Applicant institutions eligible for funding through this NOFO must be domestic, located in the United States or its territories, and meet these criteria:

• At the time of application, have received less than $6 million dollars per year (total costs) from NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) in each of the preceding three fiscal years, calculated using NIH RePORTER; and
• award undergraduate (B.S. or B.A.) and/or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences; and
• enroll at least 35% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants (calculated as a yearly average from the past three academic years based on data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics); or belong to one of the following categories:
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), (see 20 U.S.C. 1061(2))
  • Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), (i.e., institutions described in section 5(e) of Executive Order 14049​)

Yes, they are eligible if they meet the above criteria.

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is for a different type of instrument. Applicant organizations are advised to consult with Dr. Dorothy Beckett before submitting multiple applications.

No, the applicant institution must meet all the institutional eligibility criteria.​

They likely do, requested instruments may support biomedical research and education in basic, translational, biomedically-related behavioral or clinical fields. Please reach out to Dr. Dorothy Beckett to share the goal of the research to be supported to confirm that it is biomedical in nature.

Applicant organizations are advised to consult with Dr. Dorothy Beckett before submitting multiple applications.

The criteria are institutions that enroll at least 35% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants (calculated as a yearly average from the past three academic years based on data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics).

Any institution that meets the criteria of having received less than less than $6 million dollars per year (total costs) from NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) in each of the preceding three fiscal years, and award undergraduate (B.S. or B.A.) and/or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences; and enroll at least 35% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants is eligible. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) must meet the first two criteria to be eligible. Any other institution must meet those criteria and enroll at least 35% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants.

We do not have a list available. You should seek to collaborate with nearby institutions that have shared research interests and will need to use the equipment you are proposing. ​The applicant institution must meet the eligibility criteria.

A single individual from an institution may not serve as the PI/PD on multiple applications for distinct instruments. However, he or she may serve as a PI/PD on one and a Major User on a second.

The S10 application is a single PI application.

No, multiple PIs cannot submit a single application because this is a single PI program.

Yes, a PI for one RLI-S10 application can be a Major or Minor user on another RLI-S10 application.

Strictly speaking, the undergraduate or graduate course is, itself, the Major User in education uses of the instrument. Therefore, a Major User can have both a research and ​educational program in an RLI-S10 application.

The PI must be a full-time employee of the applicant institution but does not have to be a US citizen.

No there is no effort requirement for the PI on an RLI-S10 application.

Yes, an individual who was the PI on a previous S10 application or award can serve as PI on an RLI-S10 application.

Yes, you are eligible to apply for an RLI-S10 award.

Yes, as long as there is no overlap, you may apply for both a BIG S10 and an RLI-S10 ​award.

No, although research and educational uses are allowed, both research and teaching goals are not required. Moreover, purely instructional equipment that cannot be used for research purposes is not allowed.

Use of an instrument in clinical trials is not allowed for applications to this NOFO. However, use of an instrument to develop or teach a clinical test may be allowed. Please contact Dr. Dorothy Beckett with questions that you may have relative to this point.

Minor and Other users are identical.

A single instrument may be used in multiple laboratory courses, and each course is considered a distinct user. Additionally, it is acceptable for a course to be either a Major or Minor user.

There is no requirement for a minimum number of minor users. However, the inclusion of minor users will be considered during the review process.

If a graduate course usage proposes significant usage of the instrument in the course and integrates this usage into the learning goals, it may be considered a major user.

Yes, there can be more than three major users. Three is the minimum number of major ​users.

Major and minor users can be drawn from nearby institutions that do not meet applicant institution eligibility criteria, such as non-HBCU institutions. However, the instrument must be housed at the applicant, in this case HBCU, institution.

Requested instruments may support biomedical research and education in basic, translational, biomedically-related behavioral or clinical fields. Patient care is not a permitted instrument use.

There is no specific amount of instrument time that must devoted to Major Users in either research or teaching projects. However, in the description of research and educational activities provided in the Research and/or Education Projects all Major Users must provide an explicit need, including number of usage hours per month. Reviewers will evaluate the "Justification of Need"​ based on these numbers and other information provided in the project descriptions.

Technically yes. However, such an arrangement may not be the best scenario for instruments intended for use in teaching. Careful consideration of the required biosafety and protections versus how the instrument will be accessed for shared use will be critical to the review of the application.

An institution can submit multiple S10 applications, with each application requesting funds to purchase a single instrument that is allowed per the PAR-23-138. An individual PD/PI can only apply for one piece of instrument or an integrated instrumentation system.

Only if the 5 sets of devices belong to an integrated system package and that the cost is eligible under this NOFO. Please note, the number of sets must be justified to ensure the educational goal is met while commensurate with optimal usage of the system.

Yes, GPU-based server is one type of the qualified computer systems under this NOFO. However, the server system must be solely dedicated to research and/or education.

Unfortunately, this is not allowed. This NOFO only supports the purchase of a single instrument or an integrated instrumentation system. For example, it will support a combined HPLC and mass spectrometry system (LC-MS).

This will depend on the particular nature of the request. For example, the purchase of a new probe for a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer is allowable. Please check with Dr. Dorothy Beckett with specific questions about instrument upgrades.

Allowable costs are for the purchase of the instrument, extended warranties, and service contracts for the instrument only. Costs for technical personnel or supplies are not allowable. However, there may be some instruments in which reagents are bundled with the instrument package. In this case, they may be acceptable.

Salaries for core facility managers can't be charged to this award.

Required letters are from the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) documenting the institutions eligibility, commitment to housing of the instrument, and any other support for personnel, and maintenance. Letters of support from high-ranking institutional officials may provide additional information on long-term funding commitment or assurance of access to the instrument on a shared basis.

Applications will be reviewed in special emphasis panels along with other applications submitted in response to this specific NOFO by reviewers with required expertise. Reviewers will be instructed not to compare applications to the RLI-S10 program with S10 applications submitted under other NOFOs.

Discussed applications will receive a final Overall Benefit score from all panel members who voted and 5 criterion scores (Justification of Need, Technical Expertise, Research and Education Projects, Administration, and Institutional Commitment) from assigned reviewers. Not-discussed application will only receive the 5 preliminary criterion scores from the assigned reviewers without the Overall Benefit score.

The institution can request a one-year no-cost-extension for the S10 award; and the instrument could be purchased during the next 12 months. The budget would not change, and a second no-cost extension is very unlikely.

Yes, there are reporting requirements. This report will contain, as applicable, information about the usage and operation of the instrument, description of research and educational activities that benefited from the instrument, and a summary of research and educational outcomes as documented by publications and any benefits to student learning or instruction.

The Equipment Oversight Committee is an institution oversight committee for all shared instruments in the applicant institution. The committee oversees institutional research infrastructure and equipment. The plans should help coordinate use and maintenance, and ensure broad access to the instrument.