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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: To fund the purchase of latest scientific equipment to enhance and modernize the operations of existing shared biomedical research facilities, ultimately strengthening auxiliary activities and improving efficiency.
Target recipient type: Academic or research institutions.
Target size: Not specified by employee count, but implicitly institutions with established shared facilities.
Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope: United States.
Key filtering criteria: Institution must operate an existing shared biomedical research facility, equipment must be for operational support (not direct scientific data acquisition), and only one type of equipment per application.
Grant frequency: Recurring annually with multiple submission cycles until September 2026.
Program context: Part of the NIH's S15 Small Instrumentation Grants Program.

Financial Structure

Funding instrument: Grant.
Award budget: Maximum $350,000, direct costs only.
Minimum award budget: Applications with a budget less than $50,000 will not be considered.
Minimum per piece (if multiple of same type): $15,000.
Currency: USD (implied).
Eligible costs: Purchase and installation of latest equipment for operational enhancement of shared facilities. Auxiliary items required for the physical operation of the main equipment piece.
Ineligible costs: Scientific instruments for data acquisition, components of scientific instruments, furniture, disposables/consumables, contractual services, service contracts or software licensing fees beyond the first year, equipment used for clinical/veterinary (billable) care, equipment that is not commercially available and does not have a manufacturer’s warranty valid for at least one year, institutional administrative management/scheduling systems, development of novel technologies, A&R (alteration & renovation) costs, installation-related costs not part of the vendor quote, removal costs of older equipment, personnel costs, travel costs, building infrastructure (e.g., HVACs, plumbing, power generators).
Matching fund requirements: Not required (cost sharing is not defined as part of this NOFO).
Payment schedule: Single award for a 12-month budget and project period.
Financial reporting: Annual Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR), final RPPR, invention statement, and expenditure data are required for closeout.
Audit requirements: Awards are subject to the rules listed at 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
Financial sustainability expectations: A letter from a high-ranking institutional official indicating institutional financial support for the operations of the shared facility, and a commitment to continued software licensing beyond the first year (if applicable), must be included.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type and Status

Eligible: Higher Education Institutions (Public/State Controlled, Private), Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) IRS Status, other than Institutions of Higher Education).
Ineligible: Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities or components of U.S. Organizations.
Required registrations: Active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), active eRA Commons registration.
Limitations: Only one application per institution (identified by UEI/NIH IPF number) is allowed.
Exclusion: An institution that received an award under this NOFO (PAR-24-259) in the immediate past fiscal year is not eligible to apply unless the previous award is fully closed out by the submission date. Specifically, institutions that received an award under PAR-24-028 are not eligible for the September 25, 2024 due date.
Facility requirement: Shared-use facility must be operational. If under renovation, a certificate of beneficial occupancy must be provided during the Just-in-Time process to be considered for an award.

Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Requirements

Affiliation: Must be affiliated with the applicant organization.
Registration: Must have an eRA Commons account.
Role: Typically, a scientist with a leadership role in overseeing or managing the shared-use facility.
Expertise: Relevant scientific or technical expertise related to the requested technology (documented in the biographical sketch).
Multiple PDs/PIs: Not allowed.

Project Scope Eligibility

Equipment type: Must be a single piece of latest equipment necessary to support specialized research-supporting activities (or multiple items of the same type if justified by demand).
Usage: Equipment must be substantially used in a laboratory research core facility, an animal research facility, or similar shared-use research space.
Purpose: Must enhance and modernize research-supporting operations.
Exclusions:
- Does not support purchase of scientific research instruments (e.g., spectrometers, microscopes, sequencers, PCR machines, chromatography equipment, metabolic cages).
- Does not support computer and data storage systems for scientific data.
- Does not support components of building-level infrastructure equipment (e.g., HVAC, power generators).
- Does not support maintaining current functions, replacing broken equipment, or routine upgrading.
- Does not support general outfitting or clusters of different equipment types.
- Only one facility can be supported per application.
- An individual application requesting more than one type of equipment (e.g., a biosafety hood and a freezer) is not responsive and will not be reviewed.

