A female researcher unboxing equipment and smiling at the camera

Information for applicants

Through Instrumental Access, Seeding Labs connects universities and research institutes in low- and middle-income countries with high-quality laboratory equipment.

How the program works

Seeding Labs Accepts Equipment Donations
Throughout the year, Seeding Labs solicits donations of surplus laboratory equipment and supplies from our network of 200+ equipment donors. These donors include equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and many other types of organizations. Donations are received, inventoried, checked for quality, and stored at our warehouse near Boston, Massachusetts in the United States.

Awardees Choose Their Equipment
After they are accepted to the program, Instrumental Access awardees have an opportunity to “shop” in our available inventory during a specific 3-week period to choose the items that will comprise their shipment. Awardees use our online shopping portal to select enough equipment to fill a small (20-foot) shipping container.

Awardees contribute financially to offset program costs
Awardees pay a fee that helps to offset a portion of the program’s operating costs. We invoice for the service fee at the beginning of the shopping period, with payment due when we have agreed on the contents of the shipment.

We collaborate on shipment logistics
Just before and during the shopping period, we work closely with awardees to ensure that the shipment paperwork is in order and that we’ve provided all the information they need to navigate their country’s customs and import regulations.

Seeding Labs arranges international freight
As soon as we receive the program fee, we pack the items into a container and ship them (at our expense) to the nearest ocean port to in the awardee’s institution.

Awardees use the equipment for teaching and research
Upon arrival at the port, awardees are responsible for clearing the container through customs and arranging for ground transportation from the port to their campus. After that, it’s up to the awardee to use and maintain the equipment.

Benefits of an Instrumental Access award

Equipment and supplies
A typical Instrumental Access shipment consists of 100-150 individual items of equipment, glassware, and consumables that have been selected by our awardees to meet their specific needs for teaching and research.

What’s the value of a typical shipment? It isn’t straightforward to assess for a number of reasons: the contents of every shipment are unique; there’s no gold standard for valuation of used equipment; and prices/availability vary widely depending on where you are in the world.

Using our most conservative valuation method, the average for our shipments over the last few years has been around $100,000 US. We estimate that the cost to purchase the items new in the US would be 3-4 times higher, in the range of $300,000-$400,000.

For more information about our inventory, see below.

Membership in our global network
New awardees join a vibrant and growing global community of awardees and supporters. As of June 2023, this network includes 105 institutions in 39 countries, as well as more than 200 organizations around the world.

Access to additional opportunities and resources
Your relationship with Seeding Labs won’t end with the arrival of a shipment. We partner with external organizations to offer exclusive benefits and opportunities to our awardees on an ongoing basis. In the past, these opportunities have included plasmids, manuscript editing services, and more.

We also do everything in our power to highlight the accomplishments of our awardees, including generating media attention if desired. We have worked with reporters to feature the work of our awardees in international media outlets such as Nature, The Boston Globe, USAID Frontlines, Forbes, and SciDevNet.com.

What is required of awardees?

Program fee
Participation in Instrumental Access is economical, but it is not free. Awardees pay a fee that helps to offset a portion of our procurement, logistics, insurance, transportation, and administrative costs.

Please note that the program fee is technically a service fee; you are not purchasing the equipment from Seeding Labs. The equipment is a donation for education and research purposes, which can be an important distinction if your country offers waivers from customs and import fees for donated goods.

The program fee is adjusted based on the income level of the applicant’s country:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Last updated 19 July 2022

Albania, American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Namibia, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uruguay

Last updated 19 July 2022

Payment must be made in US dollars via direct wire transfer (preferred) or letter of credit. It is due after equipment selection is complete, so you will know the exact contents of your shipment before you pay.

If you intend to raise funds from external sources, or if there are other unusual circumstances that apply to your situation, please contact us to discuss. However, please note that Seeding Labs does not have additional funds available to further subsidize this cost.

Other monetary costs
In addition to the program fee, awardees should budget for other costs that can arise as a result of participation. These are not costs imposed by Seeding Labs, but they would be your responsibility and should be taken into account when deciding whether this program is right for you. They include:

  • Any costs associated with customs clearance in your country. At a minimum, this usually includes hiring a clearing agent. Any costs associated with required inspections will be your responsibility, as will any applicable taxes or duties.

  • Local transportation of the container from the port of entry (an ocean port) to your campus.

  • Electrical power conversion, as many items in our inventory are configured for the US electrical power grid (120V/60Hz). In most other regions of the world, these items will require voltage transformers, plug adapters, and possibly frequency converters.

