Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) Equipment/Instrumentation

Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 4144, in alignment with Section 223 of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), funding in the FY 2026 defense appropriations, and, Presidential Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking, the DoW announces this funding opportunity for the acquisition of equipment/instrumentation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). The program is executed under policy and guidance of the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) and is administered by ARL, ONR, and AFOSR, hereafter called “the Agencies.” This Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to (a) enhance research and education programs and capabilities in scientific and engineering disciplines critical to the national security functions of DoW; (b) enhance the capacity of HBCUs and TCUs to participate in DoW research programs and activities; and (c) increase the number of graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The DoW is announcing this research solicitation based on 10 U.S.C. § 4144 and Section 223 of the FY 2026 NDAA (https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/s1071/BILLS-119s1071enr.pdf), which directs for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of Defense to ensure that funding solicitations through the DoW HBCU/MI Program Element include separate funding solicitations each focused toward: (1) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges; and (2) Minority-Serving Institutions that are not HBCUs or TCUs. Also informing this solicitation is Section 262 of the NDAA for FY 2020 (https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ92/PLAW-116publ92.pdf), section 220 of the NDAA for FY 2022 (https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ81/PLAW-117publ81.pdf), and the publication of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled “Defense Research Capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions: Transitioning from Good Intentions to Measurable Outcomes” dated April 28, 2022 (https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/26399). The DoW is soliciting applications (also referred to as “proposals”) for the acquisition of equipment/instrumentation under the Fiscal Year 2027 Research and Education Program for...

As provided in Section 223 of the FY 2026 NDAA, eligibility for this competition is open only to “Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities” which are defined as:a. The term ‘‘Historically Black College or University’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B institution’’ under section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).b. The term ‘‘Tribal College or University” has the meaning given the term in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).

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.

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.

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...