Instrumentation & Equipment Funding

Funding Opportunities

Overview
UMD researchers have access to several recurring external funding programs that support the acquisition or development of shared research instrumentation, laboratory equipment, cyberinfrastructure, and major research facilities. These programs typically require strong justification of need, demonstrated user communities, and institutional commitments.
The table below summarizes the most common instrumentation funding opportunities and provides general guidance on timing and eligibility. Faculty should consult InfoReady for internal deadlines when institutional nomination or coordination is required.

Recurring External Instrumentation Programs

Program	Sponsor	Typical Timing	Supports	Notes / Internal Coordination
Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)	NSF	January annual deadline	Acquisition or development of shared research instrumentation	Limited submission. Requires internal competition through InfoReady; cost share often required.
Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)	DoD (ONR, AFOSR, ARO)	Typically August–September	Instrumentation supporting DoD-relevant research	No institutional limit but requires PI alignment with DoD program managers; budgeting guidance varies by agency.
Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG)	NIH	June annual deadline	Shared biomedical research equipment ($50K–$750K)	No cost share allowed. Must be used by multiple NIH-funded investigators.
High-End Instrumentation (HEI)	NIH	June annual deadline	Equipment >$750K	No salary or personnel costs allowed; requires strong multi-PI justification.
S15 Modern Equipment Program	NIH	November	~$50,000–$350,000	Modern equipment for biomedical research facilities
Advanced Technologies & Instrumentation (ATI)	NSF	November	See guidelines	Technology & instrumentation for astronomy
NIFA Equipment Grants Program (EGP)	USDA	May	~$25,001–$500,000	Shared-use equipment for food & agricultural research

Internal Resources & Guidance

InfoReady: For internal deadlines and limited submission requirements.
Research Development Office: Consultation on proposal strategy, facility justification, project framing, and sponsor fit.
UMD Core Facilities: Projects involving shared instrumentation or facility upgrades should coordinate early with relevant cores for letters, cost models, and user-base documentation.

Staying Informed

Instrumentation programs evolve, and new one-time infrastructure calls occasionally arise. The Research Development Newsletter highlights major opportunities and campus coordination needs.