Application Process

Application Deadlines

Application Due Dates: September 25, 2024; September 25, 2025; September 25, 2026.
Time: All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Expiration Date: September 26, 2026.
Note: If a due date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Submission Process and Platform

Submission: Electronically through the NIH ASSIST system, an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution, or Grants.gov Workspace.
Pre-submission: Applicants must complete and maintain active registrations with the System for Award Management (SAM), obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and register with eRA Commons. PD/PIs must also have an eRA Commons account affiliated with the institution.
Review of submission: Applications are evaluated for completeness and compliance with instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, and for responsiveness by participating NIH components. Incomplete, non-compliant, and/or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.

Required Documentation and Materials

SF424(R&R) Forms: Includes various standard forms such as Cover, Project/Performance Site Locations, Other Project Information, Senior/Key Person Profile, R&R Budget, and others as detailed in the 'How to Apply - Application Guide' (except where specified otherwise in this NOFO).
Project Summary/Abstract: A succinct description (max 30 lines) of the requested equipment, its necessity for advancing research operations, and how it enhances research.
Project Narrative: A brief (2-3 sentences) description of the relevance of this research to public health, written in plain language.
Bibliography & References Cited: List only publications demonstrating expertise in equipment operation/usage or relevant to benefiting research projects.
Equipment Description: Details on manufacturer, model number, features, accessories, and a detailed budget breakdown (including tax/import duties).
Required: Itemized Quote: A valid, itemized quote from the commercial vendor (including one-year warranty and academic discounts) must be scanned and combined with the equipment description as a single document. Applications without a quote will be returned without review.
Other Attachments (Required):
- Modernization Plan: Saved as a single PDF file (named 'Modernization Plan') with a total limit of 11 pages. Must include the following sections with specified page limits:
  - Description of the Facility: Describes the shared-used facility, its role in supporting institutional research, areas of research supported, and deficiencies in existing equipment. (If applicable, compliance with animal care policies).
  - Justification of Need and Research Projects (4 pages): Names the equipment, compares its performance with similar models, justifies features, and explains how it addresses deficiencies. Describes benefits to NIH-funded research and the broader user community. Can include an optional table of up to 12 active grants held by end-users.
  - Operational Innovations and Benefits (2 pages): Explains how the equipment will revolutionize or advance facility operations, including innovative technical solutions or green technologies.
  - Resources Management, Administration, and Institutional Commitment (3 pages): Details on installation management, facility administration, operator expertise, training plans, equipment utilization, and access allocation.
  - Overall Impact/Benefit (1 page): Explains how the equipment transforms/advances research operation and contributes to long-range biomedical research goals.
- Letters of Support (Required):
  - (1) Letter from a high-ranking institutional official (e.g., Dean, Provost, President): Must indicate institutional financial support for facility operations and a detailed financial commitment for renewal of any time-limited software licenses beyond the first year.
  - (If applicable) Letter from Biosafety Official: If human, animal, or infectious materials causing biohazard are handled, a signed letter stating the proposed containment plan was reviewed and adheres to regulations.
- Floor Plan: An 8.5” x 11” image of the floor plan indicating the proposed location of the equipment.
- Letter from Director of Planning, Design and Construction: Must state (with supporting details) that the space and utilities are appropriate for the installation and functioning of the requested equipment.
- Timeline: A one-year timeline reflecting activities from receipt of Notice of Award to the end of the grant period.
Appendix Materials: Only blank questionnaires or blank surveys are allowed. No publications or other material.
Resource Sharing Plan: Applicants are required to comply with instructions for Resource Sharing Plans (Data Management and Sharing Plan is not applicable for this NOFO).

Evaluation Criteria

Overall Impact/Benefit

Reviewers will provide an overall impact/benefit score reflecting the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved.

