Small Equipment Grants

Proposals for equipment based on the following principles will be entertained:

• Cost-sharing on requests is considered favorably but is not required for submission. Federal appropriations cannot be used for this match.
• Impact on multiple faculty is required; tangible evidence that more than a single program will use this equipment for research (including graduate education aspects) is mandatory.
• This fund is not designed to leverage start-up packages. Preference will be given to positive impact on established faculty programs (which could certainly include new faculty).
• Investment in equipment that would become part of university core facilities or college facilities (e.g., greenhouses, farms, etc.) will be considered; evidence of commitment from core directors is required.
• Total cost of college investment for this program is up to $100K; small ($2,500) to large ($20,000) proposals will be considered. The total contribution to any piece of equipment from the college will not exceed $20,000.
• Multi-unit collaboration is encouraged.
• An individual faculty member can submit only one proposal as lead but may partner on more than one submission.

Proposals must be submitted through InfoReady by midnight on Friday, October 20, and require the following components:

1. Item being requested (will be used as the Proposal Title in InfoReady)
2. Total estimated cost of the equipment being requested.
3. Details of the proposed cost-share, if applicable. Include the faculty and affiliated units that are contributing to the cost share and the dollar amount being provided.
4. Estimated useful life. Life expectancy may be based on manufacturer specifications, previous or known experiences, University schedules, etc.
5. Description, purpose and justification, including:
   • a. What does the equipment do?
   • b. What function will it perform?
   • c. What faculty, programs, units, and activities will the equipment be supporting? Include applicable Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) projects benefiting from the equipment.
6. Brief description of logistics, including:
   • a. location and availability of equipment to researchers and students
   • b. alteration of existing facilities to accommodate the equipment
   • c. responsibility for maintenance, training, and operation
   • d. provisions for service agreements (if appropriate)
7. A current (non-expired), valid price quote for the equipment from the proposed supplier.
8. Approval of department heads from units contributing to the cost share. This information will be used to ‘route’ the proposal through the department heads for their concurrence and approval prior to acceptance by the Office for Research and Graduate Education.

By accepting the award, departments agree to provide, upon completion of the purchasing process, a final cost analysis of the equipment awarded (total cost and how cost share was utilized). All funds provided by the Office for Research and Graduate Education are to be used for the requested equipment. No rebudgeting permitted.