Funding Track

Dec 2025 | U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) | RFI

The objective of this RFI is to get a better picture of potential  of academic institutions in providing science, technology, and engineering support for ARL. This partnership will cover both basic and applied research, as well as advanced technology development, which can be uniquely facilitated with dedicated and trusted academic partners capable of handling, producing, and storing sensitive information and work products. The institutions will provide support to ARL focused eleven technical fields (with some non-exhaustive examples of CUI+ type projects in each field):

1. Biological & Biotechnology Sciences (non-medical focus): Exploring the potential of biological systems for Army applications, including synthetic biology, biomaterials, and bio-integrated technologies.
2. Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences: Advancing capabilities in sensing, counter-sensing, electronic warfare, and spectrum protection.
3. Energy Sciences: Developing innovative solutions for power generation, storage, conversion, and directed energy technologies (including lasers).
4. Humans in Complex Systems (non-medical focus): Investigating how humans interact with and benefit from advanced technologies, focusing on cognitive enhancement, integrated sensors, and human-technology teaming.
5. Mechanical Sciences: Pioneering advancements in robotics (including swarm robotics), autonomous vehicles (including shape-shifting designs), and human-machine interfaces.
6. Military Information Sciences: Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning for improved decision-making, predictive maintenance, logistics, and communication.
7. Network, Cyber & Computational Sciences: Securing information and systems through advanced encryption, cyber defense, and integrated cross-domain operations (land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace).
8. Photonics, Electronics & Quantum Sciences: Exploring the frontiers of quantum computing/information, advanced timing technologies, and photonic/electronic devices based on emerging quantum materials.
9. Sciences of Extreme Materials: Designing and developing advanced materials with exceptional properties, including lightweight strength, self-healing capabilities, and novel manufacturing processes.
10. Terminal Effects: Analyzing weapon-target interactions, material properties under impact, and mechanisms related to human injury and protection.
11. Weapon Sciences: Conducting research into ballistics, guided weapon systems, and the development of new weapon concepts.

Furthermore, we anticipate interdisciplinary projects covering two or more research areas and requiring teams of people with disparate expertise to successfully address the research questions or goals. The following topics are included, although this list is not comprehensive.
12. Sensing and Intelligence
13. UAS Engineering and Control
14. Energetics
15. Autonomy and collaboration
16. Protection Technologies and Accurate Modeling

Submission: meaghan.l.pimsler.civ@army.mil. 
Deadlines: December 31, 2025, 4:00 PM EST
More Info: https://arl.devcom.army.mil/collaborate-with-
us/opportunity/arl-baa/

Oct 2025 | DOD - DARPA | DSO Pitch Day

The mission of DARPA’s Defense Science Office (DSO) is to identify and sponsor scientific discovery to fuel innovation in research and development for defense. DSO develops and executes an aggressive and forward-leaning portfolio that accelerates the development and maturation of scientific advances across a broad set of technical areas to create asymmetric advantage for U.S. National Security. DSO aims to create strategic surprise by pushing technology toward its fundamental scientific limits, thereby expanding the art of the possible. In addition, DSO looks for transformative trends at the global scale and their potential impact on our nation. The goals of the DSO Pitch Day are to:

1. fund proposals for targeted, short-term efforts with the potential to grow into groundbreaking new DARPA programs, and
2. employ an acquisition strategy to encourage participation by new and first-time or non-traditional proposers. This funding opportunity will aim to broaden DARPA’s reach with small businesses, educational institutions, and other non-traditional performers to break down barriers of entry for performers new to DARPA and the national security space.

BAA Coordinator: DSO-PitchDay@darpa.mil

Deadlines:

• Abstract Submission: Oct 27, 2025, 12:00 pm EDT

More info

Sep 2025 | DOD - DARPA | Defense Sciences Office
(DSO) Office-wide BAA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is soliciting proposals that investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems for national security applications. DSO organizes its research portfolio into the high-interest thrust areas described below:

1. Materials, Manufacturing, and Structures. Breaking the tension between
   performance and efficiency for critical parts, production 4 processes, energetics,
   superconductors, and propulsion.
2. Sensing, Measuring, and Affecting. Developing and leveraging new science to overcome existing barriers limiting the performance and/or practicality of sensing, measurement, and control, to achieve orders of-magnitude improvement in operational capabilities.
3. Math, Computation, and Processing. Enabling quantum, reimagining classical, and developing entirely new forms of computing for enhanced efficiency and new capabilities. Solutions may range from new approaches to hardware (implementation) to representation and computation.
4. Complex, Dynamic, and Intelligent Systems. Creating new scientific capabilities for classes of systems that evolve and adapt and for which traditional reductionist, data-driven, and statistical methods fail. Systems of interest include, but are not limited to, foundations of intelligence, human-AI ecosystems, homeostatic mechanisms, and global systems.

The BAA Coordinator for this effort may be reached at: HR001125S0013@darpa.mil

Deadlines:

• Executive Summary: rolling basis until June 2, 2026, at 4:00 PM
• Proposal Abstract: rolling basis until June 2, 2026, at 4:00 PM
• Proposal Due: rolling basis until June 2, 2026, at 4:00 PM

More Info

Aug 2025 | Navy SBIR, Artificial Hardwood Replacement for Dry Docking Blocks

The conventional topic to be funded is to develop a hardwood replacement compound for the blocks being used in dry docking ships. This loading is perpendicular to the wood grain and in compression only. Wood is used for its compliance under these forces. The replacement compound product does not need to look like wood or have a grain. 

Capability Requirements/Performance Goals

A replacement compound for the hardwood caps would:

• Have the same or greater compressive strength when compared to white oak

• Have similar stress-strain characteristics to white oak

• Be nailable with similar or greater pullout strength to white oak

• Be able to withstand at least 330 LT for up to five years while remaining dimensionally stable

• Be immune to fungal and insect attack

• Be submersible without degradation 

• Have the same or greater friction with concrete and steel without damaging the surface

• Be shapeable with woodworking tools

• Be nontoxic with nontoxic byproducts from cutting and forming 

• Be price competitive to white oak

• Be produced in lead times under 30 days for up to 20k board-feet

Deadlines:

DON begins accepting proposals: 27 August 2025

Topic Q&A closes to new questions: 10 September 2025

Full proposals due: no later than 12:00 p.m. ET 24 September 2025

More Info 

Aug 2025 | USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Researches

This notice identifies the objectives for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science program projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions. AFRI is America’s flagship competitive grants program that provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences. In this RFA, NIFA requests applications for the six AFRI priority areas through the FAS Program for FY 2026. The goal of this program is to invest in agricultural production research, education, and extension projects for more sustainable, productive, and economically-viable plant and animal production systems. It is imperative to develop innovative, safe, and sustainable management strategies for livestock (including poultry and aquaculture species), crops, and critical underlying resources.
 

In 2026, applications are sought in the following priority areas:
1. Plant health and production and plant products;
2. Animal health and production and animal products;
3. Food safety, nutrition, and health;
4. Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;
5. Agriculture systems and technology; and
6. Agriculture economics and rural communities
 

The amount available for programs included in the FY 2026 AFRI FAS RFA is approximately $300,000,000. Funding from FY 2026 appropriations will be used for the programs solicited in this RFA. Funding from FY2025 appropriations was provided to applications submitted to the FY24 AFRI FAS RFA published December 15. 2023. The amount available to support the AFRI program is anticipated to be approximately $407,000,000, of which $300 million will be used to
support AFRI FAS programs.

DEADLINE:

Full Application Submission: vary by program area (between October and November 2025)

More Info

Jul 2025 | DE-FOA | Energy Critical Materials Assessment

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on its Request for Information (RFI) number DE-FOA-0003568 regarding the 2026 Energy Critical Materials Assessment. This RFI seeks public comment on energy technologies of interest, materials of interest, supply chain information, market dynamics, challenges to domestic industry, methodology, DOE critical materials and DOI critical minerals lists, and other stakeholder issues related to the Energy Critical Materials Assessment. Such input will inform the 2026 Energy Critical Materials Assessment.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to EnergyCriticalMaterialsRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on July 25, 2025.

This is solely a request for information and not a Notice of funding Opportunity (NOFO). AMMTO is not accepting applications.

