Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information

Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)

National Eye Institute (NEI)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Funding Opportunity Title
Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Activity Code

S10 Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Grants

Announcement Type
Reissue of PAR-22-080
Related Notices
  • April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025. See Notice NOT-OD-24-084.
  • August 31, 2022 - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198.
  • August 5, 2022 - Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189.
Funding Opportunity Number (FON)
PAR-24-265
Companion Funding Opportunity
PAR-24-264 , S10 Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Grants
PAR-24-326 , S10 Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Grants
Number of Applications

See Part 2, Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Assistance Listing Number(s)
93.351, 93.859, 93.866, 93.286, 93.867, 93.242
Funding Opportunity Purpose

The Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) Program encourages applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase or upgrade a single item of high-priced, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated instrumentation system. The minimum award is $50,000. There is no maximum price limit for the instrument; however, the maximum award is $750,000. Instruments supported include, but are not limited to: light microscopes, biomedical imagers, mass spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, flow cytometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, and X-ray diffractometers.

Key Dates

Posted Date
October 29, 2024
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)
May 02, 2025
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

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
June 02, 2025 June 02, 2025 Not Applicable October 2025 January 2026 February 2026
June 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 Not Applicable October 2026 January 2027 February 2027
June 01, 2027 June 01, 2027 Not Applicable October 2027 January 2028 February 2028

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.

Expiration Date
June 02, 2027
Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - 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 How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

IMPORTANT: Per NOT-OD-24-086 updated application forms (FORMS-I) will be used for this opportunity. The updated forms are not yet available and will be posted 30 calendar days or more prior to the first application due date. Once posted, you will be able to access the forms using one of the following submission options:

  1. NIH ASSIST
  2. An institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution
  3. Grants.gov Workspace
Table of Contents

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

The objective of the Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program is to make available to institutions high-priced research instruments that can only be justified on a shared-use basis and that are needed for NIH-supported projects in basic, translational, or clinical biomedical and biobehavioral research. The SIG Program provides funds to purchase or upgrade a single item of expensive, state-of-the-art, 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 supported instruments include, but are not limited to: X-ray diffractometers, mass spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and light microscopes, flow cytometers, high throughput robotic screening systems, and biomedical imagers. Applications for standalone computer systems (supercomputers, computer clusters and data storage systems) will only be considered if the system is solely dedicated to biomedical research.

All instruments, integrated systems, and computer systems must be dedicated to research only.

Foreign-made instruments are allowed.

The SIG Program will not support requests for:

  • An instrument with a base cost of less than $50,000;
  • Multiple instruments bundled together;
  • Purely instructional equipment;
  • Instruments used for clinical (billable) care;
  • Instruments or integrated systems that are not commercially available and do not have a manufacturer warranty;
  • Institutional administrative management systems, clinical management systems;
  • Software, unless it is integrated in the operation of the instrument and/or necessary for generation of high-quality experimental data from the instrument;
  • Multiple stand-alone workstations for data processing, software licenses, and duplicate software items;
  • General purpose equipment (such as standard machine shop equipment), equipment to furnish a research facility (such as autoclaves, hoods, equipment to upgrade animal facilities), equipment for routine sustaining infrastructure (such as standard computer networks or general-purpose data storage systems);
  • Disposable devices, office furniture, and supplies;
  • Alteration or renovation of space to house the instruments.

Applicants are advised to discuss with the SIG Scientific/Research Contact (See Section VII) for questions about appropriate types of instruments, eligibility, and Program requirements, prior to submitting an application for an integrated instrumentation system.

To promote cost effectiveness, to encourage optimal sharing among individual investigators, research groups and departments, and to foster a collaborative multidisciplinary environment, the instrument is expected to be integrated in a core facility or another shared resource, whenever possible.

Each applicant institution must propose a Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) who can assume administrative and scientific oversight responsibility for the requested instrument. See Section III.1 for qualifications for the PD/PI. The PD/PI also will be responsible for:

  • Requesting no-cost extensions of the project period, if needed.
  • Preparing (and working with the institution to submit) a Final Research Performance Progress Report (Final RPPR) at the end of the project period. See Section VI.4 for the content of a Final RPPR;
  • Preparing and submitting Annual Usage Reports (AURs) of the instrument to the NIH for a period of four years after the project end date, see Section VI.4.

