Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations

Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations is sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH). Supports the purchase of scientific equipment to enhance research operations in shared biomedical facilities.

PAR-24-259: Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations (S15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission. Department of Health and Human Services Part 1.

Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) Components of Participating Organizations Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs ( ORIP ) National Institute of General Medical Sciences ( NIGMS ) Funding Opportunity Title Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations (S15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) S15 Small Instrumentation Grants Program March 31, 2025 - This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities.

Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission. April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025. See Notice NOT-OD-24-084 .

August 31, 2022 - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198 . August 5, 2022 - Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.

See Notice NOT-OD-22-189 . Funding Opportunity Number (FON) Companion Funding Opportunity See Part 2, Section III. 3.

Additional Information on Eligibility. Assistance Listing Number(s) Funding Opportunity Purpose This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites eligible academic or research institutions to apply for funding support to purchase latest scientific equipment that will enhance and modernize research-supporting operations of existing shared biomedical research facilities.

Targeted are laboratory research core facilities, animal research facilities, and other similar shared-use research spaces. The goal of this NOFO is to strengthen research-auxiliary activities of biomedical research facilities and to enhance the efficiency of their operations.

The NOFO does not support the purchase of scientific research instruments or their components, nor components of building-level infrastructure equipment that indirectly support research activities. Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) Letter of Intent Due Date(s) Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ). Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced.

Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - Application Guide , follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants. gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants. gov and eRA Commons to track your application.

Check with your institutional officials regarding availability. Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application. Part 1.

Overview Information Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Section II.

Award Information Section III. Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V.

Application Review Information Section VI. Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII.

Other Information Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites eligible institutions to seek funds to transform or improve the operations of existing shared research facilities through the purchase and installation of latest equipment that enable and enhance a broad range of research-supporting activities.

Any equipment supported by this NOFO must be substantially used in a laboratory research core facility, animal facility, or similar shared-use research space to ensure broad benefits for the institutional research community. Moreover, any request must be justified by research-related demands for the modernization of research-supporting functions or for the advancement of facility operations.

This NOFO does not support the purchase of scientific instruments or their components, nor components of building-level infrastructure equipment that indirectly support research activities (such as HVACs or power generators). NIGMS will co-fund applications from higher education institutions that award undergraduate (B. S.

or B. A.) and/or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences and have received no more than $6 million dollars per year (total costs) from NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) in each of the preceding two fiscal years, calculated using NIH RePORTER , at the time of the application.

Applications to be considered must support research aligned with the NIGMS mission . Applications for research capacity building in Institutional Development Award ( IDeA )-eligible states will be considered. NIH recognizes that modern physical infrastructure that supports the scientific enterprise is indispensable for the advancement of biomedical research.

Laboratory spaces or animal facilities are considered eligible if the space/facility: i) employs a wide range of advanced technical solutions to create well-controlled environments, ii) provides research spaces with equipment to facilitate and optimize research-supporting activities, and iii) provides tools that assist in facility operations and monitoring.

The objective of this NOFO is to support the acquisition of latest, technologically advanced equipment needed to advance the operational efficacy, productivity, and throughput; improve energy efficiency, enhance, or streamline operating processes and procedures in core laboratories, animal research facilities, or other shared-use research support space.

Providing access to such equipment can also expand the capacity of essential support services for evolving and emerging research programs. Maintaining current functions, replacing broken equipment, and routine upgrading are not supported by this NOFO.

This NOFO does not support the acquisition of scientific research instruments that acquire experimental data or any other instrument directly involved in experimental processes that lead to data collection. Some examples of such excluded instruments include, but are not limited to, spectrometers, microscopes, biomedical imagers, cell analyzers, sequencers, PCR machines, chromatography equipment, and metabolic cages.

Computer and data storage systems supporting scientific data collection, storage, and analysis are also not supported by this NOFO. These instruments may be requested through ORIP’s shared instrumentation programs. Animal research facilities are one of the targeted research areas of this NOFO.

Examples of supported equipment for animal facilities include, but are not limited to: Multi-functional ventilated cages and/or cage racks for small animals Specialized caging system for large animals Aquatic animal systems equipped with water quality assessment sensors Automated feeding or watering systems to aid in consistency and accuracy of animal care Robotics and automations for animal facility operation Advanced, environmental-friendly, high performing or high-throughput cage, rack, bottle, and tunnel washer systems Veterinary care devices and veterinary diagnostic systems Telemetry equipment to monitor cage conditions and/or animal well-being for purposes of animal husbandry (not experimental data collection) Environmental management devices that assist in the monitoring and customizing of environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, air flow, and lighting.

