Air Force Office of Scientific Research · Department of Defense
FY26 DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (DEPSCoR) – RESEARCH COLLABORATION (RC)
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Apr 5, 2027 · 180 days left
- Award size
- $200K – $600K
- Total available
- $14.4M · about 24 awards
- Cost share / match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Other (see eligibility)
- 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. Grant-ready checklist
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- No cost share required
- Tennessee recipients since 2023: 39
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
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- Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research · No deadline listed (see notice)
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/b1489614-88c5-4534-a1ef-ffafdd1ba9d0 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/e3289e6a-2c12-44ce-8541-4b29be9d461b
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About this grant
The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) – Research Collaboration (RC) opportunity. The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DoD plans to award FY26 DEPSCoR appropriations through this announcement.
DEPSCoR's objectives are to:
(1) increase the number of university researchers in eligible States/Territories capable of performing science and engineering (S&E research responsive to the needs of the DoD; and
(2) enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education (IHE) in eligible States/Territories (listed below) to develop, plan, and execute (S&E) research that is relevant to the mission of the DoD, and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance;
(3) increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHE in eligible States receive from the Federal Government for S&E research.
Consistent with these long term objectives of building research infrastructure, the DoD intends to competitively make, and fund from fiscal year 2026 appropriations, multiyear awards for S&E research in areas relevant to the DoD’s mission and important to national security.
The Basic Research Office anticipates up to $14.4 million in total funding will be made available for this program to fully fund and award up to twenty four (24) grants up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each grant award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years.
Awards are subject to funding availability. There is no guarantee of an award.
Eligibility (from the notice)
This funding opportunity aims to create basic research collaborations between a pair of researchers, namely 1) Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI), henceforth referred to as Applicant, a full-time faculty member who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD directly funded research Prime award and 2) Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI), henceforth referred to as Collaborator, an investigator who will provide mentorship to the Applicant and has served as a PI on a DoD directly funded research Prime award actively between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2026. This structure is aimed at introducing potential applicants to the DoD’s unique research challenges and its supportive research ecosystem. Tenured or tenure-track faculty members with appointments at IHE, in the following States/Territories are eligible to apply for DEPSCoR opportunities under this announcement: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming see eligibility table in III A.
Should we apply? (2-minute check) Ask a partner for a letter
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 - Mar15
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need time to write and sign letters. - Mar29
Finish a complete draft for a final review
University grant offices require final versions about 5 business days before the sponsor deadline. Emory Office of Sponsored Programs - Apr3
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Apr5
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in your tracker and private calendar.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the funding notice NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004_DEPSCoR-RC_-_Amendment_2.pdf (68 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. The notice itself always controls.
Award size and project length
Award amounts here are per year · p. 24
“Each grant award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years.” Open page 24
Registrations you need first
Grants.gov · p. 25
“The full FOA can be found on Grants.gov III.” Open page 25
SAM.gov · p. 43
“An active System for Award Management (SAM) registration and SAM issued Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) are required to register through Grants.gov Section IV.F.1 SAM Registration Required provides more information. 3.” Open page 43
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 43
“An active System for Award Management (SAM) registration and SAM issued Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) are required to register through Grants.gov Section IV.F.1 SAM Registration Required provides more information. 3.” Open page 43
New to these? SAM.gov registration can take weeks, so start early: grant-ready checklist.
