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Title: MRI Frequently Asked Questions (nsf15012)
| NSF - National Science Foundation
Date: 10/9/2015
NSF 15-012
MRI Frequently Asked Questions
General
1. How do I find recent MRI awards to see what types of awards are
made by the program?
The NSF Award search page (Advanced Search at
[1]http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/advancedSearch.jsp) can be used
to search for MRI awards using MRI "Element Code" 1189 in the box
under "Element Code". Enter a desired topic for the search under
"Keyword".
Eligibility
2. What is the difference between a "non-Ph.D.-granting institution"
and a "non-degree-granting organization"?
Non -Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education are accredited
colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges)
that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's
degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer
Ph.D./D.Sc. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined
previous two academic years. Non -degree-granting organizations are
those that do not award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees,
Master's degrees, and/or Ph.Ds. or Ds.Sc. For the purposes of the
MRI program, non-degree-granting organizations also include
institutions of higher education that award all of their degrees
outside of NSF-supported fields; for example, many medical schools
or colleges of pharmacy.
3. What is the difference between a "consortium" and a "collaborative
proposal"?
A collaborative proposal represents a funding mechanism, used
NSF-wide, by which investigators from two or more organizations who
wish to collaborate on a unified project may submit proposals and
share funding. Collaborative proposals may be submitted to NSF in
one of two methods: as a single proposal, in which a single award
is being requested (with subawards administered by the lead
organization); or by simultaneous submission of proposals from
different organizations, with each organization requesting a
separate award (Chapter II.D.4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides
additional information on collaborative proposals). For acquisition
proposals from Ph.D. -granting or non-degree-granting institutions,
only the latter method should be used.
The MRI program defines consortia as a category of submission
-eligible organizations to better facilitate proposals that provide
access to unique instrumentation for a broad user base of U.S.
scientists and engineers, and that encourage greater collaboration
and sharing of state-of-the-art instrumentation (the MRI-specific
definitions of consortia are included in the solicitation). The MRI
program accepts proposals from two types of consortia -legally
incorporated consortia located in the US with 501(c)(3) status and
consortia organized specifically to support an MRI project. If a
consortium has 501(c)(3) status and has the appropriate
administrative and financial infrastructure to receive and manage a
federal grant directly, then it may submit a consortium proposal
directly. Otherwise, a consortium must include at least two MRI
submission -eligible organizations, and a proposal from such an MRI
consortium must be submitted by one of its submission -eligible
organizations on behalf of the consortium. In either case, the
proposal will count against the submitting organization's MRI
submission limit.
Collaborative proposals need not be consortium proposals and
consortium proposals may or may not be collaborative proposals.
4. When should I use "MRI Consortium" and/or "MRI Collaborative" in
the title of the proposal?
An MRI proposal must be entitled "MRI Collaborative: �" when it is
linked to one or more other proposals in a simultaneous submission
of proposals from different organizations, with each organization
requesting a separate award directly from NSF to support their role
in a collaborative MRI project. No other type of MRI proposal
should include the phrase "MRI Collaborative: �". Proposals that
involve participants from other institutions, but do not involve
the transfer or sharing of funds, or where partner organizations
are funded through subawards, should not include "Collaborative" in
the title.
An MRI proposal should include the phrase "MRI Consortium" when the
proposal is from a legally incorporated consortium or one submitted
by a single submission -eligible organization on behalf of a
consortium organized specifically to support the MRI project.
Collaborative work in a "MRI Consortium" for instrument development
may be funded through a subaward mechanism and may, in some cases,
include funding for an organization or organizations in the
consortium that is or are not eligible to submit MRI proposals.
5. Is resubmission of a previously declined MRI proposal allowed?
Updated proposals from previous competitions can be submitted, but
only after they have undergone substantial revision that takes into
account the major comments or concerns resulting from the prior NSF
review. The Foundation will treat the revised proposal as a new
proposal, subject to the standard review procedures. Proposals
submitted to any prior MRI competition, suitably revised as noted
above and in compliance with the appropriate MRI solicitation and
Grant Proposal Guide, may be eligible for the current competition.
