The following programs provide funding or support specifically for equipment or instrumentation. Consult each program’s web page for more detailed information and current deadlines.
Find more opportunities by using Pivot and selecting “Equipment or Materials Acquisition” under “Funding Type,” or by using Grant Forward and searching for “equipment.”
| Program |
Deadline |
Program Synopsis |
| Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program |
campus limited submission: approximately December |
The MRI Program is intended to assist with the acquisition or development of research instrumentation that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. Proposals must be for either acquisition or development, and can be for a single instrument or for equipment that when combined serves as an integrated research instrument (physical or virtual). Awards for instrumentation range from $100,000 to $4 million. Proposals that request funds less than $100,000 will also be accepted for the disciplines of social, behavioral and economic sciences. An organization may submit or be included as a partner or subawardee in no more than three proposals. If an organization submits or is included as a partner or subawardee in three proposals, at least one of the three proposals must be for instrument development. |
| Archaeometry Awards, SBE Archaeology Program |
December 1 |
The Archaeology Program recognizes three broad classes of archaeometric
proposals: to support laboratories which provide
archaeometric services; to develop and refine
archaeometric techniques; and to apply existing analytic
techniques to specific bodies of archaeological materials. Laboratory support awards provide December “core” funding that permits laboratories to increase analytical capacity through the addition and/or replacement of equipment and retention of key personnel. |
| Chemical and Transport Systems Division, Engineering Research Equipment Funding |
January |
Research equipment with a total cost of less than $200,000 can be funded by individual or multiple programs within the Engineering Directorate or via joint funding with programs in other divisions or directorates. Programs that accept equipment proposals are: Thermal Transport & Thermal Processing; Combustion & Plasmas Systems; Interfacial, Transport & Thermodynamics; Separation & Purification Processes; Fluid Dynamics & Hydraulics; Kinetics, Catalysis & Molecular Processes. |
| Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) |
to be determined |
CRIF provides funds to research institutions and consortia thereof for the purchase of multi-user instruments and for the establishment and support of multi-user research facilities in the chemical sciences. NSF has temporarily suspended the CRIF program. |
| CISE Computing Research Infrastructure (CRI) |
first Tuesday in October |
The CRI program drives discovery and learning in the computing disciplines by supporting the creation, enhancement and operation of world-class computing research infrastructure. CRI supports two classes of awards: Institutional Infrastructure, and Community Infrastructure. |
| Earth Sciences: Instrumentation and Facilities (EAR/IF) |
open |
This program supports: Acquisition or Upgrade of Research Equipment; Development of New Instrumentation, Analytical Techniques or Software; Support of National or Regional Multi-User Facilities; Support for Early Career Investigators. |
| Improvements at Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML) |
second Friday in December |
FSMLs must offer modern research and educational facilities, equipment, communications and data management systems for a broad array of users. In recognition of the importance of FSMLs in modern biology, NSF invites proposals that address these general goals of FSML improvement. |
| Instrument Development for Biological Research (IDBR) |
last Friday in July |
This Program supports the development of instrumentation that addresses demonstrated needs in biological research. The Program accepts two types of proposals: Innovation Proposals and Bridging Proposals. |
| Oceanographic Centers and Facilities, Integrative Programs Section, Division of Ocean Sciences |
varies |
This program supports expensive facilities that are necessary for NSF-funded research and training of oceanographers. Examples of these facilities are ships, submersibles, large shipboard equipment, and shared-use instruments to collect and analyze data. |
