National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
National Eye Institute (NEI)
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)
Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
All applications to this funding opportunity announcement should fall within the mission of the Institutes/Centers. The following NIH Offices may co-fund applications assigned to those Institutes/Centers.
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
S10 Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Grants
See Notices of Special Interest associated with this funding opportunity
September 30, 2024 - Notice of Change to Application Due Date for PAR-23-138 "Instrumentation Grant Program for Resource-Limited Institutions (S10 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)". See Notice NOT-GM-24-055
December 12, 2023 - Notice of Change to Institutional Eligibility Criteria in PAR-23-138 "Instrumentation Grant Program for Resource-Limited Institutions (S10 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)". See Notice NOT-GM-24-014
September 12, 2023 - Notice of Change to correct ORIP’s listing under Components of Participating Organizations for PA-23-080, PA-23-230, PA-23-232, PAR-23-138, RFA-NS-23-006, and RFA-NS-23-007. See Notice NOT-OD-23-172
April 17, 2023 - Notice of Informational Webinar for PAR-23-138. See Notice NOT-GM-23-041.
NOT-OD-22-195 New NIH "FORMS-H" Grant Application Forms and Instructions Coming for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2023
NOT-OD-22-189 Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy
NOT-OD-22-198 Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023
NOT-OD-23-012 Reminder: FORMS-H Grant Application Forms & Instructions Must be Used for Due Dates On or After January 25, 2023 - New Grant Application Instructions Now Available
See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.
The Instrumentation Grant Program for Resource-limited Institutions supports the purchase of state-of-the-art scientific instruments to enhance the research and educational missions of resource-limited institutions. Requested instruments may support biomedical research and education in basic, translational, biomedically-related behavioral or clinical fields.
Not Applicable
Dates in bold and italics reflect changes per NOT-GM-24-055.
Application Due Dates | Review and Award Cycles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New | Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) | AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed | Scientific Merit Review | Advisory Council Review | Earliest Start Date |
July 03, 2023 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | November 2023 | January 2024 | April 2024 |
June 03, 2024 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | November 2024 | January 2025 | April 2025 |
July 03, 2025 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | November 2025 | January 2026 | April 2026 |
All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
Not Applicable
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).
Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.
Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes that scientists and students from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and research interests to address complex scientific problems. Benefits of a diverse scientific workforce include fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, building robust learning environments, improving research quality, advancing participation of underserved populations, and strengthening public trust. Yet many institutions that educate students from a diversity of backgrounds, including Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), are under-resourced and their faculty receive fewer NIH research grants ( Hoppe 2019 ). This Instrumentation Program for Resource-limited Institutions aims to enhance biomedical research capacity and educational opportunities at under-resourced institutions by supporting their purchase of modern scientific instruments for research and education. Access to scientific equipment is essential for conducting biomedical research. By providing the opportunity to acquire instruments and other forms of equipment necessary for performing modern experimental studies, this program aims to increase the research capacity at resource-limited institutions across the country, bringing a wider set of researchers with new scientific questions and the different populations they serve into biomedical research. In addition, hands-on, active learning has been shown to significantly enhance student interest and educational achievement in scientific fields. By providing increased access to modern scientific equipment, this program will enhance opportunities at institutions that currently cannot provide this kind of research-based education, which will help increase the talent pool on which the U.S. biomedical research enterprise can draw.
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides awards to institutions that have limited NIH Research Project Grant funding to purchase scientific equipment (see Section III.1 for details on institutional eligibility). Proposed instruments may support scientific projects in basic, translational, clinical, or biomedically-related behavioral fields. Students and trainees may also benefit from access to the instrument in formal courses. The requested instrument should invigorate current research, contribute to opportunities for new research projects, stimulate collaborations, and/or enhance education.
Expectations
The requested instrument should be housed at the eligible applicant institution and placed in a space that maximizes sharing, promotes cost-effectiveness, and fosters a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment. Examples of suitable spaces include a core facility, a shared-resource space, or an accessible laboratory, which may be a teaching space.
The applicant institution should propose a Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) who will assume administrative and scientific oversight of the requested instrument.
The PD/PI is responsible for the instrument's organizational plan (Section IV.2) and:
Each application should have at least three Major Users with research projects or educational activities that demonstrate a significant need for the requested instrument (see Section III.3 Additional Information on Eligibility).
