Air Force -- Research Lab · Department of Defense
CHEERS Open Period 2 - All Technical Areas
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Sep 30, 2027 · 357 days left
- Award size
- Not stated: see the official notice
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Anyone (unrestricted)
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
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. Get-ready checklist
How this fits you
- Available in Loudon County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 43
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/a8d0bab5-9426-4045-bcb5-46c2748fc511 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/588595f9-4583-43b0-a08f-afcf3c494d3a
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
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About this grant
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct8
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 - Sep9
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Sep23
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Sep28
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Sep30
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Loudon County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice Open_Period_Solicitation_2_ARA_Amend_01_20Nov2025.pdf (8 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.
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 6
“Cost Sharing is not required. 4.1 Other: 4.1.1 Foreign Participation:” Open page 6
Who in Tennessee has won this program
25 awards to Tennessee groups in 3 counties since 2019 · 0 in Loudon County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Tullahoma, Franklin County | $17.9M | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $5M | 2022 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $2.2M | 2022 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $2M spent that year | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $2M | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | $1.4M spent that year | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $980K | 2019 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $897K | 2020 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $731K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $601K | 2020 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $541K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $450K | 2021 |
Source: USAspending.gov; Federal Audit Clearinghouse. 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. 18 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Loudon County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, Washington County | Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem | $1.3M | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Texas at Austin | $705K | 2025 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | Ohio State University, the | $210K | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Tullahoma, Franklin County | Ohio State University, the | $192K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Tullahoma | Ohio State University, the | $192K | 2023 |
| 2Nd Order Effects LLC | Fairview | National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining | $170K | 2026 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Southern California | $165K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Southern California | $165K | 2024 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of California, Los Angeles | $160K | 2023 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | University of Southern California | $142K spent that year | 2023 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | The University of Texas at Austin | $125K spent that year | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | The University of Southern California | $82K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program
Program number 12.800 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force · Project grant
How applications are judged
Match
None required (federal program listing).