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Washington Headquarters Services · Department of Defense

Center for Foundational Academic Research and Strategic Innovation for the Defense Enterprise (C-FARSIDE)

Done for this year — next round expected · Opportunity HQ003426NFOECAD04 · Assistance Listing 12.630

Key facts

Deadline
Done for this year · next round expected Jul 16 – Aug 17, 2027
Award size
$50M – $150M
Cost share / match ?
Not required
Who can apply
Other (see eligibility)
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

This year's round is over

Last round: Jul 16 – Aug 17, 2026, as the funder posted it.

Next round, expected: Jul 16 – Aug 17, 2027. The funder hasn't announced it yet. GrantMe projects it from last year's dates, so check the official page as it gets closer.

Use the time now: get grant-ready, read last year's guidelines, and add the expected dates to your calendar.

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Grant-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
  • No cost share required
  • Tennessee recipients since 2023: 25

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

More from Washington Headquarters Services

Read the official notice View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar Sign in to save

About this grant

Bridging foundational academic research and strategic innovation for the Defense enterprise, the Center for Foundational Academic Research and Strategic Innovation for the Defense Enterprise (C-FARSIDE) will facilitate deep transdisciplinary collaborations among top-tier scholars, informed by defense strategists, that will transform rigorous and blue-sky research into breakthrough national security solutions and build a deep and lasting relationship between academia, foundations, international partners, industry and venture capital, and the DoW. The awardee will support technology scouting and transition, as well as collaboration activities that accelerate innovation and improve mission effectiveness. The awardee will also conduct and enable transdisciplinary research, bridging academic disciplines and industry and societal stakeholders to address complex, real-world challenges. Activities may include, but are not limited to: • Conduct technology scouting and market research (as authorized) to maintain awareness of industry trends, emerging capabilities, and innovation opportunities; provide summaries and recommendations. • Support concept incubation, prototyping pathways, pilot planning, and technology transition activities, including transition criteria and adoption planning. • Support industry/university/government engagement, collaboration forums, and coordination activities, as directed, including workforce development support activities where applicable. • Investigate new and transdisciplinary approaches to basic and exploratory research to transform how fundamental research and partnerships can drive toward more assured outcomes and impact. • Develop and form university and industry research teams and consortia consisting of multiple, integrated disciplines and capabilities focused upon problem-based research and outcomes (through a Problem-based Basic Research Consortium). • Drive collaboration between university researchers and Service laboratory researchers and Combatant Commands, while also creating opportunities for accelerating the development and advancement of basic and higher TRL research (through a Translational Research Initiative for Academia and Defense Partnership).

Eligibility (from the notice)

Only the Virginia Tech Applied Research Cooperation is eligible for awards under this NOFO. U.S. DoW Laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are not allowed to receive funds directly or via sub-awards.

Who in Tennessee has won this program

25 awards to Tennessee recipients in 3 counties since federal FY2023. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee recipients
RecipientWhereAmountFY
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson County$2.4M2016
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.1M2022
Tennessee State UniversityNashville, Davidson County$1,000K2025
Tennessee State UniversityNashville, Davidson County$998K2026
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson County$813K2018
Fisk UniversityDavidson County$800K2023
Tennessee State UniversityDavidson County$800K2023
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson County$778K2016
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson County$737K2017
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson County$721K2017
Tennessee State UniversityNashville, Davidson County$659K2020
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson County$511K2016

Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds; they don't guarantee future awards.

About the program (12.630)

Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering

How applications are judged

As specified in individual program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunities. Generally, the principal evaluation and selection criteria are the technical merits of the proposed research (or research-related activity) and its potential relationship in the long term to missions of the Department of Defense. Other selection criteria vary with the nature of the specific research or research-related activity. Typical examples include: Qualifications of the principal investigator and other key personnel to perform the proposed activity; adequacy of current or planned facilities and equipment to do so; and realism and reasonableness of proposed costs.

Matching requirements

Statutory Formula: Title NA, Part NA, Subpart NA,Public Law NA.NAMatching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2018: OSD does not directly execute programs within this listing. For information about open competitions or future opportunities involving OSD funding, prospective proposers should consult the program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunities issued by the agents that execute the program, listed below. No central phone number is available. Some of the agents OSD uses to execute its programs include: - Army Research Office (For contact info, see listing 12.431, or http://www.arl.army.mil/) - Office of Naval Research (For contact info, see listing 12.300, or http://www.onr.navy.mil) - Air Force Office of Scientific Research (For contact info, see listing 12.800, or http://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/afoFiscal Year2022: ROLE OF LIPIDS REORGANIZED BY VIRAL PROTEINS AND RESTRICTION FACTORS IN VIRAL LIFE CYCLE; RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR TOOLS FOR SPECIES CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT; NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR RE-GENERATING LEAD ACID BATTERIES; SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND WATER QUALITY IN WATERSHEDS AND COASTLINES OF THE UNITED STATES; MATERIALS UNDER EXTREME LUBRICATING CONDITIONS; ULTRA-HIGH SPEED IMAGING AND LASER DIAGNOSTICS FOR HYPERSONICS...

Program listing on SAM.gov

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