CFDA#
12.006
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Funder Type
Federal Government
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IT Classification
B - Readily funds technology as part of an award
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Authority
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
Summary
The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) seeks innovative applications on mechanisms to implement and research the effectiveness of STEM education, outreach, and/or workforce initiative programs, here onto referred as STEM activities.
In response to this NFO, the Department intends to release amendments and solicitations, such as Industry Days, Opportunity Days, etc., detailing funding opportunities through award(s) in STEM activities. These activities include, but are not limited to:
- STEM Education and Outreach - STEM education and workforce development is a priority of the Department, and the DoD seeks methods in which it can more effectively cultivate an agile and world-class STEM workforce. Through effective programming, the DoD supports the transformation of a STEM talent pool that will lead the Department and the Nation into the future.
- Support for STEM Education at Two-Year Institutions/Community Colleges (2YI/CCs) - STEM education is expanding beyond traditional engineering and scientific pathways and it is increasingly critical for industrial skills proficiency. As such, the Skilled Technical Workforce (STW)3 and 2YI/CCs are vital to the education and innovation of our Nation.
- Manufacturing Engineering Education Program - Under the statute 10 U.S. Code 4843, the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program (MEEP), the Department seeks innovative approaches in industry relevant, manufacturing-focused, engineering training at United States institutions of higher education, industry, nonprofit institutions, and consortia of such institutions or industry to develop the Nation's robust, highly skilled advanced manufacturing workforce critical to the national defense.
- Education and Workforce Development aligned to the DoD Critical Technology Areas - To ensure enduring US leadership in science and technology, it is critical to support education and training in DoD critical technology areas13 to develop a robust technical workforce. The Department seeks to enhance its portfolio of programs by focusing on activities aligned to critical technology areas by explicitly encouraging proposals that improve capability of education systems and communities to create impactful educational experiences for students and teachers and prepare the 21st century technical workforce. Current critical technology areas include:
- Biotechnology
- Quantum Science
- Future Generation Wireless Technology (Future G)
- Advanced Materials
- Trusted AI and Autonomy
- Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems
- Microelectronics
- Space Technology
- Renewable Energy Generation and Storage
- Advanced Computing and Software
- Human-Machine Interfaces
- Directed Energy
- Hypersonics
- Integrated Sensing and Cyber
- STEM Scholarship Programs - The DoD may seek applications to fund scholarship programs that support developing or training scientists and engineers that will be the future of our Nation's STEM talent that meets unique defense mission and operational needs.
- Strategic Partnerships - The DoD may seek to fund programs and initiatives that support strategic partnerships with awardees, collaborators, and stakeholders across academia, the DIB, non-profit industries, the Federal Government, and others, in alignment with the DoD STEM and Federal priorities. These strategic partnerships may also be developed and fostered through STEM education ecosystems.14 Through engaging with and leveraging strategic partnerships, the DoD aims to create more effective and efficient STEM education and workforce development interventions, and to amplify awareness of DoD STEM education and career opportunities.
- Program Evaluations, Assessments, Data Analytics and Visualizations - NDEP may seek to fund evaluation efforts that analyze the outcomes and impacts of DoD STEM education and outreach programming. Program evaluation results may be used to assess a program's effectiveness, identify how to improve performance, or guide resource allocation. All evaluation efforts should complement and add to current evaluation efforts,15 both at the portfolio and individual program/Component level. -
- Other NDEP Congressional Initiatives and Programs - NDEP fosters and enhances the DoD's ability to develop and access high- quality STEM talent vital to national defense, now and in the future. Aligned to the DoD Strategic Plan and the Department's priorities, NDEP addresses critical STEM education and talent development challenges using a continuous learning structure and evidence-based approaches.
The Department of Defense (DoD) requires a skilled, agile, and future-ready STEM workforce with the technical expertise to support the national security mission and the Warfighters. The National Defense Strategy calls for the DoD to make significant investments in critical technology areas to meet key capability and capacity needs, and highly skilled technical talent is essential in completing this mission. In recognition of these imperatives, the DoD is committed to developing the Nation's STEM capacity through investments in near- and long-term STEM. It is a national security imperative that the Department and the Nation is invested in developing America's STEM talent.
The DoD employs a comprehensive approach to address critical STEM education and talent development challenges across the Pre-K to career continuum, with opportunities for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (PreK-12), postsecondary, undergraduate, and graduate students, and workforces within and beyond the DoD, known as DoD STEM.1 OUSD(R&E) provides policy and oversight for DoD STEM. DoD STEM encompasses all of the Department- wide efforts that address near-, mid-, and long-term STEM talent development efforts. DoD STEM activities are aligned to federal and agency priorities to ensure a highly skilled and agile STEM talent pool ready to serve the Nation and evolve the DoD's competitive edge.
History of Funding
Most recent awardees can be found here:
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3159722/dod-awards-national-defense-education-program-cooperative-agreements/
Additional Information
As funding becomes available, NFO amendments or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcements detailing opening and closing dates for topics of interest will be posted. In response, applicants may be asked for a mandatory white paper submission, emailed to [email protected]. Refer to the amendment for formatting the email subject line. Use of the white paper is intended to determine which efforts are of merit preparatory to submission of a full application as described in Section IV. Applicants will be selected from the white paper submissions to be invited by the Government via email to submit a full application on Grants.gov for evaluation and possible award consideration. White papers that fail to address the areas listed in the Program Description of the NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement will not be evaluated and will not receive an invitation to submit a full technical application.
White paper submissions will only be accepted in response to active NFO amendments or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcements. In addition to the submission requirements outlined in Section IV, all responses should address items in the specific NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement.
Eligibility Details
Eligible applicants include: industry, non-profit institutions, institutions of higher education, state and/or local educational agencies, or consortia of such institutions and/or industry.
Foreign entities will not be considered.
Current and past awardees from this initiative, or previous versions of this initiative, are eligible to submit white papers/applications under this NFO.
Senior Military Colleges are also eligible to submit white papers/applications under this NFO. However, DoD laboratories, military universities, and warfare centers, as well as other DoD and civilian agency laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this NFO.
Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this NFO. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal applicants are allowed so long as they are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC.
University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) are eligible to submit white papers and applications under this NFO, unless precluded from doing so by their Department of Defense UARC contract.
Religious organizations are entitled to compete on equal footing with secular organizations for Federal financial assistance as described in Executive Order (EO) 13798, Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.”
Deadline Details
This NFO is a continuously open announcement. Amendments to this NFO will be posted to Grants.gov if they occur. Amendments will detail requirements for white paper submissions, and select white paper submissions will be invited to submit a full application. The opportunity is anticipated to close February 8, 2028.
Award Details
The Department intends to award multiple grants in the Topics of Interest subject to the availability of funds. The DoD expects projects to be completed within the performance period of the specified award. Cost sharing or matching is not required. The award ceiling is $10,000,000 and award floor is $100,000. Cost sharing or matching is not required.
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