Research Development Newsletter

Funding Opportunities 

Each week RTT emails a newsletter of relevant funding opportunities to the Mines research announcements listserv. Below is a copied list of relevant funding opportunities currently open for submission. If you would like to be added to our weekly newsletter please contact the Research Development team at RTT@mines.edu.

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Mines Membership to the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium Opens New Funding Opportunities

The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) is a 501(c)(3) biomedical technology consortium that is internationally-dispersed, collaborating with multiple government agencies with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. The consortium focuses on the development and delivery of innovative medical technologies that protect, treat, and optimize the health and performance of U.S. military personnel and civilians. As a member organization, Mines faculty may apply to any of their open solicitations, which are announced throughout the year. Solicitation topics vary but may be applicable to those in quantitative biosciences and engineering, computer science, materials science, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines. Check their website throughout the year for current and upcoming solicitations.

See current and upcoming solicitations

 

Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs
Dept of Commerce – NIST Solicitation # 2025-NIST-MSE-01
Deadline: Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis
Amount: Varies by grant program
The purpose of the Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research NOFO is to support activities that develop, expand, strengthen, or sustain NIST partnership programs and/or support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research in a variety of areas including, but not limited to: Metrology; Standards; Nanotechnology; Artificial Intelligence; Advanced Communications; Advanced Manufacturing; Promotion of U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness; Measurements in Sciences; Neutron Research; and enhancing coordination of the U.S. Standards System with government and private sector organizations. This NOFO seeks applications for measurement science and standards research in the areas described by each MSE Grant Program (detailed in the NOFO), which will support the development of a general population that understands and appreciates measurement science and standards.
Read MSE Research Grant NOFO

 

 

Research and Development (RAD) Directed Energy (RD) University Assistance Instruments
DOD Air Force Research Lab Solicitation # DO-FOA-0003418
Concept Papers: 7/18/2029
Amount: $49M
The Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate (RD) is the Department of the Air Force’s Center of Expertise for directed energy and optical technologies. The Directorate develops and transitions technologies in four core technical competencies: Laser Systems, Directed Energy and Electro-Optics for Space Superiority, High Power Electromagnetics, and Weapons Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis. This five-year, open FOA is for soliciting research applications for Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in the Core Technical Competencies (CTCs) described above. Multiple awards of assistance instruments are anticipated with periods of performance ranging from one to five years.
Read Solicitation

 

Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 22-632
Deadline: 12/1/2025
Amount:

Elements Track Proposals: Up to $600K for up to 3 years

Framework Implementation Track Proposals: $600K-$5M total for 3-5 years

Transition to Sustainability Track Proposals: Up to $1M for up to 2 years

The Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) program seeks to enable funding opportunities that are flexible and responsive to the evolving and emerging needs in cyberinfrastructure (CI). The program continues to emphasize integrated CI services, quantitative metrics with targets for delivery and usage of these services, and community creation. The CSSI program anticipates three classes of awards:

  • Elements: These awards target small groups that will create and deploy robust services for which there is a demonstrated need, and that will advance one or more significant areas of science and engineering.
  • Framework Implementations: These awards target larger, interdisciplinary teams organized around the development and application of services aimed at solving common research problems faced by NSF researchers in one or more areas of science and engineering, and resulting in a sustainable community framework providing CI services to a diverse community or communities.
  • Transition to Sustainability: These awards target groups who would like to execute a well-defined sustainability plan for existing CI with demonstrated impact in one or more areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. The sustainability plan should enable new avenues of support for the long-term sustained impact of the CI.
Read Solicitation

 

Applied Mathematics
National Science Foundation Solicitation # PD 16-1266
Deadlines: 11/17/2025
Amount: Not specified. Past single investigator grant awards have ranged from $150K to $350K.
The Applied Mathematics program supports mathematics research motivated by and contributing to the solution of problems arising in science and engineering. Successful proposals must demonstrate mathematical innovation, as well as breadth and quality of impact on applications. Projects that additionally provide opportunities for rigorous mathematical training of junior applied mathematicians through their involvement in research are encouraged. The proposals considered by the Applied Mathematics program may range from single investigator to interdisciplinary team projects.
Read Solicitation

 

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Department of Defense Solicitation # Various
Deadlines:

LOIs and Pre-Applications for most programs are due in June and July

Proposals for most programs are due between July and October
Amount: Amount and period of performance varies by funding opportunity and mechanism

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiative that funds innovative, high-impact medical research in areas identified by Congress. The CDMRP features and early career track in each funding area.

Key features:

  • Driven by Congressional priorities: Each year, Congress allocates funding for specific diseases or conditions (e.g., breast cancer, traumatic brain injury, ALS, PTSD).
  • Focus on unmet needs: CDMRP targets gaps not adequately addressed by other funding agencies.
  • Consumer involvement: Patients, survivors, and advocates participate in the peer review and program planning processes.
  • High-risk, high-reward research: Encourages novel approaches and breakthrough science.

Note that individual programs request a Letter of Intent (LOI) or a Pre-Application, and these stages have different requirements. An LOI is optional and is not reviewed, whereas a Pre-Application is reviewed and subsequent full proposals are by invitation only. Check the individual program announcement for specific requirements.

Released funding opportunity areas include:

Upcoming funding opportunity areas include:
See the CDMRP website for information on all programs

 

NSWCDD University Research and Development Projects and Capstone Projects for FY 2025
Department of Defense – Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) Solicitation # NSWCDD BAA N00178-25-0002
Deadline: Open through 10/14/2025
Amount: Awards will range from $2.5K to $3M; average award value for most recent cycle was $450K.
This BAA will fund basic and applied research projects involving faculty and students. NSWCDD is especially interested in research projects and collaborative efforts dealing with Hypersonics, Software Engineering, Quantum Computing and Sensing, Artificial Intelligence, Model-Based Systems Engineering, Machine Learning, Unmanned systems and Autonomy, Safety Systems, Electromagnetic Environmental Effects, Human Systems Integration, and Warfare System Development and Integration which includes cyber security, directed energy, high powered lasers and microwaves, sensor systems, materials, and biological defense, among others. Projects should develop student interests in Naval engineering and develop the next generation of naval scientists and engineers.
Read Solicitation

 

FY 2025 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program
Department of Energy – Office of Science Solicitation # DE-FOA-0003432
Deadlines: Open until 9/30/2025
Amount: Historically, awards from $5K to $5M have been made in response to the NOFO each year
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its annual Open Call for FY 2025 through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This NOFO provides a vehicle for the Office of Science to solicit applications from institutions for research support in areas not covered by more specific, topical NOFOs that are issued by the office in FY 2025. Altogether, through this mechanism, the DOE will provide up to $500M in funding for basic research in support of DOE’s clean energy, economic, and national security goals. The funding will advance the priorities of DOE’s Office of Science and its major programs, including Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Isotope R&D and Production, and Accelerator R&D and Production.
Read Solicitation

 

Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-515
Deadline: Target date of 9/29/2025
Amount:

RES designation: up to $1.2M for up to 4 years

EDU designation: up to $500K for up to 3 years

SEED designation: up to $300K for up to 2 years
The Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0) program aims to build trust in global cyber ecosystems. Trust is the core tenet of this program and, for the purposes of this solicitation, is broadly defined to include our confidence in the security, privacy, and resilience of cyberspace, particularly in the face of malicious intent. Achieving this level of confidence in cyberspace requires not only understanding the vulnerabilities in a system that could be exploited and how they can be addressed, but also understanding the social and technical dimensions of trust in cyber systems, along with the educational efforts needed to increase public awareness of risks in cyberspace, and building a well-trained corps of privacy and security professionals. Proposals are accepted under one of three designations: Research (RES), Education (EDU), and Seedling (SEED), which is for special topics defined by accompanying Dear Colleague Letters.
Read Solicitation

 

Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) NASA Research Announcement Pre-Solicitation Notice
NASA Solicitation # 80JSC025NA001
Deadlines: The parent announcement remains open from 11/1/2024 to 10/31/2025
Amount:  Ranges of the anticipated projects are typically 1-year of funding, for up to $250K per award; and typically, 3-5 years of funding, ranging between $1M – $1.5M, per award.
NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) plans to issue an NRA entitled “Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) – 2025”, soliciting applied research in support of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP).  The research will fall into one or more categories corresponding to HRP’s five Elements:  Space Radiation; Human Health Countermeasures; Exploration Medical Capability; Human Factors and Behavioral Performance; and Research Operations and Integration. HRP anticipates releasing and awarding up to approximately 12 proposals. Funding will be made available through topic-specific solicitations that are released as separate appendices.
Read Announcement

 

Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # PD 19-126Y
Deadline: 9/9/2025
Amount: Not specified, but past awards have ranged from $400K to $600K

The Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI) program is designed to advance theory and knowledge about increasing the public value of scientific activity. Science of Science draws from multiple disciplinary and field perspectives to advance theory and research about scientific discovery, communication and impact. SoS:DCI welcomes proposals applying rigorous empirical research methods to advance theory and knowledge on:

  • The social and structural mechanisms of scientific discovery.
  • Theories, frameworks, models and data that improve our understanding of scientific communication and outcomes.
  • The societal benefits of scientific activity and how science advances evidence-based policy making and the creation of public value.
Read the SoS:DCI Solicitation

 

Smart & Connected Communities (S&CC)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-527
Deadlines:

Preliminary Proposals are due by 9/8/2025

Full Proposals are due by 11/10/2025
Amount:

Development Grants: Up to $150K for a one-year period

Integrative Research Grants: Up to $1.5M for a period of 3-4 years

Large-Scale Research Grants: Award will range from $4M to $5M for period of 4-5 years
The purpose of the NSF Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program solicitation is to accelerate the creation of novel intelligent technologies and concepts through high-risk/high-reward research that addresses major challenges and issues faced by communities across the US. A “smart and connected community” is defined as a community that synergistically integrates intelligent technologies with the natural and built environments and with the functions of civic institutions and organizations. Proposals submitted to the program should be designed to advance one or more of the following community priorities: economic opportunity and growth; safety and security; human and environmental health and wellness; accessibility of critical services and resources; and the overall quality of life for those who live, work, learn, or travel within the community. To meet the goals of the program, researchers should work with community stakeholders to identify and define challenges the community faces, using that interaction and input to generate high-impact, use-inspired, basic research that advances science and engineering.
Read the S&CC Solicitation

 

Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)

Department of Defense

·       Department of the Army

·       Air Force Office of Scientific Research

·       Office of Naval Research

 Solicitation #

ARO: W911NF25S0004

AFOSR: NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250002

ONR: N0001425SF002
Deadlines:

White Paper: 5/2/2025

Application: 9/5/2025
Amount: Typical annual funding per grant is up to $1.5M for 5 years
DoD’s MURI program addresses high-risk basic research and attempts to understand or achieve something that has never been done before. The program was initiated 40 years ago and it has regularly produced significant scientific breakthroughs with far reaching consequences to the fields of science, economic growth, and revolutionary new military technologies. Key to the program’s success is the close management of the MURI projects by Service Program Officers and their active role in providing research guidance. The three branches are accepting white papers for an array of research topics described in the NOFO. It is strongly recommended that Applicants communicate with the Research Topic Chiefs listed with the topic descriptions regarding their project before the submission of formal proposals.
Read Solicitation

