Key Dates: Applications for Extramural Research Facilities Improvement Program grants are May 6, June 17, and July 17, 2009, depending on the funding amount requested. The deadline for applications for Core Facility Renovation, Repair, and Improvement grants is Sept. 17, 2009.

Program Information: The Recovery Act allocates funding to the National Institute for Health (NIH) for awards to institutions seeking to construct, renovate or repair biomedical or behavioral research facilities.

Grant Information: The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of NIH, will administer these grants. Institutions must apply for fundingunder NIH's grant application process, and applications will be reviewed by experts. NIH will fund grants in two categories of facility construction and improvement:

• Extramural Research Facilities Improvement Program: This funding opportunity is designed to construct, renovate or repair biomedical or behavioral research extramural facilities. The major objective is to facilitate and enhance the conduct of U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) biomedical and behavioral research by providing the costs of improving non-federal basic research and clinical research to meet the research, research training or research support needs of an institution. Deadlines are May 6, June 17 and July 17, 2009, depending upon the funding amount requested. Amounts can range from $2 million to $15 million.
  
• Core Facility Renovation, Repair and Improvement: This funding opportunity is designed to upgrade extramural core facilities to support biomedical and/or behavioral research, funded by PHS. Extramural research is conducted off the NIH campus, nationwide, by NIH-funded institutions and organizations. A core facility is defined as a centralized shared resource that provides access to instruments or technologies or services, as well as expert consultation to NIH-funded investigators. The deadline for applications is Sept. 17, 2009. Budgets between $1 million and $10 million may be requested.

To demonstrate accountability, institutions that are awarded NIH Recovery Act funds will be required to submit special progress reports indicating how many jobs were created as a result of the funding. Additionally, recipients of Recovery Act-supported awards must assess the environmental impact of their facilities; accordingly "green" design approaches and technologies should be considered. Other reporting requirements may also be imposed. The Recovery Act requires an expedited obligation of awards.

For More Information: View the full  Funding Opportunity Announcement  for program and application information. Visit the  National Center for Research Resources  for more detailed information and an FAQ on NIH / NCRR construction program grants.