Federal Science and Technology Grants

This grant provides funding for collaborative projects that combine computing advancements with scientific research to accelerate discoveries in various scientific and engineering fields.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for U.S. institutions conducting research and technology development focused on lunar mapping and data analysis to advance NASA's planetary science initiatives.

This grant invites innovative research proposals from various organizations, including small businesses and universities, to develop groundbreaking technologies that enhance U.S. military and national security capabilities across multiple domains.

This funding opportunity supports U.S. institutions in developing advanced instrumentation for lunar exploration, fostering research and technology initiatives that align with NASA's planetary science goals.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy Kuwait City, Kuwait, Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below. Purpose of Small Grants: PAS Kuwait invites proposals for programs that strengthen people-to-people ties and advance our shared goals of climate resilience, economic well-being, and a safe and secure world. Proposals should model fair practices. Special consideration will be given to proposals that highlight the diversity of the United States and programs whose participants come from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, projects must address one or more of the priority areas listed below. Examples of PAS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited to: - Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs; - Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions; - Cultural heritage conservation and preservation programs; - Professional and academic exchanges and programs; If you have any questions about the grant application process in its entirety, please email to PASKuwaitM@state.gov. Program Priority Areas: - Strengthening and expanding U.S.-Kuwait people-to-people partnerships to enhance regional stability and security, encompassing education, arts, freedom of speech, and fortifying U.S.-Kuwait ties. - Enhancing national security through political reform, economic development, and an improved legal framework. This includes advancing women's empowerment in politics and economics, addressing gender-based violence, and promoting cybersecurity and responsible AI use. - Engaging individuals with disabilities and promoting disability research and advocacy in Kuwait. - Promoting U.S.-Kuwait economic cooperation by emphasizing economic development, entrepreneurship, and environmental preservation in Kuwait, addressing both economic prosperity and climate change. Projects Examples: - Conference on emerging technologies, in collaboration with civil society leaders to advance digital transformation research. - Project with civil society to heighten environmental awareness regarding air quality, addressing the impact of climate change on Kuwait's environment. Activities may include awareness conferences, a workshop on investigative reporting on climate issues, or designing a digital media campaign supporting STEM in environmental protection. - Project in collaboration with civil society and/or academia that would provide training to Kuwaiti women in leadership skills, legal principles, and political etiquette. Training would aim to empower women with stronger social and legal knowledge, fostering increased participation in political careers. - Project to support the administration and management of volunteer work in Kuwait, collaborating with civil society to enhance youth engagement and foster creative community service and corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects led by both the private sector and the government. - Project to advance disability rights research in collaboration with academia and civil society. - Training program for sports arbitrators to equip them with required skills in sports arbitration principles. - Webinar series in collaboration with civil society to train young and aspiring business leaders on digitizing businesses using AI and IT solutions to enhance overall business activities. - Project to empower Kuwaiti women through art and environmental awareness in collaboration with local civil society via workshops that cover nature art, recycling, and climate change. Inviting women environmentalists, organizing field trips, and concluding with an exhibition The Following Program Categories Are Not Eligible for Funding: - Programs relating to partisan political activity; - Charitable or development activities; - Construction programs; - Programs that support specific religious activities; - Fund-raising campaigns; - Lobbying for specific legislation or programs; - Scientific research; - Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or - Programs that duplicate existing programs. Authorizing Legislation, Type and Year of Funding: Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt Act. The source of funding is FY2024 Public Diplomacy Funding. B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Length of performance period: 1 to 12 months Number of awards anticipated: Varies (dependent on amounts) Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $25,000. Total available funding: $125,000 Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2024 Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy Funding Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2024 (for a maximum of one year) This Notice Is Subject to Funding Availability. Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award (FAAs), or Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements and some FAAs are different from grants in that PAS staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation. (Note: If a cooperative agreement or an FAA that includes substantial involvement is used, PAS will include a description of the substantial involvement. Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less. Optional: PAS will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State. C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION 1. Eligible Applicants (in the Following Eligibility Order): PAS encourages applications from Kuwait based: - Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations. - Non-profit educational institutions - Individuals For-Profit or Commercial Entities Are Not Eligible to Apply. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost share is not required but is encouraged and will be evaluated positively during the merit review; it will be used to break ties among applications with equivalent scores after evaluation against all other factors. 3. Other Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information. Individual applicants are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov. Applicants are encouraged to only apply for one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, only the most competitive proposal from that organization will be considered for funding. D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Address to Request Application Package Application forms required below are available at c https://kw.usembassy.gov/grant-application-forms/ 2. Content and Form of Application Submission Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be deemed ineligible. Content of Application Please ensure: - The proposal shall be clearly reflect the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. - All documents shall be in English. - All budgets shall be in U.S. dollars. - All pages shall be numbered. - All documents shall be formatted to 8 x 11 paper, and - All Microsoft Word documents shall be single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. The following documents are required: 1. Mandatory application forms - SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance -- individuals) - SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) - SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) - Completed Grant Proposal Form 2. Summary Coversheet: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. 3. Proposal (5 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. Please see the attached document for complete details of the Annual Program Statement. 3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Required Registrations: Please see the attached document for complete details of the Annual Program Statement. 4. Submission Dates and Times Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of May 31, 2024. No applications will be accepted after that date. 5. Funding Restrictions Award funds cannot be used for construction, vehicle purchases, etc. 6. Other Submission Requirements All application materials must be submitted by email to PASKuwaitM@state.gov. E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. Criteria Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Organizational capacity and record on previous grants 20 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS is confident of its ability to undertake the program. This includes a financial management system and a bank account. Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea 20 points The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. Goals and objectives 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. Embassy priorities 10 points: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Kuwaits priority areas or target audiences. Budget 10 points: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. Monitoring and evaluation plan 15 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured. Sustainability 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program. 2. Review and Selection Process A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications. 3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly, FAPIIS) Please see the attached document for complete details of the Annual Program Statement. 4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates: July 31, 2024 F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION Please see the attached document for complete details of the Annual Program Statement. G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PAS at: PASKuwaitM@state.gov Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the NOFO. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff both in the Department and at embassies overseas may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed. H. OTHER INFORMATION Please see the attached document for complete details of the Annual Program Statement.

