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人士，以推进工程生物学领域，以解决国家和全球需求。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，以构建生物体和系统，实现技术创新和科学发现，并开发新产品、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者之间的合作，以应对我们国家最关键的挑战，包括气候、粮食和水、能源和健康危机。通过EBRC的努力，专家们共同努力，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、道德、公平和安全方面的考虑。通过这个项目，工程生物学的研究人员和创新者创造了前瞻性的技术路线图，描述了解决重大社会挑战所需的研究进展。EBRC的政策和国际参与工作为决策者提供信息和见解，帮助他们在对工程生物学研究企业有清晰了解的基础上预测问题并做出决策。EBRC致力于以有利于研究进步的方式识别和解决伦理、监管和政策问题，同时负责任地为社会服务。EBRC对教育的关注促进了学习和参与工程生物学的机会，以支持学生和培养下一代工程生物学领导者。安全焦点建立了一种研究文化，在研究生命周期的每个阶段都考虑安全，以降低风险，同时提高收益。EBRC致力于建立一个更加多元化、公平和包容的研究社区，加速创新，发展强大、可持续的生物经济，造福所有人。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.