Sparking Innovative Biological Research Collaborations: Innovations and Outcomes

Dr. Liarakos recounts how NSF’s Directorate for Biological Sciences became interested in exploring alternative proposal solicitation and review strategies, such as Ideas Labs and prize competitions, working first with the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and then with the Gates Foundation. The IBIV Ideas Lab and succeeding Ideas Labs in nitrogen and photosynthesis have produced interesting results and NSF is in the process of comparing and analyzing their impact.