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Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network will conduct a proposal development workshop for the NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, on Friday and Saturday, November 12-13, 2010, at the Hilton Atlanta Airport, 1031 Virginia Avenue, in Atlanta, GA. The QEM/MRI workshop's goal is to provide technical assistance to STEM faculty at minority-serving institutions in the preparation of proposals for submission in Fiscal Year 2011 to the NSF MRI Program. SEE AGENDA The NSF MRI Program is designed to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education, museums, 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-organizational use are encouraged, as are development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners to build instrument development capacity at academic institutions. To accomplish these goals, the MRI program assists with the acquisition or development of shared research instrumentation that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. Instruments are expected to be operational for regular research use by the end of the award period. The primary purpose of the MRI program is to facilitate scientific and engineering research and research training through the acquisition or development of major research instrumentation. Proposals must be for either acquisition or development of a single instrument or for equipment that, when combined, serves as an integrated research instrument (physical or virtual). The MRI program does not support the acquisition or development of a suite of instruments to outfit research facilities or to conduct independent research activities simultaneously nor does it support requests for general purpose laboratory equipment that serves to outfit a lab or research environment. The
MRI Program Solicitation indicates that Instrument acquisition or development proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000-$4 million will be accepted from all eligible organizations. Proposals that request funds from NSF less than $100,000 will also be accepted from all eligible organizations for the disciplines of social, behavioral and economic sciences and from non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education for all NSF-supported disciplines. The FY 2011 program deadline for receipt of proposals is January 27, 2011.
Title VII of the America COMPETES Act of 2007 directs NSF to require cost-sharing in the MRI Program. Therefore, effective FY 2008, NSF requires cost-sharing on all MRI proposals, both acquisition and development, from PhD and non-degree granting institutions. Cost-sharing will not be required on proposals from non-PhD granting institutions.
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