The Instrumentation Grant Program for Resource-Limited Institutions is a funding opportunity provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The program is specifically managed by multiple NIH institutes, including the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and other research-focused centers such as the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), and others. This grant aims to provide support to under-resourced institutions for purchasing modern scientific instruments that enhance their biomedical research and educational capacities.

The program seeks to address disparities in research funding by equipping institutions with limited NIH Research Project Grant funding with state-of-the-art instruments that support biomedical, translational, and clinically related behavioral research. The grant is also intended to enhance hands-on learning experiences for students at these institutions, helping to foster a stronger and more diverse biomedical research workforce. The funding supports the purchase of a single, specialized, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system necessary for high-quality biomedical research. However, certain restrictions apply, including exclusions for clinical equipment, general-purpose office equipment, and software that is not directly integrated into the requested instrument.

Eligible applicants for this program include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, state and local governments, small businesses, and Native American tribal organizations. Institutions must be located within the United States or U.S. territories and must meet specific financial and student demographic requirements. Institutions must have received less than $6 million per year in NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) in each of the past three fiscal years, award undergraduate or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences, and enroll at least 35% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants or be designated as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) or Tribal College or University (TCU).

Applications must follow the guidelines in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and must be submitted via NIH-approved platforms such as ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions. The application must include details such as a project summary, justification for the instrument, research and educational capacity-building plans, technical expertise, and organizational planning for instrument use. A minimum of three major users must be identified, each demonstrating a need for the instrument in their research or educational projects. The instrument must be housed in an appropriate space at the applicant institution to maximize sharing and promote cost-effectiveness.

Key dates for submission include multiple application cycles. The earliest submission date was June 3, 2023, and the next upcoming deadlines are June 3, 2024, and July 3, 2025. The scientific merit review occurs in November, followed by an advisory council review in January, with awards expected to be issued in April of the following year. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

The program does not allow indirect costs, and the funding amount for each award ranges between $25,000 and $250,000, with no more than one instrument per application. Institutions must demonstrate a sustainable plan for long-term maintenance and user access beyond the funded project period. Awardees must comply with all NIH reporting requirements, including an Annual Instrument Usage Report (AUR) for two years after the Final Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) is submitted.

For further information, applicants may contact Dorothy Beckett, PhD, at the NIGMS (dorothy.beckett@nih.gov) or any relevant NIH institute representatives listed in the funding opportunity. The official expiration date for this funding opportunity is July 4, 2025.