EBRC 2026: Engineering Biology for the Next-Generation Bioeconomy

工程生物学研究联盟(EBRC)汇集了来自学术界、政府和工业界的包容性社区，以推动工程生物学领域的发展，以满足国家和全球的需求。工程生物学将生物学的知识、过程和工具与工程原理相结合，以建立生物体和系统，使技术创新和科学发现成为可能，并开发新的产品、服务和经济增长。EBRC促进具有不同专业知识的研究人员和领导人之间的合作，以应对我们国家最关键的挑战，包括气候、食品和水、能源和健康方面的危机。通过EBRC的努力，专家们共同确定实现技术进步和突破所需的具体步骤，同时积极纳入政策、教育、伦理、公平和安全考虑。通过这个项目，工程生物学的研究人员和创新者创建了前瞻性的技术路线图，描述了在解决重大社会挑战方面取得进展所必需的研究进展。EBRC的政策和国际参与努力提供信息和洞察力，为政策制定者提供信息和建议，帮助他们预测问题并根据对工程生物学研究企业的明确了解做出决定。EBRC致力于确定和解决伦理、法规和政策问题，以有利于研究的进步，同时负责任地服务于社会。EBRC对教育的关注培养了学习和接触工程生物学的机会，以支持学生并培养下一代工程生物学领导者。安全重点建立了一种研究文化，在研究生命周期的每个阶段都纳入了对安全的考虑，以降低风险，同时提高收益。EBRC整合了所有的努力，致力于建立一个更加多样化、公平和包容的研究社区，以加速创新并发展强大、可持续、惠及所有人的生物经济。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) brings together an inclusive community of people from academia, government, and industry to advance the field of engineering biology to address national and global needs. Engineering biology combines the knowledge, processes, and tools of biology with the principles of engineering to build organisms and systems, enable technological innovation and scientific discovery, and develop new products, services, and economic growth. EBRC facilitates collaborations between researchers and leaders with diverse expertise to tackle our nation’s most critical challenges, including crises in climate, food and water, energy, and health. Through EBRC’s efforts, experts work together to identify the concrete steps needed to achieve technical progress and breakthroughs, while actively incorporating policy, education, ethics, equity, and security considerations.Through this project, researchers and innovators in engineering biology create forward-looking technical roadmaps that describe the research advances necessary to achieve progress toward solving significant societal challenges. EBRC’s policy and international engagement efforts provide information and insight to inform and advise policymakers to help them anticipate issues and make decisions based on a clear understanding of the engineering biology research enterprise. EBRC works to identify and address ethical, regulatory, and policy issues in ways that benefit the advancement of research while serving society responsibly. EBRC’s focus on education fosters opportunities for learning about and engaging with engineering biology to support students and develop the next generation of engineering biology leaders. The security focus builds a research culture that incorporates consideration of security throughout every stage of the research lifecycle to reduce risk while promoting benefits. Integrated into all of its efforts, EBRC endeavors to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive research community that will accelerate innovation and grow a strong, sustainable bioeconomy that benefits all.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.