An Advisory Committee must be named to assist the PD/PI in administering the grant and overseeing the usage of the instrument. For details on the composition of the Advisory Committee, see Section IV.2 under "Administration." The PD/PI and the Advisory Committee are responsible for the development of guidelines for:

  • Maximum utilization of the instrument, including time allocation.
  • A detailed plan for the day-to-day management and safe operation of the instrument.
  • A plan to ensure that access to the instrument is limited to users whose projects have received approval from the Institutional Review Board, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee or a Biosafety Committee, as applicable.
  • A financial plan for the long-term operation and maintenance of the instrument during the post-award period.
  • A relocation of the instrument within or outside the institution or change(s) of ownership, if such changes are necessary.
  • Recommending a new PD/PI, if such a need arises.

The PD/PI and the Advisory Committee should convene meetings and issue annual reports on the instrument status, including their recommendations for the instrument operations.

NEI Area of Interest: The mission of the NEI is to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research. Applications considered for co-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 instrumentsfor 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). Per NOT-EY-24-006, the NEI strongly encourages applicants to use imaging devices that support standard formats and ensure that metadata can be  easily accessible, interoperable, and shareable.

NIGMS Area of Interest: NIGMS is interested in co-funding S10 applications that include research projects aligned with the mission of NIGMS. NIGMS-supported research may utilize specific cells or organ systems if they serve as models for understanding general systemic principles. NIGMS also supports research in specific clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems.

In parallel, NIGMS is especially interested in promoting participation of Institutional Development Award (IDeA) states and programs in the S10 Program. The IDeA program will provide co-funding for scientifically meritorious applications from IDeA states and encourages sharing and collaboration among institutions, programs, and states.

NIMH Area of Interest: NIMH is interested in co-funding S10 applications that include research projects aligned with the mission of NIMH and which have at least one NIMH-funded investigator as a member of the Major User Group. 

Applications Not Responsive To This NOFO

An individual application requesting more than one type of instrument (for example, a mass spectrometer and a confocal microscope) is not responsive to this NOFO and will not be reviewed.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

Funding Instrument

Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed
New
Resubmission

The OER Glossary and the How to Apply - Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.

Clinical Trial?

Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Award Budget

Applications will be accepted that request a single, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system. The minimum award is $50,000. There is no upper limit on the cost of the instrument, but the maximum award is $750,000. Since the cost of each instrument varies, it is anticipated that the amount of the award will also vary. S10 awards do not allow indirect costs.

Award Project Period

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.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

  • Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
  • Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

  • Hispanic-serving Institutions
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
  • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
  • Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

  • Small Businesses
  • For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Local Governments

  • State Governments
  • County Governments
  • City or Township Governments
  • Special District Governments
  • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
  • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)

Federal Governments

  • Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
  • U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

  • Independent School Districts
  • Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
  • Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
  • Regional Organizations
Foreign Organizations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) 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. 

Required Registrations

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - 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. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information

  • System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
    • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
    • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
  • eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
  • Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

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.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

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, and Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity, NOT-OD-20-031.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply - Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

  • A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
  • A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
  • An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

There is no restriction on the number of applications an institution (as identified by a specific UEI number) can submit to the SIG and/or High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Programs each year, provided the applications request different types of instruments. However, only one application to the Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG) Program is allowed per receipt date. Concurrent SIG, HEI, or BIG applications for the same instrument (or the same type of instrument with added special accessories for example, to meet the HEI budget requirement) are not allowed unless documentation from a high-level institutional official is provided, stating that this is not an unintended duplication, but part of a campus-wide instrumentation plan. Applicants are advised to discuss with the SIG Scientific/Research Contact (Section VII) potential duplicates before submitting two applications for the same type of instrument.

A single application requesting more than one type of instrument (for example, a mass spectrometer and a confocal microscope) is not responsive to this NOFO and will not be reviewed.

