The Shared Instrument Grant (SIF) Program 2018 call for applications is closed. The previous call is below for your reference only.  An updated call for applications will be announced when/if NIH  announces a new SIG funding opportunity.  Please check the ECOR website and your emails from MGH Research News for updates. Click here to sign up to receive MGH Research News.

Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) Program 2018 and High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (HEI) 2018

Pre-application Deadline: Wednesday, March 7, 2018 - 5:00 PM

  

DESCRIPTION OF THE AWARDS

The NIH ORIP's Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10) program, also known as a SIG, supports the purchase of research equipment in the $50,000 to $600,000 price range. Examples of instrumentation supported by SIG funding include nuclear magnetic resonance systems, electron and confocal microscopes, mass spectrometers, protein and DNA sequencers, biosensors, X-ray diffractometers and cell sorters. For research equipment exceeding the $600,000 price range, investigators may apply for the High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Program.

The MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) has again committed funding to provide institutional support this year for Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10) and High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant proposals. ECOR has made this commitment because it recognizes that institutional support greatly increases the likelihood that a S10 or HEI application will be funded.

Several required application components for submitting an S10 grant to the NIH were changed in 2014 for this call and ECOR will be preparing this information and including it with the institutional letter of support.  The changes include:  

  • The institution must now explicitly state a commitment to provide financial support for the proposed financial plan should a shortfall be experienced due to a lack of other grant funding or chargeback/volume fluctuations (see Sect. IV).
    • A separate communication will be sent directly to department chiefs addressing the support of financial plans for submitted applications.
       
  • The institution must also provide a Letter of Support that includes a table that provides information about instrument performance of all previous S10 awards for instruments awarded or installed within the past five years.
    • To meet this requirement, any recipient of an S10 award from 2013-present will be asked to provide specific details that will be used to support all shared instrumentation grants going forward. A separate email will be sent directly to the PIs to which this applies.

Interested applicants must complete and submit a Pre-application to ECOR by Wednesday, March 7, 2018 which is 5 weeks before the April 11, 2018 deadline for submitting Part 2 of the Pre-application to ECOR.  Please continue to work on Part 2 of the pre-application while ECOR is reviewing Part 1.  During that time, ECOR may reach out to PIs if they have any questions.

Part 1 and Part 2 of the Pre-application must be submitted through MGH ECOR's Online Grant Management Portal by the MGH PI or their delegate.

 

DEADLINES  

ECOR Part 1 Pre-application Deadline:  Wednesday, March 7, 2018, 5pm

ECOR Part 2 Pre-application Deadline:  Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 5pm

NIH Application Deadline:  Thursday, May 31, 2018

 

AWARD AMOUNT

As previously stated, the Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program awards range from $50,0000 to $600,000  for the purchase or upgrade of a single item of expensive, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated systems. The Hight-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Program supports the purchase of research equipment exceeding the $600,000 price range. NIH also requires a letter confirming the institution's financial commitment and support.

 

ELIGIBILITY  

  • Applicants must have a full-time MGH appointment at the time of application and during the entire award period.
  • Applicants must hold their primary appointment at MGH and their research must be based at MGH.

 

REVIEW PROCESS

Applications will be reviewed to determine the level of institutional support.  Upon approval, applicants will receive a letter of institutional support required to submit the application to NIH.    

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Part 1 of the Pre-application must include the following:

  1. Title of Submission
  2. Type of Grant:  Choose one of the following two categories based on the type of grant application being submitted to NIH: Shared Instrument Grant or High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant.
  3. Equipment Requested.
  • Include the name of the equipment and a URL for specifications. 
  • Select "Update" if the purchase will replace existing equipment.
  • Does the the equipment already exist on an MGH campus?  If yes, explain why the equipment is not accessible or cannot be used.  Here is a link to the Equipment at MGH
  1. Estimated Cost of Equipment.
  2. Planned Location of Equipment.  Include Building, Floor and Room #
  3. Renovation Required.  Will any renovations be required to install the equipment? Select Yes or No.  If yes, who will be paying for the renovations?
  4. Significance. What is the significance of procuring this piece of equipment to your research lab, department and the institution?  Please be specific in discussing your field of study and the impact of this equipment.
  5. Use of Institutional Funds.  Should you be approved for institutional support from MGH, how do you plan to use the funds provided by MGH?  (i.e. procurement, maintenance, etc. )

