NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250005.pdf

Page 1 of 30 AFOSR: NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250005

ARO: W911NF25S0003

ONR: N0001425SF001

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AFOSR Announcement NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250005 ARO Announcement W911NF25S0003 ONR Announcement N0001425SF001

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) Defense University Research

Instrumentation Program (DURIP)

Deadlines

Application Inquiries and Questions 11 April 2025

Applications must be received no later than

25 April 2025 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time

SPECIAL NOTE: Applications must be ‘VALIDATED’ by Grants.gov by the application deadline. This can take up to 48 hours after successful submission. See Section G.1., Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission, for more information. It is strongly recommended that applications be submitted at least 2 business days ahead of the application deadline.

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CONTENTS

Overview of the Research Opportunity

A. Basic Information

1. Federal Agency Names

2. Funding Opportunity Title

3. Announcement Type

4. Funding Opportunity Number

5. Assistance Listing Number

6. Funding Details

7. Key Dates

8. Executive Summary

9. Agency Contact Information

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

4. Funding Restrictions

C. Program Description

1. Instrument Type

D. Application Contents and Format

1. Content and Form of Application Submission

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

3. Submission Instructions

4. Submission Dates and Times

F. Application Review Information

1. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

2. Review Criteria

3. Review and Selection Process

4. Risk Review

G. Federal Award Notices

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H. Post Award Requirements and Administration

1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

2. Reporting

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Overview of the Research Opportunity The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). The DoD DURIP, one element of the University Research Initiatives (URI), is sponsored by the DoD research offices. Those offices include the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) (hereafter collectively referred to as "DoD agencies" or “DoD”).

This publication constitutes a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) as contemplated in the Department of Defense Grants and Agreements regulations (DoDGARS) 32 CFR 22.315(a). The DoD agencies reserve the right to fund all, some, or none of the proposals received under this NOFO. The DoD agencies provide no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and budget proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this NOFO will not be returned. It is the policy of the DoD agencies to treat all proposals submitted under this NOFO as sensitive competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

Hyperlinks have been embedded within this document and appear as underlined, blue-colored words. The reader may “jump” to the linked section by clicking the hyperlink.

DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of accredited United States (U.S.) institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation. For-profit organizations are not eligible for DURIP funding. We refer to eligible institutions of higher education as universities in the rest of this announcement.

Awards will take the form of grants. FOR ARO SUBMISSIONS ONLY, awards will take the form of grants and/or cooperative agreements. Any assistance instrument awarded under this announcement will be governed by the award terms and conditions that conform to DoD’s implementation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars applicable to financial assistance. Terms and conditions will reflect DoD implementation of OMB guidance in 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.”

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants should be alert for any amendments that may modify the announcement.

Amendments to the original NOFO will be posted to the Grants.gov webpage: https://www.grants.gov/.

A. Basic Information

1. Federal Agency Names

Air Force Office of Scientific Research 875 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203

Army Research Office 800 Park Office Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Office of Naval Research https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title20/pdf/USCODE-2021-title20-chap28-subchapI-partA-sec1001.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title20/pdf/USCODE-2021-title20-chap28-subchapI-partA-sec1001.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title20/pdf/USCODE-2021-title20-chap28-subchapI-partA-sec1001.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title20/pdf/USCODE-2021-title20-chap28-subchapI-partA-sec1001.pdf https://www.grants.gov/

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One Liberty Center 875 N. Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-1995

2. Funding Opportunity Title

Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)

3. Announcement Type

Initial Announcement

4. Funding Opportunity Number

AFOSR: NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250005

ARO: W911NF25S0003

ONR: N0001425SF001

5. Assistance Listing Number

AFOSR: 12.800

ARO: 12.431

ONR: 12.300

6. Funding Details

a. Funded Amount and Period of Performance

The total amount of funding for the 12 months available for grants resulting from this DURIP NOFO is estimated to be approximately $34 million dollars pending appropriations. DURIP awards are contingent on availability of funds and the scope of the proposed acquisition and intended research and education. Typical funding per grant is $50,000 to $3,000,000. The amount of the award should generally not exceed the limit specified. Awardees have the option to request a no-cost extension for up to an additional 12-months with sufficient justification. It is expected that DURIP awards will be completed within the initial 12-month period of performance.