Allowable equipment
This NOFO provides funds to purchase a single, specialized, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system. An integrated instrumentation system is one in which the components, when used in conjunction with one another, perform a function that no single component can provide. The components must be dedicated to the system and not used independently. Types of instruments to be supported include, but are not limited to, basic cell sorters, confocal microscopes, ultramicrotomes, gel imagers, mass spectrometers, optical instruments such as fluorimeters or CD spectropolarimeters, centrifuges, micro-plate-readers equipped with optical systems for high throughput measurements, FPLCs and HPLC, or computer systems. All instruments, integrated systems, and computer systems must be dedicated to research and education. Applications for stand-alone computer systems (e.g., computer clusters and data storage systems) will only be considered if the system is solely dedicated to biomedical research and/or education and alternative access to such services (e.g., commercial cloud services) is not feasible or cost-effective.
Foreign-made instruments are allowed.
Exclusions
This NOFO will not support requests for:
Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss any questions about appropriate types of equipment, eligibility, and program requirements with the appropriate Scientific/Research Contact (See Section VII) prior to submitting an application.
Note: An application requesting more than one type of instrument (for example, a spectrometer and a microscope) that cannot be justified as an integrated instrumentation system is not appropriate for this NOFO and will be withdrawn without review.
NIGMS: NIGMS is interested in supporting applications for the purchase of instruments that are aligned with the Institute's mission. NIGMS-supported research may utilize specific cells or organ systems if they serve as models for understanding general biological or chemical principles. NIGMS also supports research in specific clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems.
NEI: The mission of the NEI is to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research. Applications considered for funding by the NEI must fall within the areas of emphasis detailed in the NEI Strategic Plan. NEI will support applications that are justified for shared-use equipment for basic, translational, biomedical and/or biobehavioral research on vision. Types of supported instruments include, but are not limited to: DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and light microscopes, confocal microscopes, flow cytometers, high throughput robotic screening systems, and biomedical imagers, including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).
NIA: NIA's mission is to support and conduct genetic, biological, clinical, behavioral, social, and economic research on aging.
NIMHD: The mission of NIMHD is to lead scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. NIMHD supports the study of many aspects of minority health and health disparities from biological and population sciences to clinical, behavioral, and translational research, as well as research on health care services, health systems and workforce development. NIMHD seeks to support institutional equipment acquisition to expand the capability of researchers seeking to study minority health and reduce health disparities. NIMHD also seeks to encourage the development of the technical expertise of researchers and trainees on equipment and instruments utilized to conduct research that are aligned with the mission of NIMHD.
NHGRI: NHGRI is interested in supporting applications for the purchase of instruments that will enable and/or advance research projects and educational activities relevant to genomics, such as resources, approaches, and technologies that accelerate genomic research focused on the structure and biology of genomes; the genomics of disease; the implementation and effectiveness of genomic medicine; computational genomics and data science; the impact of genomic technology, advances, and implementation on health disparities and health equity; and ethical, legal, and social issues related to genomic advances. Examples of supported instruments include, but are not limited to: DNA and RNA purification systems, nucleic acid sequencers, genotyping instruments, computer systems and mass spectrometers.
NIDCR: NIDCR supports research and research training to advance fundamental knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease, and to translate these findings into prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies that improve overall health for all individuals and communities across the lifespan. Strategic Priorities are laid out in NIDCR Strategic Plan 2021-2026.
NINDS: NINDS is interested in supporting applications for the purchase of instruments that are aligned with the NINDS mission. NINDS expects to support instrumentation for existing NINDS-funded projects and/or catalyze future NINDS-relevant projects at resource-limited institutions or other collaborative partnerships for neuroscience research or education. NINDS supports a broad array of rigorous and important neuroscience research from fundamental studies of basic nervous system function to studies to improve treatments and prevent neurological disorders. Please refer to the NINDS Strategic Plan for our priorities in neuroscience research.
See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.
Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials.
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of meritorious applications.
Applications that request a single, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system are allowed. Since different instruments will range in cost, the amount of the award will vary. The minimum award is $25,000, and although there is no upper limit on the cost of the instrument, the maximum award is $250,000. No indirect costs are allowed for S10 awards.
Applicants should employ the most economical approaches, including securing academic discounts, to formulate a cost-effective budget while meeting users' scientific and educational needs. See Section IV. 6. Funding Restrictions for additional details.
Service contract costs for up to 5 years may be included in the budget but must be paid during the period of the award.
Awards are made for one year only.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.
