NIH S10: Shared Instrumentation Grant

The Instrumentation Plan Replaces the Research Strategy

Instead of a Research Strategy, S10 applications submit an Instrumentation Plan whose components have their own page limits under PAR-27-022 (Letters of Support and the Bibliography are not counted against these limits):

• Justification of Need — up to 3 pages, explaining why this instrument (and this model) is needed and why existing instrumentation cannot meet the need
• Technical Expertise — up to 2 pages, identifying who will operate the instrument, train users, and support data collection and analysis
• Research Projects — up to 12 pages, describing the Major Users' NIH-funded projects and each project's substantial need for the instrument
• Summary Tables — up to 3 pages, summarizing users, their NIH funding, and projected usage
• Administration — up to 3 pages, covering day-to-day management, oversight, scheduling, and shared-access administration
• Institutional Commitment — up to 2 pages, documenting the institution's commitment to housing, operating, and maintaining the instrument
• Overall Impact/Benefit — up to 2 pages, tying together the collective benefit to the institution's NIH-funded research enterprise

The Major User Requirement

S10's central review question is not about a research idea; it's about who will use the instrument. At least three NIH-funded Major Users must be identified, and each one must be a PD/PI on a distinct, active NIH research award (a grant or cooperative agreement) with a substantial need for the instrument. NIH-funded projects should collectively use the instrument at 65% or more of its Accessible Usage Time (75% of Biomedical Research Time for Special Use Instruments). Biographical sketches (Common Forms via SciENcv for due dates on or after January 25, 2026) are required for the PD/PI, Major Users, and technical personnel as applicable.

Budget and Award Constraints

S10 funds equipment, not people or general lab costs, and its budget rules reflect that:

• Award range — minimum $300,000, maximum $5,000,000 in direct costs; there is no cap on the total cost of the instrument itself, so institutional funds can cover any remainder
• No indirect costs — F&A costs are not allowed on S10 awards
• One-year project period — non-renewable
• Vendor quote required — an unaltered, itemized quote with appropriate academic discounts and warranty terms (specified directly in the quote) must be combined in a single attachment; applications lacking valid quotes are deemed incomplete and withdrawn
• Eligibility — foreign organizations and non-U.S. components are not eligible; clinical trials are not allowed

How Review Works

S10 keeps NIH's standard five-criteria framework (Significance, Investigator, Innovation, Approach, Environment), but each criterion is reinterpreted for an equipment request rather than a research plan. Significance asks whether the need for this specific instrument is clearly justified and how much it would advance NIH-funded research at the institution. Investigator becomes an assessment of the Major User group itself, since there is no single investigator track record to weigh. Innovation is not a primary factor for this mechanism; a well-justified request for standard, proven equipment should not be penalized for lacking novelty. Approach is the core of review, focused on whether the requested specifications and accessories match the Major Users' actual research needs and whether the projected usage plan is realistic. Environment covers the institution's commitment to housing, maintaining, and administering shared access. Justification of need and the strength and breadth of the Major User group are the dominant factors in scoring.

One Consolidated Program (No More SIG/HEI/BIG Tiers)

Before 2026, the S10 activity code covered three sub-programs distinguished by budget tier: the Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG), High-End Instrumentation Grant (HEI), and Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG). PAR-27-022, published June 25, 2026, consolidated all three into a single restructured SIG program with one unified award range of $300,000 to $5,000,000. If you previously targeted a specific tier, the same request now goes through the single consolidated program.