Washington Headquarters Services · Department of Defense
Defense Security Cooperation University - Research Grants
In short: Washington Headquarters Services gives grants of $2,500 to $800,000.
Key facts
- Deadline
- Accepts applications through Aug 7, 2028. Rounds may close sooner: check the notice
- Award size
- $2,500 – $800K
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- 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
- Available in Sullivan County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 3
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
About this grant
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s (DSCA) Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) promotes access to and production of knowledge on security cooperation. Security cooperation refers to “all Department of Defense (DoD) interactions with foreign security establishments that build and develop allied and partner security capabilities and capacity for self-defense and multinational operations, provide the Armed Forces of the United States with access to the foreign country during peacetime or a contingency operation, and build relationships that promote specific United States security interests” (Joint Publication 3-20, Security Cooperation, 1-2; see also 10 USC § 16, “Security Cooperation”).
Evidence-, theory, and data-building activities that contribute to the body of knowledge on security cooperation or irregular warfare, and that result in lessons that can be applied to practice, are the primary focus of this notice of funding opportunity (NFO). Research products sponsored through this NFO must be unclassified and publicly accessible. DSCU expects awardees to participate in conferences, seminars, focus groups and events, and to make final research products and supporting data (if applicable) easily accessible to the public, in order to enhance dissemination of research findings and facilitate application of lessons learned in areas of policy, practice, and workforce professionalization.
The DSCU research grant program, conducted pursuant to 10 USC § 4001 and 10 USC § 384(g), is generally open to a broad range of researchers, although individual DSCU components may have restrictions on who may receive grants.
Please see the full NFO for complete details.
Who can apply, from the official notice
Young Institute: open to individual researchers or research teams with or without an affiliation; professional military education (PME) and civilian academic institutions; U.S. and international research and think thank institutions; federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs); U.S. interagency security cooperation communities of interest; and the security cooperation workforce (as defined by 10 USC § 384).
IWC: open to individual researchers or research teams with or without an affiliation; professional military education (PME) and civilian academic institutions; U.S. and international research and think thank institutions; federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs); and the U.S. interagency irregular warfare communities of interest.
Applicants (principal investigators) may submit only one proposal at a time. Proposed formal collaborators (co-principal investigators) or sub-recipients, however, may team on multiple proposals. Current and past awardees from this initiative, or previous versions of this initiative, are eligible to submit white papers/applications under this NFO. UARCs are eligible to submit white papers and applications under this NFO, unless precluded from doing so by their Department of Defense UARC contract.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/52f11090-a54a-4d78-bb43-0b4f1ef74882 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/7340ddbb-6657-4b63-a5e1-f04c944c0790
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct11
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 - Jul17
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Jul31
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Aug5
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Aug7
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Sullivan County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice H08_DSCU_NFO_HQ003423NFOEASD17_20240812.pdf (31 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
Award amounts here are per year · p. 5
“Grant amounts, ranging up to $800,000 per year, are set at levels considered appropriate to research scope and outcomes, and matched to agency needs and priorities.” Open page 5
Registrations you need first (2)
Grants.gov · p. 1
“Amendments to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) will be posted to Grants.gov if they occur.” Open page 1
SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 11
“Applicants or their organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for grants and cooperative agreements.” Open page 11
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 10
“Application for Federal Assistance (SF424 - R & R) [V5.0]” Open page 10
Form SF-424B · p. 10
“Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B - R & R) [V1.1]” Open page 10
Form SF-LLL · p. 10
“Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) [V2.0]” Open page 10
Form SF-424A · p. 10
“Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) [V1.0]” Open page 10
Data management plan · p. 13
“In instances where this is not possible, The Data Management Plan must explain why it is not possible or scientifically appropriate.” Open page 13
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 15