  • All costs associated with installation, calibration, maintenance, repair, and use of the equipment. Setup costs can be substantial, especially given that you will be receiving 100+ items at the same time.

  • Any additional costs associated with selected items that are not included in the donation. We pass on to you whatever donors give to us, but some items in our inventory are donated to us without components that are required to use them such as accessories, rotors, pumps, columns, and software. Information about what is included will be available to you at the time of selection so that you can decide for yourself whether you want to take on these costs.

  • All wire fees, banking fees, or other costs associated with payment of the program fee in US dollars.


Time and effort

Participation in Instrumental Access requires a substantial time commitment on the part of both the awarded department and the institution as a whole.

The individual who serves as primary contact can expect to devote several hours per week to coordination during the most active phases of shipment preparation, such as the equipment selection period, and for required communication and reporting to Seeding Labs.

In addition, it is typical for a number of other offices and individuals from the awarded institution to be involved in different aspects of the collaboration, including procurement, finance, legal, public relations, and senior leadership.

Our donation process can require considerable flexibility and patience on the part of everyone involved.

Who is eligible to apply?

  1. Institution type: Applicants must be one of three types of institutions:
    • Colleges, Universities, Polytecnics, or other degree-granting institutions of tertiary education
    • University-affiliated research institutes
    • Public research institutes that are actively engaged in research training

    If you are a college or university, we typically partner with a single academic department, as this is the scale at which the program is designed to meet equipment needs.

    However, we will consider working with other sub-units (such as a school or college, two collaborating departments, or a central lab facility) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us to discuss your situation.

    Individuals, lab groups, and research projects are not eligible to apply on their own.

    Hospitals, clinics, primary and secondary schools, for-profit companies, and NGOs not of the types listed above are not eligible.

  2. Geography: Applicant institutions must be located in an eligible country.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Last updated 19 July 2022

Albania, American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Namibia, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uruguay

Last updated 19 July 2022
  1. Equipment needs: Applicants should need a broad and diverse set of equipment and supplies in our inventory (for more information, please see About Our Inventory below).In practice, what this means is that we are typically a good fit for departments of biology, chemistry, and applied sciences using these techniques, like biomedicine, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, and closely related fields of engineering.

    We do not have appropriate equipment for departments of physics, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, business, or the humanities.

    If your institution is primarily looking for just one or two very specific items, the program will not be a good fit. We’re looking for awardees who need what we can supply: a 20-foot shipping container full of equipment and supplies. In addition, the more specialized your needs, the less likely it is that we will have on hand exactly what you need when it’s your turn to select.

  2. Ability to meet program requirements: Applicants must be able and willing to meet all program requirements, including ability to pay the program fee. For more on program requirements, see the previous section.If you have any questions about eligibility or would like to discuss your situation in more detail, you are strongly encouraged to contact us.

About our inventory

What types of items can be found in the Seeding Labs inventory?
Our inventory consists of new and gently-used surplus equipment provided by our equipment donors.

About a quarter of our equipment is brand new, usually donated by manufacturers. The rest of the equipment is gently used. All supplies in our inventory are new and in full, unopened cases.

We accept instruments, glassware, and non-perishables that are commonly used in biology and chemistry labs. We focus on biology and chemistry exclusively because the majority of our equipment donors are pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as the manufacturers that sell to them.

We do not solicit and rarely or never accept:

  • Equipment specialized for field or agricultural research
  • Clinical/medical equipment and supplies
  • Industrial scale or high-throughput equipment
  • Equipment specialized for physics or engineering (except chemical and biological)
  • Computers, audiovisual equipment, vehicles, furniture, and office supplies
  • Reagents and chemicals


You can review our target list for equipment donors here.

In addition, there are many categories of items that we actively seek but rarely receive—and therefore cannot meet demand from our awardees. An incomplete list of examples includes:

  • Autoclaves
  • DNA sequencers
  • Gas chromatographs
  • Ice machines
  • Imagers and photodocumentation systems
  • Mass spectrometers
  • Specialized microscopes
  • Real-time PCR machines
  • Ultra-low (-140° C) freezers


What will be available when it’s your turn to select?

The truth is that we can’t say exactly. We always have a wide variety of equipment and supplies available, but our inventory constantly changes as new donations come in and other shipments are fulfilled.

What we have on hand today is not what we’ll have next week, let alone next year. For this reason, we can’t provide you with a list of what will be available until it’s your turn to select. In addition, and importantly, we can’t guarantee the availability of any specific item, make, or model.

The experience is more similar to hunting for bargains at a market than placing an order with a manufacturer for the exact item and specification that you need. We provide excellent return on investment, but we’re only a good fit for groups with needs that are broad and flexible enough to take advantage of what we can offer.

