes for society leadership.
Is assessment and evaluation a required or major component?
Assessment is described as a major thrust of BIO-LEAPS. The program supports examining existing norms, policies, and practices within societies and evaluating the broader disciplinary ecosystem they influence, using data to identify where inequities arise and how they persist. The program also supports planning, implementation, and evaluation of culture-change activities.
What kinds of "systemic drivers of inequity" does the program mention?
The opportunity mentions narrow or biased perceptions of who a scientist is, and structural features that discourage participation or advancement, as examples of systemic drivers of inequity that projects may aim to reduce.
Who is the target population or community impacted by BIO-LEAPS?
The program is focused on the biological sciences community broadly, with particular attention to improving inclusion and equity for individuals historically excluded from science based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability status, sexual orientation, and intersecting identities.
Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity lists eligibility broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text. Based on the program framing, it typically indicates expectations for applications from professional societies and related organizations positioned to influence disciplinary culture at scale.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for BIO-LEAPS?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 22-542.
What is the CFDA number and category for this opportunity?
The opportunity is in the science and technology research and development category and lists CFDA 47.074.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is up to $2,000,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated 14 awards.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on December 23, 2021.
What was the original closing date shown for the opportunity?
The original closing date shown in the source information was July 1, 2022.
What does NSF expect societies to do with this funding?
The central expectation is that professional societies will use their influence intentionally and persistently to reshape norms across the life sciences, engage or partner with experts in DEI-focused organizational change, use data and evaluation to guide decisions, and implement reforms that persist beyond the grant period.
What are examples of activities mentioned in the opportunity description?
Examples include safer conference practices, approaches to mitigate implicit bias in selection or promotion processes for society leadership, and diversification of journal editorial boards and related gatekeeping structures. The opportunity also highlights using data to examine and evaluate norms, policies, and practices that contribute to inequities.
What does BIO-LEAPS mean by "transparent norms and practices"?
The program emphasizes establishing transparent norms and practices that strengthen belonging and scientific identity for people from diverse backgrounds. In this context, transparency refers to making expectations and processes clearer and more openly defined within the society mechanisms that shape participation and advancement.
How does NSF describe the way culture is formed in scientific fields?
NSF BIO describes culture as developing over long periods through interactions among scientists, their workplaces, their professional networks, and especially professional societies.
Why might the same discipline feel supportive to some people and hostile to others?
The opportunity notes that cultural experiences can differ widely between individuals, meaning that the same disciplinary environment can feel supportive to some and exclusionary to others, particularly for people historically excluded from science and those with intersecting identities.
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