Major User Group

At least three Major Users who have substantial need for the instrument must be identified. A Major User must be a PD/PI on a distinct active NIH research award (i.e., a grant or a cooperative agreement) in an area of basic, translational, or clinical research with substantial need of the instrument. The requirement is one award per investigator, with more awards per investigator allowed. An award given to multi-PDs/PIs is counted only once towards the fulfillment of this requirement. NIH training or fellowship grants (i.e., T and F mechanisms), other non-research and SBIR/STTR grants, Other Transaction (OT) awards, and contracts cannot be counted towards the fulfillment of this requirement. Once the eligibility requirement of at least three Major Users with distinct NIH-funded research projects has been met, additional users with active research awards from NIH or other sources may be added as Other Users. Investigators with funding from sources such as other Federal agencies, private foundations, or academic institutions, can be added as Major Users, provided they are engaged in basic, translational, or clinical research and can demonstrate a substantial need for the instrument. Major Users can be researchers from the same department or from several departments, divisions, or schools at the applicant institution, or from nearby or regional institutions. In certain circumstances, as technology dictates, Major Users may come from distant institutions, but they must demonstrate the need for the instruments and describe plans for regular access to the instrument.

To demonstrate the clear need for the requested instrument, the projects supported by NIH research awards (i.e., grants or cooperative agreements) should together use the instrument at the 65 percent level of the Accessible Usage Time (AUT), or higher see Section Other Project Information for the definition of AUT. Major Users supported by NIH grants should collectively use the instrument at the 35 percent level of the AUT, or higher.

The Major User group must meet the eligibility requirement at the time of submission. In addition, if/when the application is considered for funding, the SIG Program Staff will check that the Major User group eligibility requirement is also met at the time of award.

Quote

An itemized quote from the vendor with appropriate academic discounts and warranty terms (specified directly in the quote) is required and must be included in the application.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

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.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Letter of Intent

A letter of intent is not required.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply – Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

For this NOFO, there is no overall page limit for the entire Instrumentation Plan. However, there are specified page limits for each section of the Instrumentation Plan as described below. All tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts must be included within the page limits for these sections. The applicants should make every effort to be succinct. It is expected that the length of the Instrumentation Plan’s narrative will depend on the type of the requested instrument and the number of users. To be successful, an application does not have to reach the page limits described here.

  • Introduction to Resubmission (if applicable): 2 pages.
  • Justification of Need: 6 pages in total.
  • Technical Expertise: 2 pages in total.
  • Research Projects section must not exceed 20 pages in total. This section can be structured in subsections Research Projects of Major Users and Research Projects of Other Users or subsections Specific Research Topics. The limit is 2 pages per each Major User’s project; however, fewer pages are recommended. The Research Projects of Other Users subsection is strongly recommended to be succinct, describing 3 or more projects per page.
  • Summary Table(s): 6 pages in total.
  • Administration (Organizational / Management Plan): 6 pages in total.
  • Institutional Commitment: 3 pages in total.
  • Overall Impact/Benefit: 3 pages in total.

Note: Letters of Support and Bibliography & References Cited Section are not included in the page limitations.

Instructions for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply – Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Descriptive Title: Enter the generic name of the instrument requested in the title (for example, 600MHz NMR Spectrometer or High-Throughput DNA Sequencer).

Proposed Project: CY 2025 submission: enter start date 02/01/2026 and end date 01/31/2027; CY 2026 submission: enter start date 02/01/2027 and end date 01/31/2028; CY 2027 submission: enter start date 02/01/2028 and end date 01/31/2029.

Estimated Project Funding:

Total Federal Funds Requested: Enter the total Federal funds for the requested instrument. This entry cannot exceed $750,000 which is the maximum award under the SIG Program. If the cost of the instrument is more than $750,000 enter $750,000 (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 the SIG Program.

NOTE: A warning will be generated during submission for any S10 with a budget in excess of $500,000. This warning can be ignored.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Project Summary/Abstract: The Project Summary/Abstract should contain a succinct and accurate description of the requested instrument and an explanation of the need for the instrument to advance research projects of the Users and augment research capabilities at the applicant institution. The application's broad, long-term objectives should be stated, concisely describing how access to the instrument will enhance the health-related goals of the research projects and stimulate biomedical research at the applicant institution. This section should be informative to other persons 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 this research to public health. 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 research projects, which will be supported by the instrument. References of the Research Projects Section may appear in this section or may be listed at the end of individual research subsections.

Facilities & Other Resources: Not Applicable. Do not include an attachment here.

Equipment: Describe the requested instrument by stating its manufacturer, model number, specific features, and accessories. Provide a detailed budget breakdown of the main instrument and requested accessories, including tax and import duties, if applicable. An itemized quote from the vendor, with appropriate discounts and warranty terms, is required. The quote must be scanned and combined in a single attachment with the instrument description as part of this upload. As described above in the SF424 Cover form, include an explanation of Total Non-Federal Funds in this section (if applicable).

