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The Research & Innovation Office (RIO)ÌýCoreÌýFacilityÌýAssistanceÌýGrant ProgramÌýseeks to enhance operations withinÌýCore and Shared InstrumentationÌýFacilitiesÌýonÌýthe CUÌýBoulder campus.

TheÌýProgramÌýhas limited funds to be awarded to:ÌýÌý

• ImproveÌýoperations, safety, visibility and accessibilityÌýof Core Facilities.
  CoreÌýFacilities enable opportunities o develop transformative and innovative ways to improve operations, safety, visibility and accessibility with a goal towards achieving long-term financial sustainability. Addressing how Core Facilities can safely and effectively provide services and while augmenting productivity is critical towards supporting the needs of our undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, staff, faculty and the CU Boulder research enterprise.Ìý
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  Acquiring, upgradingÌýor replacingÌýexisting instrumentationÌýisÌýcritical toÌýmaintainingÌýCUÌýBoulder’s research infrastructure. Equipment should benefit theÌýbroaderÌýCU research community by increasing collaborations and technical capabilities.ÌýFunds are to be applied towards the purchase of equipment to be housed in the Core Facilities. ApplicantsÌýseeking funding for equipment acquisition,Ìýrepair or upgradeÌýmust explain whyÌýsupport cannot be obtained through other internal and external funding channels.ÌýDepartments can apply funds to cost share towards the purchase or repair of an equipment.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include CUÌýBoulderÌýCoreÌýFacilityÌýdirectors/managers,ÌýfacultyÌýor staff.ÌýApplicantsÌýwho are not Core Facility directors/managers must collaborate with one or more CU Boulder coreÌýdirectors/managersÌýin developing the projectÌýproposal.ÌýOnly one application is allowed per core. View Eligible Core Facilities

Budget

The Core Facility Assistance Grant ProgramÌýwill fund up toÌý$100,000Ìýin grants in FY24.ÌýFunding for the program in future years is subject toÌýavailabilityÌýof funds. The maximum award for FY24 is $10,000 per application, regardless of the number of Core Facilities involved.ÌýNote: RIO will not provide funding to pay for GAR/GIR related to this funding opportunity.ÌýUse this template to provide a budget for the request.Ìý

Requirements

1. Applicants that are not core directors must co-develop the proposal withÌýCU Boulder core director(s)/managers to assess feasibility and discussÌýthe budgetÌýprior to applying. A single award may be used to support a projectÌýthat involves more than oneÌýCoreÌýFacility, but the maximum award will remain $10,000.Ìý
2. All funds must beÌýspent in one or moreÌýCoreÌýFacilities.ÌýÌý
3. FundsÌýcannotÌýbe used to pay salaries of Core Facility or other staff.Ìý
4. Funds can be used forÌýsafety improvements, remote access capabilities and equipment (repair and acquisition).
5. Funds must be spent in the Core Facility associated with the project described in the grant application.Ìý
6. All awarded funds must be spent by the end of FY25 (June 30, 2025). There will be no no-cost extensions.Ìý

Terms & Conditions

1. Recipients will submit an annual Impact Report for three full fiscal years (three reports in total). Failure to do so may result in the Core Facility being disqualified from future funding opportunities. Ìý
2. If a significant outcome of this grant award is realized at any time, recipients will immediately notify Joe Dragavon, Director of Core Facilities & Shared Instrumentation in writing by emailing joseph.dragavon@colorado.edu.
3. If there is a change or absence (60 days or greater) in PI, recipients willÌýcontact and provide a justification to Joe Dragavon, Director of Core Facilities & Shared Instrumentation at joseph.dragavon@colorado.edu. ÌýÌý
4. If the project entails any compliance issues such as IRB, IACUC, EHS, biohazardous material, etc., recipients certify that the appropriate compliance offices on campus will be made aware of the proposed activities before initiating any work.Ìý
5. Awards will be made available through the financial office in recipients’ respective college/school/institute on theÌý15thÌýday of July following award notification (not earlier), at which time project spending can commence. The budget office at the PI’s respective college/school/institute will set up theÌýspeedtypeÌý(account) number for the award. RIO will transfer the funds to theÌýspeedtype. Recipients are advised to contact respective budget offices for theÌýspeedtypeÌýin June following award notification.ÌýÌý
6. The project duration is up to 12 months (July 1, 2024—June 30, 2025). There will be no No-cost extensions awarded. Unused funds at the end of the project will be returned to RIO.Ìý
7. If a recipient fails to fulfill any of theÌýaforementioned conditions, RIO reserves the right to suspend funds.Ìý

