Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID)

Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The EEID program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and socio-economic drivers that influence the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases.

NSF 24-592: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements .

All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects. NSF 24-592: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options.

U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate for Geosciences National Institutes of Health John E.

Fogarty International Center National Institute of General Medical Sciences National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Food and Agriculture United Kingdom Research and Innovation Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation National Natural Science Foundation of China Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time): Third Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes This revision adds a new international partner: The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) in the U.K. The EEID program will now accept Planning Proposals.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted.

The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) The multi-agency Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, organismal, and social drivers that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases.

The central theme of submitted projects must be the quantitative, mathematical, or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease (re)emergence and transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies.

They should focus on the determinants and interactions of (re)emergence and transmission among any host species, including but not limited to humans, non-human animals, and/or plants.

This includes, for example, the spread of pathogens; the influence of environmental factors such as climate; the population dynamics and genetics of vectors and reservoir species or hosts; how the physiology or behavior of the pathogen, vector, or host species biology affects transmission dynamics; the feedback between ecological transmission and evolutionary dynamics; and the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of pathogen transmission and disease.

Research may be on zoonotic, environmentally-borne, vector-borne, enteric, or respiratory pathogens of either terrestrial, aquatic, or marine systems and organisms, including diseases of animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems.

Proposals for research on disease systems of public health concern to Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are strongly encouraged, as are disease systems of concern in agricultural systems.

Investigators are encouraged to develop the appropriate multidisciplinary team, including for example, anthropologists, modelers, ecologists, bioinformaticians, genomics researchers, social scientists, economists, oceanographers, mathematical scientists, behaviorists, epidemiologists, evolutionary biologists, entomologists, immunologists, parasitologists, microbiologists, bacteriologists, virologists, pathologists or veterinarians, with the goal of integrating knowledge across disciplines to enhance our ability to predict and control infectious diseases.

Broadening Participation In Stem: NSF recognizes the unique lived experiences of individuals from communities that are underrepresented and/or underserved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the barriers to inclusion and access to STEM education and careers.

NSF highly encourages the leadership, partnership, and contributions in all NSF opportunities of individuals who are members of such communities supported by NSF. This includes leading and designing STEM research and education proposals for funding; serving as peer reviewers, advisory committee members, and/or committee of visitor members; and serving as NSF leadership, program, and/or administrative staff.

NSF also highly encourages demographically diverse institutions of higher education (IHEs) to lead, partner, and contribute to NSF opportunities on behalf of their research and education communities. NSF expects that all individuals, including those who are members of groups that are underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM, are treated equitably and inclusively in the Foundation's proposal and award process.

NSF encourages IHEs that enroll, educate, graduate, and employ individuals who are members of groups underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM education programs and careers to lead, partner, and contribute to NSF opportunities, including leading and designing STEM research and education proposals for funding.

Such IHEs include, but may not be limited to, community colleges and two-year institutions, mission-based institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), women's colleges, and institutions that primarily serve persons with disabilities, as well as institutions defined by enrollment such as Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

"Broadening participation in STEM" is the comprehensive phrase used by NSF to refer to the Foundation's goal of increasing the representation and diversity of individuals, organizations, and geographic regions that contribute to STEM teaching, research, and innovation. To broaden participation in STEM, it is necessary to address issues of equity, inclusion, and access in STEM education, training, and careers.

Whereas all NSF programs might support broadening participation components, some programs primarily focus on supporting broadening participation research and projects. Examples can be found on the NSF Broadening Participation in STEM website. Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing.

See program website for any updates to the points of contact. Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Program Director, Christine Jessup, Program Director, NIH/FIC, email: christine. jessup@nih.

gov Colette M. St. Mary, Program Director, May Yuan, Program Director, Daniel J.

Thornhill, Program Director, Joanne Haney, Senior Portfolio Manager, email: eeid@bbsrc. ukri. org Thomas Erritt, Animal Health Science Coordinator, email: thomas.

erritt@defra. gov.uk Ronald Adkins, Program Director, email: ronald. adkins@nih.

gov Stephanie Coomes, Health Scientist Administrator, email: stephanie. coomes@nih. gov Timothy Sullivan, National Program Leader, email: timothy.

sullivan@usda. gov Rachel (Heni) Haring, Deputy Executive Director, Jing Chen, Deputy Director, email: chenjing@nsfc. gov.cn Sadhana Sharma, Head of Bioscience for an Integrated Understanding of Health, email: eeid@bbsrc.

ukri. org Jingyu Luo, Program Officer, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences --- National Institute of General Medical Sciences --- John E.

