We applied for three consecutive S10 grants for a NovaSeq (none funded, unfortunately), and during that period we leased a smaller NextSeq 2000 paid for by our operational budget, and although it worked from a logistical standpoint one of the reviewers for one of the applications did not like the idea at all. However, we have leased three sequencers over the years, and we had a great experience with it, overall. The capital request process at Moffitt is very long, and leasing equipment puts a strain on our operational budget, but as a stopgap, it has saved us many times.
As one poster suggested, you can also start a lease and then have the S10 grant fund the purchase of that instrument, but there are strict timelines associated with this (from the RFA).
Applicants proposing the purchase of an instrument that the institution is planning to lease prior to an award are urged to consult with their institutional sponsored projects office and the NIH Grant Management Office (see Section VII for the contact information) regarding the applicable NIH policy prior to executing the leasing agreement. If the leasing agreement was executed more than one year prior to submission of the SIG application, the applicant must provide a strong justification for the requested Federal funds. This justification must demonstrate that the leased instrument is considered state-of-the-art at the time of submission - appropriate award adjustments may be necessary. Execution of a purchase order or agreement, making a down payment or other formal commitment to purchase the instrument prior to award will automatically eliminate an applicant from eligibility for an award.
If possible, you could also consider outsourcing. Our NextSeq 2000 developed a multi-month backlog, so we started sending libraries to a vendor for sequencing on their NovaSeq and did that for several years while sequencing other projects in parallel on the NextSeq.
Hope that helps,
Sean
| 
| Sean Yoder, M.S. Molecular Genomics Core Facility Manager Moffitt Cancer Center |
13131 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 | tel: 813-745-1917 | fax: 813-745-7265 | email: sean.yoder@moffitt.org
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Original Message:
Sent: 1/29/2025 8:44:00 AM
From: Susanna Perkins
Subject: RE: Lease as bridge to S-10 Seeking feedback from those that taken this approach, please
Hi Tom -
In my previous role at UMASS we did do a few leases - primarily for Mass Spec instruments. When we chose to do the lease over a purchase, it was due to limited capital funds. They all worked out well with UMASS buying out either at the very end or engaging an early buyout. Happy to chat off line....
Susanna
Original Message:
Sent: 1/28/2025 3:02:00 PM
From: Tom McHugh
Subject: Lease as bridge to S-10 Seeking feedback from those that taken this approach, please
Dear All,
We've had conversations wiht several Cores recently who have expressed interest in entering into a "no obligation to purchase" lease to obtain the use of an instrument in order to put the technology to use in their operations while collecting user data to use towards a competitive shared instrumentation grant application.
If anyone has "traveled this road" and is willing to share insights, please let me know.
Thanks,
Tom
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Tom McHugh
Director, Research Cores Administration
University of Maryland School of Medicine
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