 

National Defense Stockpile (NDS) Research BAA
DoD – Defense Logistics Agency Solicitation # SP80000-24-B-BAA1
Deadline: White Papers must be received by 9/1/2025
Amount: Not specified
DLA Strategic Materials is charged with maintaining cognizance of worldwide strategic and critical materials supply chain conditions from the source to final assembly, evaluating the capability of these supply chains to support national defense and essential civilian industries and developing mitigation solutions when access to materials are insufficient to provide support for national defense and emergency response. DLA defines its annual research requirements in the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) Annual Materials Plan (AMP) (Title 50 U.S.C. 98 et seq. Section 11(b) (1)) and obtains funding from the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund. These planned requirements produce a robust logistics research process addressing areas such as geographic locations of deposits and reserves, mining and refining capabilities, worldwide consumption patterns and the impact of those factors on supply chains that support defense and essential civilian industries. The large number of materials and derivatives that are used in these applications require vast and dynamic research efforts with substantial flexibility to expand, contract and change direction. 
Read NDS Research BAA

 

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 24-581
Deadlines:

Small and Medium Proposals: Accepted anytime

Frontier Proposals: 8/28/2025
Amount:

Small Proposals: Up to $600K for up to 3 years

Medium Proposals: Up to $1.2M for up to 3 years

Frontier Proposals: Up to $7M for 4 to 5 years
Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are engineered systems that are built from, and depend upon, the seamless integration of computation and physical components. New, smart CPS drive innovation and competition in a range of application domains including agriculture, aeronautics, building design, civil infrastructure, energy, environmental quality, healthcare and personalized medicine, manufacturing, and transportation. CPS are becoming data-rich enabling new and higher degrees of automation and autonomy. Traditional ideas in CPS research are being challenged by new concepts emerging from artificial intelligence and machine learning. The integration of artificial intelligence with CPS, especially for real-time operation, creates new research opportunities with major societal implications. Research proposals needed to address these complex CPS are accepted for three classes of projects differing in scope and goals: Small, Medium, and Frontier.
Read Solicitation

 

Verticals-enabling Intelligent Network Systems (VINES)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-539
Deadlines:

Track 1 (Use-inspired Fundamental Research) proposals are due by 8/25/2025

Track 2 (Verticals-driven Technology Development, Demonstration, and Translation) Concept Outlines are due by 8/25/2025 and Full Proposals are due by 9/25/2025
Amount:

Track 1: Up to $1.5M for up to a 3-year period

Track 2: Up to $6M for up to a 3-year period
Through this multisector effort led by the NSF, in partnership with several industry and international agency partners, and in cooperation with other U.S. Federal agencies, the VINES program seeks to support both fundamental research and verticals-driven technology development, demonstration, and translation activities that will lead to leaps in performance and capabilities of next generation (NextG) advanced intelligent network systems that span the user-edge-core-cloud continuum. The program seeks to go beyond the current research portfolios within individual participating NSF directorates and partner organizations by simultaneously emphasizing gains in performance and capabilities without compromising resilience and interoperability across all layers of the networking protocol and computation stacks. Innovations are sought across the various aspects of next generation communications, networking, and computing systems.
Read the VINES Solicitation

 

Quantum Characterization, Calibration, and Control (QC3)
Department of Defense – Dept of the Army – DEVCOM   Solicitation # W911NF25S0002
Deadlines:

White Papers are due by 5/30/2025

Proposals are due by 8/7/2025
Amount: A total of $7M is available over 4 years and multiple awards are anticipated

DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory–Army Research Office (ARL-ARO) in partnership with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) is soliciting proposals for research in Quantum Characterization, Calibration, and Control (QC3). This is a proposed four-year program and is primarily focused on three topic areas in the field of quantum computing.

Topic areas are as follows:

(1) Characterization: Primary Research Goal: Advance the state-of-the-art to quantitatively assess the performance of qubit operations in multi-qubit circuits and to extract error-models.

(2) Calibration: Primary Research Goal: Advance state-of-the-art for bring up of multi-qubit circuits for high-performance operations near or better than fault-tolerance thresholds.

(3) Control: Primary Research Goal: Advance state-of-the-art control techniques to operate multi-qubit circuits operating near or better than fault-tolerant thresholds, accounting for the specifics of error-models for the circuit.

Research proposals to these topics should address the circuit gate-based model of quantum computation overhead and inefficiencies, as well as improve the accuracy and stability of characterization, calibration, and control schemes, in a manner relevant for qubit arrays in the 10s-100s of qubits scale for early fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC) applications.
Read the QC3 solicitation here

 

Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence
National Science Foundation Solicitation # PD 19-127Y
Deadline: 8/6/2025
Amount: Not specified, but past awards have ranged from $200K to $600K
Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence (SL) supports potentially transformative research that develops basic theoretical insights and fundamental knowledge about principles, processes and mechanisms of learning, and about augmented intelligence — how human cognitive function can be augmented through interactions with others or with technology, or through variations in context. 
Read the Science of Learning Solicitation

 

Strengthening America’s Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base (SAMDIB)
Department of Defense – Cornerstone Solicitation # CIR CS-24-1801
Deadline: White Papers accepted through 8/6/2029
Amount: Not specified
This Cornerstone Initiative Request is a long-standing, multi-year mechanism to solicit white papers addressing critical sectors, Strengthening America’s Manufacturing (SAM) of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Awarded SAMDIB resiliency and supply chain assurance initiatives will focus on prototype projects, capabilities, and capacities supporting a broad range of requirements aimed at delivering decisive advantages to our Warfighters. This announcement seeks prototype projects that address any of the following priority sector areas: workforce; microelectronics; energy storage and batteries; kinetic capabilities; castings and forgings; critical minerals and materials; and manufacturing capabilities.
Read Solicitation (link to files)

 

Pulling Guard
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # HR001125S0003
Deadlines:

Abstracts are due by 6/2/2025

Proposals are due by 7/25/2025
Amount: Not specified
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals to develop a flexible, semi-autonomous platform that protects unarmed logistics vessels from asymmetric threats, primarily uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). This research shall include a commercial transition approach that results in a “protection as a service” business model that is applicable for peacetime as well as available during conflict. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. This solicitation seeks solutions for two focus areas: 1) sensing, sensemaking, and targeting, and 2) platform design and integration.
Read Pulling Guard Solicitation

 

Arctic Research Opportunities – Multiple Programs
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 23-572
Deadline:

Arctic Social Sciences and Arctic Natural Sciences: 7/15/2025

All other programs: Proposals accepted anytime
Amount: Not specified
This solicitation from the Arctic Sciences Section in the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) within the Geosciences Directorate supports research that advances a fundamental, process, and/or systems-level understanding of the Arctic’s rapidly changing natural environment, social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. The Arctic Sciences Section supports research focused on the Arctic region and its connectivity with lower latitudes. Proposals must fit the aims of one of the following programs: Arctic Social Sciences, Arctic Natural Sciences, Arctic System Science, Arctic Observing Network, Polar Cyberinfrastructure, and Arctic Research Coordination and Policy Support.
Read Solicitation

 

Breakthrough Prizes in Fundamental Physics, Mathematics, and Life Sciences
Breakthrough Prize Foundation Solicitation # n/a
Deadline: Deadline for nominations is 7/11/2025

Nominations are being accepted through July 11, 2025 for this group of highly prestigious awards.

Breakthrough Prize: One award is given each year in Fundamental Physics and Mathematics. Winner receives $3 million and the prize can be split between two or more scientists.

New Horizons Prize: The New Horizons Prize of $100,000 is awarded to promising early-career researchers who have already produced important work. Each year, up to three New Horizons Prizes are awarded each in Fundamental Physics and Mathematics.

Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences: This award honors transformative advances toward understanding living systems and extending human life. Each winner receives $3 million. One prize per year is designated for work contributing to the understanding of Parkinson’s Disease and Neurodegenerative Disorders.

If you are interested in being nominated, please contact Jenny Crawford (jennycrawford@mines.edu) for support.

Learn More

 

Methodological Advancements for Generalizable Insights into Complex Systems (MAGICS)
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # DARPA-EA-25-02-05
Deadline: 7/10/2025
Amount: Awards typically range from $100K to $300K for a 12-month effort
This Advanced Research Concepts (ARC) Opportunity invites abstracts for innovative exploratory research concepts in the technical domain of computational science research in complex, dynamic, evolving systems. The MAGICS ARC calls for paradigm-shifting approaches for modeling complex, dynamic systems for predicting collective human behavior. Addressing this challenge will require the design of entirely new methodologies, metrics, tools and theoretical frameworks that can more accurately and reliably forecast human behavior by addressing the limitations and complexities that current methods struggle to capture. Areas of interest include data inference boundaries and limitations; alignment validation limitations; adaptation limitations and model obsolescence; psychosocial domain limitations; and complex phenomena.
Read Solicitation

 

Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulates (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development
Department of Commerce – NIST Solicitation # 2025-NIST-RAMPS-01
Deadline: Applications are due by 7/1/2025
Amount: Awards will be for up to $200K for a 2-year period of performance
The NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program is seeking applications from eligible applicants for activities to establish community-based partnerships to develop cybersecurity career pathways that address local workforce needs. Effective multistakeholder workforce partnerships will organize multiple employers with skill shortages in specific occupations to focus on developing the skilled workforce to meet industry needs within the local or regional economy.
Read the NIST RAMPS solicitation here

 

Halo Industry Research Opportunity with Tata Steel
Halo Solicitation # n/a
Deadline: 6/30/2025
Amount: $100K

Tata Steel: Salt recovery and contaminant removal from waste streams

The company is looking for sustainable solutions to address the major challenges in its current zero effluent discharge (ZED) operations: the system is highly energy-intensive, the liquid waste stream is contaminated, and the resulting solid waste is expensive to dispose of and not suitable for commercial use in its current form. They are interested in (i) pretreatment technologies to reduce TDS and ease the load on reverse osmosis systems, (ii) upstream removal of hazardous contaminants such as fluoride, nitrate, and cyanide, (iii) recovery and conversion of inorganic salts into commercially valuable products, and, if that is not feasible, (iv) decontamination approaches that make the waste safer and less costly to manage. They are open to any technical process that can achieve these goals, including biological, chemical, physical, thermal, or electrochemical approaches.

Solutions of interest include: Low-energy pretreatment for high-TDS streams; Selective contaminant removal technologies; Salt recovery and conversion platforms; and Detoxification and stabilization strategies for cost-effective waste disposal.

