We know cores need ongoing financial resources to continue their success. We have curated a list of funding sources cores may find useful in deciding what grant submission strategies best suit their needs. If you would like to add a funding source to this list, please e-mail us at corefacilities@med.unc.edu
Grant Mentorship Program
ORT Grant Mentorship Program
Are you interested in applying for this NCBC grant, an NIH S10 (BIG, SIG, or HEI), NSF MRI, or other funding mechanism, but would like to improve your grantsmanship, learn tips and tricks, and have assistance in navigating the grant submission process? The Office of Research Technologies is beginning a Core Director Grant Mentorship Program. ORT will pair a core director who wants to submit a grant with a peer core director who has successfully been awarded grants through the same mechanism or within the same field. Your mentor will help you navigate the funding process, develop a clear plan, and provide a second set of eyes and ears to discuss the finer points of grantsmanship.
If you are interested in being a mentee OR a mentor, please reach out to Kara Clissold at kara_clissold@med.unc.edu
Additional Resources:
ABRF Town Hall
NIH S10 Grant Applications for Shared Instrumentation: Tips, Tidbits, and Informed Suggestions
February 15-16, 2023
Part 1: Developing the Foundation – Timeline, Who, What, When, Where, How (recording)
Part 2: Writing the Proposal – Essentials for Each Section (recording)
(Combined slide presentation)
CFAC/ORT Fund Sources
CFAC Winter/Spring RFA The CFAC Winter/Spring RFA is closed for submissions
The
CFAC Fall RFA is closed for submissions.
CFAC provides emergency funds for cores year-round. We aim for a 2-business day turn-around time for all emergency requests.
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CFAC provides cores with matching funds to enhance the competitiveness of submissions for NIH, NSF, NCBC, and other funding sources. Please use the following form to submit these requests. We encourage core directors to submit these requests during RFA cycles, but may be submitted at any time.
Submission Form
ORT provides funds for small in-house core projects
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CFAC’s voucher program supports generation of pilot data and new method development in UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine core facilities for UNC Chapel Hill PIs and trainees.
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Institutional Fund Sources
OVCR Cost-Sharing Funds The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) contributes matching funds, or cost-share, for costs related to enhancing research at UNC. The OVCR will consider cost-share funding requests for the following:
- Extramural grant proposals that require matching funds
- New technologies that facilitate the advancement of research at the university
- Other specific needs that are of strategic importance to research for the university
OVCR Website
While these grants cannot be applied to directly by core facilities, they can be used to pay for services at core facilities. If you have a PI interested in funding pilot data please share this opportunity.
NC TraCS Pilot Program
External Fund Sources
North Carolina Biotechnology Center Grants The North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) offers several grants that could benefit a core facility including Flash Grants (rolling topics), Innovation Impact Grants (supports the purchase of research equipment for core facilities fostering innovation within North Carolina’s life sciences ecosystem), and more. Please also see North Carolina Biotechnology Center Grant Writing Tips.
NCBC Website
NIH's S10 Instrumentation Program NIH Shared Instrumentation and High-End Instrumentation grants provide a mechanism for NIH-supported investigators to obtain high end instrumentation. For advice on submitting a successful SIG check out Nancy Fisher’s slides from her presentation a the November 2015 Core Director Meeting.
NIH S10 Instrumentation Program
NSF Major Research Instrumentation The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to shared instruments for scientific and engineering research and research training in our Nation’s institutions of higher education, museums, science centers, and not-for-profit organizations. This program especially seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, by providing shared instrumentation that fosters the integration of research and education in research intensive learning environments. Development and acquisition of research instrumentation for shared inter- and/or intraorganizational use is encouraged, as are development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners as appropriate to the goals of the MRI Program. The MRI Program is intended to assist with the acquisition or development of research instrumentation that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. Fund range: $100,000 – $4 million.
NSF Major Research Instrumentation
DoD Defense University Research Instrumentation program The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) supports university research infrastructure essential to high-quality Navy relevant research. The research instrumentation that is necessary to carry out cutting-edge research. Each year that DURIP is in effect, a complete announcement will provide detailed program information, including the deadline date for submitting proposals. DURIP proposals submitted to ONR should facilitate research in an area of interest to ONR, as described in the
Science and Technology section. Potential proposers may contact the appropriate program managers, listed with each area of interest, to explore possible mutual interests before submitting proposals.
NSF Major Research Instrumentation
Core Facility Staff Funding
CFAC Core Director and Staff Travel Awards This travel award supports conference, symposium, and other other professional development attendance for directors and staff within UNC Chapel Hill core facilities.
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This grant provides permanent University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill employees additional funding to help cover professional development opportunities. The grant covers work-related education and training and can be used for conferences, certificates, non-credit classes, or similar instructional opportunities.
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This scholarship provides assistance towards earning a degree or other professional certification. The scholarship is designed to help a UNC employee become more effective, in either the applicant’s current position, or to prepare the applicant for promotion within the UNC system.
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