1. Eligible Applicants
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For-Profit Organizations
Local Governments
Federal Governments
Other
Applicant institutions eligible for funding through this NOFO must be domestic, located in the United States or its territories, and meet these criteria:
IPEDS reports the percentage of students supported by Pell grants in two ways: (1) the percentage of all undergraduates enrolled and (2) the percentage of full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. Institutions may use either option for determining their eligibility. No matter which category of IPEDS data is used, the institution’s Pell enrollment in that category must be at least a yearly average of 35% calculated from the three most recent years of reported data.
The application must be submitted by an eligible organization with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and a unique NIH eRA Institutional Profile File (IPF) number. For institutions with multiple campuses, eligibility can be considered for an individual campus (e.g., main, satellite, etc.) as the applicant organization only if a UEI and a unique NIH eRA IPF number are established for the individual campus. For institutions that use one UEI or NIH IPF number for multiple campuses, eligibility as the applicant organization is determined for the campuses together.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Applicant Organizations
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.
Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019.
Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.
2. Cost Sharing
This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
3. Additional Information on Eligibility
Number of Applications
The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is for a different type of instrument. Applicant organizations are advised to consult with a Scientific/Research Contact (Section VII) before submitting multiple applications.
At least three Major Users are required at the time of application submission. Once this requirement has been met, other users may be added. There is no requirement that the PD/PI nor any Major User have an existing NIH award in order to apply to this NOFO.
Major Users can include:
In addition,
Applications will be withdrawn for failure to meet the eligibility requirements for Major Users at the time of submission.
The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Page Limitations
All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
The Instrumentation Plan (see Other Attachments section of the SF424(R&R) Other Project Information form) must include the following sections and may not exceed these page limitations:
The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.
SF424(R&R) Cover
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Descriptive Title: Enter the generic name of the instrument requested in the title (for example, Confocal Microscope or Plate Reader Equipped with Fluorescence Optics ).
Estimated Project Funding:
Total Federal Funds Requested: Enter the total Federal funds for the requested instrument. This entry cannot exceed $250,000, the maximum award under this program. If the cost of the instrument is more than $250,000, enter $250,000 (or any lower amount of the requested Federal Funds).
Total Non-Federal Funds: If Total Federal Funds Requested (described immediately above) and Total Federal & Non-Federal Funds (described immediately below) are not the same, enter the difference in this line. Explain how the difference will be paid in the Equipment section on the SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information form (described below).
Total Federal & Non-Federal Funds: Enter the total cost of the instrument from the quote.
Program Income: Enter zero as this does not apply to this NOFO.
SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Project Summary/Abstract: The Project Summary/Abstract contains a succinct and accurate description of the requested instrument and an explanation of the need for the instrument. Concisely state the application's broad, long-term objectives. Describe how access to the instrument will stimulate biomedical research and/or support education at the institution(s). This section should be informative to other people working in the same or related fields and understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader.
Note: The Project Summary/Abstract must be no longer than 30 lines of text.
Project Narrative: Using no more than two or three sentences, describe the relevance of the instrument to public health and its impact on research and education at the applicant institution. In this section, be succinct and use plain language that can be understood by a general, lay audience.
Bibliography & References Cited: List only publications that demonstrate the researchers' expertise in operation and usage of the requested instrument or are relevant to projects that will be supported by the instrument. References from the Research/Education Projects Section may appear in this section or may be listed at the end of individual subsections.
Facilities & Other Resources: Not Applicable. Do not include an attachment here.
Equipment:
Do not describe the need for the instrument or accessories in this section; such a narrative should be a part of the Instrumentation Plan.
If the amount of funds requested does not cover the total instrument cost, the application should describe the proposed source(s) of funding to cover the balance of the cost of the instrument and document its availability in a letter signed by an appropriate institutional official (see Letters of Support instruction below).
Other Attachments: The application must include the following two attachments. Please see the Page Limitations section above for information about the page limits for the three sections of the Instrumentation Plan.
The Instrumentation Plan (with the sections described below) must be saved as a single PDF file named Instrumentation Plan and uploaded as a distinct attachment. Organize the Instrumentation Plan in the order specified below, starting each section with the appropriate section heading (Plan for Research and Education Capacity Building, Technical Expertise, and Organizational Plan). Do not include links to websites for additional information. Do not include animations or videos.
2. Letters of Support
All letters of support should be combined in a single PDF named "Letters of Support" and uploaded as a distinct attachment. This combined file must include a letter(s) from the Authorized Organization Representative or Business Official or similar official with institution-wide responsibility that certifies:
If applicable, a letter(s) of support, from appropriate institutional officials, should also address the following:
SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Include the profiles of the PD/PI, Major Users, Other Users, and technical personnel, as applicable.