 

Dual Use Technology Development at Marshall Space Flight Center FY 2025
NASA Solicitation # 80MSFC25M0001
Deadline: 6/30/2025
Amount: $10K – 250K per award
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is being used to create partnerships between NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and U.S. based companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations.  The purpose of these partnerships is to conduct technology development projects that are mutually beneficial to both the partner institution and for NASA.  MSFC engineers and their external partners are developing advanced technologies and sustainable solutions to benefit NASA, industry, academia, and government.  MSFC’s application and refinement of innovative design tools define the agency’s leadership in engineering the systems, hardware, and techniques needed to return to the Moon.  The goal is to create collaborative, resource-sharing projects where the NASA partner is developing a technology primarily for its own public purposes, and NASA can provide financial support or other assistance.
Read Solicitation

 

 

University Leadership Initiative 2 (ULI2)
NASA Solicitation # NNH24ZEA001N-ULI2
Deadline: 6/26/2025
Amount: Proposals should have nominal budgets in the $1-2M range per award per year. Maximum total budgets should range between $3-6M per award for a 3-year award and $4-8M per award for a 4-year award.

University Leadership Initiative (ULI) provides the opportunity for university teams to exercise technical and organizational leadership in proposing unique technical challenges in aeronautics, defining multi-disciplinary solutions, establishing peer review mechanisms, and applying innovative teaming strategies to strengthen the research impact.

Research proposals are sought in six ULI topic areas:

  • Topic 1: Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations (Strategic Thrust 1)
  • Topic 2: Innovation in Commercial High-Speed Aircraft (Strategic Thrust 2)
  • Topic 3: Ultra-Efficient Subsonic Transports (Strategic Thrust 3)
  • Topic 4: Safe, Quiet, and Affordable Vertical Lift Air Vehicles (Strategic Thrust 4)
  • Topic 5: In-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance (Strategic Thrust 5)
  • Topic 6: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation (Strategic Thrust 6)

This NRA will utilize a two-step proposal submission and evaluation process. The initial step is a short mandatory Step-A proposal due June 26, 2025. Those offerors submitting the most highly rated Step-A proposals will be invited to submit a Step-B proposal. An Applicant’s Workshop will be held on Wednesday Apr 30, 2025; 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET (https://uli.arc.nasa.gov/applicants-workshops/workshop9).
Read Solicitation

 

Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # PD 25-345Y
Deadline: 6/20/2025
Amount: Not specified

The Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program invites innovative multidisciplinary and multisector investigations focused on convergent research and education activities in wildland fire. All areas of science, engineering, and education supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation are included in this program. Projects developed by a wide array of groups including, for example, academics, educators, scientists, community members, students, industry partners, practitioners, resource managers, and Tribal representatives, working together to generate new knowledge of the interactions among biological, social, geoscientific, and engineering processes encompassing multiple fields, scales, and perspectives on wildland fire are encouraged.

To advance convergent research and education in wildland fire science, FIRE proposals should demonstrate strengths in one or more of the following areas: (1) new advances in data collection, storage, and sharing relevant to wildland fire dynamics, including Earth observations; (2) new modeling and computational approaches to understand wildland fire (including artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches); (3) new understanding of the cross-scale interactions of wildland fire across local, regional and global extents; (4) new insights into community adaptation and governance relevant to wildland fire; (5) new approaches to reduce the vulnerability of built infrastructure, natural fuels, and social systems to wildland fire; and (6) engagement of a variety of community members and stakeholders to promote a forward-looking approach to wildland fire science.
Read Solicitation

 

Scalable Memory Architecture Program (SMAP)
NIST – Natcast Solicitation # n/a
Deadlines:

Proposer’s Day: 4/29/2025

Concept Paper: 5/6/2025

Full Proposal: 6/17/2025
Amount: Individual awards are expected to range between $2M and $5M for up to 30-month performance period

The goal of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) Scalable Memory Architecture Program (SMAP) is to address the growing disparity between processor speed and memory bandwidth, commonly known as the “memory wall.” By developing scalable, workload-driven architectural solutions that leverage new memory technologies and advanced packaging techniques, SMAP aims to provide NSTC Members with the data, tools, and technology assessment capabilities needed to optimize performance, reduce latency, and improve energy efficiency in high computing data center systems and energy-constrained edge systems. The SMAP research initiative aims to tackle the memory wall challenge by developing scalable, workload-driven architectural solutions using new memory technologies beyond traditional memories (such as SRAM, DRAM Flash) and advanced packaging technologies. 

The program plans to fund multiple research teams to explore two Focus Areas:

  • Data center compute systems
  • Edge compute systems

Within each Focus Area, the teams will explore three specific Technology Areas:

  • New memory technologies
  • Advanced packaging technologies
  • Programming models
Read Solicitation

 

Crystal Substrate Bonding Technologies and Algorithms (CRYSTAL)
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # DARPA-EA-25-02-04
Deadline: 6/16/2025
Amount: Not specified
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is issuing an Advanced Research Concepts (ARC) Opportunity, inviting submissions of Abstracts for innovative exploratory research concepts in the technical domain of wafer bonding of thin-film crystals. This ARC Opportunity is soliciting ideas to explore the following question: To accelerate development and integration of multi-functional materials, how do we create generalizable models to explore thin film crystal bonding onto suitable substrates under diverse real-world process conditions and parameters?
Read Solicitation

 

Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP) Fellowship Opportunities
NASA – Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Solicitation # NNH25ZEA001N-AAVP
Deadline: Proposals are due by 6/11/2025
Amount: The institution receives $59,000 for Master’s student fellow and $64,000 for Doctoral student fellow
The fellowship opportunity provides financial awards to institutions to support development and training of graduate researchers. This NOFO is designed to support independently-conceived research projects by highly qualified graduate students, in disciplines needed to help advance NASA’s mission, thus affording these students the opportunity to directly contribute to advancements in STEM-related areas of study. AAVP Fellowship Opportunities are focused on innovation and the generation of measurable research results that contribute to NASA’s current and future science and technology goals. The fellowship opportunity is a 2-year award for a Master’s Fellow and a 4-year award for a Doctoral Fellow. An institution may submit proposals on behalf of multiple candidates; however, each individual candidate is permitted to have only one proposal submitted on his or her behalf.
Read the AAVP Fellowship Opportunity solicitation here

 

FY 2025 SpaceTech REDDI Early Career Faculty (ECF25) Award
NASA – Space Technology Mission Directorate Solicitation # NNH25ZTR001N-25ECF_B1
Deadlines:

Notices of Intent are due by 6/10/2025

Proposals are due by 7/10/2025
Amount: Grants will be funded up to $250,000 each per year, with a maximum duration of three years

This solicitation seeks proposals from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of outstanding early-career faculty members who are beginning independent research careers. ECF is intended to accelerate the development of groundbreaking, high-risk/high-payoff space technologies to support future civil space applications, including space exploration, science, and commercial applications. This solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to one of the two topics described:  

  • Advanced Diagnostics for High-Enthalpy Test Facilities Simulating Spacecraft Atmospheric Entry: The goal of this topic is to develop instruments and diagnostic techniques to provide detailed measurements of flow-field properties for high-enthalpy test facilities, such as long-duration arc-heated wind tunnels that are used to simulate aerothermal environments experienced by spacecraft during atmospheric entry.
  • Planning for Autonomous Spacecraft Using Machine Learning Methods to Enable Onboard Guidance, Navigation, and Control: The goal of this topic is to enable the next generation of onboard guidance, navigation, and control operations for spacecraft using machine learning to achieve goals while operating independently of external control.
Read the NASA Early Career Faculty Solicitation

 

Pilot Prototype Project Rare Earth Element (REE) Metallization
DoD – Cornerstone – Dept of the Army Solicitation # CS-25-0801
Deadline: 6/6/2025
Amount: Not specified
The intent of this REE Metallization project is to expand the domestic capability for converting heavy and light REE oxides to metals. Metal conversion includes the steps needed to produce saleable products used as input materials for permanent magnets. Saleable products could include, but is not limited to separated rare earth oxides, metallization processing chemicals, green blocks, and/or strip cast metal. The overall objective is to create a domestic source capable of producing sufficient capacity that supports the domestic permanent magnet supply chain and has the capability to become a merchant supplier of metals and alloys for magnet manufacturers serving both the commercial and DoD industrial base.
Access Cornerstone solicitation and related documents in OneDrive

 

Energy Resilience Design Evaluation & Modeling Tools
DoD – ERDCWERX Solicitation # n/a
Deadlines: 6/2/2025
Amount: A total of up to $100,000 is available to make several awards
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) seeks innovative technologies, methods, tools, or models to enhance power and energy resilience in supply-contested logistics environments. Areas of interest include power generation, agile power delivery systems, and deep power system analytics to maintain energy dominance. 
Read solicitation at the ERDCWERX website

 

Accelerated and Automated Visual Verification (A2V2)
Department of Defense – Dept of the Army Solicitation # W911NF-25-S-A2V2
Deadline: White Papers are due by 6/2/2025
Amount: The Government anticipates making award(s) with an estimated total of $1.5M across all awards combined for a period of performance of 6 to 18 months
The Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) and the Fires CDID are seeking technologies related to low latency, and bandwidth efficient data transport as a Special Topic under the AAL Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W911NF-24-S-0008 for Disruptive Applications. Accelerated and Automated Visual Verification (A2V2) will provide critical visual information from the edge to decision makers during the targeting process. AAL is seeking a real-time solution that can extract the most critical information from video feeds and transmit the compressed imagery, along with relevant targeting information, to command centers. The solution should improve bandwidth usage and reduce the size of transmitted data.
Read the A2V2 special notice here

 

Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 3.0 (IMPACT 3.0)
Department of Defense – OSD ManTech Solicitation # n/a
Deadline: 6/2/2025
Amount: A total of $4.5M is available for three awards

Advanced Manufacturing (AM) is of significant interest to the Defense Industrial Base and broader industry as the technology increases productivity and design flexibility, enabling on-demand part production to both new acquisitions and legacy systems. The objective of the IMPACT 3.0 project is to further advance the integration of AM technologies into the casting and forging domain, as well as to reduce lead time and increase cost savings. The IMPACT 3.0 request for proposal (RFP) is separated into two topic areas.

  1. Topic 1: AM in the Digital Foundry: Incorporate sensors and automation to boost production speed and capacity, facilitating agile manufacturing and allowing for rapid adjustments in serial production and efficient handling of low-volume, intermittent orders. (One award anticipated)
  2. Topic 2: Wire Arc DED Process Sensing and Control: Verify and establish tools to monitor and control the deposition process to enhance confidence in wire arc DED for Department of Defense cognizant technical authorities. (Up to two awards anticipated)

The lead proposer must be a current member of America Makes.

Read Solicitation

 

Antarctic Research Not Requiring U.S. Antarctic Program Field Support
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-526
Deadline: 6/1/2025 (Target Date)
Amount: Unspecified; Average grant is $1.2M

Through this solicitation, the Antarctic Sciences Section (ANT) of the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) funds cutting-edge research that: improves understanding of interactions among the Antarctic region and global systems; improves understanding of the dynamic linkages among processes operating in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean and linkages to global Earth systems, which helps inform decision making regarding environmental change; advances fundamental understanding of Earth systems and the biological, geochemical, and physical processes in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean as drivers and responders to changes on a global scale; expands fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes; utilizes the unique characteristics of the Antarctic region as a science observing platform; and/or builds capacity and enhances diversity in the US workforce for polar-related science. ANT encourages and supports research that combines disciplinary perspectives and approaches from other fields, research that uses existing data and samples, and other research not requiring a physical presence in Antarctica. This may include projects conducted at locations outside Antarctica that serve as analogues of Antarctic sites or systems. 

