Limited Submission Opportunity 

National Science Foundation (NSF) 23-519: Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program 

Number of slots: up to 4 within Track limits (see below) 

Internal Deadline: March 31, 2026, 5 pm 

Sponsor Proposal Deadline: November 16, 2026 

The Award & Eligibility Criteria 

A MRI proposal may request from NSF up to $4 million for either the acquisition or development of a research instrument. Each performing organization may submit in revised "Tracks" as defined below, with no more than two (2) submissions in Track 1 and no more than one (1) submission in Track 2. For the newly defined Track 3, no more than one (1) submission per competition is permitted. As a result, it is now possible for an institution to submit up to four MRI proposals within the Track limits as described above. 

• Track 1: Track 1 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than $100,0001 and less than $1,400,000. 

• Track 2: Track 2 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $1,400,000 up to and including $4,000,000. 

• Track 3: Track 3 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,000 and less than or equal to $4,000,000 that include the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to conserve or reduce the consumption of helium.  

Cost sharing requirements for new awards in the MRI Program are waived for a period of 5 years beginning with the FY 2023 MRI competition.  

Guidance for the Nomination Process 

 
Interested PIs should complete all questions and submit a 2 page project description, letter of support from their Department Chair, along their C.V. in OpenWater by 5 p.m. on March 31, 2026 here:  https://slu.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/233/home

In the event that there are a greater number of applications from a school/college than the university can submit, there may be a two-tiered institutional review process initiated. Meaning, the school/college in which multiple LSO applications were submitted may be tapped to complete the first round of reviews and select who may move forward to the second round of reviews by the internal LSO review committee. All applicants will be notified of the outcome by April 30, 2026 barring any unforeseen circumstances.  

For more information on the program, please see here, and for the program guidelines and solicitation, please see here. 

Track 1 proposals requesting funds from NSF less than $100,000 will be accepted only from: a) eligible performing organizations requesting instrumentation supporting research in the disciplines of mathematics or social, behavioral and economic sciences; or b) non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education requesting instrumentation supporting research in any NSF-supported disciplines.