Grant program enables procurement of advanced research equipment.
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), part of the NIH, distributed $33.3 million for 20 High-End Instrumentation (HEI) grants to fund the latest generation of advanced research equipment. Awarded to research institutions nationwide, these one-time grants allow for the purchase of sophisticated research equipment costing more than $750,000.
The NCRR is supporting the purchase of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the purchase of a high-powered electron microscope at Florida State University. Details on all of the 2008 HEI awardees can be found online.
Since its inception in 2002, the HEI Program has provided over 120 awards, totaling $187million to biomedical research institutions in 26 states. To qualify for an HEI award, institutions must identify three or more NIH-funded investigators whose research requires the requested instrument. These grants provide a maximum of $2 million each. Institutions are expected to provide an appropriate level of support for associated infrastructure such as building alterations or renovations, technical personnel, and post-award service contracts for instrument maintenance and operation.
