Technology Grants

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) supports the mission of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) by promoting nationwide scientific progress. Through this program, NSF fosters partnerships among academic institutions, government entities, industry, and non-profits. These collaborations aim to drive long-term improvements in research infrastructure, enhance R&D capacity, and boost the research competitiveness of eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions, including states, territories, and commonwealths. A jurisdiction s research ecosystem is the interconnected network of institutions, organizations, researchers, trainees, community stakeholders, and resources that contribute to the process of research and innovation that advances fundamental knowledge, generates use-inspired products, and ultimately cultivates beneficial societal impacts for a jurisdiction. E-RISE supports hypothesis-driven or problem-driven research and fosters the development of research teams and products in a scientific topical area that aligns with a jurisdiction s research ecosystem and priorities, as detailed in the jurisdiction s Science and Technology (S&T) Plan or drawn from other jurisdiction plans, reports, or publications prepared by appropriate authorities or bodies.E-RISE invitesinnovativeproposalswithin the chosen research area thatwillleadto development and implementation of sustainable broad networks of individuals, institutions, and organizations, and that will transform the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research capacity and competitiveness in a jurisdiction. E-RISE is particularly interested in proposals that justify exploring emerging or interdisciplinary research areas with high potential impact. E-RISE projects must have a clearly articulated research goal that will lead to new knowledge by addressing a clear hypothesis or problem. The E-RISE projectshould promote (i) areas of research capacity-building within a chosen research topic; (ii) development of a skilled workforce that is relevant to the research topic, as well as the project and its outcomes; (iii) a culture of collaboration and engagement across different types of academic institutions and organizations, as well as non-academic sectors (e.g., industry and government); (iv) integration of the research with societal impacts; and (v) a clear sustainability plan to preserve the resulting research incubator's team and products beyond E-RISE funding.

DOT Federal Highway Administration

FY25-FY26 Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN)

U.S. National Science Foundation

Plasma science is a transdisciplinary field of research where fundamental studies in many disciplines, including plasma physics, plasma chemistry, materials science, and space science, come together to advance knowledge for discovery and technological innovation. The primary goal of the ECosystem forLeadingInnovation inPlasmaScience andEngineering (ECLIPSE) program is to identify and capitalize on opportunities for bringing fundamental plasma science investigations to bear on problems of societal and technological need within the scope of science and engineering supported by the participating NSF programs. The ECLIPSE meta-program has been created to foster an inclusive community of scientists and engineers, an ecosystem spanning multiple NSF Directorates, in the pursuit of translational research at the interface of fundamental plasma science and technological innovation. The ECLIPSE program builds on the long history of NSF leadership in supporting multi-disciplinary research in plasma science and engineering, and is intended to enhance organizational unity within NSF, and potentially with other funding agencies, in considering proposals and supporting projects that may otherwise struggle to find a natural home within the existing hierarchy of Directorates, Divisions, and programs within the Foundation. Examples of topical areas within the scope of the ECLIPSE program include but are not limited to: Plasma surface interactions, with applications to, e.g., advanced manufacturing, materials processing, and catalysis. Atmospheric pressure plasmas and microplasmas with applications to, e.g., microelectronics, plasma agriculture, environmental remediation, and other clean and decarbonized energy goals enabled by electrification of the chemical industry. Dusty plasmas with applications to, e.g., development of nanomaterials, aerosols, and functionalized surface coatings. Novel sensor development for highly non-equilibrium plasmas with applications to, e.g., cubesat-based geospace measurements and industrial plasma diagnostics. Novel computational modeling for multi-component and/or multi-phase plasma systems with applications to, e.g., space weather prediction and plasma reactor design. Novel studies of plasmons in nano-photonics and nano-optics with applications to, e.g., sub-THz wireless communication and photocatalytic chemical processes. New chemical measurement science for characterizing processes occurring in plasmas and using plasmas as part of measurement systems with applications to, e.g., analysis of environmental contaminants or identification of forensic evidence. Study of fundamental chemical reactions and mechanisms in plasmas with applications to, e.g., novel chemical synthesis. Proposals submitted for consideration by this program should address societal or technological needs within the scope of science and engineering supported by the National Science Foundation. Proposals addressing technology development primarily supported by other US government funding agencies are not eligible for consideration and may be returned without review. Proposers are strongly encouraged to contact the cognizant Program Officers if they are unsure of the suitability of a project to this program. Proposals submitted for consideration by the ECLIPSE program should satisfy the following criteria: (1) clearly articulate the fundamental scientific and/or engineering challenge in plasma science and engineering that may be relevant to more than one NSF program; and (2) provide a substantive discussion of how a resolution of the stated scientific and/or engineering challenge will address specific societal and/or technological needs identified as priorities by the research communities, policymakers and/or other stakeholders. Depending on the nature of the proposal, the latter may be described as the Intellectual Merit or the Broader Impact of the proposed activity. The program encourages inclusion of specific efforts to increase the diversity of the ECLIPSE community and to broaden participation of under-represented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as Broader Impacts of proposed work. The program welcomes proposals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and institutions in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions, along with collaborations between these institutions. Proposers are also encouraged to address how the proposed efforts may enhance workforce development towards STEM careers associated with the field of plasma science and engineering. The ECLIPSE program is not intended to replace existing programs. A proposal that is requesting consideration within the context of ECLIPSE should begin the title with the identifying acronym "ECLIPSE:" and should be submitted to one of the "Related Programs" listed below. In choosing the most relevant program, proposers are advised to read program descriptions and solicitations carefully and to consult with cognizant Program Officers in advance of proposal preparation. Proposal submissions outside of the scientific scope of the receiving program may be transferred to a different program or may be returned without review. Proposers should ask for consideration and review as an ECLIPSE proposal only if the proposal addresses both of the criteria listed above. Proposals marked for consideration by the ECLIPSE program that do not address both of these criteria may be returned without review or reviewed within the context of an individual program. Supplement requests to existing awards within a program that address both of the above criteria may also be considered. Information Sharing with other Funding Agencies When permitted under an MOU between NSF and another funding agency, NSF may share information from proposals for consideration of joint funding and may invite employees of such organizations to attend merit review panels as observers.

