The U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC) have partnered to issue a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeking proposals to advance cutting-edge scientific discovery, provide technological innovation and transition knowledge products to empower U.S. Army capabilities.

Proposers should tailor their use-inspired research and translation projects towards national security and/or national defense.

This DCL specifically seeks projects that are aligned with six core competencies: survivability and protection; robotics and autonomy; power and mobility; additive manufacturing; fuel and lubricants; and modeling, simulation and software development. In addition, projects should deliver on DEVCOM GVSC research initiatives and work toward developing, integrating, enhancing and sustaining DEVCOM GVSC capabilities to support U.S. Army modernization priorities and improve readiness.

"We look forward to supporting the U.S. Army and providing pathways to innovation to secure our nation's defense," said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. "This opportunity underscores how essential science and technology advancements are to our nation, not only for global competitiveness but for national security as well."

The DEVCOM GVSC funding opportunity is offered through the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, which recently launched the new Translation to Practice (NSF TTP) program. Projects should:

• Identify and support the initiation of use-inspired research and initial translational activities enabling a continuum from foundational research to practice.
• Develop partnerships and collaborations that include traditional (academic) and nontraditional entities. These sustainable partnerships will accelerate the transfer of technology by ensuring that needs and opportunities are appropriately addressed.
• Promote and advance the education and training of students and postdoctoral researchers, avoiding undue geographic concentration of funding and encouraging the participation of all Americans.
• Identify future customer needs and opportunities. 

"Through this collaboration with NSF, we are building a pathway to accelerate the maturation and transition of innovative fundamental research that shortens technology development timelines and delivers critical capabilities to the soldier faster," said David Gorsich, chief scientist for U.S. Army DEVCOM GVSC.

The NSF TTP program will consider proposals that are responsive to the core competencies and interests of the DEVCOM GVSC across all three tracks of the NSF TTP program solicitation.

To learn more about this funding opportunity, view the full DCL.

The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), has issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeking proposals to advance a broad research, development, test and evaluation portfolio with an emphasis on warfare systems development and integration.

The funding opportunity is offered through the new Translation to Practice (NSF TTP) program, led by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP). The NSF TTP program aims to invest in use-inspired research, translational activities and partnerships that turn scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. Researchers can participate in a wide range of translational activities, including but not limited to preparing and testing prototypes, protecting intellectual property, launching commercial activities, participating in open-source ecosystems, developing research standards, forming partnerships, and/or facilitating licensing and/or industry adoption.

"Together, NSF and the U.S. Navy are working to advance national security research and strengthen our national defense," said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for NSF TIP. "At the core of that work is accelerating the critical research and ideas that can help keep our country safe, secure and globally competitive."

The DCL requests that submitted proposals should align with NSWCDD research initiatives and work towards developing, testing, evaluating, integrating, enhancing and/or sustaining complex naval warfare systems, including:

• Intelligent automation systems which lie at the intersection of autonomy, artificial intelligence and unmanned systems.
• Software and cyber engineering.
• Digital engineering, including advancement in live, virtual and constructive capabilities and digital transformation.
• Hypersonic weapons advancement and information superiority, which includes advanced sensors and electromagnetics, integrated combat systems, advanced integrated fire control and battle management aid development.

Additionally, the TTP program will consider proposals that are responsive to the core competencies and interests of NSWCDD across all three tracks of the program solicitation. The three TTP program tracks are:

• Explore funds adventurous, "high-risk" use-inspired activities, bridging the gap between fundamental scientific curiosity and a practical desire to address real-world problems. Proposers must have a current NSF award and be interested in transitioning the foundational research to "use-inspired" activities.
• Translate funds translating prior research results into technological innovations with promising commercial, economic and/or societal impacts. This track starts with use-inspired research and further matures ideas, iterates and improves solutions, ensures scalability and accessibility and lowers the barriers to effective translation.
• Partner funds complex, multi-disciplinary, multi-organizational teams pursuing translational development projects. Strategic partnerships with stakeholders beyond their universities and research organizations are the essential ingredients for success and may include industry, government entities at all levels, philanthropies or other groups associated with large-scale productization and distribution.

To learn more about this funding opportunity, view the full DCL.

The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports grants in six AFRI priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The six priority areas are: Plant Health and Production and Plant Products; Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health; Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment; Agriculture Systems and Technology; and Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities. Research-only, extension-only, and integrated research, education and/or extension projects are solicited in this Request for Applications (RFA). See Foundational and Applied Science RFA for specific detail.

Department of Defense (DoD) Funding Opportunities

DoD uses the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) funding mechanism to procure basic and applied research via issuing topics for scientific study and experimentation, which are directed towards advancing the state-of-the-art, increasing knowledge, or understanding, instead of focusing on a specific system or hardware solution.

To search, filter, and view topics under active or archived DoD SBIR/STTR solicitations, visit: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/.

Department of Defense (DoD) Funding Opportunities

• Topics are pre-released on the first Wednesday of every month.

DoD SBIR CSO X25.5

• Three topics - U.S. Air Force (USAF)
• Topics are pre-released on the first Wednesday of every month.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guide for Grants and Contracts, including Funding Opportunities and Other Notices

The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts is NIH’s official publication of notices of grant policies, guidelines, and funding opportunities. NIH publishes a daily and issues a Weekly Table of Contents. View Active Opportunities and generic parent announcements for investigator-initiated research.

Department of Defense, Army, DLA, DMEA, and DARPA | SBIR 2025.4 Opportunities Now Open

These programs are Congressionally-mandated set-asides to encourage domestic small businesses’ engagement in research and development, scientific excellence, and technological innovation through federal research fund investment in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy and accelerate Warfighter capabilities.

FY 2026 DoD SBIR/STTR Solicitation Schedule/Dates here. 

Department of Defense, Air Force, Navy, DHA, and MDA | SBIR 2025.1 and STTR 2025.A Opportunities Now Open

The Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program’s objectives include stimulating technological innovation, strengthening the role of small business to meet DoD research and development (R&D) needs, fostering and encouraging minority and disadvantaged persons’ participation in  technological innovation, and increasing the commercial application of DoD-supported research or R&D results.

FY 2026 DoD SBIR/STTR Solicitation Schedule/Dates here. 

Defense SBIR/STTR Program Launches New, Revised Solicitation Schedule

This fall, the Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office launched a new, revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 solicitation schedule. Since October, DoD SBIR/STTR solicitations release the first Wednesday of each month. We invite small businesses to visit the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) www.dodsbirsttr.mil for topic releases.

The revised schedule provides small businesses with additional funding opportunities on a predictable schedule. For Services and Components, the schedule provides a manageable, repeatable process. Additional highlights include:

• Flexible Services/Components participation options
• Flexible pre-release duration
• Open/close dates may differ pending pre-release duration 

Below is the new FY26 schedule with sample Pre-release, Open and Close dates. Be sure to frequently check DSIP, our website, www.defensesbirsttr.mil, and our social media pages for any updates or changes: LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/company/dodsbirsttr; Instagram, @dodsbir; X (Twitter), @dodsbir and Facebook, @dodsbir