Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Can you apply?
This grant is for institutions seeking to purchase or upgrade major research instrumentation and equipment that will be shared among multiple NIH-funded research projects. Applicants must be domestic for-profit or nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, or state/local government agencies with active NIH funding. The equipment must support research funded by NIH and serve multiple independent research projects. Organizations typically must demonstrate institutional commitment (cost-sharing), a clear need for the equipment, and a management plan for instrument access and maintenance. Equipment costs generally range from $100,000 to $600,000, though this varies by research discipline.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
Key dates
- Sep 8, 2025 Applications open
- Jul 1, 2026 Application deadline in 30 days
- Mar 1, 2027 Award announced
- Mar 1, 2027 Project start
This grant is for institutions seeking to purchase or upgrade major research instrumentation and equipment that will be shared among multiple NIH-funded research projects. Applicants must be domestic for-profit or nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, or state/local government agencies with active NIH funding. The equipment must support research funded by NIH and serve multiple independent research projects. Organizations typically must demonstrate institutional commitment (cost-sharing), a clear need for the equipment, and a management plan for instrument access and maintenance. Equipment costs generally range from $100,000 to $600,000, though this varies by research discipline.
Program description
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announces the restructured Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program that consolidates three existing shared-use instrumentation programs, i.e., the Shared Instrumentation Grant program, the High-End Instrumentation Grant program, and the Basic Instrumentation Grant program. The NOFO invites applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase or upgrade a single item of state-of-the-art commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system. The instruments purchased through the SIG Program require to be optimally shared among the users to ensure efficient and cost-effective research operations, enable rigorous and reproducible measurements, and encourage collaborative research and benefit broad research communities at large. The minimum award is $300,000. There is no cap on total cost of the instrument; however, the maximum award is $5,000,000. Cost sharing is required for premium instruments or special use instruments.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Details
This grant is for institutions seeking to purchase or upgrade major research instrumentation and equipment that will be shared among multiple NIH-funded research projects. Applicants must be domestic for-profit or nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, or state/local government agencies with active NIH funding. The equipment must support research funded by NIH and serve multiple independent research projects. Organizations typically must demonstrate institutional commitment (cost-sharing), a clear need for the equipment, and a management plan for instrument access and maintenance. Equipment costs generally range from $100,000 to $600,000, though this varies by research discipline.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) form and supporting NIH forms
- Project narrative/justification describing equipment need and applications
- Detailed equipment budget with quotes and justification
- Letters of support from multiple independent research users
- Institutional cost-sharing commitment documentation
- Equipment specifications and technical details
- Management plan for shared instrument use and access
- Institutional support letter from administration
- Biographical sketches of key personnel (if required)
Program contact
- 👤 Xiang-Ning Li, MD, PhD
- 📧 xiang-ning.li@nih.gov
- 📞 301-435-1744
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.351 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$189,307,929
-
$188,853,963
-
$179,413,083
-
$156,271,917
-
$140,230,629
-
$132,964,607
-
$122,234,337
-
$37,946,246
-
$37,475,785
-
$33,218,050
Top States by Funding
- OR 7 awards $270.5M
- CA 8 awards $254.8M
- TX 10 awards $224.3M
- WA 2 awards $219.0M
- LA 5 awards $184.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.351). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $279,889,905 | |
| 2025 | $284,089,258 | |
| 2026 est. | $283,084,958 |
FAQ
Who can apply for a Shared Instrumentation Grant?
Domestic nonprofit and for-profit organizations, educational institutions (including universities and colleges), state and local government agencies, and federally recognized Indian tribal organizations with active NIH funding are eligible.
What is the primary purpose of the SIG program?
The SIG program funds the purchase of shared research instrumentation and equipment that will be used by multiple independent NIH-funded research projects, enabling resource-limited institutions to access critical equipment.
What types of equipment are typically funded?
The program supports major research instruments and equipment in all scientific disciplines supported by NIH, including imaging equipment, analytical instruments, computing equipment, and specialized laboratory devices. Equipment must support multiple research projects.
What documents are typically required in an application?
Standard required documents include an SF-424 form, detailed budget with justification, equipment specifications, a management plan for shared use, letters of support from multiple research users, and institutional commitment documentation showing cost-sharing contributions.
How competitive is this program?
The SIG program is moderately to highly competitive. Success depends on demonstrating clear need, institutional commitment through cost-sharing, strong support from multiple research users, and alignment with institutional research priorities. Strong applications emphasize how the equipment will enhance research productivity across multiple groups.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Secure strong letters of support from multiple independent research teams who will use the equipment; this demonstrates genuine shared need and strengthens your application's competitiveness.
- Clearly articulate the institutional cost-sharing commitment (typically 20-30% of equipment costs) and explain how the institution will ensure long-term operation, maintenance, and support for the instrument.
- Develop a detailed management and access plan that specifies how researchers will schedule instrument use, how access will be allocated, and how technical support will be provided to ensure optimal utilization.
- Research the equipment specifications thoroughly and compare options; demonstrate that you've selected the most appropriate instrument for the intended research applications and explain why less expensive alternatives are insufficient.
- Align your application with institutional strategic research priorities and highlight how the equipment fills a critical gap in research infrastructure that currently limits institutional research productivity.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants often fail to demonstrate genuine shared use by insufficient letters of support from independent research teams, making it difficult for reviewers to assess true institutional need. Another common weakness is underestimating the importance of institutional cost-sharing and management plans; applications that lack clear commitment to long-term operation and equitable access policies score poorly. Additionally, some applications focus too heavily on a single research project rather than emphasizing how multiple investigators will benefit from the shared resource.
Similar grants
- OPEN 27-0343-10 FFY27 Local Agency General Non-Enforcement — Illinois Department of Transportation
- ROLLING Annual Agency Threshold Application Applicants for Funding Start Here — Texas City of Austin - Austin Public Health
- CLOSED Virginia’s Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Grant – FY26 — Virginia The Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- OPEN FY27 Event Sponsorship Program Round 2: Funds Events Held November 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 — Virginia Housing Development Authority
- CLOSING SOON FY27 Housing Counseling & Education (HCE) — Virginia Housing Development Authority