Scored Review Criteria

Justification of Need:
- How the proposed equipment will remedy the infrastructure’s deficiencies, improve the facility’s operations, modernize the facility’s environment, or streamline its management.
- Comparison of the requested model's performance with other similar equipment available on the market.
- Justification for specific features and special accessories.
- Explanation of why the chosen equipment model and its manufacturer are the most suitable for the setting.
- Demonstration of how the project will benefit institutional biomedical research programs over the long term.
Technical Expertise:
- Whether the institution has the technical expertise to make effective use of the requested equipment.
- Whether the PD/PI has scientific or technical expertise in research fields supported by the facility.
- Whether the PD/PI or project team has the scientific or technical expertise required to operate and oversee the use of the equipment.
Operational Innovations and Benefits:
- How the equipment or project revolutionizes or enables an operational breakthrough for the shared facility.
- Whether the project offers innovative technical solutions/technologies unafforded by current technologies within the facility.
- Whether the project implements green technologies.
- Whether the equipment project proposes creative solutions to streamline operations, facilitate monitoring, reporting, and/or maintenance, modernize services of the facility, or provide new capabilities (as opposed to general outfitting).
- If modernization of an animal facility is proposed, how the project will support high-quality, scientifically rigorous, and reproducible research or contribute to the modernization of the facility with capabilities of detecting, measuring, monitoring, recording, and reporting environmental factors.
Administration:
- Whether the institution has the necessary resources to accommodate the instrument.
- Whether the PD/PI has suitable standing within the institutional structures to oversee and successfully complete the project.
- How well the available utilities and existing infrastructure will support the requested equipment.
Institutional Commitment:
- Whether the institutional commitment letter provides financial plans to support the maintenance and operations of the equipment.
- Appropriateness of the plans for the management and maintenance of the requested equipment.

Additional Review Criteria (Not scored, but considered)

Biohazards: Assessment of whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous and if adequate protection is proposed.
Budget and Period of Support: Consideration of whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed project.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Animal Facilities: Must comply with the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as well as the Animal Welfare Act.
Federal Regulations: Adherence to 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
NIH Policies: Compliance with the NIH Grants Policy Statement and terms/conditions outlined in the Notice of Award.
Nondiscrimination: Recipients must comply with all applicable nondiscrimination laws and submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS-690).
Mandatory Disclosure: Recipients must submit information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award.

Environmental Standards

Energy Efficiency: Applicants are strongly encouraged to select equipment that adheres to the highest level of energy efficiency ('green technologies') to reduce environmental impacts.

Technical and Operational Specifics

Equipment Functionality: The requested equipment must be for advancing the operational efficacy, productivity, and throughput of shared facilities. It is not intended for acquiring experimental data or as a direct scientific research instrument.
Single Equipment Type: Only one type of equipment may be requested per application. Submitting an application requesting multiple different types of equipment (e.g., a biosafety hood and a freezer) will result in the application being deemed non-responsive and not reviewed.
Single Facility Focus: Only one shared-use facility can be supported per application.
Operational Equipment Focus: This grant specifically excludes scientific research instruments (e.g., spectrometers, sequencers, microscopes, PCR machines), components of scientific instruments, building infrastructure equipment (e.g., HVAC, power generators), general outfitting, clusters of different equipment types, equipment used for billable clinical/veterinary care, and funding for maintaining current functions, replacing broken equipment, or routine upgrading.
Vendor Quote: A valid quote from the commercial vendor with a one-year warranty and appropriate academic discounts is required. It must specify the model number and technical requirements for installation and operation.
Institutional Support: A letter from a high-ranking institutional official is required, committing to financial support for shared facility operations and continued software licensing beyond the first year (if applicable).
Space Suitability: A letter from the Institutional Director of Planning, Design and Construction is required, confirming that the space and utilities are appropriate for the installation and functioning of the requested equipment.

Risk Management

Biohazard: If the project involves human, animal, or infectious materials that could create a biohazard, a signed letter from the institutional biosafety officer is required, confirming that the proposed containment plan has been reviewed and adheres to documented biosafety regulations.

Data Management

Data Management and Sharing Plan: This is not applicable for this NOFO.

Grant Details