Applications without a quote will be deemed incomplete and returned to the applicant without review.

If human, animal, or infectious materials, which could create a potential biohazard, are to be analyzed, funds for accessory containment equipment for the instrument may be requested in the budget.

Do not describe the need for the instrument or accessories in this section; such narrative should be a part of the Justification of Need section of the Instrumentation Plan.

Other Attachments:

I) Instrumentation Plan (in lieu of Research Plan form)

The entire Instrumentation Plan (with the sections described below) must be saved as a single PDF file - named Instrumentation Plan - and attached via Other Attachments. Organize the Instrumentation Plan in the specified order as described below, starting each section with the appropriate section heading (i.e., Justification of Need, Technical Expertise, Research Projects, etc.). Do not include links to websites for further information. Do not include animations/videos.

  • Introduction to Resubmission (if applicable): 2 pages
  • Justification of Need: Name the requested instrument. Compare performance of the requested model with other similar instruments available on the market. Justify the need for specific features and special accessories of the requested instrument. Each such feature or accessory must be utilized by at least three Major Users.

If the requested instrument is under a lease agreement, demonstrate that the instrument is considered state-of-the-art at the time of the application submission (see details in Section IV.6 Funding Restrictions).

Justify the need for software. All software supported by this program must be integrated in the operation of the instrument or be necessary for the generation of high-quality data from the instrument. Depending on the needs of research projects, different configurations of such software may be needed to ensure productive scientific use of the instrument. If such additional software modules are requested (e.g., software configuration for the acquisition of metabolomics data, microscope image acquisition, and control modules), they must be essential for the advancement of research projects of at least three Major Users. As noted previously, stand-alone workstations, duplicate software items, and software licenses are not allowed.

Explain why the chosen model and its manufacturer are the most suitable for your user group. Preliminary data are not required, though if feasible, can be included to justify the choice of the instrument. Especially, if access to a demo instrument is practical, preliminary data are encouraged. Provide an inventory of similar instruments existing at your institution, neighboring research institutions, or otherwise accessible; describe why each similar instrument is unavailable or inappropriate for the proposed research. If similar instruments are listed as "unavailable," add a letter to the Letters of Support section from the instrument manager explaining why the instrument is not available to your user group. Include specific documentation on the current usage and downtime of each of these existing instruments in annual hours and a realistic estimate of the projected usage for the requested instrument. Tables may be used to clarify the presentation. Tables included within this section will count towards the specified page limit.

Define and justify the AUT for the requested instrument. The AUT is the number of annual hours the instrument can be practically used for biomedical research. AUT hours may be limited by the times an instrument operator is available (if an operator is required), site or building access schedules, scheduled maintenance, start-up and standardization, and any other factors that take time away from the use of the instrument for biomedical research. More importantly, AUT will be limited by the type of the technology requested; some instruments can be and are typically operated 24/7 while other technologies can be used only during regular hours. Therefore, justify the AUT based on the type of the technology requested and an individual managerial plan at your institution to make clear that the AUT corresponds to expected practical full-time use of the instrument at your institution.

  • Technical Expertise: Describe the technical expertise of individuals who will set up and run the instrument. Specify who will ensure that the instrument is safely operated and appropriately maintained. State who will train new users. If the instrument requires complex sample preparation or consultation for experimental designs, describe the expert individual(s) who will serve in that capacity. Address technical support for data collection, management, and analysis.
  • Research Projects: In this section, describe the benefit of the requested instrument to enhance Users research projects. Research projects may be drawn from a broad array of topics in basic, translational, or clinical research; in particular, research projects on the advancements of technologies for the benefit of biomedical research may be included. Begin with the subsections Research Projects of Major Users. All Major Users must have substantial need for the requested instrument. Detailed eligibility requirements for Major Users are described in Section III.3.