Fogarty International Center Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 10 Anticipated Funding Amount: $32,000,000 in FY 2025, pending the availability of funds. That amount includes approximately $13. 5M from NSF for new standard or continuing awards, approximately $7.

5M from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for new or continuing awards, and $11. 0M from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for new awards. The expected funding from United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Defra for the UK component of the US-UK Collaborative Projects will be a maximum of £4.

0M. The expected funding from the Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) for the Israeli component of the US-Israel Collaborative Projects will be approximately $1. 5M.

The expected funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for the Chinese component of the US-China Collaborative Projects will be a maximum of ¥9M.

Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.

Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): Contact the appropriate program before preparing a proposal for submission. There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: In a given year, an individual may participate as a PI, co-PI, or subaward lead on no more than two proposals submitted in response to this solicitation. This limit does not include Research Coordination Networks (RCN) proposals.

In addition, an individual from Israel may participate in no more than two US-BSF proposals and an individual from China may participate in no more than one US-China proposal. Proposals in excess of the limit for any person will be returned without review in the reverse order received. Participating in a proposal as other senior personnel does not count in this limit.

Changes in investigator roles post-submission to meet the eligibility limits will not be allowed. It is the responsibility of the submitters to confirm that the entire team is within the eligibility guidelines. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=pappg . Full Proposals submitted via Grants. gov: NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.

gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ). Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitting organization’s local time): Third Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Award Administration Information Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. The past twenty-five years have seen a dramatic increase in our awareness of the need to understand the ecological and evolutionary drivers of disease emergence and transmission dynamics.

While our knowledge has increased about specific systems and the basic principles of simple systems, understanding of complex systems and translation of those principles into ecosystem, public health, and agricultural health management tools remains challenging.

System complexity includes such factors as multiple interacting species of hosts, pathogens, reservoirs, and/or vectors; interactions among pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes; host behavior and social structure; interactions between biological, cultural, and social factors; effects of spatial and temporal structure; and evolutionary dynamics.

The emergence and the re-emergence of numerous infectious diseases around the world have coincided with unprecedented rates of change in the structure and diversity of the environment and human social and economic systems.

Nearly all of the world's terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems have undergone dramatic changes due to a variety of human activities such as habitat transformation, human displacement and relocation, urbanization, rapid long-distance transport and increased international trade, species invasions, deliberate introduction of infectious diseases for biological control, wildlife trafficking, use of antimicrobial agents in agriculture and medicine, and climate change.

The coincidence of broad scale environmental changes, the expansion of human social and economic networks, and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases may point to underlying predictable ecological and eco-evolutionary relationships. We have improved our ability to define the molecular identity and dynamics of pathogens and have greatly increased our understanding of host defense systems.

We are able to apply genetic knowledge to understand the evolutionary dynamics of infectious diseases. These improvements have contributed significantly to our knowledge of the epidemiology and transmission patterns of diseases. However, the relationship of these factors to the biotic and structural complexity of ecological, agricultural, and social systems in which transmission occurs remains poorly understood.

For example, little is known about the transmission dynamics of interacting pathogens and non-pathogens within a common host, how the host immune system influences disease dynamics, or how the behavior and social structure of hosts influences transmission.

In addition, although these dynamics take place over evolutionary time for pathogens and in the context of human social systems, insufficient attention has been given to integrating ecological, epidemiological, evolutionary, oceanographic, and socio-economic dynamics. At present, basic and applied research in infectious disease ecology and evolution are not well integrated.

The potential benefits of an interdisciplinary research program in this area include: development of disease transmission theory, improved understanding of how diseases (re)emerge, increased understanding of how key host or pathogen physiological processes allow or prevent transmission, improved understanding of host population and ecosystem effects on disease transmission, increased capacity to forecast and respond to outbreaks, improved understanding of unintended health effects of development projects affecting terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems, enhanced safety of food supplies, and improved strategies to control or prevent infectious diseases and enhance biosecurity.

An understudied aspect of disease transmission is the importance of socio-ecological factors and processes. Important new insights into the drivers and control of infectious diseases in humans and other species can only be achieved by integrated approaches that take into account the ways in which the natural and social environments affect the emergence and spread of infectious disease.

This concept, often called "one health," links medical, veterinary, social, and environmental sciences by drawing on a common pool of knowledge between the three sectors in order to exploit the potential of animal disease research to provide insights into ecosystem, agricultural, and human health. This activity is a continuation of the previous EEID competition; information on past NSF awards can be found at EEID Awards .

