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U.S. National Science Foundation

Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1

Open

Key facts

Deadline
Due Feb 8, 2027 · 124 days left
Award size
$4M – $20M
Total available
$100M · about 10 awards
Match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Rhea County (nationwide program)
  • No match required
  • Past Tennessee awards on file: 620

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

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About this grant

NSF-supported science and engineering research increasingly relies on cutting-edge infrastructure. With its Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and Major Multi-user Facilities ("Major Facilities") projects, NSF supports infrastructure projects at the lower and higher range of infrastructure project costs, Foundation-wide, across science and engineering research disciplines. The Foundation-wide Mid-scale Research Infrastructure opportunity is intended to provide NSF with an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range between MRI and Major Multi-user Facilities. NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, or computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same. Major facilities and mid-scale projects are subsets of research infrastructure. The NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Program (Mid-scale RI-1) supports either design activities or implementation of unique and compelling RI projects. Mid-scale implementation projects may include any combination of equipment, instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, broadly used large scale datasets and the personnel needed to successfully commission the project. Mid-scale RI-1 design activities include the design efforts intended to lead to eventual implementation of a mid-scale class RI project. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should involve the training of a diverse workforce engaged in the design and implementation of STEM research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF. Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 emphasizes strong scientific merit, a response to an identified need of the research community and/or fulfillment of a national need to enable U.S. researchers to be competitive in a global research environment. Well-conceived technical and management plans are essential for both design and implementation proposals, as are well-developed plans (e.g., mentoring and professional development) for student training and the involvement of a diverse STEM workforce in all aspects of mid-scale design and/or implementation activities. The inclusion of individual project participants that will lead to a supportive working environment is...

Who can apply, from the official notice

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, as follows. • Institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have their main campus in the United States, its territories, or possessions. Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions. • Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, for example (but not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research activities. These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., a sponsored projects office) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status. • Consortia as follows: a) A legally incorporated, not-for-profit consortium that includes two or more submission-eligible organizations as described in items (1) and (2) above. Such a consortium is one with an independent administrative structure (e.g., a sponsored projects office) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions and has 501(c)(3) status. b) Submission-eligible organizations as described in items (1) and (2) above, on behalf of an informal consortium. The Cover Sheet of such a proposal must identify both a PI and co-PI(s) from at least two Mid-scale RI-1 submission-eligible organizations (items 1 and/or 2 above) as lead investigators in the consortium. These consortium proposals may also include as partners, via subawards,other U.S. and non-U.S. organizations that are not eligible to submit Mid-scale RI-1 proposals. In either case, the proposal title should indicate that a consortium is proposing. For-profit commercial organizations, especially U.S. small businesses with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education, are eligible for infrastructure support through subawards/subcontracts as private sector partners with...

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Jan18
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
  3. Feb1
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
  4. Feb6
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Feb8
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

Writing the need statement? Rhea County facts with citations.

Who in Tennessee has won this program

272 awards to Tennessee groups in 13 counties since 2016 · 0 in Rhea County. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$15M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$13.3M2019
State of TennesseeNashville$13.2M spent that year2025
State of TennesseeNashville$12.2M spent that year2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$11.7M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$9.3M2024
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$9M2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville$8.8M spent that year2025
State of TennesseeNashville$7.7M spent that year2025
State of TennesseeNashville$7.3M spent that year2025
State of TennesseeNashville$6.7M spent that year2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville$6.1M spent that year2025

Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.

Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Education

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Education passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 348 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Rhea County. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyHudsonalpha Institute for Biotechnology$1.7M2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyGeorgia Tech Research Corp$1.2M2023
Fisk UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University$956K2024
Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleNorth Carolina State University$922K spent that year2025
State of TennesseeNashvilleThe Ohio State University$849K spent that year2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of California Santa Cruz$792K2023
Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, Davidson CountyVirginia Polytechnic Institute & State University$767K2025
Aglaunch InitiativeMemphis, Shelby CountyNorth Dakota State University$703K2026
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyArizona State University$638K2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Missouri System$586K2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyVirginia Polytechnic Institute & State University$534K2024
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyUniversity of Texas at San Antonio, the$490K2024

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

About the federal program

Engineering, also called “(ENG)”
Program number 47.041 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Mathematical and Physical Sciences, also called “(MPS)”
Program number 47.049 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Geosciences, also called “(GEO)”
Program number 47.050 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Computer and Information Science and Engineering, also called “(CISE)”
Program number 47.070 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Biological Sciences, also called “(BIO)”
Program number 47.074 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, also called “(SBE)”
Program number 47.075 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources), also called “(EDU)”
Program number 47.076 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

International Science and Engineering
Program number 47.079 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Integrative Activities, also called “(OIA)”
Program number 47.083 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

About the federal program

Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, also called “NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP)”
Program number 47.084 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

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