Limited Competition: Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG) Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Basic Instrumentation Grant Program is administered by the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specifically through the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The program is designed to strengthen biomedical research infrastructure by enabling institutions to acquire modern, high-cost scientific instruments that are beyond the financial reach of individual investigators. It emphasizes expanding access to shared instrumentation, particularly at institutions that have not recently received substantial S10 instrumentation funding, thereby promoting broader geographic and institutional participation in federally supported research. The primary objective of the program is to support the purchase of a single, specialized, commercially available instrument or an integrated system that enhances the research capabilities of a group of NIH-funded investigators. The program requires that at least three major users, each supported by active NIH research awards, demonstrate a substantial need for the instrument. These instruments are intended to be housed in shared facilities and used collaboratively to advance basic, translational, or clinical biomedical research. The program encourages applications from institutions with limited prior NIH funding and aims to increase competitiveness, foster collaboration, and support innovation across research communities. Funding under this opportunity ranges from a minimum of 25000 dollars to a maximum of 350000 dollars for the purchase of the instrument. There is no limit on the total cost of the equipment, but the award will not exceed the stated ceiling. Funds may only be used for the acquisition of the instrument itself and not for personnel, maintenance, supplies, or infrastructure improvements. Cost sharing is not required, although institutions may voluntarily contribute funds to cover costs exceeding the federal award. Awards are made for a one year project period, during which the instrument must be acquired and installed. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. Foreign organizations and non-domestic components of U.S. institutions are not eligible. Each institution may submit only one application per deadline cycle and must demonstrate that it has not received more than 500001 dollars in S10 funding within the previous three federal fiscal years. Applicants must also meet administrative requirements, including registrations in federal systems such as SAM, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons, and must designate a qualified principal investigator responsible for oversight and reporting. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov or the NIH ASSIST system and must comply with detailed instructions outlined in the NIH application guide. Required components include an instrumentation plan, justification of need, technical expertise description, research project summaries, administrative and financial plans, and institutional commitment documentation. An itemized vendor quote is mandatory. Applications are evaluated through a peer review process based on criteria such as scientific need, technical capability, research impact, administrative planning, and institutional support. Key application deadlines occur annually on June 1 for the years specified in the announcement cycle. Applications must be submitted by 500 PM local time of the applicant organization. Following submission, applications undergo scientific review in October, advisory council review in January, and the earliest project start date occurs in February of the following year. The program operates on a recurring annual cycle, and institutions are encouraged to apply early to allow time for corrections. Post-award requirements include submission of a final performance report and annual usage reports for four years after project completion.