Core laboratories and specialized facilities are other spaces targeted by this NOFO. Without access to modern research facilities with well-controlled environments and furnished with specialized support equipment, many research functions are not feasible.

Examples of supported modern laboratory research equipment include, but are not limited to: Modern biobanking or cryopreservation equipment Freezers assisted by robotic arms or other forms of automation Autoclaves or other sterilizers Cryogenic gas recovery/recycling equipment (servicing two or more instruments) Environmental chambers, isolators, or other chambers designed to create specialized environments Liquid dispensers or other automated sample preparation equipment (single piece of equipment) Cryostats or other tissue sectioning equipment Single piece, integrated slide staining equipment (multiple pieces for single steps in the process are not allowed) Nucleic acid extraction equipment Peptide or oligonucleotide synthesizers Automated cell processing equipment Water purification/treatment equipment (in lab, not for an entire building) Other equipment that modernizes, streamlines, or improves the operating efficiency of the facility is also supported.

Computers or other electronics that are built into the equipment with specialized software may also be a part of the equipment request if and only if they are inseparable from the requested equipment.

Equipment supported by this NOFO differs in its functionality from scientific research instruments, but such equipment is critically needed to advance and accelerate the operations of research facilities and, as a result, contributes indirectly to the overall advancement of scientific research.

Any equipment acquired under this NOFO must benefit the larger biomedical research enterprise at the applicant institution and represent a technological step forward. The application narrative should demonstrate that the request for the equipment is driven by the demands of active areas of biomedical research at the institution.

The facility may serve investigators whose research is supported by NIH, other Federal agencies, private foundations, institutional funds, or other sources. Current NIH research funding is not a requirement for submission of an application.

Once installed, the requested equipment should enable new and advanced capabilities, offer innovative technological solutions, or enhance support operations, as well as benefit the user community and multiple research projects of many investigators. Maintaining current functions, replacing broken equipment, and routine upgrading are not supported by this NOFO.

Likewise, equipment that is normally considered to be a component of building infrastructure is not supported, e.g., HVAC systems, building-level water treatment systems, or back-up power supplies of any type.

Any application that proposes general outfitting, clusters of equipment, scientific instruments or their components, and/or other non-allowed expenses will be deemed unresponsive to this NOFO and subject to withdrawal from review or consideration for funding. The acquisition of a single piece of latest equipment necessary to support specialized research-supporting activities is the goal of this NOFO.

Moreover, only one facility can be supported; this NOFO does not support the upgrading of multiple facilities at a single institution. Only one type of equipment may be requested. Auxiliary items required for the physical operation of the major equipment piece are also permitted, e.g., a centrifuge with a rotor.

Such auxiliary items must be dedicated to the main equipment piece, required for the main equipment piece to function, and not be capable of stand-alone operation. Multiple items of the same type of equipment are also permitted, e.g., cages racks with cages, but any request must be justified by the research-related demands on the facility and the operational capacities therein.

Clusters of equipment serving a single or multiple support function(s) are not permitted, e.g., incubators, biosafety hoods, and centrifuges for cell culture. General outfitting of the support space, e.g., purchasing multiple pieces of different equipment is also not permitted under this NOFO.

Moreover, it is encouraged that all requested equipment adheres to the highest level of energy efficiency available to reduce environmental impacts. All applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Scientific/Research Contact(s) before submission of an application to discuss equipment requests and eligibility criteria.

In addition, there is an FAQ and (archived) webinar providing additional guidance that can be viewed at ORIP's Equipment web page . Applications Not Responsive To This NOFO An individual application requesting more than one type of equipment (for example, a biosafety hood and a freezer) is not responsive to this NOFO and will not be reviewed. See Section VIII.

Other Information for award authorities and regulations. Section II. Award Information Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed The OER Glossary and the How to Apply - Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO. Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials.

Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial? Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Application budgets must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

The maximum award budget is $350,000, direct costs only. Applications with a budget less than $50,000 will not be considered. For requests of multiple pieces of the same equipment, the minimum budget for each piece is $15,000.

Auxiliary items required for the main equipment piece to function may be less. Since the scope of different projects will vary, it is anticipated that the size of the awards will vary. The total project period may not exceed one year.

Funds will be provided in a single award with a 12-month budget and project period. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO. Section III.

Eligibility Information Higher Education Institutions Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , are not allowed. Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award.

All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.

3. 9. 2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually .

The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM. gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.

eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants. gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

Grants. gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants. gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role.

Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks. Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator) Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support.

The PD/PI does not need to have an NIH research grant or any other research support. The PD/PI may be a core or an animal research facility director, tenured, or non-tenured faculty member of the applicant organization. The PD/PI must be affiliated with the applicant organization and must be registered on eRA Commons.