The U.S. Department of States Bureau of Political-Military Affairs announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to support the Government of Morocco in developing a national space policy and strategy.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and government entities to develop innovative solutions that improve access to legal resources and services for underserved rural communities across the United States.

This grant invites proposals for innovative scientific instruments to be used on a lunar vehicle during NASA's Artemis missions, targeting researchers and organizations capable of developing technology for lunar exploration.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for innovative projects that develop and pilot new technologies for processing critical minerals and materials essential for U.S. energy and industrial competitiveness.

FY 2025 Opportunity for the Development of Sea Grant Projects aims to fund the creation of two new Sea Grant projects in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, focusing on research, education, and outreach to support sustainable coastal and marine resource management.

30 MAY 2024: The purpose of this amendment is to provide the finalized ISO and to provide the Administrative and National Security Form. 17 MAY 2024: The purpose of this amendment is to provide an updated Draft ISO, and the cost proposal worksheets. 22 APRIL 2024: The purpose of this amendment is to extend the Full Proposal due date to August 20, 2024, at 5:00pm, ET. 10 APRIL 2024: The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) posts this funding opportunity in support of the Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) Program. ARPA-H anticipates multiple awards and award types will result from this announcement. Interested parties are invited to review the attached PRINT Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) ARPA-H-SOL-24-101. 27 MARCH 2024: The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) posts this funding opportunity in support of the Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) Program. ARPA-H anticipates multiple awards and award types will result from this announcement. ARPA-H will host a Proposers Day on May 07, 2024. The event will allow for both in-person and virtual participation and is intended to facilitate teaming and foster a greater understanding of the PRINT Program. The closing date for registration is April 30, 2024, 1:00 PM ET. In-person attendance is first-come, first-served or when capacity is reached. After reviewing the attached Proposers Day information, interested parties are encouraged to register at the link below. https://arpa-h.gov/research-and-funding/programs/print Solution Summary Due Date and Time: May 28, 2024, 9:00 AM ET Proposals will be by invitation only. Proposal Due Date and Time: August 20, 2024, 9:00 AM ET For more information about ARPA-H, please visit https://arpa-h.gov

he U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) announcesan open competition for organizations with the capacity and interest to carry out the project outlined in this announcement. Pending the availability of funds, CDP anticipates awarding one [1] cooperative agreement of up to $4,000,000.00 USD. CDP reserves the right to award more or less funding or make no award as is in the best interest of the US Government. This project aims to work with partner countries adopt world-leading cloud-based cybersecurity, data protection, disaster response, and recovery solutions. This project will be global in nature, with an initial focus on the Pacific Island Nations (PICs).

