Scientific collections are a fundamental resource underpinning scientific understanding and discovery. NSF has made significant investments in collections and collections-associated data over the last decade, and increasing and diversifying the use of collections and collections-associated data would maximize the research, training, and education return on these investments. Through this new DCL (NSF 24-069), NSF is encouraging proposals that foster Innovative Use of Scientific Collections and/or associated digital data for novel research, education, and training applications within and across STEM disciplines. 

An immense untapped potential exists for use of collections and collections-associated data in fields such as the social and behavioral sciences, epidemiology, cell and molecular biology, microbial ecology, engineering and materials science, conservation biology, Earth science, critical minerals, ocean science, polar science, and computer science, as well as in training, education, and broadening participation in STEM. Increasing and diversifying the use of collections and collections-associated data has the potential to improve understanding of their value in research, training, and education; contribute to fundamental research in fields and subfields that currently underutilize them; and broaden participation by increasing opportunities for developing or strengthening partnerships.