Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 4144, in alignment with Section 223 of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), funding in the FY 2026 defense appropriations, and, Presidential Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking, the DoW announces this funding opportunity for the acquisition of equipment/instrumentation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
The program is executed under policy and guidance of the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) and is administered by ARL, ONR, and AFOSR, hereafter called “the Agencies.”
This Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to (a) enhance research and education programs and capabilities in scientific and engineering disciplines critical to the national security functions of DoW; (b) enhance the capacity of HBCUs and TCUs to participate in DoW research programs and activities; and (c) increase the number of graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The DoW is announcing this research solicitation based on 10 U.S.C. § 4144 and Section 223 of the FY 2026 NDAA (https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/s1071/BILLS-119s1071enr.pdf), which directs for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of Defense to ensure that funding solicitations through the DoW HBCU/MI Program Element include separate funding solicitations each focused toward: (1) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges; and (2) Minority-Serving Institutions that are not HBCUs or TCUs. Also informing this solicitation is Section 262 of the NDAA for FY 2020 (https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ92/PLAW-116publ92.pdf), section 220 of the NDAA for FY 2022 (https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ81/PLAW-117publ81.pdf), and the publication of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled “Defense Research Capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions: Transitioning from Good Intentions to Measurable Outcomes” dated April 28, 2022 (https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/26399).
The DoW is soliciting applications (also referred to as “proposals”) for the acquisition of equipment/instrumentation under the Fiscal Year 2027 Research and Education Program for HBCU/MI. The Research and Education Program is designed to enhance the research capabilities of HBCUs and MIs and to strengthen their STEM education programs. The purpose of the funding under this NOFO is to (1) support the acquisition of equipment/instrumentation to augment existing capabilities or to develop new capabilities in research areas of interest to DoW, and (2) attract students to pursue studies leading to STEM careers. Although funding provided under this NOFO cannot be used for student support, in order to further DoW’s objective of attracting students to pursue studies leading to STEM careers, applicants must address the impact of the requested equipment/instrumentation on student participation in research.
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.