Additional information for NIH can be found at http://www. fic. nih.

gov/Programs/Pages/ecology-infectious-diseases. aspx and for NIFA at https://nifa. usda.

gov/funding-opportunity/ecology-and-evolution-infectious-diseases . The goal of the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) program is to support important and innovative research on the ecological, evolutionary, behavioral, physiological, oceanographic, and socio-ecological principles that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases.

The program's focus is on the discovery of general principles and processes and on building and testing models that elucidate these principles. P rojects must address the quantitative, mathematical, or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. Research in EEID is expected to be an interdisciplinary effort that goes beyond the scope of typical studies funded by the standing programs of the partner agencies.

Projects should bring together such areas as anthropology, behavior, bioinformatics, computational science, ecology, economics, epidemiology, evolution, food science, genomics, geography, global health, immunology, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, oceanography, plant science, population biology, sociology, physical environmental sciences, systems science, and veterinary medicine.

Research within EEID is expected to generate rigorously characterized and tested models that are of value to the scientific community, and also may be useful in decision making.

The history of the EEID program has shown that the most competitive proposals are those that advance broad, conceptual knowledge that reaches beyond the specific system under study and that may be useful for understanding public, agricultural or ecosystem health, natural resource use and wildlife management, and/or economic development.

Such proposals are typically interdisciplinary in their approach and/or the nature of the question(s) being addressed.

Infectious disease transmission reflects complex, dynamic relationships that occur on varying spatial and temporal landscapes, are created by ecological, evolutionary, and host behavioral or physiological processes, and are revealed in genome architecture, physiological systems, population dynamics, and community structure, as well as behavioral and social dynamics.

The interactions between disease-causing organisms, their reservoirs, vectors, and their host(s) are embedded within much larger networks of interacting systems, including other microorganisms that may or may not cause disease, one or more vector species, and multiple host or reservoir species.

Analysis of environmental influences (biological, geophysical, economic, and social) on individual and population susceptibility is fundamental to understanding these complex systems of infectious diseases.

Research into the ecology (population, community, evolutionary, and social) and biology of infectious diseases will contribute to a deeper understanding of these complex infectious disease systems, to the development of well characterized and tested models, and to the elucidation of general ecological, evolutionary, behavioral, and physiological principles.

Insights into the dynamics of infectious disease systems may require integration across several temporal, spatial, and functional scales including molecular, individual, population, societal, and ecosystem levels. Similarly, they may require integration across biological, socio-economic, and geophysical domains.

The field of evolutionary ecology, which focuses on both the importance of ecological context in studies of evolution and the importance of evolutionary change for ecological systems, may also provide important insights into infectious disease systems.

The interplay of evolution, ecology, and host and pathogen behavior and physiology has implications for understanding how infectious agents emerge as pathogens, adapt to one or more hosts, interact with other microbial communities (e.g., microbiome), and are transmitted among hosts.

A critical goal of research supported by this program is the generation of principles and conceptual frameworks that organize and inform the research and that lead to mathematical, computational, and statistical models of infectious disease dynamics. Diverse modeling approaches are appropriate, including, but not limited to, mathematical equations, computational simulations, geospatial algorithms, and statistical models.

For the EEID program, the most competitive proposals are organized around an overarching conceptual framework that leads to such a model. Models should aim to be explanatory beyond the specific system under study and must be well-characterized and rigorously tested. Proposals must describe how models will be developed, evaluated, and disseminated.

Proposals must identify which individual(s) will oversee the quantitative approaches and provide evidence of demonstrated expertise in mathematical, computational, or statistical modeling and/or data analysis. Likewise, strategies for data collection must be well designed to contribute to and test model design. Proposals must include plans for dissemination of data, models, and tools developed by this program.

A variety of topics, questions, systems, and approaches are appropriate.

Among the areas of particular interest are: the role of social influences on the susceptibility of individuals or populations; multiway interactions between pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms and their mutual hosts and vectors; the role of medical, agricultural or environmental practices on pathogen emergence and transmission; emergence of pathogens from non-pathogenic populations; host switching; innate or acquired immune responses that allow or hinder pathogen transmission; the role of animal movement and social structure in shaping transmission dynamics; evolutionary dynamics in an ecological context such as disease control interventions and drug resistance.

These topics have significant ecological and evolutionary components that should be studied as a system, not in isolation.

Depending on the hypotheses or research questions being addressed, investigations might entail some combination of laboratory experiments, field observations or manipulations, public health interventions (although clinical trials are beyond the scope of the EEID program), analysis of social and cultural processes, or ethnographic studies.

