FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) Program | N00014 23 S F005

Opportunity Information: Apply for N00014 23 S F005

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity under its Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Program through Funding Opportunity Number N00014-23-S-F005 (CFDA/Assistance Listing 12.330). The announcement is positioned as a general funding opportunity for STEM-related efforts that align with ONR interests, and it is structured as a grant (not a contract). The opportunity was created on April 3, 2023, with an original closing date of April 2, 2024. While the summary information provided does not list an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the intent is clearly to support STEM program activities via competitive grant applications.

A major emphasis of this FOA is broadening participation and encouraging proposals from Minority Institutions and other “covered educational institutions” referenced in 10 U.S.C. 2362. The notice explicitly calls out a wide range of Minority Serving Institutions as especially encouraged to apply, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and Native American-serving nontribal institutions. This language signals that ONR is actively looking to increase engagement with institutions that have historically been underrepresented in federal STEM funding pipelines, and that applications from these organizations are welcome and encouraged.

Eligibility is broad for non-government applicants, spanning academia, non-profit organizations, and for-profit industry, as long as they are responsible sources capable of carrying out the proposed work. The FOA also notes that foreign entities will be considered, which is important for international universities, research organizations, or companies that may be able to contribute to ONR STEM objectives. In practical terms, that means applicants are not restricted solely to U.S.-based institutions, although foreign participation in U.S. government-funded work often comes with additional review, compliance, and security considerations depending on the project content.

At the same time, the FOA draws firm boundaries around which types of government-associated research entities cannot be direct recipients. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this FOA. However, the FOA does allow teaming arrangements that include FFRDCs, as long as the prime applicant is eligible and the partnership is permitted under the specific FFRDC’s sponsoring agreement with the government. In other words, an FFRDC can potentially support the work as a collaborator or team member, but it cannot be the organization receiving the award as the prime recipient under this announcement.

The restrictions are even clearer for certain Department of Defense and government laboratory entities. Navy laboratories, military universities, warfare centers, and other DoD and civilian agency laboratories are not eligible to receive awards under this FOA, and they are instructed not to submit white papers or full applications. This is a direct prohibition, meaning those organizations should not participate as applicants, even at the preliminary white paper stage. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are treated differently: they are eligible to submit white papers and/or proposals unless their specific DoD UARC contract prevents them from applying. That caveat matters because UARC contracts sometimes include limitations on the types of competitions they can enter or how they can accept certain kinds of funding.

Overall, this ONR STEM FOA is a grant competition intended to fund STEM program-related activities aligned with ONR priorities, with a strong encouragement for Minority Serving Institutions and other covered educational institutions to apply. The eligible applicant pool includes universities, non-profits, and industry (including for-profit), and it allows foreign entities to be considered. Ineligible entities include FFRDCs as prime awardees (though they can team under certain conditions) and a broad range of DoD and other government laboratories, including Navy labs and military universities, which are explicitly barred from submitting white papers or proposals.

• The Office of Naval Research in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.330.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-04-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-02. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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