Typically, the PD/PI will be a scientist with a leadership role in overseeing or managing the shared-use facility and relevant scientific or technical expertise (documented in the biographical sketch) related to the requested technology. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed under this NOFO. This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.

2 Definition of Terms. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.

3. 7. 4 Submission of Resubmission Application .

This means that the NIH will not accept: A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application. A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.

An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2. 3. 9.

4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications ). Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique entity identifier (UEI) or NIH IPF number) is allowed. An institution that received an award under this NOFO in the immediate past fiscal year is not eligible to apply for this NOFO unless the previous award has been fully closed out by the date of submission.

Specifically, an institution that received an award under PAR-24-028 is not eligible to apply for this NOFO for the September 25, 2024 due date. In other words, only one active equipment award is permitted at a time.

Location – Shared-use Facility The equipment must be placed in a core facility, an animal research facility, or other shared used space to ensure that it supports research-related needs of a broad institutional research community. Awards will only be made to facilities that are operational.

If a facility is under renovation/construction at the time of proposal submission, a certificate of beneficial occupancy must be provided in the Just-in-time process, in order to be considered for an award.

Letter from an Institutional Official A letter from a high-ranking institutional official (e.g., Dean, Provost, President) indicating institutional financial support for the operations of the shared facility, as well as a commitment to continued software licensing beyond the first year, if applicable, must be included.

A valid quote (for each requested item) from the commercial vendor with a one-year warranty guaranteed by the manufacturer and appropriate academic discounts, is required and must be included in the application. The quote must specify the model number, describe the technical requirement for the installation and operation, and itemize accessories, as applicable.

Letter from the Director of Planning, Design and Construction A letter from the Institutional Director of Planning, Design and Construction (or equivalent) is required. The letter should state (with supporting details) that the space and the utilities are appropriate for the installation and functioning of the requested equipment. Section IV.

Application and Submission Information 1. Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants. gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution.

Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants. gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced.

Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. All page limitations described in the How to Apply – Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed. For this NOFO, there are specified page limits for each section of the Modernization Plan as described below.

All tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts must be included within the page limits for these sections. The applicants should make every effort to be succinct. To be successful, an application does not have to reach the page limits described here.

Justification of Need and Research Projects: 4 pages. Operational Innovations and Benefits: 2 pages. Resources Management, Administration, and Institutional Commitment: 3 pages.

Overall Impact/Benefit: 1 page. Instructions for Application Submission “Note: A Data Management and Sharing Plan is not applicable for this NOFO The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply – Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO. All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Other Project Information All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Project Summary/Abstract: The Project Summary/Abstract should contain a succinct and accurate description of the requested equipment and an explanation of the need for the equipment to advance research operation and innovation at the applicant institution. The application's long-term objectives should be stated, concisely describing how access to the equipment will enhance the research at the applicant institution.

NOTE: The Project Summary/Abstract must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Project Narrative: Using no more than two or three sentences, describe the relevance of this research to public health. In this section, be succinct and use plain language that can be understood by a general, lay audience.

Bibliography & References Cited: List only publications that demonstrate the researchers' expertise in operation and usage of the requested equipment or are relevant to research projects that will be benefited from the equipment. Facilities & Other Resources: Not Applicable. Do not include an attachment here.

Equipment: Describe the requested equipment by stating its manufacturer, model number, specific features, and accessories. Provide a detailed budget breakdown of the equipment and requested accessories, including tax and import duties, if applicable. An itemized quote from the vendor, with appropriate discounts and warranty terms, is required.

The quote must be scanned and combined with the equipment description as a single document. As described above in the SF424 Cover form, include an explanation of Total Non-Federal Funds in this section (if applicable). Applications without a quote will be deemed incomplete and returned to the applicant without review.

If human, animal, or infectious materials, which could create a potential biohazard, are to be analyzed, funds for accessory containment equipment may be requested in the budget. Do not describe the need for the equipment in this section; such narrative should be a part of the Justification of Need and Research Projects section of the Modernization Plan.

Other Attachments (Required) For this NOFO, other Attachments follow the page limits described below, please do not include additional text to circumvent page limits. 1) Modernization Plan: 11 pages in total. The entire Modernization Plan (with the sections described below) must be saved as a single PDF file - named Modernization Plan - and attached via Other Attachments.

Organize the Modernization Plan in the specified order as described below, starting each section with the appropriate section heading (i.e., Description of the Facility , Justification of Need and Research Projects , Operational Innovations and Benefits , Resources Management, Administration, and Institutional Commitment ). Do not include links to websites for further information. Do not include animations/videos.

