Opportunity Information: Apply for 08 539
Apply for 08 539
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Departmental Multi user Instrumentation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 20, 2009 and posted on Jan 25, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by archived replaced by NSF 09 546. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Only academic institutions in the U.S. and U.S. territories may submit proposals. PI Limit The principal investigator must be the chemistry department chairperson or equivalent. Other investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions, non profit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions. No CRIFMU award funds may go directly to industry, government laboratories or international institutions.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities program (CRIF) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry funding opportunity designed to strengthen the research and education infrastructure needed for chemistry and closely related areas that NSF Chemistry traditionally supports. In practical terms, CRIF exists to help academic chemistry departments and their partners obtain or build the kinds of shared tools, facilities, and cyber-enabled capabilities that make modern chemical research possible and that can serve many users across multiple research and training programs.
This particular solicitation focuses on the Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation track, commonly referred to as CRIFMU. CRIFMU supports the purchase of major, shared, multi-user research instruments for use by a department or a consortium of institutions. The emphasis is on equipment that will be broadly accessible, heavily utilized, and clearly integrated into both research and education, rather than instrumentation intended for a single laboratory or a narrow user group. The maximum request for the instrumentation portion is $500,000. The program also allows applicants to request additional funds for personnel when those roles are necessary to support projects with a cyber-enabled component, such as operation, data workflows, networking, software integration, or user support tied to cyberinfrastructure features.
The opportunity is part of a broader CRIF structure with other tracks that address different kinds of infrastructure needs. CRIFID (Instrument Development) supports the design and construction of new instruments or significantly enhanced instrumentation that enables new types of chemical measurements or substantially broadens the capabilities and reach of existing methods. CRIFCRF (Cyberinfrastructure and Research Facilities) supports larger-scale investments, such as centers that develop cyber-enabled chemical research capabilities or regional/national instrumentation facilities; awards in that track are much larger in scope, ranging from about $300,000 to $1,200,000 per year for up to five years. Mentioning these other tracks in the solicitation helps applicants choose the right pathway depending on whether they are purchasing existing instrumentation, developing new instrumentation, or building/operating shared facilities and cyberinfrastructure at a larger scale.
Eligibility for CRIFMU is restricted to academic institutions located in the United States and U.S. territories, including proposals submitted by consortia of such institutions. A distinctive feature of the CRIFMU track is the leadership requirement: the principal investigator must be the chemistry department chair or an equivalent departmental leader. Other investigators and collaborators may come from a wide range of organizations, including U.S. academic institutions, nonprofit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions, reflecting the collaborative nature of instrumentation-based research. However, the solicitation explicitly states that CRIFMU award funds cannot go directly to industry, government laboratories, or international institutions, meaning the funded expenditures must remain within the eligible academic institution(s) even if there are external partners involved.
From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, associated with CFDA 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences). NSF anticipated roughly 20 awards with an estimated total program funding level of $6,000,000. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this opportunity. The original posting date was January 25, 2008, with a full proposal deadline of June 23, 2008, described as the fourth Monday in June on an annual cycle thereafter. The opportunity is archived and noted as having been replaced by NSF 09-546, with an archive date of June 20, 2009, which matters mainly for applicants who are searching historical solicitations versus the current, active program guidance.
In short, CRIFMU is aimed at helping U.S. academic chemistry departments acquire high-impact shared instrumentation (up to $500,000 for the equipment itself), expand access to advanced measurement capabilities for multiple users, and strengthen research and education outcomes, with optional support for personnel when cyber-enabled instrumentation or data/usage infrastructure requires it. For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement through Grants.gov, NSF directs users to contact NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov, and the solicitation is referenced as NSF Publication 08-539.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) program?
CRIF is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry funding opportunity intended to strengthen research and education infrastructure for chemistry and closely related areas supported by NSF Chemistry. It focuses on helping academic chemistry departments and their partners obtain or build shared tools, facilities, and cyber-enabled capabilities that enable modern chemical research and training across multiple users and programs.
What does the CRIFMU track support?
This solicitation focuses on the Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation track, commonly called CRIFMU. CRIFMU supports the purchase of major, shared, multi-user research instruments for use by a chemistry department or a consortium of institutions. The emphasis is on broad access, heavy utilization, and clear integration into both research and education, rather than equipment intended for a single lab or a narrow user group.
What is the maximum amount that can be requested for instrumentation under CRIFMU?
The maximum request for the instrumentation portion is $500,000.
Can CRIFMU funds be used to support personnel?
Yes. Applicants may request additional funds for personnel when those roles are necessary to support projects with a cyber-enabled component. Examples described include needs related to operation, data workflows, networking, software integration, or user support tied to cyberinfrastructure features.
Who is eligible to apply for CRIFMU?
Eligibility is restricted to academic institutions located in the United States and U.S. territories. Proposals may also be submitted by consortia of such institutions.
Is there a leadership requirement for the Principal Investigator (PI) on a CRIFMU proposal?
Yes. A distinctive feature of CRIFMU is that the PI must be the chemistry department chair or an equivalent departmental leader.
Who can participate as other investigators or collaborators?
Other investigators and collaborators may come from a wide range of organizations, including U.S. academic institutions, nonprofit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions, reflecting the collaborative nature of instrumentation-based research.
Can CRIFMU award funds be paid directly to industry partners, government laboratories, or international institutions?
No. The solicitation explicitly states that CRIFMU award funds cannot go directly to industry, government laboratories, or international institutions. Funded expenditures must remain within the eligible academic institution(s), even if external partners are involved.
What kinds of projects are considered a good fit for CRIFMU?
CRIFMU is designed for acquiring major shared instrumentation that will be broadly accessible and heavily used, and that is clearly integrated into research and education across a department or consortium. It is not oriented toward instrumentation intended for one laboratory or a narrowly defined user group.
How does CRIFMU differ from other CRIF tracks mentioned in the solicitation?
The solicitation references other CRIF tracks to help applicants choose the appropriate pathway:
- CRIFID (Instrument Development): Supports the design and construction of new instruments or significantly enhanced instrumentation enabling new chemical measurements or substantially broadening existing methods.
- CRIFCRF (Cyberinfrastructure and Research Facilities): Supports larger-scale investments such as centers that develop cyber-enabled chemical research capabilities or regional/national instrumentation facilities. Awards are larger in scope, ranging from about $300,000 to $1,200,000 per year for up to five years.
What is the funding category and CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
This was a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, associated with CFDA 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences).
How many awards and how much total funding did NSF anticipate for this solicitation?
NSF anticipated roughly 20 awards with an estimated total program funding level of $6,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required for this opportunity?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated for this opportunity.
When was this solicitation originally posted and what was the proposal deadline?
The original posting date was January 25, 2008. The full proposal deadline was June 23, 2008, described as the fourth Monday in June on an annual cycle thereafter.
Is this CRIFMU solicitation still active?
No. The opportunity is archived and is noted as having been replaced by NSF 09-546. The archive date is June 20, 2009. This matters primarily for people researching historical solicitations versus current program guidance.
What is the NSF publication number for this solicitation?
The solicitation is referenced as NSF Publication 08-539.
Where can applicants get help accessing the full announcement through Grants.gov?
NSF directs users who need help accessing the full announcement through Grants.gov to contact NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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