6. If a PI or Co-PI has received previous MRI awards, does that make
them ineligible to submit a MRI proposal?
No. Although institutional submission limits may be a factor, there
is no limit on the number of MRI projects in which a PI/Co -PI may
participate in a given proposal cycle or over a period of time.
Please note that results from prior MRI awards (within the past
five years) must be summarized in the Project Description of the
current proposal.
7. Is there a limit to the number of MRI awards that an organization
is eligible to receive?
In any given MRI competition, an organization can submit (and
potentially receive awards for) three proposals as long as at least
one is for instrument development. The number of awards received in
prior MRI competitions is not a factor. However, so that reviewers
can better assess stewardship of previously awarded instruments,
the MRI solicitation requires that the institution provide, within
the organization's commitment letter (two-page maximum), a list of
the MRI awards made to the organization during the previous five
years and a brief summary of the status of the
instrument obtained with each award.
8. Does a subaward to an organization count against that
organization's proposal submission limit?
Acquisition proposals: Subawards may only be included in
acquisition proposals from non-Ph.D.-granting institutions. In
general, collaborative acquisition proposals where funding goes to
multiple partners should be submitted as separately submitted,
linked, collaborative proposals. Funding to a vendor should appear
on the Equipment line of the budget, not the Subaward line.
Inclusion as a funded subawardee on any acquisition proposal will
be counted against the subawardee organization's proposal
submission limit.
Development proposals: Inclusion as a subawardee on a development
proposal at a level in excess of 20% of the total budget request
from NSF will be counted against an organization's proposal
submission limit. However, if a subaward to an organization in a
development proposal is 20% or less of the proposal's total budget
request from NSF, the subawardee's submission limit will not be
affected. For subawards within a linked collaborative proposal,
the 20% threshold applies to the budget request from NSF in the
proposal containing the subaward(s), not to the combined budget
request from NSF for the collaborative project.
Cost sharing
9. What is the required level of cost sharing, and which organizations
are required to provide it?
Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education and
non-degree-granting organizations are required to cost-share at the
level of 30% of the total MRI-eligible project cost (this is not
30% of the amount requested of NSF, but rather 30% of the total
amount needed to accomplish the project. Ph.D.-granting
institutions of higher education are accredited colleges and
universities that have awarded more than 20 Ph.Ds. or Ds.Sc. in all
NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic
years. Additionally, any organization that awards Ph.D. or D.Sc.
degrees in NSF-supported fields is considered to be a
Ph.D.-granting institution if the only degrees it awards in
NSF-supported fields are post-Bachelor's degrees.
Non-degree-granting organizations are those that do not award
Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, and/or
Ph.Ds. or Ds.Sc. Non-degree-granting organizations also include
institutions of higher education that award all of their degrees
outside of NSF-supported fields; for example, many medical schools
or colleges of pharmacy.
10. My organization is required to cost share but is willing to
contribute MRI-eligible resources that amount to more than 30% of
the total MRI-eligible project costs. Is this allowed?
Cost sharing, when required, must be exactly 30% of the total
project cost. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is
prohibited and Line M on the prospective awardee's proposal budget
must include only the mandatory 30% cost-sharing amount.
11. What resources are eligible cost-sharing expenses?
Cost sharing must be for eligible MRI expenses, and may be cash or
in-kind. Eligible (and ineligible) MRI expenses are discussed in
the solicitation. Cost sharing must come from non-Federal sources.
Expenditures on required cost sharing are subject to audit for
amount and eligibility.
12. Resources beyond those included as cost sharing or being requested
from NSF are required. How do I demonstrate my organization's
commitment to provide them?
In order to assess the scope of the project, all organizational
resources necessary for the project must be described in the
Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the proposal.
The description should be narrative in nature and must not include
any quantifiable financial information. These resources are not
financially auditable by NSF and should not be included in the
proposal budget or budget justification. Additionally, a
supplemental letter documenting the commitment(s) for operation and
maintenance of the instrument over its expected lifetime is
required. This letter (two-page maximum) should also list the MRI
awards made to the organization during the previous five years and
briefly describe the status of the instrument obtained with each
award.
