The National Science Foundation has established a special fund to enable acquisition of instrumentation as part of research projects funded by the foundation’s physics division.

According to a recent “Dear Colleague” letter, the new Mid-Scale Instrumentation Fund will allow applicants who need specialized equipment to request funding for the instrumentation as part of their regular proposal without regard to the program’s funding cap. Should the project receive funding, the program officer may request that instrumentation funds be provided through the Mid-Scale Instrumentation fund if the investigator has justified the necessity of the equipment to the completion of the project. These one-time awards may be used for purchase or development of instrumentation when the funding needed exceeds the $4 million limit of the Major Research Instrumentation program.

The NSF encourages prospective applicants to contact the cognizant program officer before submitting a proposal that includes a request for mid-scale instrumentation funds. A full list of program officers and their contact information is located on the NSF physics division website.

Click here to read the “Dear Colleague” letter from C. Denise Caldwell, the director of the NSF’s physics division.