Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · Department of Defense
Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) Equipment/Instrumentation
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Oct 9, 2026 · 2 days left
- Award size
- $200K – $1.5M
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Buildings & equipment
- The official notice says construction, renovation or equipment can be paid for. Check the limits.
- Who can apply
- Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Only tribes or Native American / Native Hawaiian organizations can apply
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/21fbbec4-85d7-43b9-b481-86bbf46b845b · Printed from grantme.click/grants/2b7d455f-87e2-4efa-9e0a-2f85bd07a087
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
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About this grant
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...
Who can apply, from the official notice
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)).
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct7
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Sep18
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment (already past: do it now)
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Oct2
Finish a complete draft for a final review (already past: do it now)
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Oct7
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Oct9
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Hamilton County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice W911NF26S0105.pdf (30 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Award size and project length
Project period: 12 months · p. 5
“All awards will have a performance period of 12 months.” Open page 5
Registrations you need first (2)
Grants.gov · p. 5
“found on Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) by entering the BAA number, W911NF-23-S- 0001, in the “Search Grants” keyword box.” Open page 5
SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 7
“Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM), and a Grants.gov account.” Open page 7
The deadline is in 2 days. If your registration isn't already active, it may not be ready in time, so check it today. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 8
“When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role (Block #19 on the SF-424) is inserted into the signature line of the application; this is the electronic signature.” Open page 8
Project abstract or summary · p. 11
“Project Summary/Abstract (Field 7 on the form) (Mandatory) – The Project Summary/Abstract must be no longer than a single page (up to 4,000 characters).” Open page 11
Budget narrative / justification · p. 11
“If so, associated training costs and travel may be included in the budget and must be explained in the budget justification. 8.” Open page 11
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 12
“Biographical sketches are required for the PI and one Co-PI not to exceed three (3) pages each.” Open page 12
Form SF-LLL · p. 13
“SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Optional) - This form is applicable if any funds other than federally appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a…” Open page 13
Length limits
Number: 25 pages max · p. 10
“Number of pages – 25 The 25-page limit applies to the technical portion of the application, which includes the following:” Open page 10
Abstract: 4,000 characters max · p. 11
“Project Summary/Abstract (Field 7 on the form) (Mandatory) – The Project Summary/Abstract must be no longer than a single page (up to 4,000 characters).” Open page 11
Formatting rules
12-point font · p. 10
“Font – Times New Roman, 12-point (excluding mandatory forms)” Open page 10
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 6
“Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing or matching is not required and is not an evaluation factor. 3.” Open page 6
Dates in the notice
September 30, 2026 · p. 9
“Questions submitted after the September 30, 2026, deadline may not be answered.” Open page 9
Mistakes that get applications rejected (5)
Could get your application rejected: Applications for renewal or supplemental awards will not be considered under this NOFO. · p. 5
“Applications for renewal or supplemental awards will not be considered under this NOFO.” Open page 5
Outside what the program funds: An application that requests less than $200,000 or more than $1,500,000 will be considered non-responsive... · p. 6
“An application that requests less than $200,000 or more than $1,500,000 will be considered non-responsive and will not be accepted for review.” Open page 6
Late or not validated: Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late... · p. 9
“Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by DoW.” Open page 9
Over the length limit: Pages exceeding this limit will not be considered in the application evaluation. · p. 10
“Pages exceeding this limit will not be considered in the application evaluation.” Open page 10
Late or not validated: If the application is received by Grants.gov after the exact time and date specified as the deadline for... · p. 14
“If the application is received by Grants.gov after the exact time and date specified as the deadline for receipt, it will be considered “late” and will not be considered for review.” Open page 14
Who in Tennessee has won this program
25 awards to Tennessee groups in 3 counties since 2015 · 0 in Hamilton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $2.4M | 2016 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $1.1M | 2022 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1,000K | 2025 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $998K | 2026 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $813K | 2018 |
| Fisk University | Davidson County | $800K | 2023 |
| Tennessee State University | Davidson County | $800K | 2023 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $778K | 2016 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $737K | 2017 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $721K | 2017 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $659K | 2020 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $511K | 2016 |
Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 10 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Hamilton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $360K | 2026 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $305K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | Marshall University Research Corporation | $283K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $282K | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $199K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Massachusetts | $165K | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $158K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Mississippi State University | $137K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | Rochester Institute of Technology | $80K | 2026 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | Marshall University Research Corporation | $79K | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering
Program number 12.630 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
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.
Match
Match: none required (federal program listing). Statutory Formula: Title NA, Part NA, Subpart NA,Public Law NA
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2018: 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/afo
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