13. Where can I find further information on cost sharing?
Prospective proposers should contact their sponsored projects
office for guidance on cost sharing. Further information can be
found in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles,
and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) ([2]2
CFR, Part 200). 2 CFR �200.306 describes criteria and procedures
for the allowability of cash and in-kind contributions in
satisfying cost sharing and matching requirements. Additional
guidance on cost sharing is available from NSF's Cost Analysis and
Audit Resolution Branch at
[3]http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/caar/index.jsp. Some additional
limitations on eligibility of costs are described in the
solicitation.
14. Can a vendor discount be used as cost sharing?
No. As noted in the solicitation, manufacturers' discounts are
strongly encouraged for reducing project costs but they may not be
designated as cost sharing.
15. If a room needs to be renovated or modified to accommodate an
instrument, can the associated expense be used as cost-sharing?
No. Cost sharing must be associated with MRI-eligible expenses.
Room renovations and other categories of expenses that MRI does not
support cannot be used as cost sharing.
16. Does cost sharing have to be provided in the first year of an
award?
Cost-sharing commitments must be met by the end of the award
period, which may be greater than one year depending on the award.
17. My institution is required to cost share, but our development
proposal has subawards to organizations that are exempt from the
cost-sharing requirement. What is the required cost-sharing level?
If the submitting organization is required to cost share, but one
or more subawardee is exempt from the cost-sharing requirement, the
30% cost-sharing requirement applies to only the portion of the
total project cost budgeted to the non-exempt organization(s). The
submitting organization, as the entity that is legally responsible
for ensuring the commitment is met, must list the total cost
sharing amount in its budget (Line M). Cost sharing must be for
MRI-eligible expenses, may come from third party sources, but
cannot come from Federal sources.
18. My institution is exempt from the cost-sharing requirement, but we
have subawards to organizations that are not exempt. Is cost
sharing still required and at what level?
If the submitting organization is exempt from the cost-sharing
requirement, but one or more subawardee is subject to cost-sharing,
the 30% cost-sharing requirement applies to only the portion of the
total project cost budgeted to the non-exempt organization(s). Cost
sharing can come from any organization participating in the project
that belongs to a category for which cost sharing would be
required, or third party sources, but the submitting organization,
as the entity that is legally responsible for ensuring the
commitment is met, must list the total cost-sharing amount in its
budget (Line M). Cost sharing must be for MRI-eligible expenses and
cannot come from Federal sources.
19. Which organizations are exempt from cost sharing?
Only non-Ph.D.-granting academic institutions of higher education
(accredited colleges and universities, including two-year community
colleges, that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees,
and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded
20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sc. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during
the combined previous two academic years) are exempt from the
cost-sharing requirement.
20. My organization is exempt from cost share but is willing to
contribute resources as voluntary cost sharing. Is this allowed?
No. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited and
Line M on the proposal budget must remain blank if cost sharing is
not required for the project as a whole. In order to assess the
scope of the project, all organizational resources necessary for
the project must be described in the Facilities, Equipment and
Other Resources section of the proposal. The description should be
narrative in nature and must not include any quantifiable financial
information. These resources are not financially auditable by NSF
and should not be included in the proposal budget or budget
justification.
Eligible Requests
21. I have been told that my budget request seems high compared to the
average award size from recent years (as found from an abstract
search on the NSF web page). Should I make my budget more in line
with the average award size?
MRI proposals should describe the science and engineering research
and research training that are planned. The scope of the instrument
request should follow from the planned activities, and the budget
should be well-aligned with the scope of the instrument to be
acquired or developed. Requests that ask for too little to
accomplish the goals will appear to reviewers as poorly thought
out, just as requests that ask for too much to accomplish the goals
will be perceived as poorly thought out. Ask for what you need; no
more, no less. Remember that MRI awards can be as high as $4
million, and as low as $100,000 (or lower for non-Ph.D.-granting
institutions or certain research fields called out in the
solicitation).