The FY24 ASUDRP CA supports the establishment of a Consortium whose purpose is to identify, evaluate, and advance pharmacotherapies for alcohol, opioid, and other substance use disorders, with an emphasis on other co-occurring mental health conditions, through rigorous, collaborative research efforts that translate basic knowledge and early-stage clinical products into evidence-based treatments. The goal of this research is to maximize functioning and quality of life for Service Members, their Families, Veterans, and the American public.The proposed research must be relevant to Service Members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public.Each individual organization must apply to this program announcement as a Consortium Management Core (CMC) by means of a single application, and may also serve as a future research and/or trial site. The CMC will be responsible for coordinating with the Consortium Steering Committee (CSC) and Consortium Executive Committee (CEC) to prioritize, propose, conduct, and analyze basic research and clinical trials, and developing a roadmap to translate basic science knowledge into evidence-based treatments for ASUD. Clinical trials that include military and Veteran populations are encouraged.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based institutions in developing innovative citizen science projects that engage the public in scientific research related to NASA's Earth and space science missions.

This grant provides financial support for doctoral students in linguistics at U.S. higher education institutions to enhance their dissertation research through various research activities and interdisciplinary projects.

This grant provides funding for small businesses selected through the xTechIgnite competition to develop an AI-driven solution that automates and improves the Army's contract proposal evaluation process, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors.

Supports research on the magnetized plasma envelope of the outer atmosphere, including energization by the solar wind; the origin of geomagnetic storms and substorms; the population by solar and ionospheric sources; the origin of electric fields; the coupling among the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere; and waves and instabilities in the natural plasma. Also supported are ground-based observational programs at high latitudes and laboratory experiments applicable to the geospace environment. Theoretical research programs may include numerical simulations using a variety of MHD, hybrid and particle codes. The analysis of data from all sources, whether ground-based or from spacecraft, is also supported.

Synthesis Centers are a mechanism used by NSF's Directorate for Biological Science (BIO) to bring together communities that leverage existing data to catalyze discoveries through synthesis, analysis, and integrative training. Research supported by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) in BIO focuses on organisms as integrated units of biological organization, i.e., why they are structured as they are and function as they do. IOS seeks to establish a new Synthesis Center to advance our ability to explain and predict organismal resiliency and plasticity in response to complex and dynamic environmental circumstances encountered over a lifespan through the synthesis of varied data sets and types that bridge multiple scales and levels. The Synthesis Center will enable innovative synthesis and analysis of available biological and related data by providing the vision, infrastructure, and expertise to advance new avenues of inquiry in organismal biology focused on organismal resilience and plasticity. To accomplish this vision, the Synthesis Center will adopt approaches that are based on open science, team science, and data-intensive methods that enable data synthesis, sharing and inclusive collaborations among researchers across multiple levels of biological inquiry that may include genomic, physiological, structural, developmental, behavioral, neural, immunological, and microbiological analyses across some or all the IOS subdisciplines. In addition to supporting data and knowledge synthesis, the Synthesis Center should train new generations of researchers in solving challenging research problems through data-intensive, open, cross-disciplinary, and collaborative science. The Synthesis Center is also expected to serve as an example in effectively engaging diverse scientists from different types of institutions and across multiple disciplines. These types of data syntheses are expected to provide the basis for fundamental scientific discoveries and/or potentially translational, use-inspired research. In doing so, the Synthesis Center will have a profound impact on the progress of science and society.