It is strongly recommended that Applicants communicate with the technical program officers at the agency(ies) they are submitting to. Depending on the results of the proposal evaluation, there is no guarantee that any of the proposals submitted will be recommended for funding. On the other hand, more than one proposal may be recommended for funding in a specific technical area.

Each administering agency will make grant awards to fund the purchase of research equipment or instrumentation costing $50,000 to $3,000,000 that cannot typically be purchased within the budgets of single-investigator awards. We refer to this as major equipment or instrumentation for the remainder of the announcement. We generally cannot make any individual award that exceeds more than $3,000,000 in DoD funding unless your proposal qualifies for one of the two exceptions listed in section B.3.b Amount of Requested DoD Funding. NOTE: AFOSR will not consider any request for exception above $7,000,000.

We can make awards to universities conducting, or demonstrably capable of conducting, research

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Page 6 of 36 FY26 DURIP in areas of interest to the DoD with the new equipment or instrumentation proposed.

7. Key Dates

Pre-proposal inquiries and questions must be submitted not later than Friday, 11 April, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Proposals must be received electronically through Grants.gov by Friday, April 25, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

8. Executive Summary Since its inception, DURIP has provided equipment and instrumentation to enhance basic research capability and research-related education in areas of interest and priority to the DoD.

DoD interests include the areas of research supported by the Army Research Office (ARO), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), hereafter generally referred to collectively as “we,” “our,” “us,” or “administering agency.” We use “administering agency” to provide a generic reference to any of the administering agencies.

The DURIP is executed with the hope that these awards facilitate the growth of the U.S. base of STEM professionals as well as enable U.S. institutions of higher education to address the Department’s unique problem sets. It is imperative that proposals address the impact of the equipment and instrumentation on the institution’s ability to educate students through research in disciplines important to DoD missions.

9. Agency Contact Information

b. DURIP Program Points of Contact

All UNCLASSIFIED communications shall be submitted via e-mail to the Program Point of Contact (POC) with a copy to the designated Business POC, as designated below.

Comments or questions submitted should be concise and to the point, eliminating any unnecessary verbiage. In addition, the relevant part and paragraph of the NOFO should be referenced. Questions submitted within 2 weeks prior to a submission deadline may not be answered, and the due date for proposal submission will not be extended.

Questions of a policy/program nature shall be directed as specified below:

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Ms. Katie Wisecarver afosr.rtb.durip@us.af.mil

Army Research Office (ARO) Dr. Sue Kase usarmy.rtp.devcom-arl.mbx.aro-durip@army.mil

Office of Naval Research (ONR) Dr. Amanda Netburn onr.ncr.durip@us.navy.mil mailto:afosr.rtb.durip@us.af.mil mailto:usarmy.rtp.devcom-arl.mbx.aro-durip@army.mil mailto:onr.ncr.durip@us.navy.mil

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Questions of a business nature shall be directed as specified below:

Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, Contracting Office (AFMC/AFRL

RBKR)

Mr. Jorge Gallegos jorge.gallegos@us.af.mil

USARMY ACC

Ms. Ramila Century ramila.century.civ@army.mil

Office of Naval Research Ms. Veronica Lacey veronica.y.lacey.civ@us.navy.mil

B. Eligibility

(1) Eligible Applicants This competition is open to accredited U.S. institutions of higher education with degree granting programs in science, mathematics, and/or engineering except for-profit educational institutions.

University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are eligible to participate in this competition.

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers are not eligible to participate.

To assess risk posed by Applicants, we review your application, proposal, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) designated repositories of government-wide public and non-public data, including comments you have made, as required by 31 U.S.C. 3321 and 41 U.S.C.

2313 and described in 2 CFR 200.205 and 32 CFR 22.410 to confirm you are qualified, responsible, and eligible to receive an award.

You may submit a single DURIP proposal to more than one administering agency; however, only one administering agency will fund it, if selected. There is no limit on the total number of different proposals you can submit.

There is no limit to the number of awards a single Applicant organization can receive under this competition. Selections are based on our criteria.

(2) Cost Sharing or Matching We do not require cost sharing or matching for proposals under this announcement. You are not prohibited from including voluntary committed cost sharing or matching in your proposal. Cost sharing or matching is not an evaluation factor.