U.S. National Science Foundation

The long-range goal of the Research Training Groups in the Mathematical Sciences (RTG) program is to strengthen the nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the number of well-prepared U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents who pursue careers in the mathematical sciences, be they in academia, government, or industry. The RTG program supports efforts to improve graduate student research training and professional development through structured groups pursuing collaborative research. In addition to graduate student trainees working with faculty members, RTG supported research teams may, but are not required to, include undergraduate or postdoctoral trainees. The RTG program invites submissions in all fields within mathematical sciences; especially encouraged in 2024-2025 are those that align and integrate research in mathematics and statistics with emerging areas such asArtificial Intelligence, Biotechnology,Quantum Computing, and Cybersecurity.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Space Technology Artemis Research (M-STAR) opportunity is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiative through its Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). It is designed to strengthen the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the future of space exploration.

U.S. National Science Foundation

Correctness for Scientific Computing Systems (CS2) is a joint program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The program addresses challenges that are both core to DOE s mission and essential to NSF s mission of ensuring broad scientific progress. The program s overarching goal is to elevate correctness as a fundamental requirement for scientific computing tools and tool chains, spanning low-level libraries through complex multi-physics simulations and emerging scientific workflows. At an elementary level, correctness of a system means that desired behavioral properties will be satisfied during the system s execution. In the context of scientific computing, correctness can be understood, at both the level of software and hardware, as absence of faulty behaviors such as excessive numerical rounding, floating-point exceptions, data races deadlocks, memory faults, violations of specifications at interfaces of system modules, and so on. The CS2 program puts correctness on an equal footing with performance, the focus of current scientific computing research. This program envisions the necessity of proving correctness even in performant scientific computing systems. Such correctness proofs themselves might rely upon multiple factors, including correctness of static and runtime program analyses. Recognizing that many scientific computing applications are inherently statistical, use probabilistic or randomized algorithms, and/or deal with uncertain data, probabilistic notions of correctness may be needed. It is also critical to realize that correctness guarantees are provided with respect to some pre-defined system model. For many reasons, including misspecification, approximation, and defect, the state space allowed by real systems might depart from that model. When this happens, the ability to probe the system to isolate the discrepancy is a key challenge in many domains. CS2 requires close and continuous collaboration between researchers in two complementary areas of expertise. One area is scientific computing, which, for this solicitation, is broadly construed to include: models and simulations of scientific theories; management and analysis of data from scientific simulations, observations, and experiments; libraries for numerical computation; and allied topics. The second area is formal reasoning and mechanized proving of properties of programs, which, for this solicitation, is broadly construed to include automatic/interactive/auto-active verification, runtime verification, type systems, abstract interpretation, programming languages, program analysis, program logic, compilers, concurrency, stochastic reasoning, static and dynamic testing, property-based testing, and allied topics.

