Seed Instrumentation Support (SIS) Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Seed Instrumentation Support (SIS) Program (PAR-26-074), administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a federally funded initiative designed to enhance biomedical research capacity through targeted equipment investment. The program is part of NIH’s broader Research Infrastructure Programs and aims to empower institutions by facilitating the acquisition of advanced research instrumentation that is currently unavailable to them. The core objective of the SIS Program is to build new institutional research capabilities by funding the purchase of a single commercially available biomedical research instrument. These instruments must be shared among users within the applicant institution to foster collaboration, improve reproducibility, and generate new opportunities for scientific discovery and training. The program is not intended for individual research projects but rather supports shared infrastructure that can have widespread utility across disciplines and departments. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are not institutions of higher education. The program is structured to be inclusive of various research-focused entities that lack access to critical instrumentation. Notably, there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, making it financially accessible to a broader pool of applicants. Funding support ranges from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $400,000 per award, with a total estimated program funding of $5,000,000. The SIS Program expects to make approximately 15 awards during the FY 2027 cycle. While there is no upper limit on the cost of the instrument itself, NIH’s contribution will not exceed $400,000. Awardees must ensure that funded equipment is accessible for multi-user and multi-project purposes to meet NIH’s intent of infrastructure enhancement. The anticipated application cycle begins with a forecasted posting date of February 28, 2026, and an estimated application due date of July 1, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced and funds disbursed by May 1, 2027. The program is not currently open for applications, as it remains in the forecasting stage. No pre-application steps or concept papers are required. Inquiries can be directed to Dr. Xiang-Ning Li at the NIH via phone at 301-435-1744 or email at xiang-ning.li@nih.gov. This opportunity does not allow for clinical trials and aligns with NIH’s ongoing efforts to modernize and expand national research infrastructure through reliable, reproducible, and collaborative instrumentation support.