(3) Other

a. Eligible Equipment and Instrumentation

DURIP funds must be used for the acquisition of major equipment or instrumentation to augment current, or develop new, research capabilities to support research in the technical areas of interest to the DoD. Your proposal may request funding for more than one item if the mailto:jorge.gallegos@us.af.mil mailto:ramila.century.civ@army.mil mailto:veronica.y.lacey.civ@us.navy.mil https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title31-section3321&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.205 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=913b10a5a197ab08d9b08ff21d449c71&mc=true&node=sp32.1.22.d&rgn=div6

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Page 8 of 36 FY26 DURIP requested items comprise a “system” that is used for a common research purpose. Requests for computing equipment for DoD-relevant research programs are appropriate and eligible for funding. Proposals for purely instructional equipment or general-purpose computing facilities are not eligible for DURIP funding.

b. Amount of Requested DoD Funding

With few exceptions, a DURIP award provides between $50,000 and $3,000,000 in DoD funding for the purchase of major equipment or instrumentation.

(4) Funding Restrictions A. Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 (Public

Law 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency from obligating or expending loan or grant funds to procure or obtain; extend, or renew a contract to procure or obtain; or enter into a contract (or extend or renew a contract) to procure or obtain the equipment, services, or systems prohibited systems as identified in section 889 of the NDAA for FY 2019.

i. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.216 and 200.471, recipients and subrecipients of all awards that are issued on or after August 13, 2020 are prohibited from obligating or expending loan or grant funds to:

(1) Procure or obtain;

(2) Extend or renew a contract to procure or obtain; or

(3) Enter into a contract (or extend or renew a contract) to procure or obtain equipment, services, or systems that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. As described in Public Law 115-232, section 889, covered telecommunications equipment is telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).

a) For the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).

Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment.

b) Telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of the National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered foreign country.

ii. In implementing the prohibition under Public Law 115-232, section 889, subsection (f), paragraph (1), heads of executive agencies administering loan, grant, or subsidy programs shall prioritize available funding and technical support to assist affected businesses, institutions and organizations as is reasonably necessary for those affected entities to transition from covered communications equipment and services, to procure replacement

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iii. See Public Law 115-232, section 889 for additional information. COVERED FOREIGN COUNTRY means the People’s Republic of China.

B. With few exceptions, a DURIP award provides between $50,000 and $3,000,000 in DoD funding for the purchase of major equipment or instrumentation.

You may submit a proposal to purchase major equipment or instrumentation costing more than $3,000,000 under either of the following two (2) conditions:

Your proposal contains a firm commitment from your institution to provide voluntary committed cost sharing or matching so the cost to DoD remains $3,000,000 or less; or, your proposal requests the administering agency that receives your proposal to grant an exception to the $3,000,000 maximum amount of DoD funding. At the administering agency’s discretion, your proposal may be considered if it is warranted by priority defense research need or needs.

Exceptions to the $3,000,000 limit are expected to be rare.

We strongly recommend you communicate with the administering agency before you submit any formal proposal.

NOTE: AFOSR will not consider any request for exception above $7,000,000, cost-sharing included.

We reserve the right to select and fund for award, all, some, part, or none of the proposals received. There is no guarantee of award.

C. DURIP-Specific Funding Restrictions

Allowable and unallowable costs are identified in the chart below.

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ALLOWABLE DURIP COSTS UNALLOWABLE DURIP COSTS

Acquisition of major equipment or instrumentation consistent with the evaluation criteria, including reasonable costs for design, construction, assembly, and/or installation by external contractors or university technicians or engineers.

Construction of modification of buildings, building support systems such as heating, ventilation, or air conditioning, plumbing, or electrical, or fixed equipment such as clean rooms or fume hoods

Costs for continued operation and maintenance, including extended warranties

Purely instructional equipment

Computers for DoD-relevant research programs consistent with the evaluation criteria

General purpose computing facilities

Any materials or supplies costs not DIRECTLY related to the stand up/function of the major instrumentation item being purchased

Travel costs for testing and/or acceptance of proposed instrumentation, and associated indirect (F&A) costs

Direct salaries of faculty, postdoctoral associates, or students

Subawards for research expertise related to instrumentation implementation/testing

General research M&S

Costs that are not allowable under 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles

C. Program Description This announcement seeks proposals from universities to purchase equipment and instrumentation in support of research in areas of interest to the DoD.

DoD interests include the areas of research supported by the Army Research Office (ARO), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), hereafter generally referred to collectively as “we,” “our,” “us,” or “administering agency.” We use “administering agency” to provide a generic reference to any of the administering agencies.

