Conference: Translating Molecular Science Innovations into Biotechnology Solutions

在2021财年，美国国家科学基金会(NSF)化学部启动了一项新的高度协作的计划(生物技术分子基金会-MFB)，该计划支持分子科学的新方法，以推动分子生物技术的新方向，分子生物技术是21世纪的关键和新兴技术。该计划已经发展成为国家卫生研究院国家人类基因组研究所(NHGRI)和四个NSF主任的六个部门之间的直接合作伙伴关系。在前两个供资周期中共颁发了11个奖项，第三轮供资正在进行中。在NSF化学部(CHE)和技术、创新和伙伴关系委员会的支持下，大学-产业示范伙伴关系的Anthony Boccanfuso博士正在为前两个资助周期的获奖者、其他学术研究人员和一组具有战略意义的私营部门代表组织研讨会，以考虑MFB计划的进展(第一天)，然后是专门探索当前联邦机构将研究转化为研究以及研究成果的商业和翻译潜力的一天(第二天)。该研讨会的最终目标是评估最惠国待遇计划的翻译潜力，引入商业部门的可能投资，并确定需要额外投资的其他技术领域。研讨会定于2024年春季在华盛顿特区举行。这一奖项反映了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。

In FY2021, the Division of Chemistry at National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a new highly collaborative program (the Molecular Foundations for Biotechnology - MFB), which supports fundamentally new approaches in molecular sciences to drive new directions in molecular biotechnology, a critical and emerging technology of the 21st century. The program has grown into a direct partnership between the National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and six divisions across four NSF directorates. Eleven awards were made in the first two funding cycles, and a third funding round is in progress. With support from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships at NSF, Dr. Anthony Boccanfuso of University-Industry Demonstration Partnership is organizing a workshop for awardees in the first two funding cycles, other academic investigators, and a strategic set of private sector representatives to consider the progress of the MFB program (Day 1), followed by a day dedicated to exploring current federal agency approaches to translating research and the commercial and translation potential of the research thrusts (Day 2). The ultimate goals of this workshop are to assess the translational potential of the MFB program, bring in possible investment from the business sector, and identify other technical areas needing additional investments. The workshop is slated to take place in Spring 2024 in the Washington, DC region.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.