U.S. Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services (WHS)
Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering
Key facts
- Open now
- 5 grants
- Opening soon
- 1 grant
- Closed for this year
- 1 grant, next round estimated
- Type of help
- Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
- Typical award
- See individual BAAs for expected range of award accounts (generally vary from $50,000 to $3,000,000 over 1 to 5 year periods of performance).
Open now
- Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) Equipment/Instrumentation · Due Oct 9, 2026 · 2 days left
- Boosting Innovative GEOINT - Science & Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BIG-ST BAA) · Due Dec 14, 2026 · 68 days left
- ERDC Broad Agency Announcement · Due Jan 1, 2027 · 86 days left
- UNITED STATES ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (ARI) BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BASIC, APPLIED, AND ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH · Due Apr 30, 2028 · 571 days left
- Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver · No deadline listed: see the official notice
Opening soon
Announced, but you can't apply yet. Get ready now.
- Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) · Opening date not announced
Closed for this year
This year's round is over. GrantMe estimated the next round from last year's dates.
- 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
What it pays for
To: (1) Support basic, applied, or advanced research in mathematical, physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences, and other fields with good, long-term potential for contributing to technology for Department of Defense missions; (2) facilitate transition of research results to practical application for defense needs; (3) improve linkages between defense research and the civilian technology and industrial bases, to promote commercial application of the results of defense research and commercial availability of technology for defense needs; (4) foster education of future scientists and engineers in disciplines critical to defense through research projects; and (5) strengthen the infrastructure for research and related science and engineering education in those disciplines.
Who can apply
The eligibility for applicants will be in accordance with the individual program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunity. Generally, competitions are open to private and public educational institutions that carry out science and engineering research and/or related science and engineering education; however, competition may be limited to a class of such institutions, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities or other minority institutions (HBCUs/MIs). Some competitions may allow eligibility to other types of organizations, such as for-profit applicants. However, awards are not made to individuals.
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
Fiscal year 2022: ROLE OF LIPIDS REORGANIZED BY VIRAL PROTEINS AND RESTRICTION FACTORS IN VIRAL LIFE CYCLE; RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR TOOLS FOR SPECIES CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT; NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR RE-GENERATING LEAD ACID BATTERIES; SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND WATER QUALITY IN WATERSHEDS AND COASTLINES OF THE UNITED STATES; MATERIALS UNDER EXTREME LUBRICATING CONDITIONS; ULTRA-HIGH SPEED IMAGING AND LASER DIAGNOSTICS FOR HYPERSONICS RESEARCH;...
Who in Tennessee has won this program
25 awards to Tennessee groups 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.
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).