A central purpose of the DURIP is to provide equipment and instrumentation to enhance research related education in areas of interest and priority to the DoD. Therefore, your proposal must address the impact of the equipment or instrumentation on your institution’s ability to educate students through research in disciplines important to DoD missions.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1d691c0585555104f1e61f46bb41ef97&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1d691c0585555104f1e61f46bb41ef97&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6

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Basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences related to long-term national security needs. It is farsighted high payoff research that provides the basis for technological progress (DoD 7000.14-R, vol. 2B, chap. 5, para. 050105. A.)

Our areas of research interest are published at the following websites:

You should refer to the websites cited above for detailed technical information and our technical goals.

We encourage you to contact the technical Program Managers/Officers (PM/PO) listed in the cited announcements before submitting proposals to explore research areas of mutual interest. Your proposal must identify a technical PM/PO in block 4b of the SF-424 proposal cover page.

The authority for DURIP awards is 10 U.S.C. 4001 in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 6304. The applicable regulations are 2 CFR 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” as implemented by 2 CFR Chapter XI, Subchapter A and DoDGARs at 32 CFR Subchapter C.

1. Instrument Type The authority for awards is 10 U.S.C. 2358 in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 63. The applicable regulations are 2 CFR 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” as implemented by 2 CFR Chapter XI, Subchapter A and DoDGARs at 32 CFR Subchapter C.

ADMINISTERING AGENCY HOW TO FIND OUR RESEARCH INTERESTS

Army Research Office https://arl.devcom.army.mil/

Navigate to https://arl.devcom.army.mil/opportunities/arl-baa/ to see the most recent ARL/ARO Core Broad Agency Announcement for Basic and Applied Scientific Research.

Office of Naval Research https://www.nre.navy.mil/

Navigate to https://www.nre.navy.mil/our-research/onr-technology-and-research to see a current list of ONR technology and research areas or go to https://www.nre.navy.mil/, select “Work With Us,” then click “Announcements” under the “Funding Opportunities” heading to view our current Broad Agency Announcement.

Air Force Office of Scientific Research https://www.afrl.af.mil/AFOSR/

Navigate to https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/345653 to view the “Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research,” Broad Agency Announcement FA9550-23-S-0001.

https://arl.devcom.army.mil/ https://arl.devcom.army.mil/opportunities/arl-baa/ https://www.nre.navy.mil/ https://www.nre.navy.mil/our-research/onr-technology-and-research https://www.nre.navy.mil/our-research/onr-technology-and-research https://www.nre.navy.mil/ https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities/announcements https://www.afrl.af.mil/AFOSR/ https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/345653 https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/345653

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In addition, for ARO:

a. Grant: A legal instrument consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6304, is used to enter into a relationship:

i. The principal purpose of which is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law or the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the Federal Government’s direct benefit or use.

ii. Substantial involvement is not expected between the Federal Government and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the grant.

iii. No fee or profit is allowed.

b. Cooperative Agreement: A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant, except:

i. Substantial involvement is expected between the Federal Government and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the cooperative agreement. No fee or profit is allowed. (For information on the substantial involvement DoD expects to have in cooperative agreements, prospective Applicants should contact the Technical Point of Contact identified in the research area of interest.)

ii. No fee or profit is allowed.

iii. In accordance with 10 U.S.C. §4021(i), as amended, the following information submitted during the solicitation and award process of Cooperative Agreement for performance of basic, applied, or advanced research authorized by section 4001 are exempt from disclosure requirements of 5 U.S.C. §552, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), for a period of five years from the date the Department receives the information. Offeror’s should mark the following documents with a legend asserting that they are submitted on a confidential basis:

(1) A proposal, proposal abstract, and supporting documents;

(2) A business plan submitted on a business proprietary basis;

(3) Technical information submitted on a controlled basis, as outlined in DoDI 5230.24, Distribution Statements on Technical Documents.

D. Application Contents and Format

1. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. General Information

All submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with applicable law and DoD regulations. Applicants are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information. Titles given to the submissions should be descriptive of the work they cover and not be merely a copy of the title of this announcement.

