NIH Stimulus News: High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (S10)

The NIH released another Recovery Act Limited Competition announcement today for High-End Instrumentation grant proposals. Funding is for groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase a single major item of equipment to be used for biomedical research that costs at least $600,000, but not more than $8 million. (The upper limit has been significantly increased as a result of the stimulus funds.) Applications are due to the NIH by May 6th, 2009; however, internal coordination is required and therefore short preliminary proposals are due to the Core Oversight Committee by March 25, 2009 (details below).

To apply, a major user group of three or more investigators must be identified: specifically, at least  three major users who are Principal Investigators on NIH peer-reviewed research grants at the time of the application and award. For purposes of this program, research grants are defined as those grants awarded with the following activity codes: P01, R01, U01, R35, R37, DP1 and DP2.

Funds must be expended within two years from the date of award. Instruments in this category include, but are not limited to, structural and functional imaging systems, macromolecular NMR spectrometers, high-resolution mass spectrometers, cryoelectron microscopes and supercomputers, and more.  See full announcement for complete details.

While there is no limit on the number of applications submitted per university, proposals requesting the same equipment are not permitted. To this end, internal coordination is required. To apply, you must submit a brief 1-3 page preliminary proposal to the OHSU Core Oversight Committee for review by March 25, 2009. The proposal should indicate the following:

• What instrument will be requested and why it is needed
• Instrument cost
• Cost of maintenance contract
• Where instrument will be located
• Major user group (PIs with qualifying major federal funding active at the time of award)
• Institutional support

Proposals will be evaluated by the Core Oversight Committee and the Vice President for Research. The Committee will evaluate proposals based on whether the instrumentation will enhance the proposed research; if there is a good match between the proposed science and the requested instrument; justification of need, organization of project, continuing commitment (including department and other sources), and the benefit to the overall research community. Submit pre-proposals to cores@ohsu.edu.

Questions: please contact Dr. Sue Aicher, Director of University Shared Resources at cores@ohsu.edu.