NSF MRI Updates & Equipment Grant Resources
On July 1, 2025 the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced it will NOT be accepting new proposals to the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program during the October/November 2025 submission window. Any proposals submitted to that window will be returned without review.
What Does This Mean for UC Davis Investigators?
- No new FY 2026 MRI awards: The MRI program which funds the acquisition or development of large, shared-use research instruments that are typically too costly for other NSF programs will make no new FY 2026 awards.
- Fall 2024 MRI applications still under review: NSF is still reviewing the more than 800 applications submitted to the program in the Fall of 2024. Due to the high number of meritorious applications in that cycle, they will consider funding a greater number of those applications, rather than running a competition in FY25/26
- Normal competition anticipated for FY 2027: We anticipate a normal competition in October/November 2026 for FY 2027 and we will share full details and deadlines as soon as they are announced by NSF.
- NSF MRI program is a limited submission: Interested parties must go through the UC Davis limited submissions process and be formally nominated before submitting a proposal to NSF.
Equipment Funding Opportunities
We understand that the MRI program is very popular among UC Davis faculty and is an important source of funding for purchasing much-needed, specialized equipment for research. To help support your research instrumentation needs, we’ve compiled a list of funding opportunities from the NSF and other agencies for the purchase of equipment and instrumentation Equipment Funding Opportunities July 2025.pdf | Powered by Box
Additional Resources
- All About Equipment Grants presentation slides & recording (January 2025; from Proposal Development Services) https://ucdavis.app.box.com/folder/303347831868?s=71fdylpe7yjuyxgkzvvcsjzf8vur4l8f
- Equipment Grant writing resources https://proposaldev.ucdavis.edu/other-funding-opportunities/equipment-grants
- Sign-up to receive our weekly funding announcements https://research.ucdavis.edu/research-support/research-development-funding/funding-opportunities/
- Limited submission opportunities and application portal https://ucdavis.infoready4.com/#homePage
Contact Us
Are you ready to work on a proposal?
Please contact Proposal Development Services at [email protected]
Are you still looking for a good opportunity or need help deciding what’s the right opportunity for you?
Please contact the Strategic Initiatives and Research Funding at [email protected]