22. Can my organization submit more than one development proposal?
Yes. Eligible organizations may submit up to three MRI proposals as
long as at least one is a development proposal.
23. Can an instrument development proposal include research activities
which are needed to mature enabling technologies that will later be
used to develop an instrument, provide an upgrade for the
instrument in the future, or otherwise develop another instrument?
No. The MRI program does not support early research and development
of enabling technologies for future use in instrument development.
Development proposals should incorporate relatively mature
technologies that can lead to a usable, stable instrument for
research at the end of the award period.
24. Does MRI support renovation or modernization of facilities or
infrastructure if the costs are associated with installation of an
instrument?
No. Expenses associated with construction and/or improvements of
supporting infrastructure are not eligible MRI costs, either as a
request from NSF or as cost sharing. This includes (but is not
limited to) the installation of or upgrades to infrastructure
related to the supply of power, ventilation, water or research
gases, routine multi-purpose computer networks, standard safety
features, and other general purpose systems (e.g., toxic waste
removal systems and telecommunications equipment.)
25. Is an auxiliary piece of equipment part of the instrument or part
of the facility infrastructure?
Auxiliary equipment, such as a vacuum pump or power supply, that is
integral and dedicated to the operation of the instrument, and
would follow the instrument if it were to be moved, might be
considered to be part of the instrument. Auxiliary equipment that
would remain and be repurposed if an instrument is moved, that is
not specifically designed to support the instrument, or that is not
dedicated to a single instrument is generally considered
infrastructure and is not supported by MRI.
26. Does MRI allow for acquisition of multiple instruments?
No; however, a single instrument may consist of an ensemble of
pieces of equipment. For the purposes of the MRI program, proposals
must be for either acquisition or development of a single,
shared-use, state-of-the art, well-integrated instrument. A
well-integrated research instrument means that the ensemble of
equipment that defines the instrument enables a specific research
experiment or type of research experiment to be undertaken;
separating or removing an element or component of such an
integrated instrument would preclude the planned experiments from
occurring or succeeding. NSF and/or reviewers have to be convinced
that the combined equipment can be viewed as a single instrument
and not a suite of instruments to outfit a research laboratory/
facility nor a capability that is intended to be used as separate
components. The statement of the specific research and research
training for which the instrument will be used and the management
plan should serve to establish that an ensemble of equipment
constitutes a single well-integrated instrument. Examples include,
an array of seismometers deployed to study a specific fault zone,
or a pair of telescopes that will be permanently used as an
interferometer.
27. Can you give me an example of an appropriate request for equipment
that when combined (physically or virtually) serves as an
integrated research instrument?
The PI has the responsibility to justify that the equipment being
requested will be integrated and will serve as an integrated
research instrument, and NSF reserves the right to return without
review proposals that are deemed to violate MRI guidelines on
appropriate requests. Examples of proposals for integrated
instrumentation that have been generally accepted and reviewed in
the past include arrays of homogenous instruments (e.g.
interferometric arrays of sensors), distributed heterogeneous
arrays of sensors to capture comprehensive time-series data on
complex phenomena, and multiple instruments tightly integrated into
a single instrumentation package that is deployed into the field as
a single unit. Similarity of a proposal to a past MRI proposal that
was accepted for review, however, does not guarantee that the
current proposal will be accepted.
28. The instrumentation I am requesting will be used for research, but
it will also be available for educational and outreach purposes
(e.g., courses and outreach activities) as well. Will this use
disqualify the proposal?
No. The use of the instrument in educational and outreach efforts
can be cited as a broader impact, but the preponderance of use of
the instrument must be research and research training.
29. Can I, as a faculty member, request salary support?
Any requests for salary to be included as part of the total project
cost (whether funds directly requested from NSF or cost sharing, if
applicable) must be consistent with the Grant Proposal Guide
requirements and allowable by the MRI guidelines. (For example, for
acquisition projects, salary support, including fringe benefits and
indirect costs, is considered an eligible cost only for personnel
directly involved in maintaining the instrument or providing
appropriate technical support to operate the instrument.) Such
requests must be well justified, and be commensurate with the
technical expertise and time required for the scale and scope of
the instrument. Salary support, including fringe benefits and
indirect costs, is considered an eligible cost only for personnel
directly involved in maintaining the instrument or providing
appropriate technical support to operate the instrument.) Such
requests must be well justified, and be commensurate with the
technical expertise and time required for the scale and scope of
the instrument.