This solicitation does not support projects that would need logistical support from the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). Proposers requiring USAP logistical support should consult the  Antarctic Sciences web page for current opportunities. Proposers of projects with logistics needs that would be wholly provided by another Antarctic program or organization should contact an ANT Program Officer for guidance. 
Read Solicitation

 

Multiple Halo Industry Research Opportunities
Halo Solicitation # n/a
Deadline: 5/31/2025
Amount: $100K

Private Company: Non-destructive detection of membrane weld integrity

The company is looking for solutions capable of evaluating TPO weld quality in the seams of multiple TPO membrane thicknesses (including 45, 60, and 80 mil) using non-destructive methods. The ultimate goal is to implement a reliable and practical tool that can accurately identify weld defects (hot/cold welds) in real-time, support quality assurance protocols, and help ensure consistent installation standards and long-term membrane performance.

Private Company: Advanced thermal insulation materials

A construction materials company is in search of advanced insulation technologies with high R-value per inch and Class A fire performance, specifically engineered to optimize insulation in space-constrained areas within existing buildings. Solutions of interest include advancements to PIR (polyisocyanurate) foam, aerogel-based insulation composites, nanostructured foams and other advanced nanomaterial insulation, and alternatives with better installed performance potential.

 

POWER: Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay, Aerial Demonstration: Notice of Intent + Industry Day
Department of Defense – DARPA NOI # DARPA-SN-25-71
Key Dates:

Anticipated Release Date of Draft Phase 2 Solicitation: 5/21/2025

Industry Day: 5/29/2025 in Arlington, VA
The goal of the POWER program is to design and demonstrate airborne optical energy relays that deliver 5 kW electrical power at a ground range of 200 km through 3 airborne relays. The relays will be suitable for integration on a host aircraft, have an aperture of less than 1 m, and be capable of harvesting 1 kW electrical power from the relayed beam for own ship use. The principal technical challenges are to develop and demonstrate a payload capable of redirecting optical energy transmissions, correcting wavefronts to maximize beam quality at each relay, and selectively harvesting energy for platform power. POWER Phase 2 will challenge performers to rapidly mature and demonstrate a simulated ground-air-ground relay link in a representative environment at the White Sands Missile Range High Energy Laser Test Facility (HELSTF). This effort will exercise the interfaces and overall system concept of operations, building confidence that full-scale designs are capable of meeting POWER vision metrics described above. Multiple performers are expected to use largely commercial-off-the-shelf components and heavyweight custom hardware to achieve this demonstration.
Read POWER Phase 2 announcement

 

Sensing Operation Using Prediction (SOUP)
Department of Defense – Dept of the Air Force Solicitation # FA2377-25-R-B007
Deadline: 5/28/2025
Amount: The Air Force anticipates funding one award at the amount of $3M
SOUP is being solicited as a 1-step call for proposals under the Autonomous Decisions, Algorithms, and Modeling (ADAM) Multiple Authority Announcement (FA2377-25-S-1207). The objectives for the program are to develop new algorithms for tracking and sensors resource management, modifying existing algorithms, conduct experiments to measure effectiveness of combat identification (CID), integrate with other CID algorithm improvement efforts, and simulate scenarios to measure algorithm performance. 
Read Solicitation

 

Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO)
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # DARPA-PS-25-07
Deadlines:

Proposers Day: 5/13/2025

Abstracts Due: 5/27/2025

Oral Presentations: TBD, by government request, estimated 4 weeks after Abstract submission
Amount: Not specified
The LASSO program aims to develop technologies to support significantly increasing the United States’ (US) ability to conduct operations in support of space situational awareness by developing both autonomous satellite navigation in stressing orbital conditions and increasing satellite maneuverability through continuous dynamic repositioning based on changing conditions, with the added benefit of creating a proven reserve model for resources relevant to ISRU on Earth’s Moon. LASSO supposes that high resolution measurements of resources across the entire lunar surface is the most compelling commercial application to drive optimized performance in propulsion system and GNC design. The program seeks performers to design, test, build, and deliver a spacecraft capable of determining all areas on the Moon that contain greater than 5% water concentration with a resolution of no larger than four-square kilometers. LASSO is focused on developing technologies for use in lunar orbit and does not intend to use any equipment on the lunar surface. Proposed projects should address autonomous low-altitude navigation, persistent, highly efficient propulsion, data, and perform an economic study. A Proposers Day
Read Solicitation

 

Electrical Power Generation from Microsystem Waste Heat
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # DARPA-SN-25-69
Deadline: 5/25/2025
Amount: Not specified
This Special Notice announces additional research areas of interest to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office (MTO). Microsystems in commercial and defense spaces consume significant amounts of power. This power is transformed into heat and dissipated through the packages and heat rejection systems. DARPA MTO is interested in technologies implementable within microsystem packages capable of corralling this waste heat and reclaiming it as useful electricity.
Read Solicitation

 

Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Spark Tank and Pitch Day
DoD – DARPA Announcement #

DARPA-SN-25-40

DARPA-SN-25-52
Key Dates:

April 10, 2025: Spark Tank registration opens

April/May: Abstracts for Pitch Day due (exact date not yet published)

June 30, 2025: Spark Tank registration closes

July 24-25, 2025: Spark Tank event for all potential proposers

July 25, 2025: Invitation-only Pitch Day

Location: Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, CO
Amount: Up to $400K

The DARPA Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) is inviting bold thinkers to participate in the MTO Spark Tank, which will be held July 24-25, 2025, in Aurora, Colo. The event is designed to expand DARPA’s engagement with stakeholders across the innovation ecosystem – particularly small businesses, startups, and others who haven’t worked with DARPA before and are looking to catalyze transformative advances in microsystems.

MTO Spark Tank is an opportunity for interested teams and organizations to engage with MTO leadership and program managers. The event will provide attendees with:

  • Insight into MTO’s mission and thrust areas, including photonic, quantum, and organic circuits; ecosystem disruption via differentiated microsystem manufacturing tools and approaches; and dual-use design technologies that can strengthen both national security and scale commercially
  • One-on-one sidebar meetings with MTO program managers to explore research alignment and potential opportunities for collaboration
  • Guidance on working with DARPA, with a focus on lowering barriers to entry for first-time proposers

To accelerate engagement, MTO will host an invitation-only Pitch Day on July 25 for select proposers. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch their concepts directly to MTO program managers for potential funding of up to $400,000 for short-term exploratory efforts. This initiative aims to fast-track transformative ideas that could evolve into future DARPA programs.

MTO is looking for revolutionary – not evolutionary – ideas that align with its core technical areas of interest:

  • Unconventional Computing: Exploring new paradigms beyond traditional digital computing, with the potential to improve speed, energy efficiency, and processing capabilities
  • Biologically Inspired Microsystems: Developing electronic microsystems that integrate biomolecules and leverage biological principles for superior sensing and computation capabilities
  • Commercially Catalyzed Defense Deployment: Leveraging commercial-scale technologies to enhance national security and create a self-sustaining ecosystem for accelerating defense-specific microsystem deployment.
Read Announcement

 

 _________________________

Colorado School of Mines Accelerator Fund Accepting Proposals Year-Round

The Colorado School of Mines Office of Research and Technology Transfer is soliciting applications for commercialization projects based on Mines intellectual property. The purpose is to provide funding to Mines’ researchers who have made progress moving their invention into the commercial market and are interested in continuing the process. It is also to serve as pre-seed funds before applying for investment funding, including Mines Venture Fund. This fund has been made possible by funding from the Colorado School of Mines Foundation and the State of Colorado’s Advanced Industry Program. Projects submitted to this competition should be short-duration (up to one year) and low-cost ($50K maximum) go-to-market projects. If you have questions, please reach out to Will Vaughan, Director of Technology Transfer, at wvaughan@mines.edu.

Read Solicitation

 

Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus (M3X)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # PD 25-058Y
Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime
Amount: Not specified. Past awards have ranged from $200K to $1M.
The Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus (M3X) program supports fundamental research that enables intelligent engineered systems and humans to engage in bidirectional interaction in a physics-based environment, to enhance and ensure safety, productivity, and well-being. While proposals are not required to address all aspects of the interaction, they must propose significant contributions to at least one of the following areas: Conceptual frameworks and theoretical modeling; Dynamic interaction analysis and simulation; and Innovative technologies for enhanced interaction. The M3X program strongly encourages proposals that aim to establish new perspectives and paradigms across one or more of these three areas.
Read Solicitation

 

Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy Technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) Ready
Department of Energy – ARPA-E Solicitation # DE-FOA-0003467
Deadline: Applications are accepted any time and the NOFO will remain open until closed or modified
Amount: $50M in total funding available
The Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) Ready Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides a vital mechanism for the support of innovative energy R&D that complements ARPA-E’s primary R&D focus on early-stage transformational energy technologies that still require proof-of-concept. An enduring challenge to ARPA-E’s mission is that even technologies that achieve substantial technical advancement under ARPA-E support face significant remaining technical and commercial risks upon completion of an award’s funding period, and thus are at risk of being stranded in their development path once ARPA-E funding ends. Experience across ARPA-E’s diverse energy portfolios, and input from a wide range of investors and industry stakeholders, indicates that pre-commercial “scaling” projects are critical to establishing that performance and cost parameters can be met in practice for these potentially transformative technologies. These pre-commercial scaling projects aim to translate the performance achieved at bench scale to commercially scalable versions of the technology, integrate the technology with broader systems, provide extended performance data, and validate the manufacturability and reliability of new energy technologies. Success in these scaling projects should enable industry, investors, and partners to justify the substantial commitments of financial resources, personnel, manufacturing facilities, and materials necessary to subsequently deploy the technologies at commercial scale. The objective of SCALEUP Ready is to support the scaling of high-risk and potentially disruptive new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications. This NOFO focuses only on scale-up and pre-pilot projects of promising technologies that ARPA-E has previously funded – following highly competitive selection processes – and for which the scale-up award would substantially build upon innovations achieved under the original ARPA-E award.
Read Solicitation

 

 

Infrastructure Systems and People (ISP)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # PD 25-342Y
Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime
Amount: Not specified
The Infrastructure Systems and People (ISP) program will support fundamental research on the design, optimization, sustainability and resilience of infrastructure systems during normal operation and extreme events, such as natural hazards, to serve community needs. The program particularly encourages interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary exploration that will open new research frontiers and significantly broaden and transform relevant research communities. The program welcomes research that addresses novel system integration, user-inspired system and service design, data analytics, and socio-technical studies focused on engineering and system innovation during normal and extreme conditions. The program also values innovative research efforts focused on collecting, standardizing, and sharing large-scale databases of real-world infrastructure systems and people-infrastructure interactions during normal and extreme operating conditions, which can be instrumental in providing benchmarks for model verification and validation and for advancing future research innovation in ISP.  Proposers are actively encouraged to email a one-page project summary to the ISP Program Officers before submitting a full proposal for guidance on whether the proposed research topic falls within the scope of the ISP program.
Read Solicitation