Prospective awardees are encouraged to contact technical PO/PMs prior to submitting a proposal to minimize the labor and cost associated with the production of detailed proposals that have very little chance of being selected for funding. The technical PO/PMs may provide informal feedback to the prospective awardees to encourage or discourage submission of proposals. The technical PO/PM may also, on occasion, provide feedback encouraging further strengthening of a proposal.

b. Distribution Markings

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The proposals submitted under this NOFO are expected to address acquisition of equipment or instrumentation for unclassified basic research. Proposals will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with applicable laws and DoD regulations.

Applicants are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information.

For proposals containing data that the Applicant does not want disclosed to the public for any reason, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, the Applicant shall mark the title page with the following legend:

“This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed--in whole or in part--for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal or for program coordination. If, however, a grant is awarded to this Applicant as a result of, or in connection with, the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting award. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction is contained in (insert numbers or other identification of sheets).”

Also, mark each sheet of data that the Applicant wishes to restrict with the following legend: “Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal.”

c. Full Proposals

The administering agencies require Applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Prospective Applicants must complete the mandatory forms in accordance with the instructions provided on the forms and the additional instructions below. Files that are attached to the forms must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (.PDF); cannot contain macros; and cannot be password protected. If any attachment is not a PDF, contains macros or is password protected, they will not pass the automated acceptance check and will need to be resubmitted prior to the submission deadline.

NOTE: The electronic file name for all documents submitted under this NOFO must not exceed 68 characters in length, including the file name extension.

Mandatory forms are found at Forms Repository | Grants.gov.

Block 2, “Type of Application” on the SF-424 should be marked “New” on the resubmission.

i. Format for Technical Proposal

• Paper size – 8.5 x 11 inch

• Margins – 1 inch

• Spacing – single-spaced

• Font – Times New Roman, 12-point

• Page Limit – 25 pages*

There are no page limitations for the budget.

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/

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*INCLUDED IN PAGE COUNT NOT INCLUDED IN PAGE COUNT

Project Summary/Abstract Everything else

Project Narrative

We do not include Grants.gov forms in the page count. We do not include curriculum vitae or the list of current and pending support in the page count. We do not include budget related information or required representations in the page count. Not having enough information to understand if your costs are reasonable and realistic is the most common reason awards are delayed. We cannot make an award unless we can determine you are eligible, the cost of your proposal is reasonable and realistic, and complies with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles.

NOTE: Awards are made in whole dollar amounts only. Proposed budgets should be submitted in whole dollars.

ii. Disclosure of Conflict of Commitment and Conflict of Interest

This announcement requires that all current and pending research support, as defined by Section 223 of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act must be disclosed at the time of proposal, for all covered individuals. Such disclosure will be updated through the annual progress report during the performance of any research project selected for funding, and whenever covered individual are added or identified as performing under this project. Covered individuals are those who are listed as key personnel on proposals including but not restricted to the principal investigator or co-principal investigator.

Any decision to accept a proposal for funding under this announcement will include full reliance on the Applicant’s statements. Failure to report fully and completely all sources of project support and outside positions and affiliations may be considered a material statement within the meaning of the federal False Claims Act and constitute a violation of law.

The funding agency may conduct a pre-award conflict of interest/conflict of commitment review of any proposal selected for funding as described in the DoD Component Decision Matrix to Inform Fundamental Research Proposal Mitigation Decisions. Offerors are advised that any significant conflict of interest/conflict of commitment identified may be a basis for the rejection of an otherwise awardable proposal.

d. Content

NOTE: The electronic file name for all documents submitted under this NOFO must not exceed 68 characters in length, including the file name extension.

Mandatory SF-424 Research and Related (R&R) Family Forms

The mandatory forms are found at Forms Repository | Grants.gov.

i. SF-424 (R&R)

The SF-424 (R&R) form must be used as the cover page for all proposals. Complete all required fields in accordance with the “pop-up” instructions on the form and the following instructions for specific fields. Please complete the SF-424 first, as some fields on the SF-424 are used to auto-populate fields on other forms. Guidance: R&R Family | Grants.gov.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-e https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-e https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/ https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family

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You must use 1 December 2025 as the anticipated start date in your proposal and budget;

however, the actual effective date is not final until an award is made.

The completion of most fields is self-explanatory with the exception of the following special instructions:

i. Field 3 - Date Received by State: Leave Blank

ii. Field 4a - Federal Identifier:

For AFOSR, enter “FA9550” For ARO, enter “W36QYT” For ONR, enter “N00014”

iii. Field 4b - Agency Routing Number:

For AFOSR, enter the Research Topic Chief’s Topic Number (#) and Research Topic Chief’s name (last name first) in brackets (e.g., 12 [Smith, John]).