Research may also focus on novel analyses of existing data and/or theoretical investigations of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Investigations may focus on model infectious disease systems in natural (terrestrial, freshwater, or marine) or laboratory settings where those systems elucidate general principles. Research may use a variety of study systems.

The organism(s) or system(s) selected for study should be justified with respect to its suitability to study questions of ecology and/or evolutionary ecology. Research may involve a variety of infectious agents, individual diseases, or groups of diseases, and might involve one or more social systems, regions, habitats, or groups of organisms.

Proposals may focus on terrestrial, aquatic, or marine systems and organisms and may include infectious diseases of humans, non-human animals, or plants. Regardless of the system or approach taken, a proposal must have a significant focus on the ecology of pathogen transmission to be eligible for funding.

Because of the complexity of studies on the ecology and evolutionary ecology of infectious diseases, multidisciplinary teams of domestic and international collaborators with expertise from diverse disciplines are likely to be most effective. Investigators are encouraged to develop collaborations with public health research communities where that is appropriate.

Collaborative teams could include, for example: ecologists, epidemiologists, medical scientists, veterinary scientists, oceanographers, evolutionary biologists, social and behavioral scientists, entomologists, food scientists, microbiologists, pathologists, parasitologists, geologists, oceanographers, hydrologists, geospatial analysts, and mathematical scientists.

The research plan should indicate how multiple disciplines will be integrated and how new investigators in U.S. and collaborating foreign institutions will be prepared to further this research. The EEID program is not intended to be the only avenue of support by the participating agencies for supporting research on infectious diseases.

Specifically, proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must address ecological dynamics and among-host transmission, even when evolutionary studies are a substantive part of the proposal.

Investigations that are outside the scope of this EEID announcement include: those limited solely to genetic patterns of evolutionary change (e.g., comparative genomics), those that focus solely on human diseases without considering the broader ecological context, those that focus solely on pathogen discovery, those that focus solely on within-host biological processes, those that focus solely on vector species ecology, those that have not pre-identified at least one pathogenic organism that will be the focus of the study, those that focus on antimicrobial resistance or transmission of resistance genes without considering pathogen transmission dynamics, and those that would fall under US government policy on potential enhanced pandemic pathogens.

NSF acknowledges the rapidly evolving nature of computational biology and the advances in artificial intelligence in biology, and the potential that such technologies can both contribute to the advancement of science, and the production of dual–use biological knowledge, technology and products.

As such, all proposals that are recommended for funding will be reviewed for compliance with best practices and standards as set out by the US AI Safety Institute 1 and US government policies and guidelines on biosafety, biosecurity 2 , dual use research in the life sciences 3 , potential enhanced pandemic pathogen research, and safe and responsible use of AI 4 .

1 AI Risk Management Framework | NIST 2 Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening | OSTP | The White House 4 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence | The White House The EEID competition broadly welcomes, but does not require, that projects include international collaborators.

Four specific forms of collaboration (US-UK Collaborative Projects, US-Israel Collaborative Projects, and US-China Collaborative Projects) are described below. These specific activities do not preclude other international collaborations. Applications involving research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) should reflect true LMIC research collaboration with LMIC-investigator(s) in a leadership role on the proposed research.

Fogarty International Center The Fogarty International Center (FIC) is dedicated to advancing the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by supporting and facilitating global health research conducted by U.S. and international investigators, building partnerships between health research institutions in the U.S. and abroad, and training the next generation of scientists to address global health needs.

The FIC is interested in EEID applications that include explicit plans for capacity building in Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), as defined by the World Bank and encourages applications that are focused on significant and/or emerging infectious disease threats, including zoonotic disease threats, to human health in LMICs.

To be considered for FIC support, EEID applications must demonstrate true LMIC research collaboration with LMIC investigator(s) in a leadership role on the proposed research. The FIC will consider supporting meritorious EEID research applications that address the above priorities and/or meritorious EEID Research Coordination Network (RCN) applications aimed at capacity building in LMICs.

National Institute of General Medical Sciences The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports basic research that improves understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnoses, prevention, and treatment. NIGMS also has a strong interest in training and support of the nation’s scientific workforce.

NIGMS is interested in EEID applications that address the evolution of hosts, pathogens, and their interactions as well as basic biology and population genetics of hosts and pathogens as they relate to disease transmission and prevention. NIGMS will consider supporting meritorious EEID research applications as single-PI or multi-PI research program grants.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. NIAID supports research on nearly 300 infectious agents and investigates the biological properties of these pathogens and the immune system’s responses to them.