What is the condition of the equipment?
Since most of our inventory is gently used, quality control is particularly important. We have multiple processes in place to ensure the quality of equipment in our inventory.

First, we work closely with our donors to ensure quality. We do not accept an item unless the donor can ensure us that it is fully functional at the time of donation. We do not accept items that are partially-functional or in need of repairs.

Second, for items that require specialized reagents, software, or advanced technical support, we check with the manufacturer to verify that the item is not obsolete—meaning that it is still supported by the manufacturer.

We do not usually accept obsolete items, although we do make a handful of exceptions for items that are technically obsolete but still in high demand. For the exceptions, we disclose that the item is obsolete at the time of equipment selection so that awardees can decide for themselves whether an unsupported item will be useful.

Third, we perform functional testing as feasible when the items are received. We have a testing protocol for every category of equipment that we accept.

However, our testing is currently limited to what can be accomplished in a warehouse setting. We do not have access to 240v power lines, water, gas, reagents, samples, standards, software, or skilled technicians.

What this means in practice is that the more complex an item is, the less likely it is that we’ll be able to test it fully. For many of the most sophisticated analytical instruments in our inventory, we have to rely on a visual inspection and the word of our donors that they work.

Our goal is for every item we ship to be fully functional and ready to use, and we’re always looking for ways to improve our quality control processes. However, they aren’t perfect.

It’s normal for there to be issues with a few items from every shipment, and awardees should anticipate this.

Because we are not a manufacturer, we are unable to offer refunds, replacements, or other warranties.

Application and review process

  1. Submit a written application
    Written applications will be reviewed for eligibility, completeness, and fit for the program. We are looking for awardees who can meet all program requirements and are poised to make good use of what we can provide: a container full of laboratory equipment and supplies to be selected from our inventory.

  2. Introductory conversation with Seeding Labs
    Following application review, top-scoring applicants will be invited to speak with us via Zoom or Skype about their objectives, existing infrastructure and expertise, and equipment needs.

  3. Accept a program slot
    Program slots, or specific time periods for equipment selection and subsequent payment of the program fee, will be offered to qualified candidates as they become available, typically with a 3-6 month time lag (meaning that the selection window would be set to begin 3-6 months from the time of acceptance).
    Candidates will have the option to accept an offer or to refuse and wait for another. We will make every effort to find a more suitable slot if the first one is turned down, but we cannot guarantee that one will be available.

  4. Sign letter of agreement
    New awardees and Seeding Labs sign a detailed Letter of Agreement that describes the relationship and spells out the roles and responsibilities of both parties in detail. This document must be signed by an official who is authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of the entire institution, typically the Vice Chancellor or equivalent.

 

Paul Hohenberger

Paul Hohenberger

Director of Individual Giving

Paul is responsible for individual outreach to increase philanthropic support for Seeding Labs. He is an experienced fundraising professional with broad knowledge and understanding of resource development and advancement in major research universities and public trusts. 

In previous roles at The University of Massachusetts, MIT, Harvard University, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, Paul cultivated relationships within the philanthropic community, garnering support for programs and priorities spanning nuclear engineering, global health, climate science/energy, and demographic and survey research.

Paul’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is active in his alma mater, serving on the Department of Political Science Advisory Board, and was a former board member of the UMass Alumni Association. 

Additionally, he has completed professional certificate programs at the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and MIT, enhancing his expertise in policy, politics, and innovation.

Alyssa Tran headshot

Alyssa Tran
Logistics Intern

Alyssa Tran started working for Seeding Labs in Summer 2024 in the Instrumental Access Program. She is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Clark University (Class of 2026).

Being a Biology major has allowed her to develop skills within research labs and understand various types of laboratory equipment, which gives support to the program.

Jennifer Raymond

Jennifer Raymond
Director of Corporate Relations

Jennifer builds and stewards Seeding Labs’ partnerships with corporations and other life science institutions. Our partners’ financial and lab equipment contributions help support universities and research institutions in under-resourced settings.


When these talented scientists, researchers, and educators have the resources they need to create and maintain strong scientific institutions, new solutions are created for both local development needs and global challenges.


Before joining Seeding Labs, Jennifer raised funds and engaged constituents for

the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Brandeis University. She graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in French studies.

Manisha Patel

Manisha Patel
Scientific Director

Manisha uses her scientific expertise to implement the equipment-related aspects of Seeding Labs’ programs and plays a key role in Instrumental Access.