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command

This solicitation invites applications (also referred to as proposals ) for basic research projects. The proposals must align with the research areas of interest to the DoW (which includes the USW(R&E) and the Agencies) and enhance the education of students in areas of STEM that align with the DoW research interests. Information about these areas of interest (including websites) is discussed below. The USW(R&E) Critical Technology Area descriptions are at https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CTA-One-Pager-Option-Nov2025.pdf. The critical technology priorities rely on innovation and workforce talent. The critical technology areas are: - Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI) - Biomanufacturing (BIO) - Contested Logistics Technologies (LOG) - Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID) - Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE) - Scaled Hypersonics (SHY) Basic research projects in research areas of interest to the Agencies are presented in their respective Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), which are available as follows: Army Research Laboratory combined Broad Agency Announcement is available at: https://www.arl.army.mil/collaborate-with-us/opportunity/arl-baa/. This BAA may also be found on Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) by entering the BAA number, W911NF-23-S-0001, in the Search Grants keyword box. Office of Naval Research: https://www.onr.navy.mil/ Select Work With Us, then Funding Opportunities, and then BAAs, FOAs and Special Program Announcements to see the FY26 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology, BAA N00014-23-S-B001. This BAA may also be found on Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) by entering the BAA number in the Search Grants keyword box. In addition to providing details about the Agencies research interests, the above documents include names and contact information of technical program managers. Principal Investigator and a Co-Principal Investigator (PI/Co-PI) are encouraged to peruse the research interests of each Agency and to contact the respective program managers to discuss mutual research interests. Applications with relevance to the interests of multiple Agencies may receive multiple reviews. Additional information and questions about the critical technology areas should be directed to Agency Contacts identified in Section II.G. of this NOFO. Other research areas that are not aligned with the (OUSW(R&E)/ASW(S&T) critical technology priorities listed in I.B.7 will be considered. The Agencies BAA listed above under I.B.6 provides other research areas of interest to the DoW. NOTE: Use the above-referenced Agency documents only to identify research areas of interest to the Agencies. Disregard instructions contained therein regarding application preparation, content, and submission requirements. Instead, follow the instructions in this NOFO. Projects proposed for funding under this NOFO must be for basic research. As defined by DoW, basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications toward processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, life sciences, and information sciences related to long-term national security needs. Principal Investigator and a Co-Principal Investigator (PI/Co-PI) are encouraged to consider innovative approaches for their research projects with a view toward enhancing the ability of their institution to develop stronger science and engineering programs that will enable the institution to participate more competitively in a variety of defense research programs, attract and retain good students by exposing them to state-of-the-art research, and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. Methods through which these goals can be achieved are varied. Factors such as research capabilities, facilities, and equipment are unique to each institution. Therefore, DoW will not prescribe the approach for a research project; instead, it expects applications to reflect the unique needs and capabilities of the applicant institution.

NASA Headquarters

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released the solicitation Early Stage Innovations for In Situ Resource Utilization (ESI26-ISRU), as an appendix to the Research and Technology Mission Directorate (RTMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2026 (SpaceTech REDDI 2026). . The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting Open under "Solicitations," and searching "Early Stage Innovations (ESI26) under Keywords, or directly via https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI_B7. Through ESI, Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within RTMD solicits proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) for innovative, early-stage space technology research of high priority to NASA. Proposals are sought on specific space technologies that are currently at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are primarily responsive to civil-space needs and use cases and not terrestrial and/or non-civil-space applications. The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to the following topic: Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization Water Purification. Only U.S. IHEs are eligible to submit proposals to this Appendix. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be either a tenured faculty member or an untenured faculty member on the tenure track from the proposing IHE. Teaming and collaboration are permitted, subject to the restrictions described in the solicitation. The financial and programmatic support for ESI comes from the STRG Program within RTMD. Awards are planned to start in June 2027. NASA plans to make approximately 3 awards as a result of this ESI solicitation, subject to the receipt of meritorious proposals and the availability of funds. The actual number of awards will depend on the quality of the proposals received; NASA reserves the right to make no awards under this solicitation. All proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative. Proposals are being solicited via a two-step process where preliminary proposals are mandatory and only those invited may submit a full proposal. Mandatory preliminary proposals are due on or before August 13, 2026, 5 pm Eastern, and the target deadline for invited full proposals is December 16, 2026, 5 pm Eastern. Detailed submission instructions and due dates are provided in the solicitation. Potential proposers and their proposing organizations are urged to familiarize themselves with the submission system, ensure they are registered in NSPIRES, and submit the required proposal materials well in advance of the deadline. Technical and programmatic comments and questions may be addressed by email to the Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive at hq-esi-call@mail.nasa.gov. Responses to inquiries will be answered by email and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.