Pacific Disaster Center

The Department of War, through the Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate, is seeking an application for continuation of the Pacific Disaster Center program under NFO HQ003426NFOECAD02 and Assistance Listing Number 12.019. Congress authorized and mandated establishment of the Pacific Disaster Center in 1992 without an expiration date. The center operates as an applied science and technology center focused on risk intelligence, hazard monitoring, disaster early warning, and advanced analytics. Through its cooperative agreement relationship with the Department of War, the Pacific Disaster Center provides capabilities to the Department of War, the State Department, other United States government agencies, and state, national, regional, and international partners. Its DisasterAWARE technology and the Risk Assessment and Planning Integration for Defense Support system use artificial intelligence, applied information research, customized updates, and analytical support to improve situational awareness and decision making for natural and man-made hazards. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to continue the established partnership between the Department of War and the University of Hawaii as the sole source institution supporting the Pacific Disaster Center. The work is intended to sustain and expand applied information research and analytical support that advances mission assurance and resilience, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and defense support of civil authorities. The program is intended to leverage the University of Hawaii's existing capabilities, institutional knowledge, and infrastructure to improve hazard awareness and resilience. Program activities may support joint interagency planning, training and exercises, contingency and emergency response, domestic and foreign disaster response, force protection, movement and maneuver route assessment, national infrastructure resilience, and assessment of supply chain vulnerabilities. The anticipated instrument is a cooperative agreement involving substantial government participation. The awardee will continue serving as a managing partner for the Pacific Disaster Center and will work with the Government in assessing research ideas and, when applicable, selecting subawardees. The managing partner may collaborate with Pacific Disaster Center research activities and recommend projects for addition to the program, but the Government retains final authority over projects placed on the cooperative agreement. Federal funds are subject to applicable Department of War and Federal assistance requirements. Under 2 CFR 200.216, funds may not be used to procure prohibited telecommunications equipment, video surveillance services, or equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, Dahua Technology Company, or their subsidiaries or affiliates. Cost sharing or matching is not required. The University of Hawaii is the only eligible applicant. The applicant must have a Unique Entity Identifier, maintain an active System for Award Management registration, and have a Grants.gov account. Potential or actual scientific and nonscientific conflicts of interest must be disclosed, including conflicts involving identified subrecipients. The Government may require a conflict of interest mitigation plan, and conflicts that are not successfully mitigated will make an offeror ineligible for award. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov unless a waiver of that submission requirement is approved. Physical and facsimile submissions are not authorized. Application documents must generally use Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins, 8.5 by 11 inch paper, and PDF format. Classified applications are not permitted, and the project narrative is limited to ten single-sided pages. The Grants.gov submission includes the SF424 Mandatory Form, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs SF-424B, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs SF-424A, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Project Narrative Attachment Form. The submission may include an optional cover letter of no more than one page, which does not count toward the narrative limit, and must include a cover page labeled APPLICATION with the NFO number, proposed project title, and applicant technical point of contact information. The project narrative must include a public-release project abstract identifying the principal investigator and offering institution, problems and objectives, technical approaches, and anticipated outcome. The project plan must describe the proposed work, management, project schedule and milestones, estimated project ceiling cost per year, key personnel, cost breakdown by task, anticipated subawards and contract requirements, and other material project details. It must also explain the public purpose and how the proposed work provides a public benefit beyond the needs of the Government. Applications will be evaluated under 2 CFR 200.206 and 32 CFR 22.415. In addition to technical and program review, the Department of War will conduct budget and risk reviews, including review of Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System information. The public benefits statement is specifically identified as an important part of the evaluation and award process. Applications are due September 15, 2026. Evaluations and awards are expected by November 15, 2026, and the anticipated five-year period of performance is December 16, 2026 through December 15, 2031. Questions concerning program policy, content, or technical matters may be directed to Program Manager Cheryl Scilingo at cheryl.scilingo@dla.mil. Grant administration questions may be directed to Grants Officer Michael Fanizzo at michael.j.fanizzo.civ@mail.mil or Grants Specialist Miroslava Mircheva at miroslava.k.mircheva.civ@mail.mil. Grants.gov technical support is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. The notice does not identify the opportunity as recurring.