    Since the funded research projects have been previously peer-reviewed, describe their details only as necessary to explain how the requested instrument will advance the projects research objectives. Do not copy the Specific Aims section from a funded application. Present sufficient technical details about types of samples or specific experimental protocols to be employed to allow evaluation of whether the instrument is appropriate, would be effectively utilized, and would provide advantages over other methods and other similar existing or new instruments. In particular, explain the need for special features and accessories of the requested instrument by describing the specific studies that will utilize these options, as at least three Major Users must need each of these special options. Similarly, if special software modules are requested, justify how they will advance the research projects of at least three Major Users. Preliminary data are not required, but if available, they may be used to illustrate the benefit of the requested instrument to the research projects. Describe how generated data will be handled and analyzed so that benefits of the entire experimental set-up can be evaluated. Summarize benefits that the requested instrument will provide towards answering specific scientific questions. Be succinct and clear.

If you choose to structure this Research Project section by including the Research Projects of Major Users subsections, limit the text to no more than 2 pages per each Major User's project. In the beginning of each Major User's Project narrative, list the PI’s name and grant information (number, title, project start and end dates). Specify the anticipated usage in annual hours for each project.

If you choose to group Research Projects in subsections Specific Research Topics, list Major Users, their funded grants that you describe therein, and their cumulative usage as measured annual usage hours, in the beginning of each subsection.

In cases of certain technologies (such as computer systems or X-ray detectors), a large number of users, exceeding what is necessary to make a strong case for the need of the instrument, may be expected. Keep in mind that the sole number of users is not a compelling factor to justify scientific needs for the requested instrument.

A section entitled Other Users Projects may be used to describe the need of the requested instrument to advance projects from Other Users and the user community at your institution (e.g., unfunded users who have significant need for the instrument to develop their research programs or users whose expected needs are at the level of 1% or less of the expected usage time). Include a sum of the anticipated usage in annual hours for all Other Users.

The Research Projects section should focus on detailed explanation of how the requested instrument will advance research projects. Research projects may be drawn from a broad array of topics in basic, translational, or clinical research; in particular, research projects on the advancements of technologies for the benefit of biomedical research may be included.

  • Summary Tables: At the beginning of this section, please re-state the AUT in annual hours, as introduced in the Justification of Need Section.

    Next, insert the following summary tables - a) Research Projects of Major Users and b) Research Projects of Other Users. The tables should have the following columns: User's name, grant number (for NIH awards list the grant numbers such as R01IC123456), brief title of the project, grant start and end dates, and estimated usage in annual hours. If there are multiple users funded by the same grant, list a total of their estimated usage in annual hours for projects supported by that grant. If applicable, include in this section a separate table to indicate the users' needs for any requested accessory. Do not list users whose annual usage is at the level of 1% or less of AUT.

Following the tables, state:

i. A total estimated usage time by Users projects in annual hours,

ii. The percentage of the estimated usage time devoted to Major Users’ NIH-funded projects, and

iii. The percentage of the estimated usage time devoted to NIH-funded projects.

Major Users with NIH research funding should use the instrument at the level of at least 35% of the AUT; all NIH-funded users should use the instrument at the level of at least 65% of the AUT.

Provide an estimated usage time and AUT for the requested instrument, considering that both the AUT (related to the administration of the instrument) and the expected usage (depending on actual need for the instrument) may be significantly different for different types of instruments and at different institutions.

  • Administration (Organizational/Management Plan): Describe the organizational plan to administer the grant. Describe where the instrument will be located, how it will be utilized, how requests to use the instrument will be made, how time will be allocated among Major and Other Users, how other projects and new users will be enlisted. Describe how users will be trained in experimental design, instrument operation and data analysis. Describe typical day-by-day management of the instrument. If the plans are to install the instrument in a setting other than a core or a shared resource facility, describe the procedures that will implement and assure broad access to the instrument and its use on a shared basis.

    List the names and titles of the members of the local Advisory Committee. The membership of this Committee should be broad to balance interests of different users and should include members without conflicts of interest (non-users of the requested instrument) who can resolve disputes, if they arise. The membership of this Committee should include at least one senior institutional official (e.g., Provost for Research, Dean of School, Department Chair) who will represent the financial commitment of the institution. It is recommended that the Advisory Committee includes at least 4 members. Major and other active users of the instrument may be members, but none may chair the Advisory Committee. The PD/PI cannot be a voting member of the Advisory Committee.

    The PD/PI and the Advisory Committee should convene meetings and prepare annual reports on the instrument status. The reports will become part of the Final Research Performance Progress Report (Final RPPR) and the Annual Usage Reports (see Section VI.4).

