SUBJECT:             Limited Submission Opportunity – NIH_ORIP Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities program

DATE:                   October 19, 2023

 

The University of Pennsylvania has the opportunity to submit one (1) application to the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Program’s (ORIP)  Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities program (PAR-24-028).

 

Purpose

This program is intended to provide funding support to purchase the latest equipment that will enhance and modernize research-supporting operations of existing shared biomedical research facilities. The goal of this program is to strengthen research-auxiliary activities of biomedical research facilities and to enhance the efficiency of their operations.

 

Target: Laboratory research core facilities, animal research facilities, and other similar shared-use research spaces.

 

Award Budget

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.

 

Award Period

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.

 

Eligibility (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.
• Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH 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.

 

The following are not supported/allowed:

• Multiple PDs/PIs.
• Applications that propose or involve clinical trials.
• Maintaining current functions, replacing broken equipment, and routine upgrading
• The acquisition of scientific research instruments that acquire experimental data or any other instrument directly involved in experimental processes that lead to data collection (including, but 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.
• Components of building-level infrastructure equipment that indirectly support research activities.

 

OVPR Review and Selection Process

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) will oversee the review and selection of nominees. Faculty with a primary appointment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) must apply through CHOP.

 

Each candidate must submit the following:

• Cover page with candidate’s name, academic rank, department, email address, phone number and campus address, month and year of appointment to Penn faculty
• Research Statement: The research statement should describe why the equipment is important and outline the general goals for the next five years. The statement should also indicate, in general, how funds will be used. This does not need to be a detailed budget and will not be binding on the actual use of funds. The research statement is limited to 1,400 words (maximum two pages of text, prepared in 12 point font with 1 inch margins). If there are relevant figures, images or references, please include these separately on a third page.
• CV including educational background, professional appointments, awards and honors, publications, and current and pending funding with award amounts.

 

Applicants are encouraged to review the full funding opportunity announcement: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-028.html.

 

Submission should be in a single pdf file in the following order: Cover page, research statement, CV. 

 

The pdf document should be titled as follows: NIH_ORIP__Investigator Surname_Investigator First Name. For example: NIH_ORIP_Doe_Jane. 

 

Materials must be submitted directly to vprgrant@upenn.edu  by 9:00am, Friday, October 27, 2023.