 

FORMAT GUIDELINES

  • Use margins of 0.5 inches or greater
  • Use 11pt font size or greater
  • Upload PDF documents only.  Limit characters to A-Z, a-z and 0-9 when naming PDF documents.  Do not use periods, commas or dashes in the file name.

 

HOW TO APPLY

ECOR accepts all applications online via the ECOR Online Grant Management Portal.  The system has been designed to allow users to:

  • Create a personal profile, which will auto-populate your future ECOR applications
  • Assign a delegate to submit applications on your behalf (optional)
  • View current calls and apply to open opportunities 
  • Save and edit current applications in progress
  • Submit completed applications
  • View all your ECOR applications that have been submitted via the Online Grants Management Portal.

Instructions for Applying Online:

  1. Create your account: Log in using your Partners credentials and fill-out the profile information.
  2. Complete the application: Once your profile is complete, you will automatically progress through the online application. If you cannot complete the application at one time, “save” the application and return to it at a later time to finish. Before submitting your application, you will have the ability to make changes to the application.
  3. Submit your application: Once you have completed the application click on the “submit” button at the bottom of the page. Once you submit it, you will not be able to make further changes unless you send a request to ECOR (note that once the deadline passes, requests to make changes will not be accepted).

Useful tips:

  • To avoid losing your work, remember to save frequently
  • You can only upload PDF documents
  • If you previously created a profile, please ensure your information is current prior to submitting an application.

  Click 'Apply' below to begin the application.

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PART 2 PRE-APPLICATION INFORMATION (Required after submitting Part 1 of the Pre-application to ECOR): All applicants are required to submit Part 2 of the Pre-application to ECOR by Wednesday, April 11, 2018.  Part 2 consists of selected information that will be required in the final proposal to NIH.  

Follow the guidelines below to submit Part 2 Pre-application materials listed to ECOR. 

  1. Potential Users. List a minimum of 3 Major Users. Include name, degree(s), department and institution. 
  • Major Users must be a PD/PI on a distinct active NIH research award in an area of basic, translational or clinical research.  An award given to mulit PDs/PIs is counted only once. NIH training or fellowship grants and other non-research grants cannot be counted. 
  • Investigators with funding from sources such as other federal agencies (e.g., NSF, DoD), private foundations or academic institutions can be listed as Major Users, provided they are engaged in basic, translational or clinical research and can demonstrate a substantial need for the instrument.
  • Major Users can be researchers from the same department or from several departments or divisions at MGH or from nearby or regional institutions. 

 

  1. Technical Expertise (3 pages maximum): The PI for this application should have documented technical expertise directly related to the type of the chosen instrument.  Briefly describe the technical expertise of the individuals who will set up and run the instrument, ensure that the instrument is safely operated and appropriately maintained and who will train users. If the instrument requires complex sample preparation or consultation for experimental designs, describe the expert individuals who will serve in that capacity.  Address technical support for data collection, management, and analysis.

 

  1. Administration - Organizational/Management Plan (6 pages maximum): Describe the organizational plan to administer the grant. Describe how the instrument will be utilized, how requests to use the instrument will be enlisted.  Describe how users will be trained in experimental design, instrument operation and data analysis. Describe typical day-by-day management of the instrument.

 

  1. Financial Plan: Typically, during year one, the maintenance costs are fully covered by one-year manufacturer's warranty, but must be considered in subsequent years.  Provide a budget associated with the purchase. This includes salary support of expert personnel who will operate the instrument and oversee routine care and procedures, maintenance costs, necessary supplies and anticipated income, if any. 

  

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions, please email ECOR.