News & Events

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
by: Maribel Roman

The National Science Foundation has announced two deadlines in August for special Recovery and Reinvestment Act Programs.
 
August 10: Major Research Instrumentation Program - MRI-R2. Under the MRI-R2 Program, NSF expects to make approximately 400 awards from $100,000 to $6 million each for major instrument acquisition and/or development. There is no minimum award amount for non-Ph.D. granting universities or the disciplines of mathematical sciences or social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Also, there is no cost sharing requirement from non-Ph.D. granting universities. According to NSF definitions, Seton Hall is a non-Ph.D. granting university and cost sharing will be waived; however, each proposal for which this waiver is applicable must also include a certification from the institution's President or Provost.

Proposals also must contain, as a supplemental document, a signed statement from the sponsored research office classifying the performing organization as either non-Ph.D.-granting, Ph.D.-granting, or non-degree-granting. Universities may submit up to three applications: two may be for instrument acquisition and one must be for instrument development. Because of this restriction: applicants wishing to apply to this program must submit to the Grants Office's email address (grantsoffice@shu.edu) no later than 5 pm, Friday, June 12, preliminary proposals of up to three pages describing their projects and include a budget. If more than the allowable amount of applications is received, the University Research Council will determine which will proceed to NSF.

The MRI-R2 Program can be an important source of funds for expensive research and research training equipment which is difficult or impossible to otherwise afford. Seton Hall has competed successfully in the past in the MRI Program, and I urge all science and math faculty needing major new equipment in their labs to consider applying to this program. A link to the MRI-R2 Program guidelines is below. A video webcast for the MRI-R² competition will be scheduled later in May. Details will be posted roughly one week before the event. See the second link below. Please contact me (x2975) if you are interested in applying to this program or if you have any questions. Thank you.
 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf09561
 
http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri/
 
August 24: Academic Research Infrastructure Program: Recovery and Reinvestment-- ARI-R² Program. Letter of Intent due: July 1. The ARI-R² program will invest in the repair, renovation, or in exceptional cases, the replacement of existing research facilities. It will not support the construction of new research facilities. NSF expects to make approximately 100 awards ranging from a total of $250,000 to $2,000,000; approximately 6-10 awards ranging from a total of over $2 million to $5 million; approximately 3-5 awards ranging from a total of over $5 million to $10 million. The award duration for ARI-R² grants up to $2 million is up to three years; award duration for grants over $2 million up to $10 million is up to four years.

The program encompasses improvement(s) of research facilities, i.e., repair or renovation or, in exceptional cases, replacement of shared scientific and engineering research and research training space, and its underlying infrastructure. Underlying infrastructure may include: Routine sustaining infrastructure (e.g., laboratory electrical and plumbing systems, etc.); Supporting equipment, i.e., basic durable components of a research facility that are integral to its operation (e.g., clean rooms, retractable roofs, etc.); Network connectivity among research facilities, including circuit access or fiber deployment and the associated hardware and software.

The term "research facilities" refers to existing shared space where sponsored and/or unsponsored research activities and research training take place, either in "bricks and mortar," mobile or virtual research space. Cost sharing is not required and no indirect costs may be requested. Only one proposal may be submitter per institution. Because of this restriction: applicants wishing to apply to this program must submit to the Grants Office email address (grantsoffice@shu.edu) no later than 5 pm, Friday, June 26, preliminary proposals of up to three pages describing their projects and include a budget. A link to the ARI-R² Program guidelines is below.  Please contact me (x2975) or Maribel Roman (2977) if you are interested in applying to this program or if you have any questions. Thank you.
 
http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503380&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund

For more information please contact:
Robert DeMartino
(973) 275-2975
demartro@shu.edu