Instrument Funding Opportunities
External Funds
National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation
The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) catalyzes new knowledge and discoveries by increasing access to multi-user state-of-the-art scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. The MRI Program especially seeks broad representation of PIs in its award portfolio, including women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities, and also encourages proposals with early-career PIs and proposals that benefit early-career researchers.
Learn More about the MRI Program
National Institutes of Health S10 Instrumentation Program
The S10 programs support purchases of state-of-the-art commercially available instruments to enhance research of NIH–funded investigators. Instruments that are awarded are typically too expensive to be obtained by an individual investigator with a research project grant. Every instrument awarded by an S10 grant is used on a shared basis, which makes the programs cost-efficient and beneficial to thousands of investigators in hundreds of institutions nationwide.
Learn More about the S10 Instrumentation Program
National Institutes of Health Administrative Supplement
An administrative supplement is a noncompeting award that provides additional funding to a currently funded grant to meet increased costs that are within the scope of the approved project, but that were unforeseen when the new or competing renewal application was awarded. Administrative supplements are offered for:
- Administrative supplement funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) for specific programs
- A parent administrative supplement FOA for requests that do not fall under a specific program.
- Notices of Special Interest that identify an administrative supplement FOA for application submission.
Learn About the NIHJ Administrative Supplement
Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)
The Department of Defense DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of accredited United States (U.S.) institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation. DURIP is part of the University Research Initiative (URI). Applications are submitted through the Army Research Office (ARO), Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
Apply for the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP)
NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) funds novel instruments offering new or improved ways to observe Earth. The program takes new ideas and helps develop them into validated demonstrations. These new instruments, including lasers, spectrometers and radars, among others, are smaller, more affordable, and seek to include enabling new component technologies and architectures. The instruments incorporate greater onboard intelligence to take advantage of the tremendous strides in algorithm development and processing power. Projects take on greater, more calculated risks than past efforts, offering the potential to advance technology and science.
The program’s eventual goal is to see these new, improved technologies implemented into future Earth observing missions that probe pressing Earth science phenomena, like extreme weather and surface deformation. The instruments are inspired by NASA’s Earth Science Focus Areas, which include: atmospheric composition, weather and atmospheric dynamics, climate variability and change, water and energy cycle, carbon cycle and ecosystems, and Earth surface and interior.