 

Life and Environments Through Time (LET)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-517
Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime
Amount: A total of $14M is available for 50 awards
This is a new solicitation arising from a realignment of the Division of Earth Science’s disciplinary funding programs. The Life and Environments Through Time (LET) program supports research that advances knowledge about the patterns and processes relating to the origin and evolution of Earth’s climate, environments, life, and sedimentary record. This research takes place at the molecular, local, regional, and global scales from the Archean Eon through the Holocene epoch. LET-supported research can be useful for predicting and planning for future global change, and for the maintenance and security of ecosystem services and human societies.
Read Solicitation

 

Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes (WaLCZ)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-519
Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime
Amount: A total of $24M is available for 60-80 awards
This is a new solicitation arising from a realignment of the Division of Earth Science’s disciplinary funding programs. The Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes program supports research on the Earth’s near-surface environment and how that environment responds to change. The Program focuses on the complex interplay amongst and between hydrologic, geomorphic, and geochemical processes and how they regulate the structure and function of the Earth’s near surface. These processes drive weathering and soil development, control water availability and quality, and help regulate the Earth’s climate system, all of which are important for natural resource sustainability and mitigation of natural hazards. It is expected that the research funded in this program will advance fundamental knowledge in Earth surface processes, leading to transformational discoveries in Earth Sciences.
Read Solicitation

 

Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth (SPSE)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 25-518
Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime
Amount: A total of $22M is available for 60-75 awards
This is a new solicitation arising from a realignment of the Division of Earth Science’s disciplinary funding programs. The Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth Program (SPSE) aims to advance fundamental knowledge about the ongoing dynamical processes over the age of the Earth that evolve the structure of planet Earth and underpin geohazards. SPSE supports research at all temporal and spatial scales, from the Earth’s core to its crust. Through laboratory, field, theoretical, and computational studies, the program encompasses a wide range of disciplines including structural geology, tectonics, and geophysics. Research in these areas can help improve our understanding of natural hazards including earthquakes and mass flows, as well as Earth’s formation and its magnetic field. 
Read Solicitation

 

Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) Focus on Agricultural Robotics
National Science Foundation/USDA Solicitation #

DCL: 24-080

PD 20-144Y
Deadline: Proposals accepted any time
Amount: Past awards range from $300K to $1M
The Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) program, jointly led by the CISE and ENG Directorates, supports research on robotic systems that exhibit significant levels of both computational capability and physical complexity. The program welcomes research that considers inextricably interwoven questions of intelligence, computation, and embodiment. Projects may also focus on a distinct aspect of intelligence, computation, or embodiment, as long as the proposed research is clearly justified in the context of a class of robots. In particular, NSF has issued a Dear Colleague Letter in partnership with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to encourage proposals to the FRR program that advance foundational research in agricultural robotics.

Read Dear Colleague Letter

 

 

Simons Foundation Targeted Grants in Mathematics & Physical Sciences
Deadline: Letters of Intent are accepted anytime
Amount: Provides funding for up to five years. The funding level and duration is flexible and should be appropriate based on the type of support requested in the proposal. There is no recommended or assumed funding level for this program.
The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) division invites applications for its Targeted Grants in MPS program. The program is intended to support high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance on a case-by-case basis. PIs and co-Investigators must have a Ph.D. and a tenure-track or tenured position at said institutions or centers at the time of application. There are no citizenship or department requirements for PIs. Indirect costs are limited to 20 percent of applicable direct costs.
Read the full guidelines on the Simons Foundation website

 

Research Corporation for Science Advancement Cottrell Scholars Award for Early Career Physics and Chemistry Faculty
Deadline: 7/1/2025
Amount: $120K for 3-year projects

The Cottrell Scholar Award (CSA) is available to early career faculty at U.S. and Canadian research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions. Eligible applicants are tenure-track faculty who hold primary or courtesy appointments in chemistry, physics, or astronomy departments that offer bachelor’s and/or graduate degrees in the applicant’s discipline.

For the 2025 proposal cycle, eligibility is limited to faculty members who started their first tenure-track appointment anytime in calendar year 2022 (extensions to this eligibility timeline can be considered). CSA proposals contain a research plan, an educational plan, and a clear statement on how the applicant will become an outstanding teacher-scholar with strong academic citizenship skills. The ability of applicants to mount a strong and innovative research program, achieve excellence in education, and develop effective academic citizenship skills are key criteria in the selection process. 
Read the full guidelines on the Cottrell Scholars Award website

 

Nathan Cummings Foundation: Environmental Justice Grants
Deadlines: Letters of Inquiry are accepted through 6/30/2025
Amount: Grants range from $50K – $250K
Environmental justice is the right of all people and communities to a clean, healthy, and safe environment. It promotes equal environmental protection under the law and in fact. It empowers all communities to make informed decisions and fully participate civically and economically in the creation of environmental solutions. To advance environmental justice, the Nathan Cummings Foundation supports organizations that address environmental harms, inclusive participation in the green economy, and regenerative economic models. While the foundation prioritizes requests impacting the U.S. South, proposals for national efforts are also considered.
Read Solicitation

 

Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program
Spencer Foundation
Deadlines: 5/30/2025 and 6/13/2025
Amount: $25,000

In the face of recent abrupt shifts in federal funding for education research, including large-scale terminations of National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant awards, the Spencer Foundation has developed a rapid response bridge grant opportunity for impacted scholars, in collaboration with The Kapor Foundation, The William T. Grant Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This rapid response bridge funding opportunity is for scholars and teams whose grants have recently been cancelled by NSF. While it is impossible for private philanthropy to close the gap left by federal funders, they can provide modest grants to mitigate some of the impact on scholars, projects, and project teams. These $25,000 grants are for activities to address immediate needs following grant cancellations, including completing a wave of data collection, analyzing already collected data or writing, thoughtful project closure with community partners, or preparing grant proposals to continue the research. To be eligible for these grants, scholars must: (1) be working on research on STEM and education (including AI and CS, graduate education and MSIs, and scholarship that aims to reduce inequality), and (2) have had a recently terminated or cancelled grant from NSF. Where possible, we will prioritize early-career scholars. 

Please contact Zach Lynott at zlynott@mines.edu if you are interested in applying.

Learn more on the Spencer Foundation website

 

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): 2025 EPRI University Global Research Award: Supporting a Clean Energy Future
Deadline: 6/1/2025
Amount: Typical award size is $100K; maximum award size is $500K

EPRI is soliciting proposals from graduate and undergraduate universities to focus research that will transform the energy industry. We encourage proposals that are focused on exploring and/or accelerating: 1) Decarbonized (clean) energy solutions (i.e. Methods and technologies to decarbonize energy), or 2) Economy-wide decarbonization that impacts the energy industry.

This call for proposals aims to catalyze clean energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities at colleges and universities around the globe by awarding research funding and providing access to EPRI’s expertise. The desired outcome of this solicitation is to help prepare students to meet the technological challenges of the evolving power system and inform the energy transition. Within the interest areas of accelerating decarbonization and emerging clean energy technologies, EPRI is soliciting research proposals aligned with five research priorities:

  1. Clean Energy Technologies
  2. Electric System and Customer Reliability & Resilience
  3. Electric System Flexibility,
  4. End-use and Economy-wide Carbon Reduction
  5. Market Transformation
Read Solicitation

 

 

 

Current Calls for Expressions of Interest

Hearing from you that you are interested in a limited submission opportunity helps us determine whether a full internal competition will be needed. The only information you typically need to provide in an expression of interest is your name and department information (and that of your team, if applicable) and your tentative project title. All applications are accepted through InfoReady.

 

2025 Children’s Hospital/University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines Collaboration Award (deadline extended)
University of Colorado & Colorado School of Mines RTT Solicitation # n/a
Internal Deadline: 6/1/2025
The Children’s Hospital/University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines Collaboration Award seeks to catalyze new interactions between institutions while providing financial support for research projects that will allow investigators to obtain data for larger, future research programs. To apply for this award, a Mines Investigator must partner with a Children’s Hospital/University of Colorado Investigator and design a pilot project that will likely garner additional support in the future, advance scientific knowledge applicable to child health, and strengthen the collaboration between our institutions. The amount awarded is limited to $20,000 with half contributed by Mines and half contributed by Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Apply in InfoReady

 

W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program (June 2026 Grant Cycle)
W.M. Keck Foundation Solicitation # n/a
Internal Deadline: 6/3/2025 Limit: 4
Sponsor Deadlines:

Counseling sessions with Keck Foundation staff will be scheduled in July-August 2025

One selected concept will submit a full application by November 1, 2025

The Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting projects in two specific areas (1) medical research and (2) science and engineering, that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field.

Funding is awarded to universities and institutions nationwide for projects in research that:

  • Focus on important and emerging areas of research
  • Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
  • Are innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary
  • Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the prevailing paradigm
  • Have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem
  • Does not focus on clinical or translational research, treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development
  • Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
  • Demonstrate that private philanthropy generally, and the W. M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project’s success
Apply in InfoReady Read more at the Keck Foundation website

 

2025 Mines/NREL Nexus Seed Funding Program
Colorado School of Mines & National Renewable Energy Lab
Internal Deadline: 6/6/2025
The purpose of this NEXUS Seed Program is to provide Mines/NREL teams with financial support to help initiate, prepare, and develop compelling proposals on topics that advance future Mines-NREL collaborative research efforts. This year, we wish to receive submissions that target research topics and anticipated future funding opportunities across different agencies. While consideration will be given to all proposing teams, we are especially interested in supporting proposals involving Joint Appointees from either organization. NEXUS Seed proposals must include a project component from both Mines and NREL. Funds must clearly support progress toward developing a competitive joint Mines/NREL proposal. This year the task will be to produce a joint preproposal (white paper) and a poster that details potential collaborative research projects that are responsive to anticipated future funding opportunities. 
Learn more, access the guidelines, and apply in InfoReady

 

2025 NSF Research Traineeship Program (NRT)
National Science Foundation Solicitation # NSF 24-597
Internal Deadline: 6/23/2025 Limit: 2
Sponsor Deadline: 9/8/2025

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas, through a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Proposals are requested that address any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national priority.

Given the priorities of the current administration, it is likely that the solicitation for the NRT program will be updated at some point prior to the deadline. The RTT Office will communicate any changes. This information reflects current understanding based on the currently published solicitation. 
Apply in InfoReady Read NSF NRT Solicitation

 

Frontiers Planet Prize
Frontiers Research Foundation Solicitation # n/a
Internal Deadline: 9/1/2025 Limit: 3
Sponsor Deadline: 11/1/2025

The Frontiers Planet Prize will recognize, encourage, and reward exceptional scientists whose research contributes to navigating and securing humanity’s future in the Anthropocene. It has the simple but significant ambition to directly address the planetary crisis, by mobilizing a maximum of scientists engaged in breakthrough research with the greatest potential to stabilize the planet’s ecosystem.

