UM Call for Internal Pre-proposals for NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
 Internal UM competition for 2019 NSF competition

NSF MRI 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.

ORSP will conduct a review process to select up to 3 pre-proposals for advancement into full proposals to NSF. Internal Notice of Intent is required and due to ORSP on October 29, 2018. Internal Pre-proposals are due to ORSP on November 19, 2018.

Key Dates (2018-19)
Monday, Oct 15:                  Original date of this announcement
Wed & Thurs, Oct 17,18      Repeated Information Sessions on NSF MRI opportunity and UM/ORSP Process
                                                      2:00 – 2:40 pm, The Inn @ Ole Miss Ballroom C. For information and to sign up,                                                           
                                                      see http://research.olemiss.edu/upcoming-presentations
Monday, Oct 29:                  Required Internal Notice of Intent due to ORSP
                                                      via online InfoReady Review Portal: http://olemiss.infoready4.com/ 

Monday, Nov 19:                   Internal pre-proposals due to ORSP
                                                      via online InfoReady Review Portal: http://olemiss.infoready4.com/ 


Dec 3 – 7:                                 Final Exams
Friday, Dec 7:                           ORSP will announce which pre-proposals
to move forward Friday, Oct 14:                 
Dec 8 – Jan 13:                        Investigators expand selected pre-proposals into full proposals
Friday, Dec 21:                         Winter holiday begins
Wednesday, Jan 2:                   University reopens
Jan 3 – 17                                 Winter Intercession
Monday, Jan 14:                     All full proposal documents (including transmittal) due to ORSP
Friday, Jan 18:                        ORSP target date to submit all MRI proposals to NSF
Monday, Jan 21:                       MLK Holiday (UM Closed)
Tuesday, Jan 22:                     Spring classes begin; Absolute last day to submit MRI proposal to NSF

Funding:          $100K – $4M for project periods of up to 3 years (acquisitions) or 5 years (development). Proposals of less than $100K are OK for mathematics, or social, behavioral, and economic sciences.
For acquisitions: at least 70% of total project cost must fall under the Equipment category; grant funds may only be spent on equipment.

Cost Sharing:   Required at a level of (precisely) 30% of the total cost of the project (which translates to 42.86% of the requested amount).


Limitations:     UM may submit up to 3 proposals, of which no more than two can Track 1 proposals—that is, proposals requesting less than $1,000,000. For most disciplines, the minimum request is $100,000. However, UM could submit proposals of less than $100,000 to acquire or develop instruments for use in mathematics or social, behavioral, and economic sciences.

Internal Notice of Intent Format:  Downloadable here: http://research.olemiss.edu/sites/default/files/ORSP-MRI-NoticeOfIntentFormat-2019.docx.        

Internal Pre-Proposal Format: Downloadable here: http://research.olemiss.edu/sites/default/files/ORSP-MRI-PreProposalFormat-2019.docx.  Includes: Cover sheet (1 page); Project Summary (1 page); Abbreviated Project Description (3-7 pages); Budget and Justification (1 page); and Results from Previous NSF MRI Submission, if applicable (1 page, plus most recent panel review summary).

The full NSF solicitation can be viewed at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=5260&ods_key=nsf18513.  

The guidelines January 2018 release of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide apply for the NSF competition. https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg.

Recent UM History with NSF MRI

For the most recent NSF MRI competition cycle, ORSP received 5 acquisition pre-proposals and zero development pre-proposals. Three acquisition proposals were submitted to NSF in February 2018, resulting in zero awards. 

The most recent NSF MRI awards to UM:

• 2017. Federal Award No 1726880, “MRI: Acquisition of a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope to support multidisciplinary research and education at the University of Mississippi”, PI: Jit Majumdar; Co-PIs: Jennifer Gifford, Amal Dass, Brenda Prager, Vijay Raman. $346,641.00
• 2016. Federal Award No 1625813, “MRI:  Acquisition of a Goniometer-Based Light Scattering System for Research and Training at the University of Mississippi”, PI: Adam Smith; Co-PIs: Seongbong Jo, Susan Pedigo, Esteban Urena-Benavides. $110,314.
• 2015. Federal Award No 1532079, “MRI: Acquisition of a Raman Spectrometer for Research and Training at the University of Mississippi”, PI: Nathan Hammer; Co-PI: Charles Hussey. $201,666.
• 2013. Award No CHE-1338056, “MRI:  Acquisition of a GPU Cluster for Computational Science in Mississippi,” PI: Greg Tschumper; Co-PIs: Brian Hopkins, and Robert Doerksen.
• 2011. Award No DBI-1126379, “MRI: Acquisition of an Imaging Flow Cytometer for Multidisciplinary Organic and Inorganic Particle Research and Education,” PI: Cliff Ochs; Co-PIs: Richard Buchholz, Tamar Goulet; Jason Hoeksema.
• 2009. Award No CBET-0923080, “MRI: Acquisition of a High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer for the Mid-South Region,” PI: Jim Czizdiel; Co-PIs: Wei-Yin Chen, Gregg Davidson, Marge Holland, Cliff Ochs.