    Provide a plan about how the Users will be instructed and reminded about citing the S10 award in their publications and how their compliance will be verified.

    Describe a plan for managing access to the instrument if users' projects involve human subjects, vertebrate animals, or biohazards such as infectious materials.

Financial Plan: Submit a specific financial plan for the long-term operation and maintenance of the instrument as such costs are not supported by the S10 Program. Explain how various operational costs will be met; specifically, costs associated with routine operation and maintenance of the instrument and costs for support staff. Enumerate the sources of income such as charge back fee structure, grants, or institutional support. The financial plan must include a table for years 1-5 of operation. For year 1, enter anticipated expenditures and anticipated income, showing how these estimates were derived. For years 2 - 5, specific dollar amounts are required; for years 2 - 5, approximate amounts, based on data for year 1, are sufficient. Typically, during year one, the maintenance costs are fully covered by a one-year manufacturer's warranty. In subsequent years, costs of maintenance must be considered in the financial plan.

Include a description of projected changes of the financial plan over the subsequent four years.


Operation: Include salary support of expert personnel that will operate the instrument and oversee routine care and procedures for standardization.

Maintenance: May include a service contract or funds for parts and local technical personnel who will maintain the instrument (if such personnel are qualified to do so).

Supplies: Include necessary supplies for operating the instrument such as chemicals, cryogenics, and other expendable items.

Software: include costs for updates/maintenance of software licenses needed for the proper operation of the instrument or additional software for data analysis.

Anticipated Income: Enumerate the sources of income, such as any charge back fee structure, grants, or institutional support.

  • Institutional Commitment: Describe the institutional infrastructure available to support the instrumentation, including space to house the instrument and a site for sample preparation, if applicable. Confirm the institutional support toward the maintenance and operation of the instrument. In particular, confirm the institutional commitment to the financial plan for maintenance and operations for five years from the installation date of the instrument or for its effective lifetime. Describe institutional support for personnel. The timeline of institutional support should be consistent with the expected usable lifetime of the requested type of instrument.
  • Overall Impact/Benefit: Explain how the instrument will impact NIH-funded research and contribute to the institution's long-range biomedical research goals.

II) Letters of Support

All letters of support should be combined in a single file named "Letters of Support" and uploaded as a separate attachment via Other Attachments. This combined file should include, as applicable:

  • Letters from institutional officials.
  • Institutional commitment for the proposed financial plan for maintenance and operations.
  • Letters about inventory of instruments at the institution which are unavailable to the PD/PI (as noted in the Justification of Need Section).
  • The institution (i.e., the entity with the same UEI as the applicant’s institution) must also provide a table that includes information about performance of all previous S10-awarded instruments within the past five years; that is, submission in CY 2025: FYs 2020-2024; submission in CY 2026: FYs 2021-2025; submission in CY 2027: FYs 2022-2026. (If there have been no awards, please state so.) The table should have the following columns:

    1) S10 Grant Number;

    2) Year of Award;

    3) Installation Date of the Instrument;

    4) PD/PI's Name;

    5) Generic Name of Instrument;

    6) Instrument Status: (Active (instrument in use), Pending (order placed, but instrument not delivered, instrument received but not installed or not calibrated for general use), Upgraded (or replaced), Not Available (sold, decommissioned, transferred)); (If the instrument is currently non-functional, provide a succinct explanation of the instrument status immediately following this table.)

    7) Actual Usage Time (actual total time in hours per year the instrument was used for research; if the instrument has been installed less than a year ago, the hours can be extrapolated for an estimate of hours per full year);

    8) Maintenance Agreement Active (Warranty in place), In-House (or Self-Insured), None (Fee for Service, Pending), Not Available (no longer supported by manufacturer); and

    9) Publications: Enter the number of research publications that cite the S10 award or have been linked with the S10 award in My NCBI. The number of reported publications should be verified in the NIH RePORTER. (If there are no publications for any of the previously awarded S10-awarded instruments provide an explanation immediately following this table.)
  • Letter from Biosafety Official. If human, animal, or infectious materials, which could create a potential biohazard, are to be analyzed, a signed letter from the institutional biosafety officer stating the proposed containment plan was reviewed and adheres to documented biosafety regulations. If relevant, this letter is required in the application.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Include the profiles of the PD/PI, Major Users, Other Users, and technical personnel, as applicable.