The PD/PI should document the following in the biographical sketch:
Do not complete either the R&R or Modular Budget form.
Do not complete this budget form.
PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
PHS Assignment Request Form
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.
Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applications will be awarded for a period of one year and are not renewable. Pre-award costs are not allowable.
Under the S10 program, funding requests are limited to the purchase cost, extended warranties and service contracts for the instrument only. Support for technical personnel, software (except as defined in Part 2. Section I. Funding Opportunity Description), and supplies are not allowable. Cost sharing towards the purchase of the instrument is not required and any institutional funds contributed to the costs of the purchase of the instrument are voluntary. If the amount of funds requested does not cover the total instrument cost, the application should describe the proposed source(s) of funding to cover the balance of the cost of the instrument and document institutional support in a letter signed by an appropriate institutional official. Note that any voluntarily committed cost will be noted in the Notice of the Award and the institution will be held to the commitment and reporting requirements.
This Program does not provide facilities and administrative (F&A) costs or support for construction, alterations or renovations. Matching funds are not required. However, commitment of an appropriate level of institutional support, to ensure the associated sustaining infrastructure, is expected and should be described in Letters of Support.
7. Other Submission Requirements and Information
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.
Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.
The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by NIGMS. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.
Post Submission Materials
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
This program is intended to strengthen the biomedical research and educational capacity of under-resourced institutions. There is no requirement or expectation that eligible institutions have existing NIH or other federally funded research programs.
Reviewers will provide an overall benefit score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood that the requested instrument will enhance the research and education capacity of the institution(s) in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of capacity building merit and give a separate score for each.
How well has need for the instrument been justified? Is the equipment essential and appropriate for the described projects? Are all specific features, special accessories, and software of the requested instrument well justified? Will the instrument be sufficiently used to justify its purchase? Is the user community sufficiently large to support acquisition of the instrument and are their needs for the instrument clear? To what extent is the instrument justified for building research and education capacity at the institution and its community?
Is there sufficient technical expertise to provide training and make effective use of the requested equipment? How well qualified is the identified person for handling user training on the instrument? How well qualified are the participating investigators or other assigned personnel to operate and maintain the instrument, conduct the projects, and evaluate research results, including analysis and interpretation of data? Consider the degree to which the technical expertise can be leveraged for effective teaching.
How significantly do the proposed uses of the requested instrument advance the biomedical research and education at the applicant institution? How will the individual User's projects be enhanced by the instrument? For research projects, does the overall goal of the research warrant the instrument? Is the instrument appropriate for the proposed research experiments? For educational projects, how beneficial will the instrument be in advancing educational training in the biomedical sciences? Will installation of the requested instrument contribute to creating new research and educational opportunities for the institution and its community?
To what extent do the plans for the instrument’s management, training and maintenance ensure success? How well does the organizational plan ensure sharing and access to the instrument? Are plans to document use of the instrument adequate? If needed, are the policies to manage projects that have human subjects, animals, or biohazards adequate? Is the expected usable lifetime of the instrument reasonable and is there a sound plan to maintain the instrument's function beyond its initial warranty period? How sound is the plan to establish and/or use an existing oversight advisory committee that oversees institutional research infrastructure and equipment?
How strongly does the Letter of Support indicate institutional commitment for providing space and ensuring accessibility to the instrument? To what extent do the institution's resources, infrastructure, students and personnel ensure the instrument’s successful utilization?
As applicable for the requested instrument, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining capacity building merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
As applicable for the requested instrument, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an Overall Benefit score.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the Center for Scientific Review, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.
Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific, educational and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
Applications will initially be assigned to NIGMS. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this NOFO. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions consistent with applicable law:
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicants should ignore eRA Commons system-generated just-in-time (JIT) requests. If an application is considered for funding, NIGMS staff will send the PD/PI and AOR special instructions on how to submit a JIT update.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the recipient's business official.
Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this NOFO will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.
Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient institutions must ensure that protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:
If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.
Should the applicant organization successfully compete for an award, recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS will be required to complete an HHS Assurance of Compliance form (HHS 690) in which the recipient agrees, as a term and condition of receiving the grant, to administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex and disability, and agreeing to comply with federal conscience laws, where applicable. This includes ensuring that entities take meaningful steps to provide meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency; and ensuring effective communication with persons with disabilities. Where applicable, Title XI and Section 1557 prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and gender identity. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html
HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this NOFO.
Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697.
In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 and 2 CFR Part 200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.
Not Applicable
3. Data Management and Sharing
Note: The NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing is effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023.
Consistent with the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.
4. Reporting
When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The following information about the award and the instrument must be included in the Final RPPR:
Annual Instrument Usage Report
In addition, for the period of two years after the Final RPPR, on the anniversary of the expiration of the award, Annual Instrument Usage Reports (AURs) must be provided to the NIH through the AOR. These reports will include analogous information requested in Final RPPR about the usage and operation of the instrument, description of research and educational activities which benefited from the instrument, and a summary of research and educational outcomes as documented by publications and any benefits to student learning or instruction.
A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 45 CFR Part 75.301 and 2 CFR Part 200.301.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All recipients of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over the threshold. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200 Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.
NIGMS will evaluate this program, employing the representative measures identified below. To assess the program’s efficacy in research and education, NIGMS may use information from progress reports and public databases, PDs/PIs, and from equipment users. When appropriate, PDs/PIs and equipment users may be contacted after the completion of the grant period for updates on subsequent outcomes.
The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that may include, but are not limited to, the following:
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)
Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov
Dorothy Beckett, PhD
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
E-mail: dorothy.beckett@nih.gov
Yvonne Bennett
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Phone: 301-402-2013
E-mail: yvonne.bennett@nih.gov
Yuan Luo, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Phone: 202-510-2567
E-mail: yuan.luo@nih.gov
Marguerite Matthews, PhD
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Email: marguerite.matthews@nih.gov
Ebony B Madden
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Phone: 301-503-5620
E-mail: ebony.madden@nih.gov
Erica K Rosemond
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Phone: (301) 594-8927
E-mail: rosemonde@mail.nih.gov
Xiang-Ning Li, Ph.D.
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
Phone: 301-435-1744
E-mail: xiang-ning.li@nih.gov
Lillian Shum, PhD
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Phone: 301-594-0618
E-mail: shuml@mail.nih.gov
Tony Douglas Gover
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: 301-529-7370
E-mail: tony.gover@nih.gov
Albert Avila
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Phone: 301-496-8804
E-mail: aavila@nida.nih.gov
Elizabeth Powell, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-0786
Email: elizabeth.powell3@nih.gov
Anna E. Mazzucco, Ph.D.
Immediate Office of the Director
Phone: 301-538-2823
Email: anna.mazzucco@nih.gov
Utibe R. Bickham-Wright, PhD
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Phone: 301-402-1366
E-mail: utibe.bickham-wright@nih.gov
Susan L Sullivan
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Phone: 301-496-8683
E-mail: sullivas@nidcd.nih.gov
Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
FOAReviewContact@csr.nih.gov
Tiffany Walker
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
E-mail:Walkerti@mail.nih.gov
Terri Jarosik
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Phone: (301) 443-3858
Email: tjarosik@mail.nih.gov
Philip Smith
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Phone: 301-555-1212
E-mail: philip.smith2@nih.gov
Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Email: ChiefGrantsManagementOfficer@ninds.nih.gov
Leslie Littlejohn
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Phone: (301) 594-2545
E-mail: littlele@mail.nih.gov
Deanna L Ingersoll
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Phone: 301-435-7858
E-mail: deanna.ingersoll@nih.gov
Shannon Oden
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Phone: 301.594.3028
E-mail: odens@mail.nih.gov
Gabriel Hidalgo, MBA
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Phone: 301-827-4630
E-mail: hidalgoge@mail.nih.gov
Karen Robinson-Smith
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: 301-435-8178
E-mail: kyr@nei.nih.gov
Katie Ellis
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Phone: 301-451-4791
E-mail: kellis@mail.nih.gov
Judy Fox
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-4707
Email: jfox@mail.nih.gov
Anna E. Mazzucco, Ph.D.
Immediate Office of the Director
Phone: 301-538-2823
Email: anna.mazzucco@nih.gov
Priscilla Grant, JD
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Phone: 301-594-8412
E-mail: pg38h@nih.gov
Samantha Tempchin
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Telephone: 301-435-1404
Email: samantha.tempchin@nih.gov
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200.
The Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (S10) was enacted under the U.S. Code Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare Chapter 6A - Public Health Service Subchapter iii - National Research Institutes Part A - National Institutes of Health 283n - Shared Instrumentation Grant Program.