The Description of the Facility should describe i) the shared-used facility where the proposed equipment will be installed, ii) demonstrate novel capabilities or operational innovations that will be enabled by the equipment, iii) justify the request by research-related needs, and iv) describe long-term plans for the maintenance and usage of the equipment.

The Description of the Facility should include information about the location of the facility, areas of research supported, types of research services offered, and the research community that depends on services provided by the facility. The PD/PI should demonstrate that the facility is used on a shared basis and describe its role in supporting the institutional research enterprise.

The areas of science supported by the facility should be outlined to illustrate how the equipment request is driven by research-related demands. Research supported by NIH, other Federal agencies, private foundations, or other sources should also be summarized.

Deficiencies in the facility’s existing equipment infrastructure that limit the services it offers and the research-related activities it supports, should serve as the basis for the justification of the modernization needs.

If the facility will house live vertebrate animals, the facility design must be compliant with the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy) and Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) by balancing engineering and performance standards and setting a target for optimal practices, management, and operations while encouraging flexibility and judgment.

Applicant institutions are also required to comply, as applicable, with the standards described in the Animal Welfare Act, and other Federal statutes and regulations. A floor plan indicating the proposed location of the equipment must be attached – see required Other Attachment 3) – to demonstrate that the location meets the space, utility access, and any other requirements for the operations of the equipment.

Do not include such text directly on the floor plan to circumvent the page limits. A letter from the Institutional Director of Planning, Design and Construction in Other Attachments (4) should complement the text in this section and information on the floor plan.

Issues related to the management of access to or operating the equipment, and the long-term equipment maintenance should be addressed to demonstrate the feasibility of the project. The Justification of Need and Research Projects: 4 pages. Name the requested equipment.

Compare performance of the requested model with other similar equipment available on the market. Justify the need for specific features and special accessories of the requested equipment. Justification of Need should describe how the proposed equipment will remedy the infrastructure’s deficiencies, improve the facility’s operations, modernize the facility’s environment, or streamline its management.

If the project is located at an animal research facility, planned improvements in animal management, maintenance, or care should be presented and connected (as applicable) to improvements in the rigor, reproducibility, and translatability of the animal-based research. Explain why the chosen equipment model and its manufacturer are the most suitable for your setting.

Preliminary data are not required, though if feasible, can be included to justify the choice of the equipment. Provide an inventory of similar equipment existing at your institution, or neighboring research institutions; describe why each similar equipment is unavailable or inappropriate for the proposed research.

Describe the equipment requested and demonstrate that the chosen model(s), when installed, will optimally address current deficiencies, and meet research-driven demands. Technical specification of the equipment together with its demands on building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing) should be described to demonstrate the feasibility of the project.

The use of green technologies offering savings in energy, water, and other functional efficiencies should also be addressed. If computing component or software is requested, the component or software supported by this program must be inseparable from the requested equipment and is critical in the operation of the equipment. If applicable, the PD/PI should describe NIH-funded research awards that will benefit from the project.

The PD/PI should demonstrate broader benefits for the user community. To add to the justification, the PD/PI should also demonstrate how the project will benefit institutional biomedical research programs over the long term. Explain the research projects that will benefit from the requested equipment to enhance these research investigations.

Research projects may be drawn from a broad array of topics in basic, translational, or clinical research; NIH funded projects and research projects that have impact on biomedical research and health are expected to be included. If the equipment will benefit a large number of research projects, describe a few projects in this section and list up to 12 active grants in an optional table following detailed instructions below.

Especially, if multiple items of the same type of equipment are requested, the narrative should show the need for that level of capacity in the context of the facility’s operations and services. Similarly, if auxiliary items are requested, the configuration must be described in detail and how the auxiliary items are required for the functionality of the main piece of equipment.

If a time-limited software license is requested, a financial commitment towards its renewal in outward years must be also documented in the support letter from a high-ranking institutional official – see required Other Attachment (2). Operational Innovations and Benefits : 2 pages. Explain how the requested equipment will revolutionize, modernize, or advance the operations of the facility.

Explain what the operational innovations are, how the operational innovations will advance the research support to a new level, and how the advancement in research support will benefit biomedical research activities to the institutional research programs and research community over the long term. Resources Management, Administration, and Institutional Commitment : 3 pages.

Explain how the installation and test of the equipment will be managed in a core or a shared resource facility setting. Further, describe how the facility and resources are managed, and operation is administrated. Describe existing expertise of prospective operators or staff in operating and maintaining the equipment and how operators will be trained in equipment operation and maintenance.

Explain the organizational plan to administer the grant. Describe where the equipment will be located, how it will be utilized. When applicable, explain how requests to use the equipment will be