The Minerva Research Initiative's University Research Announcement is a funding opportunity provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support innovative basic research in the social sciences. The initiative aims to advance understanding in areas of strategic importance to U.S. national security, focusing on social, cultural, behavioral, and political dynamics. Minerva seeks to enhance DoD’s intellectual capital in the social sciences by fostering research that informs policy and strategic decision-making. The program encourages collaboration among universities, research institutions, and scholars worldwide to address specific research topics identified by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The program supports research in six major topic areas: societal cohesion and conflict, advancing influence measurement(s), the Arctic at the polar crossroads, cultural resilience and human security in Oceania, the social impact of technological change, and deterrence and competition across military and civilian spheres. Research proposals should focus on developing theoretical foundations, methodologies, and applied insights that contribute to the understanding of these areas. Teams of university investigators are encouraged, especially for projects requiring interdisciplinary expertise. The Minerva Research Initiative does not require substantial government involvement in award execution but aims to facilitate collaboration between academia and defense policy communities. The total estimated funding for this program is up to $30 million, with individual grants reaching a maximum of $1,000,000 per year for up to five years. Approximately 15 awards are expected to be made. Grants will be issued for an initial three-year period, with possible extensions for an additional two years. Cost-sharing or matching funds are not required. Proposals must be submitted in two stages: white papers are due by November 29, 2024, and full applications must be submitted by February 28, 2025, through Grants.gov. Awards are anticipated to be announced by April 16, 2025, with projects commencing on June 1, 2025. Eligibility is open to U.S. and foreign institutions of higher education, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Institutions (MIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Non-profit institutions and commercial entities may participate as subawardees but are not eligible to apply as lead institutions. Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs) may collaborate but are not eligible to receive direct funding. Each proposal must designate a single Principal Investigator (PI) responsible for technical and administrative project oversight. Applications must include detailed research proposals with methodologies, relevance to defense priorities, management plans, and budget justifications. White papers undergo an initial review, and select applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. Evaluation criteria include scientific merit, relevance to DoD research priorities, potential contributions to security-relevant social sciences, qualifications of key personnel, and cost realism. Proposals aligning with the 2022 National Defense Strategy and supporting the Minerva Research Initiative's goals will be prioritized. For inquiries, applicants may contact Dr. David Montgomery at David.w.montgomery61.civ@mail.mil for technical questions. General questions regarding the initiative can be directed to Jonathan Bertsch at jonathan.e.bertsch.civ@mail.mil. More information, including the full research topics of interest, is available at Minerva Research Initiative.

Microbes and communities of microbes have remarkable genetic, physiological and biochemical diversity, allowing them to flourish in environments all over the planet and in a variety of substrates and hosts. Given their relative importance to ecosystems around the world, to the economy and to health, researchers have studied microbial systems extensively and have a better understanding of their capabilities and impacts on hosts and the environment. In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned to microbes and their diverse capabilities for bioremediation and applications in biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine. Because of advances in molecular biology, synthetic biology and bioengineering, researchers now have the ability to assemble synthetic microbial communities that have novel compositions, genetics and phenotypes and to use these communities to address both fundamental biological questions and a range of societal problems. The goal of this solicitation is to support research that addresses one or more of the three themes: 1) define the underlying mechanisms or rules that drive the formation, maintenance or evolution of synthetic microbial communities, 2) use synthetic microbial communities to address fundamental biological questions, including questions in molecular biology, cellular/organismal biology, ecology and evolution and/or 3) build synthetic communities with biotechnology, bioeconomy or environmental engineering applications, including but not limited to the production of novel biorenewable chemicals, biodegradation of recalcitrant or forever chemicals, enabling a circular bioeconomy, fostering sustainable agriculture and mitigating the impacts of climate change. For theme 3, the emphasis should be on designing communities with novel capabilities and understanding the underlying mechanisms that lead to these novel capabilities. Proposals must address one or more of the three themes noted above. Highest funding priority is given to proposals that have outstanding intellectual merit and broader impacts, while proposals with weaknesses in either category (or those that are perceived as likely to have an incremental impact) will not be competitive. The most competitive broader impacts include assessment plans. Well-conceived broader impacts activities take time and resources; thus, proposers are encouraged to include appropriate costs for broader impacts in the budget. To better understand the societal benefits and risks, as well as the potential for misuse or unintended damage to natural biological systems, synthetic microbial communities proposals should include a careful consideration of the social, ethical, and biosafety/security dimensions of the research. Investigators may choose to address these issues either as part of intellectual merit or broader impacts. Reproducibility in research leads to data that is amenable to more powerful analysis and the potential for reuse of data and greater generation of knowledge. Reproducibility in biological research that is prone to context dependent biological variation presents a unique challenge for the synthetic microbial communities researchers. Investigators must follow or advance best practices in sample collection and preparation, experimental design, data analysis, model generation, and/or validation of mathematical and computational methods to produce scientifically defensible results.