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 30
“Must include acceptance email as an attachment in block 20 of the SF424.) A.” Open page 30
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 34
“(1) White Paper (required) o Cover Page o Abstract o Program Description Narrative o Collaboration Composition Statement o Basic Research Statement o Anticipated human subjects or vertebrate animals subject research, when applicable o [2] Curriculum Vitae…” Open page 34
Project abstract or summary · p. 34
“(1) White Paper (required) o Cover Page o Abstract o Program Description Narrative o Collaboration Composition Statement o Basic Research Statement o Anticipated human subjects or vertebrate animals subject research, when applicable o [2] Curriculum Vitae…” Open page 34
Form SF-LLL · p. 41
“SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance, including an authorized signature (Required) 18 20 21 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (If Applicable) Invitation email to submit a Full Proposal (Required) Cover Letter Attachment (Not Required) R&R…” Open page 41
Letters of support or commitment · p. 41
“Data Management Plan (Optional) Letter of Support (Required) R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form Expanded (Required) Biographical Sketch (Required) Current & Pending Support (Required) R&R Budget Form (Required) Budget Justification (Required) R&R Subaward…” Open page 41
Budget narrative / justification · p. 41
“Data Management Plan (Optional) Letter of Support (Required) R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form Expanded (Required) Biographical Sketch (Required) Current & Pending Support (Required) R&R Budget Form (Required) Budget Justification (Required) R&R Subaward…” Open page 41
Data management plan · p. 41
“Data Management Plan (Optional) Letter of Support (Required) R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form Expanded (Required) Biographical Sketch (Required) Current & Pending Support (Required) R&R Budget Form (Required) Budget Justification (Required) R&R Subaward…” Open page 41
Length limits
Curriculum Vitae: 2 pages max · p. 34
“(1) White Paper (required) o Cover Page o Abstract o Program Description Narrative o Collaboration Composition Statement o Basic Research Statement o Anticipated human subjects or vertebrate animals subject research, when applicable o [2] Curriculum Vitae…” Open page 34
Abstract: 500 words max · p. 35
“Abstract (not to exceed 500 words):” Open page 35
You: 500 words max · p. 46
“You must provide a concise abstract no more than 500 words with your Full Proposal.” Open page 46
Formatting rules
1-inch margins, single-spaced · p. 37
“Applicant Last Name_First Name DEPSCoR FY26RC_letter Documents must be submitted as two or three PDF files, formatted on 8.5 x 11- inch paper with 1-inch margins and single-spacing.” Open page 37
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 24
“Cost sharing or matching is not required or considered as an evaluation criterion, but you may propose voluntary committed cost sharing or matching, for example, additional support for students.” Open page 24
Mistakes that get applications rejected
Could get your application rejected · p. 32
“Anything marked No is a disqualifier and will be determined a non-eligible factor.” Open page 32
Could get your application rejected · p. 33
“Documents submitted after the deadline or found to be non-compliant will not be reviewed.” Open page 33
Could get your application rejected · p. 35
“White Papers received after the published deadline will not be considered under any circumstance.” Open page 35
Could get your application rejected · p. 52
“The demographic information may be accessible to the reviewer but will not be considered in the evaluation.” Open page 52
Could get your application rejected · p. 55
“Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date will be counted as late and will not be considered.” Open page 55
Who in Tennessee has won this program
25 awards to Tennessee recipients in 5 counties since federal FY2023. Largest shown:
| Recipient | Where | Amount | FY |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $25.8M | 2021 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $18.8M | 2022 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $16.1M | 2026 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $4M | 2026 |
| University Of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | $3.8M | 2022 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $3.4M | 2026 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $3.2M | 2022 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $3M | 2026 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $2.4M | 2021 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $984K | 2020 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $851K | 2022 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knox County | $801K | 2020 |
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 grantee
This federal money also reaches local groups as subawards. 14 subawards on file. Largest shown:
| Recipient | Where | Through | Amount | FY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of California, Los Angeles | $400K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | President and Fellows of Harvard College | $320K | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $310K | 2024 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Oklahoma | $300K | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Michigan Technological University | $234K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Iowa State University of Science and Technology | $225K | 2026 |
| University Of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | President&fellows of Harvard College | $188K | 2023 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $147K | 2025 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Texas At Arlington | $129K | 2026 |
| University Of Tennessee | Tullahoma, Franklin County | University of Massachusetts | $90K | 2023 |
| University Of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Civil-military Innovation Institute, Inc. | $77K | 2024 |
| University Of Tennessee | Tullahoma, Franklin County | University of Massachusetts | $67K | 2024 |
Source: USAspending.gov subaward reports (prime recipients report subawards of $30,000 or more).
About the program (12.431)
Basic Scientific Research
How applications are judged
i. The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal.
ii. The potential contributions of the effort to the Army mission and the extent to which the research effort will contribute to balancing the overall Army research program.
iii. The qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed PI, team leader, or other key personnel who are critical to achievement of the proposed objectives.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. Not Applicable
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2018: INTERNET OF BATTLEFIELD THINGS - The overall objective is to develop the fundamental understanding of dynamically-composable, adaptive, goal-driven Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBTs) to enable predictive analytics for intelligent command and control and battlefield services.
DCIST -Develop the underpinning science to extend the reach, situational awareness, and operational effectiveness of Intelligent System/Soldier teams against dynamic threats in complex and contested environments and provide technical and operational superiority through fast, intelligent, resilient and collaborative behaviors.Fiscal Year2021: Develop Protein Crystal Polymer Hybrids; Listening to the Bioelectronic Signature of Cells; Corrosion Investigation and Modeling; Decoding Multisensory Information at Different Spatiotemporal Scales of Neuronal Resolution; Social Intelligent Agents; and Experimental Strain-Based Tissue Damage Analysis to Model Impact and Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury Scenarios.Fiscal Year2023: Example 1: Texas Tech University was awarded a grant W911NF2410035 for effort titled �Using fNIRS to Predict and Diagnose the Cause of Performance Decrements in...