This NOFO requires the attachment of Current & Pending Support for the PD/PI at the time of application submission. If PD/PI has no research grant or any other research support, state None in the form.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Appendix materials are not allowed for this NOFO.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Not Applicable

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

Other Plan(s): 

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

  • A Data Management and Sharing Plan is not applicable for this NOFO.

Appendix: Not Applicable

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered “Yes” to the question “Are Human Subjects Involved?” on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. 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. 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 Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

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 How to Apply – Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

Under the S10 mechanism, funding requests are limited to the purchase cost of the instrument only. Support for technical personnel, service contracts, extended warranties, software (except as defined in Part 2, Section I), 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 cost of the instrument, the application should describe the proposed source(s) of funding to cover the balance of the cost of the instrument and document their availability 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 or 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. The appropriate Grant will be awarded for a period of one year and is not renewable.

Applicants proposing the purchase of an instrument that the institution is planning to lease prior to an award are urged to consult with their institutional sponsored projects office and the NIH Grant Management Office (see Section VII for the contact information) regarding the applicable NIH policy prior to executing the leasing agreement. If the leasing agreement was executed more than one year prior to submission of the SIG application, the applicant must provide a strong justification for the requested Federal funds. This justification must demonstrate that the leased instrument is considered state-of-the-art at the time of submission - appropriate award adjustments may be necessary. Execution of a purchase order or agreement, making a down payment or other formal commitment to purchase the instrument prior to award will automatically eliminate an applicant from eligibility for an award.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - 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 How to Apply - 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 components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Mandatory Disclosure

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35.

Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Section V. Application Review Information

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.

For this NOFO, note the following:

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

 

Is the need for the instrument clearly and adequately justified? Is the instrument essential and appropriate? Are all specific features, special accessories, and the software configuration of the requested instrument well justified by their need by Major Users? Is Accessible Usage Time (AUT) well-defined and explained? Is AUT reasonable for the requested technology/instrument type? Is AUT reasonable in the context of the managerial plan? Justification of selection of the requested instrument may include a comparison with other commercially available instruments of similar function. Is a User community that will benefit from the instrument well described? Is the use of the instrument on a shared basis assured?

 

Is the need for the instrument clearly and adequately justified? Is the instrument essential and appropriate? Are all specific features, special accessories, and the software configuration of the requested instrument well justified by their need by Major Users? Is Accessible Usage Time (AUT) well-defined and explained? Is AUT reasonable for the requested technology/instrument type? Is AUT reasonable in the context of the managerial plan? Justification of selection of the requested instrument may include a comparison with other commercially available instruments of similar function. Is a User community that will benefit from the instrument well described? Is the use of the instrument on a shared basis assured?

 

Will research with the requested instrument advance the knowledge and understanding of the proposed projects? How will the research projects of individual Users be enhanced? Do Users adequately justify the requested instrument and accessories for the needs of their specific projects? If accessories are requested for the instrument, do at least three Major Users require each of the accessories for their research projects?

 

Is the plan for the management and maintenance of the requested instrument appropriate? Are the plans for the use of the instrument on a shared basis well-documented? Are the plans for time allocation of the instrument to different projects well developed? Are the sharing arrangements equitable? If needed, are the policies to manage projects which have human subjects, animals, or biohazards adequate? Is the membership of the Advisory Committee broadly based to oversee the use of the instrument for the appropriate range of biomedical investigators, to balance interests of different users, and to resolve disputes, if they arise? Is the financial plan for the instrument for five years or the expected lifetime of the instrument reasonable and secured, balancing anticipated expenditures and anticipated income? Is the expected usable lifetime of the instrument reasonable? Are adequate plans in place to document use and scientific benefits of the instrument by citations and acknowledgments of the S10 grant in the scientific publications?

 

Does the institutional commitment letter provide support in the event of a shortfall of income? Is the institutional commitment to the financial plan for maintenance and operations provided for a period consistent with the expected effective lifetime of the requested instrument? Is the management of awarded S10 instruments adequate (based on the data in the table of Previously Awarded S10 Instruments in the institutional Letter of Support)? Does the Institution provide adequate infrastructure support for the requested instrument including space to house the instrument and site for sample preparation, if needed?

