Classroom Laboratory Development Grant Program

The Classroom Laboratory Development Grant Program is offered by the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics for entities that want to develop or refurbish laboratory space for aerospace or aviation education. The opportunity is intended to support aviation and aerospace curriculum implementation by helping eligible schools and universities upgrade a classroom or begin development of a dedicated aerospace and aviation laboratory. Secondary schools and universities offering aerospace or aviation coursework may request grant support from $10,000 to $100,000. The program may be used to upgrade or develop lab space for aviation and/or aerospace curriculum. Suggested eligible budget requests include paint, flooring, electrical drops, laboratory tables, chairs, appropriate furniture, and larger equipment such as flight simulators, wind tunnels, and tool sets. The application budget must estimate all items required to upgrade or develop the lab space. Item substitutions may be considered case by case, but additional items may not be added after award without special approval. Applicants must demonstrate a match of at least 20% of the total grant request or project costs. The application states that the applicant is responsible for at minimum 20% of the project costs through funding, in-kind work, or donations. Matching funds must be expended at the onset of the grant or during grant implementation and may not reflect purchases made before grant implementation. Matching funds also may not reflect operational costs such as salaries or utilities. The grant restricts several budget categories. Budget requests should not include consumable materials or supplies, drones, field trips, travel, or professional development. The application also identifies overhead expenses, consumables, salaries, and drones as ineligible items. Applicants are expected to incur all costs and receive reimbursement after expenditure of funds and completion of the project. Reimbursement requires an invoice addressed to ODAA and corresponding receipts documenting the expenditure of all requested funds, submitted by email to education@aerospace.ok.gov. Eligible applicants include schools, CareerTech entities, and universities in Oklahoma that will implement or continue aerospace or aviation curriculum. Grant recipients must commit to continued implementation of strong aerospace or aviation curriculum for at least 5 years after the grant award. If the entity discontinues the program, it must repay expended grant funds to ODAA on a pro-rated basis. If awarded funds are used to purchase a flight simulator and the applicant discontinues the program, the applicant must return the equipment to ODAA within 30 days of the final aviation or aerospace class. The application requires applicant entity name, address, contact person, work and cell phone, email, curriculum taught, program goals and objectives, a description of how proposed upgrades will help implement the curriculum, a description of the current classroom state and what the funds will improve, and a project budget. Applicants may attach pictures as an appendix if desired. The application must be downloaded, saved as a PDF before completion, and emailed to education@aerospace.ok.gov. Incomplete applications may not be accepted. The application deadline is February 13, 2026. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-application, award notification date, scoring criteria, or recurring schedule is stated in the provided materials. The program receiving grant funds must be completed within one calendar year from the date funds are formally allocated for the approved application. Records of expenditures must be maintained for at least 3 years and made reasonably available for audit by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector.

Emphasize how the lab upgrade directly supports aerospace/aviation curriculum implementation. Confirm the 20% match through funding, in-kind work, or donations. Do not include ineligible expenses such as consumables, salaries, overhead, drones, field trips, travel, or professional development. Ensure the application is complete, saved as a PDF, and emailed by the deadline.