With this prize the foundation hopes to:

  • Spark an international competition that accelerates scientific breakthroughs in planetary boundary science worldwide.
  • Catalyze funders, foundations and philanthropists to join forces with each other in and step up efforts in supporting planetary boundary science.
  • Amplify collaboration among scientists and institutions in planetary boundary science.
  • Accelerate the adoption of scientific breakthroughs in planetary boundary science by public and private stakeholders.

If you are interested in being nominated for this prize, submit your expression of interest by September 1, 2025. Zach Lynott will work with any interested faculty (up to three individuals) on their positioning and eligibility in order to submit up to three competitive nominations by November 1, 2025. See the application document in the InfoReady competition attachments to get a sense for what will eventually be required for each complete nomination. At the expression of interest stage, all that is needed is the PI’s name and a working project title. 
Apply in InfoReady Read more on the Frontiers Planet Prize website

Pivot Search BAA’s search – https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/352238

The following list of opportunities is organized by agency.

DOE

ERDC Broad Agency Announcement
Department of Defense – Army Corps of Engineers Solicitation # W912HZ-25-BAA-01
Deadline: Pre-proposals are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. BAA closes 12/31/2025.
Amount: Unspecified
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is issuing this announcement for various research and development topic areas. The ERDC is responsible for conducting research in the broad fields of hydraulics, dredging, coastal engineering, instrumentation, oceanography, remote sensing, geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, soil effects, vehicle mobility, self-contained munitions, military engineering, geophysics, pavements, protective structures, aquatic plants, water quality, dredged material, treatment of hazardous waste, wetlands, physical/mechanical/ chemical properties of snow and other frozen precipitation, infrastructure and environmental issues for installations, computer science, telecommunications management, energy, facilities maintenance, materials and structures, engineering processes, environmental processes, land and heritage conservation, and ecological processes.
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DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement for Foundational Research
Department of Defense – Dept of the Army Solicitation # W911NF-23-S-001
Deadline: Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis. BAA closes on 11/20/2027.
Amount: Not specified
The purpose of this BAA is to solicit research proposals for submission to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory (ARL) for funding consideration. ARL’s mission as the Army’s foundational research laboratory is to Operationalize Science to ensure overmatch in any future conflict. ARL’s foundational research mission spans basic research and applied research but may include advanced technology development and advanced component development and prototypes when opportunities arise to directly or indirectly help achieve ARL’s mission. ARL partners across the national security enterprise to deliver fundamentally advantageous change that is rooted in the creation and exploitation of scientific knowledge. See BAA for full list of topics.
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FY 2025 Phase I Release 1 (SBIR/STTR)

Phase I grants resulting from this competition will be made during FY 2025 to small businesses with maximum award sizes of $200,000 or $250,000. Refer to the individual topic for its respective maximum award size (a proposal submitted that exceeds the maximum award size for the respective topic will be declined without review). The period of performance will depend on the scope of the effort but will not exceed 12 months. Please note that the Phase II grant application will be due approximately 9.5 months after the grant start date. This will be the only opportunity to submit a Phase II application for a Phase I award made under this FOA. Grantees that select a Phase I period of performance of 9 months or less will be able to complete their Phase I project prior to submission of their Phase II grant application. Grantees that select a Phase I longer than 9 months will be able to continue research and development (R&D) after their Phase II application is submitted but will not be able to utilize these results in the preparation of their Phase II application.

Phase I is to evaluate, insofar as possible, the scientific or technical merit and feasibility of ideas that appear to have commercial potential and/or substantial application in support of DOE mission research. The grant application should concentrate on research that will contribute to proving scientific or technical feasibility of the approach or concept. Success in a DOE Phase I is a prerequisite to further DOE support in Phase II.

Only awardees issued Phase I grants under this FOA are eligible to submit a Phase II application under the corresponding FY 2026 Phase II FOA, i.e., FY 2026 Phase II Release 1.

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NIST

Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs

Department of Commerce – NIST Solicitation # 2024-NIST-MSE-01
Deadline: Proposals accepted on a rolling basis through 3/5/2026
Amount: Varies by program

This broad NOFO seeks to fund education and research activities across the following NIST programs:

(1)   Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS);

(2)   Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP);

(3)   CHIPS Research & Development Program Office (CRDO)

(4)   Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL);

(5)   Engineering Laboratory (EL);

(6)   Fire Research (FR);

(7)   Information Technology Laboratory (ITL);

(8)   International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO);

(9)   Material Measurement Laboratory (MML);

(10) NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR); 

(11) Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML);

(12) Special Programs Office (SPO); and

(13) Standards Coordination Office (SCO).

Refer to the solicitation for specific activities and funding levels related to each program.

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NOAA

FY 2024-2026 Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
Department of Commerce – NOAA Solicitation # NOAA-OAR-CPO-2024-28363
Deadline: Open until 9/30/2026
Amount: Not specified
The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research is responsible for maintaining and improving the viability of marine and coastal ecosystems; for delivering valuable weather, climate, and water information and services; for understanding the science and consequences of climate change; and for supporting the global commerce and transportation upon which we all depend. This Broad Agency Announcement is a mechanism to encourage research, education and outreach, innovative projects, or sponsorships that are not addressed through NOAA’s competitive discretionary programs.
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Information Innovation Office (I2O) Office-Wide Broad Agency Announcement
National Ocean Services (NOS) Line Office FY 2024-2026 BAA
NOAA Solicitation # NOAA-NOS-MB-27779
Deadline: Proposals accepted on a rolling basis through 9/30/2026
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Line Office S&T FY 2024-2026 BAA
NOAA Solicitation # NOAA-OAR-OER-2024-27749
Deadline: Proposals accepted on a rolling basis through 9/30/2026
FY 2024-2026 BAA for the Office of Education
NOAA Solicitation # NOAA-SEC-OED-2024-28060
Deadline: Proposals accepted on a rolling basis through 9/30/2026

NASA

 

SCO

Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
Secretary of Defense – SCO Solicitation # HY0233-SCO-24-BAA-0001
Deadline: Open until 8/31/2029
Amount: Not specified
SCO is an organization within the Office of the Secretary of Defense which seeks to identify, analyze, and prototype disruptive applications of new systems, unconventional uses of existing systems, and implement emerging technologies to create operational strategic effects.  SCO is a rapid prototyping organization focused on delivering capabilities in 3-5 years to address high priority operational and strategic challenges. The purpose of this BAA is to solicit research submissions for funding consideration in the five areas of technical interest, including: autonomous systems; deep learning; cyber; cross-domain kill chains; and non-traditional defense technologies. The first step in applying is to submit a white paper.
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DOD

 

Broad Agency Announcement for Battery Network (BATTNET)

Department of Defense – Defense Logistics Agency

Solicitation #

BAA006-21

Deadline:

Open through 9/1/2026

Amount:

Not specified

As a Combat Support Agency, DLA’s mission is to provide logistics support to the warfighter. DLA’s BATTNET Manufacturing Technology R&D Program is intended to advance this essential service to our warfighters around the globe. The objective of the Program is to improve Department of Defense (DoD) battery logistics by leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies for the U.S. industrial base.  DLA seeks to provide responsive, best value supplies in a manner that consistently meets customer needs. DLA continually investigates diverse technologies for manufacturing that would lead to the highest level of innovation in battery products supporting fielded weapon systems (many of which were designed in the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s) with a future impact on both commercial technology and government applications. The types of research and development that are of interest in this BAA include advanced technology demonstrations for affordability, advanced industrial practices to demonstrate the combination of improved battery manufacturing and operation, unit cost reduction, and improved battery product availability. All these areas provide potential avenues toward achieving breakthrough advances.

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Broad Agency Announcement for Fundamental AI Research

Department of Defense – Dept of the Army

Solicitation #

W519TC-25-S-0001

Deadline:

Open through 5/31/2029

Amount:

Not specified

The Army Artificial Intelligence Integration Center (AI2C) is seeking artificial intelligence research and development whitepapers and proposals in support of new technologies and translational research-based approaches that support the identification, alignment, and exploitation of basic, applied, and advanced research. A broad range of foundational research topics of interest are described in the solicitation.

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Air Dominance Broad Agency Announcement

Department of Defense – Air Force Research Laboratory

Solicitation #

FA865125S0001

Deadline:

White papers accepted through 10/31/2029

Amount:

Not specified

This BAA is intended to support research relevant to the Munitions Directorate divisions of the Air Force Research Laboratory, including the Technology Integration Division, the Strategy Division, and the Science and Technology Division. The range of research areas covered by this BAA are described in the solicitation.

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Information Innovation Office (I2O) Office-Wide Broad Agency Announcement
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # HR001125S0002
Deadline: Open through 10/29/2025
Amount: Not specified
The Information Innovation Office (I2O) creates groundbreaking science and develops transformational capabilities in the informational and computational spheres to surprise adversaries and maintain enduring advantages for national security. I2O programs address elements of four key thrust areas: proficient artificial intelligence; resilient, adaptable and secure systems; advantage in cyber operations; and confidence in the information domain. I2O seeks unconventional computational approaches that are outside the mainstream, challenge accepted assumptions and have the potential to radically change established practices, and the state of the art.
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Academic Applied and Advanced Innovation Broad Agency Announcement
Department of Defense – ARL Solicitation # ARL-BAA-0107
Deadline: Proposals accepted until 11/19/2027
Amount: Not specified

This program focuses on emerging and novel research conducted through academic institutions such as universities and academic-affiliated research institutions or centers. It covers broad technical areas of applied (6.2) and advanced technology development (6.3) research investigations that result in deliverables such as hardware, software, or knowledge products that support technology readiness levels (TRL) 3, 4, 5, and 6 and enable significant improvements in capability or system performance. Preferred research focuses on increasing capabilities, efficiencies, logistics and support; discovering new applications; conducting experiments; informing future requirements; and accelerating delivery of technology for Army transformation. Desired research completes within 12-24 months and extends by exception.

Thrust areas include but are not limited to the following:

·                Weapon systems and lethality technologies

·                Ground vehicle technologies

·                Networking and communications technologies

·                Sensing technologies

·                Air platform and aviation technologies

·                Soldier performance technologies
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United States Military Academy Broad Agency Announcement
DoD – Dept of the Army Solicitation # W911NF-20-S-0008
Deadline: Open through 3/31/2027
Amount: Not specified
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point executes research to enhance the education of cadets, develop the faculty professionally, and address important issues facing the Army and the Nation. In addition, the Academy conducts research and analysis in emerging fields that may realize novel or vastly improved Army capabilities. USMA departments, directorates, and research centers and institutes conduct research in-house and fund extramural research as solicited through this BAA. This BAA seeks proposals for research based on the following campaigns: Socio-Cultural; Information Technology; Ballistics, Weapons, and Protections; Energy and Sustainability; Materials, Measurements, and Facilities; Unmanned Systems and Space; Human Support Systems; and Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Quantum Technologies. Proposals are sought for cutting-edge innovative research that could produce discoveries with a significant impact to enable new and improved Army technologies and related operational capabilities and related technologies. 

