NSF: Two Recovery Opportunities

Major Research Instrumentation Program   (MRI-R²) — The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program is announcing a call for proposals that is separate from the standard January submission deadline. Awards made in response to this solicitation will be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), and have special award conditions. Unless otherwise specified, ARRA funding should be considered one-time funding. The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our Nation’s institutions of higher education, museums and science centers, and not-for-profit organizations. This program especially seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, by providing shared instrumentation that fosters the integration of research and education in research-intensive learning environments.  Development and acquisition of research instrumentation for shared inter- and/or intra-organization use are encouraged, as are development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners to build instrument development capacity at academic institutions.

Estimated Number of Awards:  400 awards: Proposal budgets may include requests from NSF in the range $100,000-$6 million from Ph.D.-granting institutions and non-degree-granting organizations; up to $6 million (there is no minimum request) from non-Ph.D.-granting institutions and the disciplines of mathematical sciences or social, behavioral, and economic sciences at any eligible organization.

Anticipated Funding Amount:   $200,000,000  (Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be competing for about $200 million, pending availability of funds, and quality of proposals. Up to $40 million of these funds will be available for the acquisition or development of instruments costing between $2 million – $6 million, i.e., “mid-scale” instrumentation.) Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time):  August 10, 2009

The parameters of this Major Research Instrumentation-Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R2) competition differ from those for the regular MRI competition. 

Program Solicitation NSF 09-561

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Academic Research Infrastructure Program: Recovery and Reinvestment (ARI-R²) — Scientific discoveries are emerging at an accelerated pace, presenting new frontiers for exploration, stimulating innovation and economic growth, and driving the development of new tools and systems to support research. Likewise, the convergence of disciplines and the cross-fertilization that characterized contemporary science and engineering have made collaboration a centerpiece of the 21st century science and engineering enterprise. As new scientific opportunities and processes have emerged, the Nation’s research facility requirements have also evolved and changed.  In 2005, NSF estimated that academic institutions then had at least $3.6 billion in deferred projects to repair and renovate science and engineering research facilities (FY05 Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities.) As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, NSF will invest $200 million in the Nation’s research facilities and research training infrastructure.  This investment will advance the science and engineering research enterprise at many institutions.

The ARI-R² program will invest in the repair, renovation, or in exceptional cases, the replacement of existing research facilities.  It will not support the construction of new research facilities.

Awards made in response to this solicitation will be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5).  As such, awards will include special reporting requirements and other non-standard terms and conditions. Unless otherwise specified, ARRA funding should be considered one-time funding. Estimated Number of Awards: 100 to  120   Approximately 100 awards ranging from a total of $250,000 to $2,000,000; approximately 6-10 awards ranging from a total of over $2 million to $5 million; approximately 3-5 awards ranging from a total of over $5 million to $10 million. The award duration for ARI-R² grants up to $2 million is up to three years; award duration for grants over $2 million up to $10 million is up to four years. Anticipated Funding Amount: $200,000,000  (Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be competing for about $200 million, pending availability of funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.) Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time):  July 01, 2009. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time): August 24, 2009.

Program Solicitation NSF 09-562