DEADLINES:

Full Application Submission Deadline: 7/25/2025 5:00 PM ET

More Info

Jan 2025 | DE-FOA | Turbine Technology

The activities to be funded under this NOFO support BIL sections 41007(b)(2) and the broader government-wide approach to strengthen critical domestic manufacturing and supply chains and to maximize the benefits of the clean energy transitionas the nation works to curb the climate crisis, empower workers, and advance environmental justice. This BIL section, through reference to section 3003(b)(4) of the Energy Act of 2020, addresses:

• Research and development projects to create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of wind energy technologies, including:
  • by increasing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the recovery of raw materials from wind energy technology components and system,
  • by minimizing potential environmental impacts from the recovery and disposal processes,
  • by advancing technologies and processes for the disassembly and recycling of wind energy devices,
  • by developing alternative materials, designs, manufacturing processes, and other aspects of wind energy technologies and the disassembly and resource recovery process that enable efficient, cost effective, and environmentally responsible disassembly of, and resource recovery from, wind energy technologies; and,
  • strategies to increase consumer acceptance of, and participation in, the recycling of wind energy technologies.

DEADLINES:

• Full Application Submission: 2/11/2025 5:00 PM ET

More info

Dec 2024 | ARPA-E | RECOVER

The RECOVER program seeks to develop technologies to concentrate and recover high value energy materials from aqueous waste streams. Priority high value energy materials for the program are ammonia and metals considered critical to energy and diversifying the U.S. supply chain. Ammonia is produced using the Haber-Bosch process with a high energy and greenhouse gas penalty, and much of this ammonia ends up in municipal and animal waste streams where it is destroyed without recovery. Critical metals are obtained from ore mining and processing and are almost entirely sourced from overseas; their use in infrastructure and military technologies makes their supply a matter of national concern. Produced water and mining waste streams have sufficient amounts of key critical metals to displace all or most of U.S. imports. The RECOVER program will enable: i) the replacement of 50% of conventional ammonia supplies, and all or partial critical metals imports, ii) the valorization of multiple high value energy materials from an aqueous waste stream, iii) the reduction of energy demands and CO2-equivalent (CO2eq) emissions for ammonia and critical metals procurement, and iv)the recovery of market-valuable products at competitive prices. Recovery of market-valuable products will create new revenue sources for aqueous waste stream processors, thereby reducing net costs and contributing to improved water treatment outcomes.

DEADLINES:

• Letter of Intent: None.
• Concept Paper Submission: 12/31/2024 9:30 AM ET
• Full Application Submission: TBD

More info

Dec 2024 | ARPA-E | NOFO

The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) is considering issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support the development of technologies aimed at accelerating genetic engineering for bioenergy crops. This potential NOFO would focus on bioenergy crops that significantly address ARPA-E mission areas, such as decreasing energy imports and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as strengthening U.S. leadership in developing and deploying energy technologies. The purpose of this Teaming Partner List announcement is to facilitate the formation of new project teams to respond to the potential NOFO. Any NOFO issued in the future would provide specific program goals, technical metrics, and selection criteria. If there are any inconsistencies between this announcement and the potential NOFO, the NOFO language would be controlling.

DEADLINES:

• Letter of Intent: None.
• Concept Paper Submission: TBD
• Full Application Submission: TBD

More info

Dec 2024 | ARPA-E | CATALCHEM-ESBIR/STTR

The Catalytic Application Testing for Accelerated Learning Chemistries via High-throughput Experimentation and Modeling Efficiently SBIR/STTR (CATALCHEM-ESBIR/STTR) program aims to disrupt and accelerate the design and development cycle for heterogeneous catalyst R&D workflows. The program will span from rational material discovery to synthesis and final reactor testing. These novel workflows will be developed by coupling the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with high-throughput experimentation (HTE) to verifiably complete 10–15 years of traditional catalysis R&D work within 12–18 months, thus achieving more than a ten-time acceleration in the catalyst development cycle. The program will then use these new tools to discover and optimize catalytic chemistries relevant to ARPA-E’s goals. These new chemistries will ultimately help advance the objective of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

DEADLINES:

• Letter of Intent: None
• Concept Paper Submission Deadline: 12/17/2024, 9:30 AM ET
• Full Application Submission Deadline: TBD

More Info