FY26 DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (DEPSCoR) – RESEARCH COLLABORATION (RC)
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Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The Department of Defense is announcing the fiscal year 2026 Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) – Research Collaboration (RC) opportunity. Sponsored by the Basic Research Office and awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the program aims to increase the number of university researchers in eligible states and territories capable of performing science and engineering research responsive to DoD needs. The objective is to enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education to execute research relevant to national security and increase their competitiveness for federal financial assistance. The DoD anticipates awarding up to 24 grants, each with a total cost of up to 600,000 dollars funded at 200,000 dollars per year over a three-year period, with total program funding estimated at 14.4 million dollars. The selection process is based on a trade-off analysis prioritizing technical merits and potential DoD relevance, followed by principal investigator qualifications, facilities, and cost realism. Applicants must be institutions of higher education in eligible jurisdictions and must provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier and CAGE code. Proposals are subject to rigorous research security reviews, including mandatory disclosures of foreign influence and participation in malign foreign talent recruitment programs. All covered individuals must complete research security training and adhere to Gold Standard Science requirements for reproducibility and transparency. The application process involves a white paper submission by October 12, 2026, followed by a full proposal deadline of April 5, 2027, with all administrative and financial reporting governed by 2 CFR 200 and the Wide Area Workflow system.
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Full Description
The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) – Research Collaboration (RC) opportunity. The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DoD plans to award FY26 DEPSCoR appropriations through this announcement.
DEPSCoR's objectives are to:
(1) increase the number of university researchers in eligible States/Territories capable of performing science and engineering (S&E research responsive to the needs of the DoD; and
(2) enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education (IHE) in eligible States/Territories (listed below) to develop, plan, and execute (S&E) research that is relevant to the mission of the DoD, and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance;
(3) increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHE in eligible States receive from the Federal Government for S&E research.
Consistent with these long term objectives of building research infrastructure, the DoD intends to competitively make, and fund from fiscal year 2026 appropriations, multiyear awards for S&E research in areas relevant to the DoD’s mission and important to national security.
The Basic Research Office anticipates up to $14.4 million in total funding will be made available for this program to fully fund and award up to twenty four (24) grants up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each grant award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years.
Awards are subject to funding availability. There is no guarantee of an award.
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