Reviews

Faculty volunteers review applications, provide commentsÌýand recommend proposals for funding. Proposals will be evaluated in four primary areas:

• Need: Does the acquisition satisfy a growing unmet need that will be utilized by multiple investigators?Ìý
• Overall Benefit:  Does the acquisition benefitÌýCore FacilityÌýoperations and Users, andÌýenhance the capabilitiesÌýof the University’s research infrastructure?
• Management and Expertise:  Is the Core Facility able to appropriately operate the acquisition and ensure that it can be accessed by the CU Boulder scientific community?Ìý
• Funding Request:ÌýIs the expenditure of these funds accurate and justifiable, and worth the investment from the Research and Innovation Office?Ìý

Application Deadline and Portal

Applications for FY24 will close on April 5, 2024, 11:59pm MST

Proposal Format and Preparation

1.ÌýCover page; please include the following: Access a template here.

• Date of application (submission date)ÌýÌý
• Full name of the Core FacilityÌýÌý
• Home department/institute/unit of the Core FacilityÌý
• Name of Core Facility director/managerÌýÌý
• Name of facility manager (responsible for day-to-day management, may be the same as the director)ÌýÌý
• Name of contact person (for this proposal)ÌýÌý
• Proposal TitleÌýÌý
• Amount requested ($)
• Amount of Matching Funds ($)
• Signatures of the facility director and department Chair or Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee are required; these signatures will constitute acknowledgment that the request has been discussed and approved.Ìý

2.ÌýProject description; please include the following:

• Page Limits: 2 pages maximum
• Project description should be in sufficient detail to be understood by a non-expert reviewer.
  • Brief description of the Core:
    • Users
    • Labs
    • Broad overview of the Core
  • Funding request:Ìý
    • What will be purchased? For how much exactly?
    • How doesÌýthis purchase complement the existing resources of the Core Facility?
    • How will this purchase advance the capabilities of the Core?
    • Does similar equipment exist?ÌýIf yes, why does it not fit your needs?
  • Administration/Management Plan:
    • Where will it go? Describe the location where the requested purchase will be housed.Ìý
    • How will access and use be managed and supervised?
  • Justification of Need:
    • Is there a growing unmet need that can be addressed by this purchase?Ìý
    • Is current research being limited in some way (technical limitations, access restricted or hindered)?Ìý
  • Technical Expertise:Ìý
    • Who will oversee the acquisition?
    • Any prior experience with the purchase or other relevant experiences?Ìý
  • Overall Benefit of the Purchase:
    • Anticipated usage and impact?
    • Research enabled?Ìý
  • Example and Supporting Documentation or Data:
    • Example figure or data table

3.ÌýProposed budget with aÌýclear, concise justificationÌýand timelineÌý(1-page maximum of written text):

• Using this template, provide a budget for the request.ÌýIndicate explicitly, sources of revenue to sustain the equipment (i.e., increased usage, increased rates, etc. or both). ÌýÌýÌýÌý
• Project timeline (to demonstrate that funds will be spent within 12 months).Ìý
• Sources of revenue to support the technology beyond the purchase.
• Current Price Quote (will not count against the page limit).
• Note: RIO will not provide funding to pay for GAR/GIR related to this funding opportunity.Ìý

4.ÌýBiosketch (NIH or NSF format) or current Curriculum VitaeÌýfor the PIÌýÌý

5.ÌýSupport letters

• From Core Facility if not the PI
• Department/Institute Chair
• At least one Major User (max 2 Users)

6.ÌýResubmission of a prior CFAG application?

• If yes, please provide the Year, Title and PI of the original submission.Ìý

7.ÌýAnnual award report agreement

• By submitting for the Core Facilities Assistance Grant, you agree to submit an annual Impact Report for the next three fiscal years (three reports in total). Failure to do so may result in this Core's disqualification from future funding opportunities.Ìý

For questions aboutÌýtheÌýCore FacilityÌýAssistanceÌýGrantÌýProgram, please contact Joe Dragavon, Director of Core Facilities & Shared Instrumentation at (Ìýjoseph.dragavon@colorado.edu).