VUMC Limited Submission Opportunity: NIH ORIP Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities; due Oct. 14

These instructions are for VUMC investigators. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

Overview:

VUMC may submit one proposal to the Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations (R24 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) program from the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP.)

The program provides funds to Cores/Shared Resources to purchase and install advanced equipment to enhance and modernize research-supporting operations of biomedical research facilities. The intent is for the new equipment to improve and/or streamline operating processes and procedures and expand research capacity in shared labs. Improvements in environmental efficiency and rigor, reproducibility, and translation are encouraged.

The proposed equipment should offer innovations in facility operations. While the equipment should advance the conduct of rigorous science, the program does not fund scientific instrumentation (e.g. microscopes, spectrometers, biomedical imagers, cell analyzers, sequencers, and metabolic cages.)

Examples of Equipment Types Funded:

• Core facility equipment including: biobanking and cryopreservation systems, specialized autoclaves/sterilizers, glass washers, fume hoods, and biosafety cabinets, isolators, bioreactors, anoxic and other environmental chambers 
• Animal facility equipment including: ventilated cages for rodents, aquatic animal systems equipped with water quality assessment tools, automated feeding systems to aid in consistency and accuracy of animal care, telemetry equipment to monitor animal well-being, environmental management devices 
• Can be single instrument, integrated system, or multiples of same equipment (e.g. animal cage racks, isolators.)
• Software purchase is allowed only if critical to operate or monitor the equipment

Budget:

• Total budget must be between $25k - $400k. No single piece of equipment can cost less than $10k.

• 15% of the award (max $40k) can be used for appropriate renovations directly relevant to equipment installation

Eligibility:

• Proposed instrumentation must be housed in a core/shared resource
• PI should be the Scientific Director of the core/shared resource

Internal Application Process:

Anyone interested in being considered to submit one of VUMC’s proposals must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Oct. 14:

1. Brief (2 page maximum) project description
   1. Include name of Core/Shared Resource and proposed location for equipment
   2. Detail the proposed equipment
   3. Describe how the proposed equipment will remedy the infrastructure’s deficiencies, improve the facility’s operations, modernize the facility’s environment, or streamline its management
   4. List the research groups that will benefit from the proposed equipment
2. A quote (for each requested item) from the commercial vendor. An unofficial quote is acceptable.
3. Brief statement of support from department chair/center director
4. PI’s NIH Biosketch or Brief CV (5 page max)

Please review the solicitation for more information regarding the program. Following the internal process, the full proposal is due to NIH by December 1. Any questions about this opportunity may be directed to LSO@vanderbilt.edu.