NSF's Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program

Solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf00144/nsf00144.htm

Web page: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518&org=BIO&sel_org=BIO&from=fund

Synopsis of Program (from the solicitation): The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) activity supports research by faculty members of predominantly undergraduate institutions through the funding of

• Individual and collaborative research projects
• The purchase of shared-use research instrumentation, and
• Research Opportunity Awards for work with NSF-supported investigators at other institutions (usually funded as a supplement).

All NSF directorates participate in the RUI activity. RUI proposals are evaluated and funded by the NSF programs in the disciplinary areas of the proposed research.

Comments and Details: To apply for these grants, the PI applies to the RUI solicitation above but selects a particular disciplinary program at NSF (programs that fund unsolicited proposals) on the cover page under “program”.  The PI should follow the proposal window or target date specified by the disciplinary program.  One of the easiest ways to find disciplinary programs at NSF is to start at http://www.nsf.gov/staff/orglist.jsp  and select the Division from the organization list.  Disciplinary programs will be listed (often along with solicited programs) on the web page for each division.  Each disciplinary program will have a web page with a program description.  These divisions and programs will also show up as a menu list on the Fastlane cover page after you select the RUI program.

Because Program Descriptions tend to be brief and relatively broad in describing fundable research areas, it is important to talk to the Program Officer and read abstracts of proposals recently funded by the program in order to get a better sense of current areas of interest for that program.  Programs typically accept unsolicited proposals once or twice each year at about the same time.  Programs may list “due dates,” which are firm dates beyond which proposals will not be accepted, “target dates,” which are more flexible, and “target windows,” which designate a time period, usually 1 or 2 months, within which proposals will be accepted.