“Describe your organization, experience, accounting, and operational controls and technical skills, or the ability to obtain them (including as appropriate such elements as property control systems, quality assurance measures, and safety programs applicable…” Open page 15
Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 15
“INITIAL WORK PLAN Applicants are required to submit an initial Work Plan.” Open page 15
Budget narrative / justification · p. 16
“The Research and Related Budget form and Budget Justification attachment should include direct and indirect costs, including rates and quantities.” Open page 16
Indirect cost rate agreement · p. 18
“A Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) may be required in order for an awardee to invoice for indirect costs.” Open page 18
Audit or financial statements · p. 18
“If subject to Federal Single Audit coverage requirements, the applicant must submit the latest Single Audit with the application.” Open page 18
Formatting rules
double-spaced · p. 12
“Line spacing: 1.5 or double-spaced lines are acceptable.” Open page 12
single-spaced · p. 12
“Single-spaced documents will not be accepted.” Open page 12
12-point font · p. 12
“Minimum font size is 12-point.” Open page 12
10-point font · p. 12
“Tables/Figures: 10-point fonts may be used for tables/figures and captions.” Open page 12
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 7
“COST SHARING OR MATCHING Cost sharing is not required but, if offered, voluntary cost sharing may be considered as a demonstration of a research teams’ commitment to their proposed project.” Open page 7
Mistakes that get applications rejected (3)
Sent the wrong way or format: White papers that fail to address the areas listed in the Program Description of the NFO will not be... · p. 4
“White papers that fail to address the areas listed in the Program Description of the NFO will not be evaluated and will not receive an invitation to submit a full technical application.” Open page 4
Could get your application rejected: Documents found to be noncompliant with the requirements described below will not be reviewed. · p. 10
“Documents found to be noncompliant with the requirements described below will not be reviewed.” Open page 10
Could get your application rejected: Single-spaced documents will not be accepted. · p. 12
“Single-spaced documents will not be accepted.” Open page 12
Files from the official listing
The notice, forms and templates the agency attached.
- H08_DSCU_NFO_HQ003423NFOEASD17_20240812.pdf (679 KB)
DSCU NFO HQ003423NFOEASD17
Who in Tennessee has won this program
3 awards to Tennessee groups in 2 counties since 2024 · 0 in Sullivan County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $398K | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $141K | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $23K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov; Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Similar grants open or opening soon
From other funders, about the same kind of work in Sullivan County.
- Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA · DARPA - Defense Sciences Office · Due Aug 27, 2027 · 320 days left
- Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for NSWC Crane · NSWC CRANE - N00164 · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Research Interests of the United States Air Force Academy (formerly USAFA-BAA-2021) · Air Force Academy · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- TTO Office Wide (OW) BAA 2025 · DARPA - Tactical Technology Office · Due Dec 22, 2026 · 72 days left
More from Washington Headquarters Services
- Pacific Disaster Center · The funder's estimated date (Sep 15, 2026) has passed. Check the official notice Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
- Center for Foundational Academic Research and Strategic Innovation for the Defense Enterprise (C-FARSIDE) · Next round: about Jul 16 – Aug 17, 2027 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
- DoW’s Energy, Installations, and Environment Innovation Partners Programs · Accepts applications through Jan 8, 2028. Rounds may close sooner: check the notice
- NDEP STEM Open NFO · Accepts applications through Feb 8, 2028. Rounds may close sooner: check the notice
- Department of War Cyber Service Academy (DoW CSA) · Accepts applications through Jan 22, 2030. Rounds may close sooner: check the notice
- National Center for Narrative Intelligence (NCNI) · Accepts applications through Aug 19, 2031. Rounds may close sooner: check the notice
About the federal program
Defense Security Cooperation University - Sponsored Research, also called “DSCU”
Program number 12.024 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) · Grant, cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement)
How applications are judged
Principal Criteria:
-- Technical merits of the proposed research: The proposed approach to research, including theory development, data collection and analysis, as applicable, is rigorous and appropriate to the research question.
-- Relevance of the proposed research: The proposed research seeks to fill a high-priority knowledge gap in security cooperation or irregular warfare
-- Feasibility of the proposed research: The proposed research can be completed given the qualifications of, time commitment by, and resources available to applicant and any formal collaborators or sub-recipients.
Other Criteria
-- Cost sharing by the research team: The extent to which the recipient proposes to share in the cost of the project
Note: The Principal Criteria are of equal importance and are more important than Other Criteria.
Match
None required (federal program listing).