She provides support to Instrumental Access awardees, helping them choose the instruments that best meet their research and teaching goals. She also advises the Corporate Relations team on equipment that would be useful in our awardees’ labs.

Manisha has extensive experience in managing academic research labs with knowledge spanning lab setup, compliance, and equipment training. Most recently, she oversaw labs at Harvard University.

For the past decade, Manisha directed an undergraduate internship program focused on one of her passions:  diversity and inclusion in STEM. She holds a BS in ecology from Rutgers University and an MS in ecology from the University of Vermont.

Micaela Leaska

Micalea Leaska
Programs Specialist,
Metrics & Evaluation

Micalea works with the Programs team to develop and implement metrics and evaluation tools, and to monitor the worldwide impact of Instrumental Access. She compiles and analyzes quantitative data and qualitative stories that exemplify our mantra, “talent is everywhere.”

Her prior work experience includes consulting for the World Bank, working on Water Security Assessments for Peru and Central America, and improving access to safe water in rural Ecuadorian communities with the nonprofit WaterStep.

Micalea holds a BA from Saint Michael’s College and completed her Master’s degree in Climate Change and Global Sustainability from SIT Graduate Institute, where she studied global science issues alongside scientists, stakeholders, and community members in Iceland, Tanzania, and Ecuador.

Chiudo Ehirim

Chiudo Ehirim
Instrumental Access
Consultant

After completing an Atlas Corps Fellowship with Seeding Labs, Chiudo now provides support to our Instrumental Access partners from his Rumines Ltd. office in Lagos, Nigeria. Chiudo is CEO of Rumines, an environmental technology and management consulting company.

Prior to his fellowship, Chiudo was a country manager for Nigeria with Climate Scorecard, a US-based organization that monitors how the top 25 greenhouse gas-emitting countries implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Chiudo earned a BS in pure and industrial chemistry from the University of Nigeria and a Master’s of Science in environmental technology and management from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

David Borman

David Borman, PhD
Communications
Director

David works to highlight the innovation and scientific successes of Instrumental Access awardees. In telling these scientists’ stories, he helps to show the global impact of the Seeding Labs mission.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, David worked as the alumni affairs director for Brevard College in North Carolina and managed communications for Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies, a nonprofit in Louisville, Kentucky, that provides services to children with special needs.

David earned his PhD in English from the University of Miami. He holds an MA in English from the University of Louisville and a BA in English from Bellarmine University.

Christine Srivastava

Christina Viola Srivastava

Vice President of Programs

Christina is responsible for program development, planning, and implementation at Seeding Labs. 

Christina has experience as a research program evaluator and science policy analyst. She’s held roles with the consulting firm Abt Associates, Inc. and the Science and Technology Policy Institute.

Prior to entering the consulting world, Christina worked for the Boston-area nonprofits Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and Urban Ecology Institute. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Swarthmore College

Rick Sherman

Rick Sherman

Vice President of Philanthropy

Rick is responsible for the fundraising activities at Seeding Labs, engaging with corporations, foundations, and individuals to increase their financial and equipment donations to the organization.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, Rick spent 17 years working in a similar capacity at a number of science-focused organizations, including Keystone Symposia, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the Science History Institute).

Rick earned an MS in Finance from Drexel University, and a BS in Paper Science and Engineering from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

David Qualter

Vice President of Operations

David is responsible for global logistics at Seeding Labs, overseeing the efficient movement of lab equipment worldwide.

He joined Seeding Labs from Image Arts, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, where he provided logistics direction for the company with $110 million in annual sales.

He brings 20 years of supply chain management experience with in-depth knowledge of international logistics, warehouse execution, and distribution center operations.

Originally an art student at Southeastern Massachusetts University, David now uses his creative talents to develop logistics strategies that produce operational efficiencies and quality customer service.

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Please direct speaking requests to media@seedinglabs.org

Melissa is the CEO and a co-founder of Seeding Labs. She began as a volunteer leader of the Harvard Medical School student group; later, as a founding board member, she supported its transition to a nonprofit organization. In 2014, she joined the staff of Seeding Labs, leading the USAID-sponsored $3M scale-up of the Instrumental Access program. In 2019, Melissa became CEO, committed to increasing capacity for developing countries to use science. 

Operating with a deep belief in the power of science to transform lives, Melissa has dedicated her career to creating scientific research opportunities for historically underrepresented and excluded communities. In addition to roles at Harvard and the BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Melissa has mentored many students in the sciences through programs at the Journal of Emerging Investigators, Harvard University, Boston Children’s Hospital, and MIT.

Melissa earned a PhD in Cellular and Developmental Biology from Harvard University and holds an SB in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.