Shimadzu Scientific Instruments and Adept Technology are offering separate programs for academic and nonprofit organizations that need instruments for scientific research and To apply for the Shimadzu grant program, educators and researchers must submit a brief written application and undergo a review process. The company says the turnaround time for funding decisions should be significantly less than the usual government and foundation grant cycle, and the cost of the technology is lower. For more information, visit www.shimadzu.com.

The Adept program offers colleges and universities four "university configurations" of its robotic hardware, controllers and software at discounts of up to 80 percent. For more information, visit www.adept.com.