Government / Other
NSF removes institutional proposal limits in new research-instrument competition
The solicitation anticipates $50 million in grants, subject to available funding, with a January application window.
Status: source-checked.
The National Science Foundation posted a revised Major Research Instrumentation solicitation Nov. 6 that eliminates organizational submission limits and the program’s previous tracks. Helium-recovery equipment proposals will still be considered separately. The program supports acquiring or developing shared research instruments, not a newly announced set of grant recipients.
NSF anticipates about $50 million in funding and approximately 60 awards, but says both depend on available funds and the number and quality of proposals. The program can support buying an instrument from a vendor or the personnel and components needed to develop equipment with new capabilities.
Eligible applicants include accredited U.S. two- and four-year colleges, certain U.S. nonprofit research or educational organizations, and federally recognized tribal nations. The solicitation lists no limits on the number of proposals per organization or principal investigator. Eligibility to submit does not ensure an award.
The first submission window runs Jan. 4-29, 2027, with the earliest expected project start Oct. 1, 2027. Acquisition projects may be funded for up to three years and development projects for up to five years. Applicants must follow the proposal-policy guide in effect for their due date.
Requests generally range from $100,000 to $4 million, with smaller requests permitted in mathematics and from non-Ph.D.-granting colleges in NSF-supported disciplines. NSF says instruments must serve multiple researchers and be operational by the end of the award. Applicants also must plan for operating and maintaining the equipment.
What we know / what we don't
What we know
- The solicitation anticipates $50 million in grants, subject to available funding, with a January application window.
What we don't know
- Funding and award counts are estimates, not appropriations or awards guaranteed to applicants.
The source record