FAA-COE-AJFE · Department of Transportation
Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment
In short: FAA-COE-AJFE expects to make 200 awards of up to $20 million. Open to private college or university.
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Sep 30, 2027 · 346 days left
The funder says: “Extension of the COE” - Award size
- Up to $20M
- Match ?
- Required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Private college or university
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
What changed
- Status changed from closed to open (seen Oct 19, 2026)
- Deadline moved from Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 (seen Oct 19, 2026)
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 Tennessee (nationwide program)
- Needs a match (see how much in the notice)
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 2
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
About this grant
The opportunity for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuel and Environment (AJFE) was awarded in 2013 to the ASCENT cooperative aviation research organization. ASCENT is a coalition of 16 leading US research universities committed to improving the understanding of aviation noise and emissions and the modeling of aviation systems. ASCENT is co-led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (https://ascent.aero/). Any new grant opportunities under AJFE are open and available only to the university members of ASCENT.”
Who can apply, from the official notice
The opportunity for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuel and Environment (AJFE) was awarded in 2013 to the ASCENT cooperative aviation research organization. ASCENT is a coalition of 16 leading US research universities committed to improving the understanding of aviation noise and emissions and the modeling of aviation systems. ASCENT is co-led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (https://ascent.aero/). Any new grant opportunities under AJFE are open and available only to the university members of ASCENT.”
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/ca1829af-e8b7-4caa-8ab4-ae6f675492e5 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/c98102f3-ed21-4c90-b9c1-196a13aec926
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Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct19
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.
Who in Tennessee has won this program
2 awards to Tennessee groups in 1 county since 2016. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $1.9M | 2016 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $224K 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.
- Joint Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research · FAA-COE-JAMS · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program · U.S. Dept. of Treasury RESTORE Act Program · Due Oct 31, 2026 · 12 days left
- Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) · U.S. National Science Foundation · Due Dec 4, 2026 · 46 days left
- Simons Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities · Simons Foundation · Due Nov 12, 2026 · 24 days left
About the federal program
Air Transportation Centers of Excellence, also called “FAA Centers of Excellence”
Program number 20.109 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration · Project grant, use of federal property, facilities or equipment, specialized services
How applications are judged
Public Law 101-508 has established the following equally weighted six selection criteria: (1) The extent to which the needs of the State in which the applicant is located are representative of needs of the region for improved air transportation services and facilities; (2) The demonstrated research and extension resources available to the applicant for carrying out this program; (3) The capability of the applicant to provide leadership in making national and regional contributions to the solution of both long-range and immediate air transportation problems; (4) The extent to which the applicant has an established air transportation program; (5) The demonstrated ability of the applicant to disseminate results of air transportation research and educational programs through a State-wide or region-wide continuing education program; and (6) The projects which the applicant proposes to carry out under the grant. Public Law 101-508 mandates geographic equity in location and funding of Centers of Excellence. Depending on the outcome of evaluation under the six mandated criteria, geographic location may become an additional selection factor.
Match
Matching Funds Requirements - The Federal share shall be 50 percent of the costs of establishing and operating the Center of Excellence and related research activities. Maintenance of Effort - Each recipient will maintain its aggregate expenditures from all other sources for establishing and operating the Center and related research activities at or above the average level of such expenditures in its 2 fiscal years preceding November 1990.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2016: In FY 2016, the FAA plans to continue supporting the following COE topic areas: Unmanned Aircraft Systems; Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment; Commercial Space Transportation; General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability Research; Advanced Materials. In 2016, the FAA plans to add a new COE to support specific needs of the Air Traffic Organization in the area of Technical Training and Human Performance. In FY 2016, the FAA COE PMO supported the following topic areas: Technical Training and Human Performance; Unmanned Aircraft Systems; Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment; Commercial Space Transportation; General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability Research; and Advanced Materials.
Fiscal year 2017: In FY 2017, the FAA COE PMO continues to support the following topic areas: Technical Training and Human Performance; Unmanned Aircraft Systems; Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment; Commercial Space Transportation; General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability Research; and Advanced Materials.
Fiscal year 2019: In Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, the FAA COE PMO continued to support research and development in the following topic...