Funding Opportunity Number: NAG-ENHANCEMENT-FY15
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA) | Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Eligible Applicants: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Agency Name: IMLS
Closing Date: 2015-03-02
Award Ceiling: $150,000
Expected Number of Awards: 12

Description: Enhancement Grant projects may enhance existing library services or implement new library services, particularly as they relate to the following goals in the updated Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.  S.  C.  §9141):
(1) Expanding services for learning and access to information and educational resources in a variety of formats, in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages in order to support such individuals? needs for education, lifelong learning, workforce development, and digital literacy skills
(2) Establishing or enhancing electronic and other linkages and improved coordination among and between libraries and entities for the purpose of improving the quality of and access to library and information services
(3) (A) Providing training and professional development, including continuing education, to enhance the skills of the current library workforce and leadership, and advance the delivery of library and information services, and
  (B) Enhancing efforts to recruit future professionals to the field of library and information services
(4) Developing public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations
(5) Targeting library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills
(6) Targeting library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children (from birth through age 17) from families with incomes below the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 9902(2) of title 42) applicable to a family of the size involved
(7) Developing library services that provide all users access to information through local, state, regional, national, and international collaborations and networks
(8) Carrying out other activities consistent with the purposes of the Library Services and Technology subchapter of the IMLS statute (20 U.  S.  C.  §9121).
Link: www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?opp…

Funding Opportunity Number: 15-504
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Eligible Applicants: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Agency Name: NSF
Closing Date: 2015-01-22
Award Ceiling: $4,000,000
Expected Number of Awards: 160

Description: The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education, not-for-profit museums, science centers and scientific/engineering research organizations.  The program provides organizations with opportunities to acquire major instrumentation that supports the research and research training goals of the organization and that may be used by other researchers regionally or nationally.  ??
Each MRI proposal may request support for the acquisition (Track 1) or development (Track 2) of a single research instrument for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use.  ?? Development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners to build instrument development capacity at MRI submission-eligible organizations are encouraged.
The MRI program assists with the acquisition or development of a shared research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.  ?? The program does not fund research projects or provide ongoing support for operating or maintaining facilities or centers.
The instrument acquired or developed is expected to be operational for regular research use by the end of the award period.  For the purposes of the MRI program, a proposal must be for either acquisition (Track 1) or development (Track 2) of a single, well-integrated instrument.  ??The MRI program does not support the acquisition or development of a suite of instruments to outfit research laboratories or facilities, or that can be used to conduct independent research activities simultaneously.
Instrument acquisition or development proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000-$4 million may be accepted from any MRI-eligible organization.  Proposals that request funds from NSF less than $100,000 may also be accepted from any MRI-eligible organization for the disciplines of mathematics or social, behavioral and economic sciences and from non-Ph.  D.  -granting institutions of higher education for all NSF-supported disciplines.
Cost-sharing of precisely 30% of the total project cost is required for Ph.  D.  -granting institutions of higher education and for non-degree-granting organizations.  Non-Ph.  D.  -granting institutions of higher education are exempt from cost-sharing and cannot include it.  National Science Board policy is that voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
Please see the solicitation text for definitions of organizational types used by the MRI program.
Link: www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?opp…