What constitutes life, and what are its limits? What core processes produce the varieties of form, function, and complexity that can be observed in living systems?

The Life Sciences funding area supports research and engagement projects on the fundamental structures of the biological world, from the origin of life to synthetic biology across all the biological kingdoms.

We support experimental and theoretical work on the biological mechanisms that produce life in its diverse forms.

In 2025, we are prioritizing project ideas in the following topic areas:

Science of Purpose

We support research that advances the scientific understanding of fundamental characteristics of living systems, such as directionality, agency, memory, and adaptive navigation through complex problem spaces. These emergent properties cannot be fully understood in terms of known characteristics of an organism’s constituent parts, such as genes and cells. An adequate conceptual understanding remains elusive. We encourage submissions of novel project ideas that aim to elucidate or leverage the capacity of organisms to develop structures through information processes that go beyond the foundational rules of synthetic biology.

Other areas of interest

We support theoretical, empirical, and applied research on a range of topics. We will consider funding inquiries that address foundational questions in areas such as complexity, emergence, and the origins of life. Our programs also include genetics research and applications in areas such as epigenetic inheritance, plant resilience, and ecological health.