Below is a list of federal opportunities for equipment acquisition and equipment development. Keep in mind that many federal sponsors allow for the purchase of equipment items on many research projects provided they are necessary to the project’s performance and sufficiently justified in the project proposal and justification.
If you have questions about the opportunities listed below, or any other funding opportunities, we encourage you to contact the Research Development team to discuss your funding needs.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)
- Program: Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)
- Deadline: January 1-19, annually
- Award Amount: Track 1: $100,000-$1,400,000; Track 2: $1,400,000-$4,000,000; Track 3: $100,000-$1,400,000 for requests that include the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to reduce consumption of helium.
- Description: The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.
- Recent Awards
- Note: Limited submission opportunity. Please follow the Limited Submission Guidelines
Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 (Mid-scale RI-1)
- Program: Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 (Mid-scale RI-1)
- Deadline: Annually in January (review program site for deadline)
- Award Amount: Implementation: $6,000,000-$20,000,000; Design: can be <$600,000
- Description: The Mid-scale RI program (RI-1 and RI-2) provides a flexible, yet robust, competitive opportunity to support research infrastructure of intermediate scales above the MRI and below the Major Facilities thresholds, respectively. This Mid-scale RI-1 solicitation calls for mid-scale projects in the lower portion of that range, from $6 million up to but not including $20 million in total project costs for implementation projects and $600,000 up to but not including $20 million for design projects. This funding range will support a variety of activities to implement or design visionary and unique high-priority projects with broad impact, as identified by research communities in the United States, unlike projects with a campus-centric focus.
- Recent Awards
Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 (Mid-scale RI-2)
- Program: Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 (Mid-scale RI-2)
- Deadline: Annually in February (review program site for deadline)
- Award Amount: $20,000,000-$100,000,000
- Description: The NSF Mid-scale RI-2 program supports implementation of projects that comprise any combination of equipment, instrumentation, computational hardware and software, and the necessary commissioning and human capital in support of implementation of the same. Mid-scale RI-2 projects will directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF, including STEM education. Mid-scale RI-2 will support projects in high states of readiness for implementation, i.e., those that have already matured through previous developmental investments. Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure.
- Recent Awards
Earth Science, Instrumentation and Facilities (EAR/IF)
- Program: Earth Science, Instrumentation and Facilities (EAR/IF)
- Deadline: Rolling
- Award Amount: $500,000 max
- Description: The Instrumentation and Facilities Program in the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR/IF) supports meritorious requests for infrastructure that promotes research and education in areas supported by the Division. EAR/IF will consider proposals for the acquisition or upgrade of research equipment that will advance laboratory and field investigations, and student research training opportunities in the Earth sciences.
- Recent Awards
National Facilities
- Program: National Facilities
- Deadline: Rolling
- Description: The National Facilities program supports the operation of national user facilities: National Facilities are research facilities with specialized instrumentation available to the scientific research community in general and the materials research community in particular. These facilities provide unique research capabilities that can be located at only a few highly specialized laboratories in the Nation. They provide open user service for scientists and engineers from a broad range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, geosciences, materials research. and physics. They include facilities and resources for research using high magnetic fields, ultraviolet and x-ray synchrotron radiation, neutron scattering, and nanofabrication. They serve as science and technology-related resources and experiences for students. They conduct student and teacher education, general public awareness activities, curriculum development, and educational research.
- Recent Awards
Oceanographic Facilities and Equipment Support
- Program: Oceanographic Facilities and Equipment Support
- Deadline: Annually in December (reviewprogram website for deadline)
- Description: Oceanographic facilities and equipment are supported by the Integrative Programs Section (IPS) of the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). These awards are made for the procurement, conversion and/or up-grade, enhancement or annual operation of platforms in the ocean, coastal, near-shore and Great Lakes. Awards are generally directed specifically to support facilities that lend themselves to shared use within the broad range of federally-supported research and education programs. Most of these platforms and facilities also receive partial support from federal agencies other than NSF. This includes state and local governments and private sources on a proportional basis usually through a daily rate mechanism. The primary objective of these awards is to ensure the availability of appropriate facilities for federally-funded investigators and educators. Individual project-based facilities and instrumentation, limited to one, or a small group of investigators, should be supported through appropriate research programs as opposed to the IPS programs listed herein.
- Recent Awards
Department of Defense (DoD)
Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)
- Program: Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)
- Deadline: Annually in February
- Award Amount: $50,000-$1,500,000
- Description: The Department of Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) is designed to improve the capabilities of U.S. institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment.
- Recent Awards
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Basic Instrumentation Grant Program (BIG)
- Program: Basic Instrumentation Grant Program (BIG)
- Deadline: Annually in June (check program site for deadline)
- Award Amount: $25,000-$250,000
- Description: The Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) Program encourages applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase a single high-priced, specialized, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system.
- Recent Awards
Shared Instrument Grant (SIG)
- Program: Shared Instrument Grant (SIG)
- Deadline: Annually in June (check program site for deadline)
- Award Amount: $50,000-$600,000
- Description: 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 $600,000. Instruments supported include, but are not limited to: X-ray diffractometers, mass spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and light microscopes, flow cytometers, and biomedical imagers.
High End Instrumentation Grant
- Program: High End Instrumentation Grant
- Deadline: Annually in June (check program site for deadline)
- Award Amount: $600,001-$2,000,000
- Description: The High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Program encourages applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase or upgrade a single item of high-end, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated systems. The minimum award is $600,001. There is no maximum price limit for the instrument; however, the maximum award is $2,000,000. Instruments supported include, but are not limited to, X-ray diffractometers, high throughput robotic screening systems, mass spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and light microscopes, flow cytometers, and biomedical imagers.
- Recent Awards
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
ROSES Planetary Science Enabling Facilities
- Program: ROSES Planetary Science Enabling Facilities
- Deadline: Multiple due dates
- Award Amount:
- Description: The Planetary Science Enabling Facilities (PSEF) program element allows proposals for experimental and analytical research facilities to be made available to the community that does research under the programs supported by the Planetary Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate of NASA. Proposals must clearly articulate the scientific value of the research facilities that would be made available, as well as demonstrate that there is a significant need and user base for the facility within the community.
Department of Energy (DoE)
Laboratory Equipment Donation Program
- Program: Laboratory Equipment Donation Program
- Deadline: Rolling
- Award Amount: Variable
- Description: The Laboratory Equipment Donation Program (LEDP) was established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to grant surplus and available used laboratory equipment to full-time faculty at universities and colleges in the United States for use in energy oriented Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational programs. This program is managed by the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS). The listing of equipment available through LEDP is updated as new equipment is identified. It is available at no cost for a limited time and is granted on a first-received qualified application basis.