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Tactical Technology Office (TTO) Office Wide Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
DoD – DARPA Solicitation # HR001124S0023
Deadline:

Executive Summaries may be submitted any time through 4/18/2025

BAA closes on 6/20/2025
Amount: Not specified
The DARPA Tactical Technology Office (TTO) creates technological surprise and provides new options for national security by demonstrating revolutionary platforms and systems with cutting-edge technology. TTO demonstrates compelling hardware at scales that demonstrate disruptive capability with designs that reduce risk and cost by managing complexity and which can be manufactured responsively and affordably. TTO is soliciting innovative executive summaries and proposals that enhance the nation’s ability to rapidly build, adapt and sustain force structures with the following focus areas: Platform Innovation, Missionized Autonomy, Managing Complexity, Freedom’s Forge 2.0, and Disruptive Emergent Technology.
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Targeting Operations and Analytics Development Broad Agency Announcement
DoD – Dept of the Air Force Solicitation # FA875025S7002
Deadline: Open through 9/30/2029
Amount: Average range of individual awards is $1M – $25M over 3 years
The Air Force Research Laboratory is soliciting white papers under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for research, development, integration, test and evaluation of technologies/techniques to improve the joint targeting cycle by shortening the killchain, improving the speed of decisions, providing information and connectivity assurance during execution, and enabling battle damage assessment. These technologies should address one or more of the following focus areas: Dynamic Targeting and Engagement at Scale, Mission Communications, Combat Assessment, Indications & Warning Analytics, and Test & Evaluation.
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U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center – Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Basic and Applied Research
DoD – Dept of the Army Solicitation # W911QY-20-R-0022
Deadline: Open through 2/27/2030
Amount: Not specified
The mission of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM Soldier Center) is to “provide the Army with innovative science and technology solutions to optimize the performance of our Soldiers”. To achieve the advances required for the Army to operate, organize, and equip in response to evolving threats, the Soldier Center is interested in efforts in five research focus areas: emergent materials; human performance and training; machine learning/artificial intelligence; robotics and autonomy; and synthetic biology. This BAA is intended to fulfill requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing state-of-the-art technologies and/or increasing knowledge and understanding as a means of eliminating current technology barriers.
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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Science and Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
DoD – Dept of the Navy Solicitation # N66604-25-R-0329
Deadline: Open through 3/18/2030
Amount: Not specified
The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, (NUWCDIVNPT) is soliciting research proposals for new and innovative R&D solutions related to 27 undersea technology subject areas listed in the BAA.
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Strategic Technology Office-wide Broad Agency Announcement
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # HR001125S0001
Deadlines: Open through 11/14/2025
Amount: Not specified
The Strategic Technology Office (STO) at DARPA regularly publishes BAAs requesting responses to specific program topics. This announcement seeks revolutionary research ideas for topics not addressed by ongoing STO programs or other published BAA solicitations. DARPA’s STO is seeking innovative ideas and disruptive technologies that provide the U.S. military and national security leaders with trusted, disruptive capabilities across all physical domains (Air, Space, Sea, and Land) and spectrum of competition. A broad list of research areas of current interest to STO can be found in the solicitation.
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Multi-Spectrum Defensive Electronic Warfare (MSDEW) Advanced Research Announcement (ARA)
Department of Defense – Air Force Research Laboratory Solicitation # FA8650-20-S-1119
Deadlines: Open through 7/13/2027
Amount: Not specified
MSDEW ARA will develop sensors and systems supplies to meet the need for the national defense for improved joint lethality in contested environments, the ability to strike diverse targets inside adversary air and missile defense networks, and support a force which can deploy, survive, operate, maneuver, and regenerate in all domains while under attack. The program advances the Air Force EW (signal) capabilities to meet the need for the national defense and requires acquisition of aeronautical supplies, parts, accessories and designs for experimental and test purposes. These above strategic objectives will be accomplished through design, modeling, simulation and analysis (MS&A), experimentation, testing, and demonstration of multi-spectrum threat warning and countermeasures sensors, systems and technologies. 
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FY25 Propulsion and Power Technology Development Program Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
Department of Defense – Department of the Navy Solicitation # N00421-RFPREQ-445000A-0001
Deadline: Open until 9/30/2025
Amount: Not specified
This BAA solicits white papers for research and development programs designed to meet projected propulsion and power technology needs for future Naval air vehicles. The technologies developed and demonstrated under this BAA will significantly increase mission performance, operational capabilities and affordability of Naval aircraft. The technical areas sought include: 1) Advanced aircraft electrical power systems; 2) Fuel and lubricant technology; 3) Aircraft operational energy technology; 4) Condition based maintenance, condition based maintenance plus, prognostics, diagnostics, and health monitoring; and 5) Advanced propulsion system technology.
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FY25 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology
Department of Defense – Office of Naval Research Solicitation # N0001425SB001
Amendment 0003
Deadline: Open until 9/30/2025
The Office of Naval Research (ONR), ONR Global (ONRG), and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL) are interested in receiving proposals for Long-Range S&T Projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of Navy and Marine Corps operations. This is an announcement to declare ONR, ONRG and MCWL’s broad role in competitive funding of meritorious research across a spectrum of science and engineering disciplines. Please note that the most recent FOA is in amendment version #3
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Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-Wide BAA
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # HR001124S0039
Deadlines: Open until 9/26/2025
Amount: Not specified
The DSO Office-wide BAA invites proposers to submit innovative basic or applied research concepts or studies and analysis proposals that address one or more of the following technical thrust areas: 1) Novel Materials & Structures, 2) Sensing & Measurement, 3) Computation & Processing, 4) Enabling Operations, 5) Collective Intelligence, and 6) Emerging Threats. Proposals must investigate innovative research approaches that enable revolutionary advances. DSO is explicitly not interested in approaches or technologies that primarily result in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice or are for manufacturing scale-up.
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Biological Technologies Office-Wide BAA
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # HR001124S0034
Deadlines: Open until 9/10/2025
Amount: Not stated
The Biological Technologies Office (BTO) mission is to develop capabilities that leverage the unique properties of biology – adaption, replication, resilience and complexity, to revolutionize how the United States defends the homeland and prepares and protects its warfighters. Research in BTO creates biotechnological capabilities that provide tactical care and restore function to injured warfighters, increase operational resilience, develop novel functional materials, and detect and protect against threats to maintain force readiness. This BAA seeks revolutionary research ideas for topics not being addressed by ongoing BTO programs or other published solicitations. Key topic areas include: machine learning/artificial intelligence; human performance; materials, sensors, processing; ecosystem and environmental; biosecurity and biosafety; and biomedical and biodefense.
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FY25-29 Strategic Trends Research Initiative Broad Agency Announcement

This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) soliciting strategic research on challenges related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) 5–10 years in the future in support of the mission of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The BAA covers Fiscal Year (FY) 2025–2029 with a total funding amount of $35,880,000, subject to availability of funds. This BAA will remain posted on the Government point of entry, https://sam.gov/content/home until superseded.

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BAA for Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Defense Efforts

Department of Defense – Dept of the Army Solicitation # W911SR-24-R-DEVB
Deadline: Open until 8/20/2029
Amount:  
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) mission is to provide innovative chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) defense capabilities to enable the Joint Warfighters’ dominance on the battlefield and interagency defense of the homeland. Mission areas and technical points of contact for within DEVCOM CBC are shown in the Broad Agency Announcement. Proposals are sought from all eligible sources as specified herein, including educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry. This BAA provides general information, proposal preparation instructions, evaluation and selection criteria, and award administration.
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BAA Disruptive Application – Army Application Lab
Army Application Lab Solicitation # W911NF-24-S-0008
Deadline: Apr 04, 2029

The three main lines of effort associated with this BAA are discovery, acceleration, and translation of disruptive technology applications:

‐ Discovery of novel capability concepts that capitalize on emerging technologies and application insights from the widest possible range of sources.

‐ Acceleration of disruptive applications of technology that delivers a 2-4 times improvement over current or planned Army capabilities through the research, development, and validation of technology demonstrators.

‐ Translation of breakthrough innovations that create a scalable, first-mover advantage for the Army in strategic technology areas by synchronizing knowledge generated in the discovery and acceleration phases with key decision points across the Army Future Force Modernization Enterprise (FFME).
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BAA FY24 NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT 
Navel Solicitation # N00421-24-S-0001
Deadline: 6/20/25

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is interested in receiving white papers for Research and Development projects which offer potential for advancement and improvement of NAWCAD operations. See opportunity for further details on the different focus areas.
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Computational Modeling of Aviation Systems BAA
Department of Defense – Army Research Laboratory Solicitation # ARL-BAA-0101
Deadline: Proposals are accepted through 11/19/2027
Amount: Not specified
Next-generation Army aviation platforms will need to integrate novel technologies in multiple areas including aerodynamics, acoustics, structural dynamics, and flight controls. These technologies will be evaluated in computational and experimental environments for real-world applications. Fundamental modeling and analysis capabilities also need to be developed at different degrees of fidelity from low fidelity for conceptual design and trade-space exploration to high fidelity for detailed design or scientific exploration. Novel technologies for next-generation Army aviation platforms are sought, including both manned platforms and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Associated modeling and simulation approaches for these technologies will be required at varying degrees of fidelity to accommodate assessments at different stages of design and analysis processes including conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design stages.
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Mechanical Metamaterials for Advanced Protection BAA
Department of Defense – Army Research Laboratory Solicitation # ARL-BAA-0096
Deadline: Proposals accepted through 11/19/2027
Amount: Not specified

DEVCOM ARL is seeking proposals on the exploration and maturation of mechanical metamaterials and associated concepts, testing/diagnostics methods for characterization, scale-up methods etc., in a manner relevant to ballistic impact conditions. Novel manufacturing and processing techniques are of interest, provided that the work will involve high strain rate relevant characterization. Research in this area seeks to understand and control/manipulate material behavior to ballistic advantage, understand behavior on various scales, advanced modeling and simulation associated with these materials for enhanced understanding and further design/development of mechanical metamaterials.

Specific research areas include:

  • Mechanical metamaterials, nanostructured composites, engineered materials specifically built for manipulating shock and damage propagation due to ballistic impact and penetration.
  • Special consideration for increasing thickness, towards building 3D mechanical metamaterials.
  • Fundamental systematic studies to link manufacturing/synthesis process, nano/microstructure, mechanical properties, high strain rate properties, and ballistic performance.
  • Use or development of machine learning based approaches to aid in material discovery and design of mechanical metamaterials when there is no ‘big data’.
  • Modeling and simulation of such structures at various scales.
  • Multi-scale modeling approaches, verification, and validation involving mechanical metamaterials.
  • Developing/using experimental techniques and diagnostics to assess/characterize mechanical metamaterials. Scaling effects associated with small scale experimentation of such materials, and exploration of how they translate to continuum scale dynamic properties and performance.
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Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) – Environmental Technology Demonstrations – Open Topics BAA
Department of Defense – Dept of the Army Solicitation # W912HQ24S0005
Deadline: Open until 8/21/2025
Amount: ESTCP may make multiple awards up to a collectively shared maximum value of the $10,000,000.00 under this BAA
The Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) demonstration and validation program for environmental and installation energy technologies. The ESTCP Office is interested in receiving white papers for innovative technology demonstrations that address DoD environmental and installation energy requirements as candidates for funding.
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Disruptioneering BAA
Department of Defense – DARPA Solicitation # DARPA-PA-24-04
Deadline: Open until 8/16/2025. Individual Disruption Opportunities have deadlines.
Amount: Undetermined and based on project and DO
The mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is to identify, investigate, and leverage nascent scientific advances for national security applications by pursuing high-risk, high-payoff research initiatives across a broad spectrum of science and engineering disciplines. Disruption Opportunity (DO) topics are issued to rapidly investigate new concepts with targeted and limited scope investments. DOs enable DARPA to initiate a new investment in less than 120 calendar days from idea inception. To enable this approach, DSO will issue individual Disruption Opportunities under this solicitation. These opportunities will target specific technical domains important to DSO’s mission to pursue innovative research that leads to a prototype demonstration. More information about DSO’s technical domains and research topics of interest may be found at http://www.darpa.mil/aboutus/offices/dso.
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Scientific Feasibility (SciFy)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative and revolutionary computational approaches that measure the feasibility of technical claims to enable accurate assessments of scientific content.