30. Is technician time an allowable expense for operating and
maintaining the instrument?
Costs to support a technician directly involved in maintaining the
instrument or providing appropriate technical support to operate
the instrument are eligible MRI costs during the award period for
the time she or he spends in that role. Costs for a technician or
other personnel to assist in obtaining research results, research
training, outreach or education are not eligible MRI costs.
31. What is meant by operations and maintenance?
"Operations and maintenance" includes only those activities which
are required to keep the instrument ready for use by the research
community, such as calibration, routine maintenance (e.g.
lubrication, replacement of limited-life components), performing
start-up/shutdown procedures as required, etc. "Operations" does
not include operating the instrument for the purpose of conducting
research or to obtain research results or demonstrating the
usefulness of the instrument to interested parties.
32. Is there a limit on salary requests for personnel associated with
development proposals?
No. However, proposals must justify the skill level and time
commitment (and hence the associated portion of the total project
cost) for any personnel associated with development efforts. While
there is no prescribed balance between the funding requested for
labor and materials in a development proposal, reviewers will
carefully examine the appropriateness of salary requests.
33. Are education/outreach expenses eligible costs?
No. MRI supports the acquisition and development of instruments,
but does not fund the activities that are enabled by the
instrument. Expenses associated with education and outreach
activities are not allowed.
34. Can a foreign co-PI or collaborator be included in my proposal?
Yes, but MRI will not pay the expenses of the foreign
participation. An unfunded foreign collaborator can be included in
the proposal, with roles and responsibilities described in the
Project Description and a statement of collaboration (per the
solicitation guidelines) provided as a supplemental document. An
unfunded foreign collaborator can be included on the Cover Sheet as
a co-PI only if the collaborator has been registered in FastLane by
their home organization.
35. Is the duration of this grant limited to one year for acquisition,
or can the duration include more than one year of maintenance
expenses, including service contracts?
Proposers may request an award period of up to three years for
acquisition proposals. The costs of service contracts and supplies
needed to maintain and calibrate the equipment during the award
period may be included in the total project cost if justified in
the proposal. For acquisition proposals from organizations subject
to the cost-sharing requirement, these may only be included in the
cost share portion of the total project cost. Costs for supplies
that are consumed during research or research training activities
(e.g. reagents, solvents, and sample preparation materials) are not
MRI eligible expenses.
36. Can I request an upgrade of an existing instrument?
Yes. As noted in the solicitation, MRI proposals may include the
upgrade of an existing instrument.
37. Can I request a used/refurbished instrument or must it be a new
model?
The MRI program does support the acquisition of used/refurbished
instruments. A strong case must be made in any proposal that the
requested instrument is appropriate for the scale and scope of the
proposed projects, and that proper maintenance and technical
support will be provided to keep the instrument available for use.
The proposal will have to carefully document and justify the fair
market price of the instrument.
38. My institution is currently leasing an instrument and would like to
purchase it. Is this allowed by MRI?
Yes. The MRI program will consider requests to purchase an
instrument that is currently being leased. The proposal will have
to carefully document and justify the fair market price of the
instrument.
39. The MRI solicitation notes that incremental costs associated with
the implementation of the Data Management Plan are allowable
expenses. What can I ask for?
Incremental costs associated with implementing the Data Management
Plan requirement (see the NSF Grant Proposal Guide Chapter
II.C.2.j) may be included in the total project cost of MRI projects
provided that they are treated in a way that is consistent with the
solicitation. MRI provides for the acquisition or development of an
instrument but does not support the research that is enabled.
