Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: November 14, 2025 (Submission Window Closes) | November 16, 2026 (Next window)
Funding Amounts: Up to $4,000,000 per award; typical project duration is up to 3 years (acquisition) or 5 years (development); ~100 awards/year; $75M total program funding
Summary: Supports acquisition or development of multi-user research instrumentation at US academic and nonprofit institutions to advance research and research training, with emphasis on broadening participation and capacity-building.
Key Information: Cost sharing is waived through FY2027; strict institutional proposal limits apply (max 4 per institution per year, by track).
Description
The National Science Foundation's Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program provides funding to acquire or develop shared-use scientific and engineering instruments that are critical for research and research training. The program aims to increase access to state-of-the-art instrumentation at US institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. MRI awards support either the direct purchase of commercially available instruments or the personnel and equipment costs required to develop new instruments with unique capabilities.
The program is designed to:
- Enable advances in fundamental science and engineering that would not otherwise occur due to lack of appropriate instrumentation.
- Support next-generation instrument development, opening new research frontiers.
- Enhance research training for students, preparing the next generation of instrument users and developers.
- Broaden participation by encouraging proposals from underrepresented groups, early-career researchers, and institutions in underserved regions.
MRI proposals are submitted in three tracks, each with specific funding ranges and institutional limits.
Due Dates
- Current Submission Window Closes: November 14, 2025 (for proposals submitted October 15, 2025 – November 14, 2025)
- Next Submission Window: October 15, 2026 – November 16, 2026
Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organization.
Funding Amount
- Award Size: Up to $4,000,000 per proposal.
- Track 1: $100,000 to <$1,400,000
- Track 2: $1,400,000 to $4,000,000
- Track 3: $100,000 to $4,000,000 (for helium conservation/recovery instrumentation)
- Project Duration: Up to 36 months for acquisition; up to 60 months for development.
- Total Program Funding: ~$75 million annually; ~100 awards expected per year.
- Cost Sharing: Waived for awards through FY2027; voluntary cost sharing is not permitted.
Eligibility
Eligible Organizations:
- US institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting)
- Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting US organizations (e.g., museums, observatories, research labs)
- Consortia of eligible organizations
Additional Notes:
- For-profit organizations may participate as subawardees for instrument development but cannot submit proposals directly.
- Proposals must be for instrumentation supporting research in NSF-supported fields (science, engineering, mathematics, STEM education).
- Proposals for medical research instrumentation or instruments used primarily for education/outreach are not eligible.
Institutional Proposal Limits:
- Maximum of 2 proposals in Track 1, 1 in Track 2, and 1 in Track 3 per institution per year (up to 4 total).
- Linked collaborative proposals and certain subawards count toward these limits.
PI/Co-PI Limits: No restrictions.
Application Process
- Submission Platforms: Research.gov or Grants.gov
- Letters of Intent/Pre-proposals: Not required.
- Full Proposal: Required; must follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the MRI solicitation.
- Required Documents:
- Project description (max 15 pages)
- Management plan
- Data management plan
- Institutional classification letter
- Commitment letter for operations and maintenance
- Itemized vendor quotes
- Supplementary tables for reviewer recruitment
- Special Requirements:
- Proposals must include a plan for instrument operation, maintenance, and user access.
- For Track 3 (helium conservation), additional documentation on helium use and savings is required.
- Proposals exceeding institutional limits or missing required documents will be returned without review.
Additional Information
- Tracks:
- Track 1: $100,000–$1,399,999 (acquisition or development)
- Track 2: $1,400,000–$4,000,000 (acquisition or development)
- Track 3: $100,000–$4,000,000 (helium conservation/recovery)
- Track 1 proposals below $100,000 are only allowed for mathematics, social/behavioral/economic sciences, or non-Ph.D.-granting institutions.
- Review Criteria: Intellectual merit and broader impacts, plus program-specific criteria (e.g., multi-user benefit, management plan, impact on research capacity and diversity).
- Operations & Maintenance: Awardees must commit to maintaining and operating the instrument for the benefit of a broad user base.
- Build America, Buy America: All iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials must be US-produced.
External Links
Contact Information
Directorate/Division-specific contacts are listed in the solicitation.