Accelerating and Scaling Biological Sciences With AI

About this funding opportunity

This RFA closed May 12, 2025 Accelerating and Scaling Biological Sciences With AI

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) invites proposals to build large-scale AI/ML models that cannot be created with conventional university resources. CZI is the only philanthropic organization to fund and build one of the largest computing systems dedicated to nonprofit life sciences research in the world. CZI’s cluster is optimized for AI and machine learning training at scale and comprises 1,024 Nvidia H100 GPUs in an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD configuration with access to VAST fast data storage.

Through competitive allocation of computing power on CZI’s high-performance computing cluster, we will support inspired and cutting-edge model building that will power new approaches to biological discovery.

This grant is for an allocation of CZI’s GPU resource (minimum request of 96 GPU). This is an in-kind award; there are no cash funds, financial contributions, or fees of any kind associated with the award. RFA Contact

For administrative and programmatic inquiries pertaining to this RFA, please contact sciencegrants@chanzuckerberg.com"). For technical assistance with SMApply, please contact support@smapply.io"), or while logged into SMApply, click on the information “i” link in the upper right corner and submit a help request ticket. Key Dates

January 9, 2025

Application portal opens

January 15

February 19

March 19

April 16

Submitted applications will be downloaded for consideration at 1 p.m. Pacific Time on the third Wednesday of every month (as listed) until cluster access is allocated. CZI reserves the right to stop accepting applications at any time.

Award period and start date: Applications should be submitted for projects with a maximum duration of one year. Resource-allocation award period and start date will be dependent on project scope and will be determined by CZI and the grantee once the project is selected for an award. Opportunity

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) invites proposals to build large-scale models that cannot be created with conventional university resources. Through competitive allocation of computing power on CZI’s new GPU cluster, we will support inspired and cutting-edge model building that will power new approaches to biological discovery. Priority will be given to models that align with CZI’s work to build virtual cells") in partnership with the scientific community, but all proposals relating to CZI’s mission") to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century will be considered.

CZI’s vision is to build the future of science by advancing biomedical research and leveraging advances in AI. Over the next 10 years, we’re working to understand the mysteries of the cell and how cells interact within systems, which will underpin discoveries that will improve medicine in the decades that follow. CZI is the only philanthropic organization to fund and build one of the largest computing systems dedicated to nonprofit life sciences research in the world. CZI is making this cluster available to academic researchers across the U.S. through this RFA.

CZI’s vision demands that progress in biology accelerates. Consequently, we are leveraging the potential of AI to build virtual cell models"): multi-scale, multi-modal, large neural network-based models that can represent and simulate the behavior of molecules, cells, and tissues across diverse states to help scientists explore the molecular underpinnings of human health and disease. We foresee virtual cells as having broad applications for biomedical research, disease diagnosis, and therapeutic development.

CZI values open science. Successful proposals must commit to code and weight sharing in accordance with CZI’s data, publication, dissemination, and other applicable policies and principles. We are not supporting models trained on Protected Health Information, and any human data in the training datasets must be de-identified. Grantees will be subject…

Topic areas: Life Sciences and Health, General and Cross-cutting R&D.

Funding amount

This grant provides Varies in funding.

Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no single fixed deadline.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• Not specified by the program.

Eligibility

The program did not publish a separate eligibility statement. See the official opportunity page for the full eligibility criteria.

Agency

Accelerating and Scaling Biological Sciences With AI is administered by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), listed via Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.