Additional Review Criteria

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical 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.

 

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

 

Not Applicable

 

Not Applicable

Additional Review Considerations

As applicable for the project proposed, 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 impact 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 policies and practices, 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 and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact/benefit score.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. 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:

  • Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
  • Availability of funds.
  • Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.5.1. Just-in-Time Procedures. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

Prior to making an award, NIH reviews an applicant’s federal award history in SAM.gov to ensure sound business practices. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the Responsibility/Qualification records available in SAM.gov.  NIH will consider any comments by the applicant in the Responsibility/Qualification records in SAM.gov to ascertain the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and performance record of managing Federal awards per 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.

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 Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

A Notice of Award (NoA) is the official authorizing document notifying the applicant that an award has been made and that funds may be requested from the designated HHS payment system or office. The NoA is signed by the Grants Management Officer and emailed to the recipient’s business official.

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.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Any pre-award costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the applicant's own risk.  For more information on the Notice of Award, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 5. The Notice of Award and NIH Grants & Funding website, see Award Process.

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.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

The following Federal wide and HHS-specific policy requirements apply to awards funded through NIH:

All federal statutes and regulations relevant to federal financial assistance, including those highlighted in NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4 Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.

Recipients are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable federal regulations.  NIH may terminate awards under certain circumstances.  See 2 CFR Part 200.340 Termination and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.5.2 Remedies for Noncompliance or Enforcement Actions: Suspension, Termination, and Withholding of Support

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 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 Section 8.4.1 Reporting. To learn more about post-award monitoring and reporting, see the NIH Grants & Funding website, see Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting.

Specific to this NOFO, all S10 annual reports, including Final RPPR and four annual usage reports (AURs), must be submitted to https://s10reports.od.nih.gov/ for review and approval. A Final RPPR is required at the expiration of the grant that describes the purchased instrument, and a list of all users and description of the value of the instrument to the investigators and to the institution as a whole. The following information about the award and the instrument must be included in the Final RPPR:

1) Grant Number: 1S10OD#####-01

2) Principal Investigator: (Name, Institution, Department, Address)

3) Funding Period

4) Name of Instrument (including manufacturer and model)

5) Total Purchase Cost

6) Total Award Amount

7) Other Sources of Funding (if appropriate)

8) Instrument Installation Date

9) List of users, their funding and hours of use

10) List of publications, if available. This publication list should be consistent with the NIH Public Access Policy.

11) A narrative describing the impact of the instrument on the research community, specific research accomplishments, and administration and operation of the instrument.

A Final RPPR needs to be reviewed and approved by the Program Officer before officially submitting to the eRA Commons. The Final RPPR must be submitted electronically through the Closeout module in eRA Commons. For facilitation of Final RPPR preparation, the Scientific Research/Contact staff will contact grantees prior to the due date for report and provide specific instructions.

Annual Instrument Usage Reports

In addition, for the period of four years after the Final RPPR, on the anniversaries of the expiration of the award, Annual Instrument Usage Reports (AURs) must be provided to the NIH. These reports will include analogous information requested in S10 Final RPPR (as listed above in Final Research Performance Progress Report section) about the usage and operation of the instrument, with an attached report from the Advisory Committee, description of research which benefited from the instrument, and a summary of research outcomes as documented by publications.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), 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 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 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 (Responsibility/Qualification in SAM.gov, formerly 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 2 CFR Part 200 – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

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 Section 8.6 Closeout. 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 2 CFR Part 200.301.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Application Submission Contacts

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

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Xiang-Ning Li, M.D., Ph.D.
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
Telephone: 301-435-0777
Email: xiang-ning.li@nih.gov 

Rene Etcheberrigaray, M.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Phone: 301-451-9798
Email: rene.etcheberrigaray@nih.gov

Tony Douglas Gover
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-529-7370
E-mail: tony.gover@nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Email: NOFOReviewContact@csr.nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Kenneth Holiness
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-480-6854
Email: holinesskd@nih.gov

Ryan Blakeney
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Phone: 301-451-9802
Email: blakeneyr@mail.nih.gov

Karen Robinson Smith
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-435-8178
E-mail: kyr@nei.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

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.

Authority and Regulations

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 2 CFR Part 200.

NIH Office of Extramural Research Logo
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Home Page
Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
USA.gov - Government Made Easy
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®