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NRL Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Basic and Applied Research

NRL requests white papers for long-range Science and Technology (S&T) projects which may offer advancement and improvement potential for Navy and Marine Corps operations. This announcement emphasizes NRL’s broad role in the competitive funding of meritorious research across a spectrum of science and engineering disciplines.

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DOD Strategic Capabilities Office Broad Agency Announcement

Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) is an organization within the Office of the Secretary of Defense which seeks to identify, analyze, and prototype disruptive applications of new systems, unconventional uses of existing systems, and implement emerging technologies to create operational strategic effects. SCO is a rapid prototyping organization focused on delivering capabilities in 3-5 years to address high priority operational and strategic challenges.

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DARPA Defense Sciences Office Office-wide

This opportunity is to identify and create the next generation of scientific discovery to fuel innovation throughout the Agency and beyond. DSO frames its office according to the thrust areas described further below, but encourages any fundamental research concept, idea, or effort that addresses DARPA’s mission to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security.

Novel Materials & Structures: This thrust includes, but is not limited to, science and technology in quantum devices, atomic scale systems, and functional and structural materials.

Sensing & Measurement: This thrust includes but is not limited to, science and technology in quantum sensing and metrology, seeing (sensing) the unseen, and novel light sources.
Computation & Processing: This thrust includes, but is not limited to, science and technology of quantum computing, cryptography, and modeling of complex systems.
Enabling Operations: This thrust includes, but is not limited to, technologies to support spacebased operations, tactically remote environments, and resource assurance.
Collective Intelligence: This thrust includes, but is not limited to, exploration of complex social systems, adaptable Artificial Intelligence (AI), and AI-accelerated learning.
Emerging Threats: This thrust includes, but is not limited to, national security concerns related to global issues associated with raw material availability, environmental catastrophes, and digital societies.

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U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Broad Agency Announcement on Enabling Cyber-Linked Physical Sensing Exploitation Accepting White Papers

This Broad Agency Announcement (FA8650-21-S-1016) on Enabling Cyber-Linked Physical Sensing Exploitation (ECLPSE) will be a Two Step, Open BAA to support research and analysis on cyber-physical sensing and Electronic Warfare (EW)-kinetic effects to enable understanding how cyber-connected devices interact with the physical environment found in manufacturing automation, utilities, transportation, agricultural, medical, and other common applications. This effort will also support research and analysis regarding the prevention and exploitation of information leakages similar to electromagnetic security (EMSEC) vulnerabilities in the cyber/EW-physical domain. Individual contracts will be up to $20M. The first step is submission of a white paper. Approved white paper offerors will receive Requests for Proposals. This BAA closes on February 25, 2026.

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DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement for Foundational Research – Updated Topic List
Department of Defense – Department of the Army Solicitation # W911NF-23-S-0001
Deadline: Proposals accepted through 11/20/2027
Amount: Not specified
This BAA solicits white papers and proposals for both basic and applied research across areas of interest to the ARL. The extensive list of topics has been updated and republished.
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Advanced Manufacturing Research in support of the Sciences of Extreme Materials Competency – Closing date Nov. 19, 2027

Army modernization requires a set of robust manufacturing strategies and integrated capabilities that enable a highly connected and collaborative enterprise. Agile manufacturing involves digitally enabled advanced manufacturing (AdvM) technologies with ubiquitous access to rapid prototyping, small-scale production, materials by design, etc. that are capable of scalable, and on-demand distributed production of components and systems. Agile manufacturing integrates the procedures, resources, and preparation that are needed to respond to changes in the demand utilizing systems, resources, and practice to react to these demands and adapt quickly without jeopardizing the Army’s ability to meet the performance requirements.

This area seeks transformational materials that can operate in extreme conditions, and methods to manufacture them readily in the organic US industrial base as well as in austere environments at the point of need. Next generation Army components and systems will need to integrate novel structures of unmatched geometric complexity, and novel materials produced using novel data driven digital manufacturing methods. Topics of interest include:  Additive manufacturing, Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques for AdvM, Printed hybrid electronics including multi-functional devices and structures, Novel and robust design methodologies for convergent manufacturing, and more. 

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Electric- and Magnetic-Field Sensor Technology – Closing date Nov. 19, 2027

Research proposals are desired that are related to small, rugged, low-power electric- and magnetic-field sensors that can be deployed on a battlefield using artillery-based delivery systems, or scattered from air or ground vehicles, or emplaced by individual soldiers. These sensors should be passive or semi-active (i.e., with no local field-generating element), and may operate at low frequencies in the quasi-static zone (or “near field”), where the electric and magnetic fields are not coupled. These sensors should be characterized by exceptionally low power, size, weight, and cost, and/or by exceptionally high sensitivity and low noise (i.e., with performance limited by the background environment). Sensor bandwidth generally falls between DC and ~1 MHz, but may be further limited for specific applications: e.g., 0.001-10 Hz for anomaly detection; 30-3000 Hz for electric-power sensing; 3-30 kHz for very low frequency (VLF) sensing.

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Invincible Materials Research in support of the Sciences of Extreme Materials Competency – Closing date Nov. 19, 2027

The invincible materials portfolio focuses on the fundamental, basic and applied material science and engineering to identify novel and emerging materials, systems and technologies for use across multiple high valued platforms and systems. The portfolio seeks to expand knowledge of materials and the related science and engineering of all materials classes with respect to synthesis, processing, development of novel materials or feedstocks, methods, advanced manufacturing techniques, experimentation, high through put techniques, machine learning, characterization, and modeling and simulation. The portfolio seeks to enable the discovery, development, design and integration of emerging structural, chemical and biological protection, electronic, laser and energy, materials in traditional and extreme environments such as materials under high rate and dynamic conditions. The portfolio also seeks material science and manufacturing technologies that supports the soldier, combat vehicles, combat support vehicles and other high valued assets to enable improved performance and survivability.

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Invisible Materials Research in support of the Sciences of Extreme Materials Competency – Closing date Nov. 19, 2027

The Invisible Materials Portfolio seeks to identify novel electromagnetic spectrum materials (EMS) for use in a wide range of military applications. The portfolio seeks materials with advanced capabilities to increase, decreases or alter the energy emitted, scattered or absorbed in a controlled manner.

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Multimodal Synthetic Data for Machine Learning – Closing date Nov. 19, 2027

The use of artificial intelligence solutions for Army field applications will rely heavily on machine learning (ML) algorithms. Current ML algorithms need large amounts of mission-relevant training data to enable them to perform well in tasks such as object and activity recognition, and high-level decision making. Battlefield data sources can be heterogeneous, encompassing multiple sensing modalities. Present open-source data sets for training ML approaches provide inadequate representation of scenes and situations of interest to the Army, in both content and sensing modalities. There is a push to use synthetic data to make up for the paucity of real-world training data relevant to military multi-domain operations of the future. However, there are no systematic approaches for synthetic generation of data that provide any degree of assurance of improved real-world performance of the ML techniques trained on such data. The problem of effective synthetic data generation for ML raises deeper questions than that of artificially generating speech or imagery that humans find realistic.

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DOD Tactical Heterogeneous Sensing in Complex Environments, Aerosols, and Impacts- November 19, 2027

 This program focuses on basic and applied research investigations designed to enhance situational and operational awareness with respect to operations in complex, multi-domain environments enabling C4ISR and maneuver capabilities. The research covers a broad portfolio including aerosol sciences, propagation of electro-optic (EO), electro-magnetic (EM), radio-frequency (RF) and acoustic signals in complex environments, impacts thereof, and heterogeneous sensing. Areas of specific interest are optical spectroscopy and characterization of aerosols, modeling of light interaction with material, atmospheric aerosol composition, heterogeneous remote sensing, and propagation modeling. Complex environments of particular interest are urban, littoral, forested, and domain interfaces.

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DOD Quantum networking for communications, distributed entanglement and information processing – November 19, 2027

 The Army seeks proposals in the development of quantum networks to advance performance metrics across a range of applications, including information distribution/security/processing, logistics, conventional networking and computing.

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DARPA – Microsystems Technology Office: Intensity-Squeezed Photonic Integration for Revolutionary Detectors (INSPIRED) 

DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office seeks innovative proposals to develop compact, ultralow-noise optical detectors that employ squeezed-light measurement techniques to advance precision optical sensing. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

The principal objective of the Intensity-Squeezed Photonic Integration for Revolutionary Detectors (INSPIRED) program is the development of optoelectronic detector modules that integrate squeezed-light measurement techniques into form factors comparable to commercial photodetector modules, thereby achieving sensitivity significantly beyond the quantum shot-noise limit. Such “squeezed-light detectors” will be transformative in advancing squeezed-light quantum measurement beyond laboratory environments as practical, general-purpose detector components that can be employed in diverse optical systems. The superior sensitivity of squeezed-light detectors is expected to provide decisive quantum advantages in wide-ranging application domains such as active imaging; atomic sensing; navigation; microscopy; and communications.

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Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI)
National Science Foundation NOI # NSF 24-117
Anticipated Release Date: 2024
The National Science Foundation has announced plans to support operations of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure program during FY2026-FY2035. A forthcoming program solicitation is anticipated to be issued in 2024 by NSF’s Directorate for Engineering, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation. The new program solicitation is expected to be for a competition to establish a new NHERI portfolio for exemplary operations of experimental and field equipment/instrumentation facilities to serve as national resources for NHERI research and education. These facilities will be expected to advance frontier science and engineering research focused on the impact of climate change, earthquake, tsunami, windstorm, storm surge, flooding, and fire/wildland-urban interface (WUI) hazards on the nation’s civil infrastructure. Current NSF-supported NHERI facilities, as well as other existing facilities that can bring new national resources to NHERI, would be eligible for this competition. Through this new solicitation, it is anticipated that support will be provided, for “multi-user ready” facilities that can provide fully operational experimental laboratory and/or field equipment/instrumentation, with unique, benchmarked capabilities not elsewhere available in the U.S., coupled with fully operational data acquisition system(s). The anticipated due date for proposals submitted in response to this new program solicitation will be at least 90 days following the publication date. NSF will host an information webinar after the solicitation is issued.
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