The Office of Research Development (ORD) announces an internal competition for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) competition. NSF will accept four proposals from NIU.

The NSF MRI Program funds instrumentation for research in fields of science and engineering supported by the NSF (NSF - National Science Foundation — click “Focus Areas”). The instrumentation must have a broad base of users within and external to NIU, regionally or nationally. The MRI program provides up to $4 million to acquire or develop a new instrument or upgrade an existing instrument. Proposers may request an award period up to three years for instrument acquisition and up to five years for instrument development. The instrument must be operational by the end of the award period. This program does not fund research projects or provide ongoing support for operating or maintaining facilities or centers.

The deadline to submit internal proposals is Sept. 18, 2024. Complete information on our internal competition and the NSF MRI program is available on our Office of Research Development Limited Submission Funding Opportunities webpage. Faculty who plan to submit a proposal to the NSF MRI competition must submit an internal proposal via NIU’s InfoReady internal competition portal.