Findings from this research are vital to NIAID efforts to create vaccines, drugs, and diagnostic tools to better diagnose, prevent, and treat infectious diseases.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports research, education, and extension work that addresses key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including farm efficiency and profitability, ranching, bioenergy, forestry (both urban and agroforestry), aquaculture, rural communities and entrepreneurship, human nutrition, food safety, physical and social sciences, home economics and rural human ecology, biotechnology, and conventional breeding, and including both conventional and organic food production systems.

Proposers may submit proposals that support one or more of the six USDA’s strategic goals for FY2022-2026: https://www. usda. gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-fy-2022-2026-strategic-plan.

pdf . Any such activity proposed (e.g., partnerships, exchanges, training, and/or travel), must first and foremost support NIFA’s domestic program goals. Proposers must clearly describe and demonstrate how the international activities proposed will contribute to and support advances in U.S. agriculture.

US-UK Collaborative Proposals Recognizing the potential for international collaboration to advance EEID research and education objectives, NSF has partnered for this solicitation with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This partnership will facilitate coordinated funding of US and UK research collaboration within the EEID program.

UKRI encourages proposals that focus on the impact of environment (e.g. climate change, pollution) on infectious disease transmission, vector borne pathogens, avian influenza, coinfection and plant health, although other topics are still eligible.

Researchers affiliated with a UK entity submitting under this heading must either meet UKRI eligibility requirements for managed mode calls and must apply through an institution eligible to receive UKRI funding or meet Defra requirements as stated in the research and development terms and conditions. Please see UKRI funding rules ( https://www. ukri.

org/councils/bbsrc/guidance-for-applicants ) and Defra research and development terms and conditions ( https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/defra-terms-and-conditions-for-goods-and-services/research-and-development-terms-and-conditions ). PIs are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant cognizant Program Officer to confirm that the UK component meets either UKRI or Defra requirements.

Proposals with non-eligible UK partners will not be considered for funding as a US-UK Collaborative Projects.

US-Israel Collaborative Proposals Recognizing the potential for international collaboration to advance EEID research and education objectives, NSF has partnered for this solicitation with the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), which is an organization owned by the two governments with the aim of facilitating scientific relations between them.

The Israeli component of the US-Israel Collaborative Projects will be funded by the BSF using special funds provided by the Israeli government. Researchers affiliated with an Israeli entity submitting under this heading must meet BSF eligibility requirements and must apply through an institution eligible to receive BSF funding. Please see BSF eligibility rules: https://www.

bsf. org. il/funding-opportunities/nsf-bsf-joint-research-grants/the-programs/ .

US-China Collaborative Proposals Recognizing the potential for international collaboration to advance EEID research and education objectives, NSF has partnered for this solicitation with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The Chinese component of the US-China Collaborative Projects will be funded by the NSFC using funds provided by the Chinese government.

Researchers affiliated with a Chinese entity submitting under this heading must meet NSFC eligibility requirements and must apply through an institution eligible to receive NSFC funding. Please see NSFC eligibility rules: https://www. nsfc.

gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab1503/ . Proposals with non-eligible China partners will not be considered for funding as a US-China Collaborative Project. Multi-country Collaborative Proposals Multinational collaborative research projects that involve researchers from the US and any combination of the UK, Israel and/or China are also welcome.

Any such projects must meet the requirements of each of the NSF, UKRI, BSF, and the NSFC, as appropriate. Research Coordination Network (RCN) Proposals The EEID program will accept proposals to establish Research Coordination Networks that focus on issues involving infectious disease ecology, socio-ecology, and evolution. RCN projects are also eligible to be submitted as US-UK, US-China, or US-UK-China Collaborative Projects.

Information on the scope of RCN projects and the format of those proposals can be found at https://new. nsf. gov/funding/opportunities/research-coordination-networks .

Such RCN proposals should be submitted under the EEID solicitation and deadline. The EEID program will accept planning proposals (PAPPG II. F.

1) for specific areas of interest. Such proposals have no deadline. Prior to submission, researchers MUST contact an NSF program officer about what areas of interest are currently being considered.

Award size: Under this solicitation, the maximum total award size for all years for the US component is $3. 0 million, including indirect costs. The minimum award size is $1.

5 million total project costs for all years, except for international collaborative projects (US-UK, US-Israel, and US-China Collaborative Proposals) that have a minimum award size of $1. 0 million for the US component total project costs for all years. Those collaborative projects can request additional funding from the international partner agency for the international component of the project.

For US-Israel Collaborative Proposals, the maximum award size