However, a plan for managing data that is generated by the
instrument is required. The incremental costs associated with
implementing this plan will vary greatly depending on the project,
but may include expenses related to data storage and archiving,
creating the capability to place data in a regional or national
repository, cyberinfrastructure that enables data sharing, etc. For
example, if there are equipment costs associated with the data
management plan, these may be included in the equipment part of the
requested funds, or in cost sharing, if applicable. Costs
associated with the implementation of the Data Management Plan
should be incremental.
Required Documentation
40. Do I need to include a letter certifying my organization's
degree-granting status, even if I have a cost sharing commitment
letter, or even if the organization is not subject to cost sharing?
Yes, a letter certifying the organization's status as PhD-granting,
non-PhD-granting, or non-degree-granting (per the definitions in
the solicitation) is required for all funded organizations in all
proposals. Failure to provide the required certification(s) may be
grounds for returning the proposal without review. A "Research in
Undergraduate Institutions" (RUI) certification may not be used for
non-PhD-granting institutions.
41. If I am requesting funds in the budget for postdoctoral personnel,
am I required to provide a postdoctoral mentoring plan as part of
the proposal?
Yes. If a proposal requests funds to support postdoctoral personnel
then a mentoring plan is required as a one-page maximum
supplemental document. Failure to provide a mentoring plan when
required will result in the proposal being returned without review.
For further information on this topic, please consult the Grant
Proposal Guide (Chapter II.C.2.j).
Suggested Documentation
42. From whom is a statement of collaboration needed?
Reviewers should know that an individual participant in the project
knows and agrees that she or he will play a role in a project. It
is up to the PI to determine which, if any, of the project's
participants should provide a formal statement of collaboration.
Statements of collaboration from major users of the proposed
instrument may also be included. Statements from every possible
user of an instrument, or from minor participants in a project, are
not necessary and are discouraged. Note that the format for
statements of collaboration from individuals is specified in the
solicitation. More extensive statements of collaboration or letters
endorsing the project will not be accepted.
If a proposed effort involves a private sector partner, a large
formal collaboration or an organization (as opposed to an
individual(s)) serving as a partner, a separate supplementary
document letter (one page maximum) confirming the participation
must be included. Proposals involving large formal collaborations
are encouraged to utilize this letter to document the priority of
the requested instrument in the overall efforts being undertaken by
the collaboration.
Unallowed Documentation
43. Does the MRI program accept hard-copy proposals, statements of
collaboration, or other documents outside of the FastLane or
Grants.gov systems?
No. All allowed documents must be included in the electronic
submission (FastLane or Grants.gov) of the proposal. There is no
mechanism to accept any documentation outside of the approved
electronic submission processes. Material sent by U.S. mail or
overnight delivery will not be accepted.
44. Can I submit color hard copies of my proposal by regular mail?
No. The MRI program is not able to accept documents, including
color copies, outside of the electronic submission process.
45. Is a letter of intent required?
No. A letter of intent is neither required nor accepted.
Proposals and Proposal Submission
46. What is the earliest start date that I can request?
The earliest anticipated start date that can be requested is August
1, after submission. Please note, because of the time required to
process award recommendations, it may not be possible for NSF to
honor a request for an August 1 start date. If there is an urgent
requirement for an August 1 start, this should be noted and
explained in the proposal.
47. Should I use FastLane or Grants.gov for my proposal submission?
The option to use either FastLane or Grants.gov has been provided
for this competition. You may use either method to submit most
proposals. However, all linked-collaborative proposals submitted as
separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted
via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.4 of the Grant
Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative
proposals. For technical reasons, the order in which supplemental
documents are included in the proposal may not be preserved for
proposal submitted through Grants.gov.
48. Is the submission deadline flexible?
No. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
The MRI program strongly recommends that organizations submit
proposals well before the deadline, and that PIs check to ensure
that the proposal as submitted is actually correct in format and
content, and that it appears exactly as it was intended to be
submitted. Corrections to proposals can be made by proposal file
updates prior to the submission deadline, but not after the
deadline has passed.
References
1. http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/advancedSearch.jsp
2. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/
2cfr200_main_02.tpl
3. http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/caar/index.jsp