For ARO, enter the name of the Research Topic Chief.

For ONR, enter the three (3) digit Research Topic Chief’s Code and the Research Topic Chief’s name (last name first) in brackets (e.g., 331 [Smith, John]). Where the Program Office Code only has two digits, add a “0” directly after the Code (e.g., Code 31 would be entered as 310).

Applicants who fail to provide a Program Officer Code identifier may receive a notice that their proposal is rejected.

iv. Field 4c - Previous Grants.gov Tracking ID: If this submission is for a Changed/Corrected Application, enter the Grants.gov tracking number of the previous proposal submission; otherwise, leave blank.

v. Field 5 – Application Information: Email address entered by the grantee on the SF-424 application to create the Electronic Document Access (EDA) notification profile. DoD recommends that organizations provide a global business address.

vi. Field 7 - Type of Applicant. Complete as indicated: If the organization is a Minority- Serving Institution, select “Other” and under “Other (Specify)” note that the institution is a Minority-Serving Institution (MI).

vii. Field 9 - Name of Federal Agency: List the appropriate agency (i.e., ONR, AFOSR, or ARO) as the reviewing agency. This field is usually pre-populated in Grants.gov.

viii. Field 11 – Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: Include “DURIP:” at the beginning of your descriptive title.

ix. Field 14 – Project Director/Principal Investigator: Email address entered by the grantee on the SF-424 application to create the EDA notification profile.

x. Field 16 - Is Application Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process?:

Choose “No”. Check “Program is Not Covered by Executive Order 12372.”

xi. Field 17 – Certification: All awards require some form of certifications of compliance with national policy requirements. By checking “I Agree” on the SF-424 (R&R) block 17 you agree to abide by the following statement: “By signing this application, I certify

(1) to the statements contained in the list of certifications and (2) that the statements

ONR: N0001425SF001

Page 16 of 36 FY26 DURIP herein are true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also provide the required assurances and agree to comply with any resulting terms if I accept an award. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (U.S. code, Title 218, Section 1001).

For AFOSR, if you check “I agree” on SF424 block 17 and do NOT upload a completed SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, you are certifying that you do NOT have any lobbying activities to disclose. If you do have lobbying activities to disclose, you MUST check “I agree” on SF424 block 17 AND upload a completed SF-LLL.

xii. Field 19 – Authorized Representative (AOR): Email address entered by the grantee on the SF-424 application to create the EDA notification profile. Note: If the name in the signature field of Block 19 does not match the name listed as the AOR, you must provide signature delegation authority in the form of written approval from the named AOR or an institutional memo granting delegated signature authority.

b. Project Summary/Abstract You must provide a concise abstract of 4,000 characters or less with your proposal. Spaces are included in the character count. Your abstract must be marked as publicly releasable. Your abstract should use terms the public can understand to describe the equipment or instrumentation requested, and research or related education that will be supported by the equipment or instrumentation.

Your abstract header should include the Agency Program Manager or Officer’s name(s) and directorate(s) you listed in SF-424 (R&R) field 4.b. as discussed in section D.5.a. SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance.

If you receive an award, we must publish your abstract to a searchable website available to the general public as required by statue. The website address is https://discover.dtic.mil/grant/.

c. Research and Related Other Project Information

a. Fields 1 and 1a – Human Subject Use: DURIP is for the acquisition of instrumentation/equipment only and therefore do not include Human Subject Use.

b. Fields 2 and 2a – Vertebrate Animal Use: DURIP is for the acquisition of instrumentation/equipment only and therefore do not include Vertebrate Animal Use.

c. Fields 4a through 4d – Environmental Compliance: Address these fields and briefly indicate whether the proposed instrumentation/equipment acquisition will result in environmental impacts outside the laboratory, and how the Applicant will ensure compliance with environmental statutes and regulations.

Federal agencies making grant or cooperative agreement awards and recipients of such awards must comply with all applicable environmental planning and regulatory compliance requirements. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq., for example, requires that agencies consider the environmental impact of “major Federal actions” prior to any final agency decision. With respect to those awards which constitute “major Federal actions,” as defined in 40 CFR 1508.18, federal agencies may be required to comply with NEPA and prepare environmental planning documentation such as an environmental impact statement (EIS), even if the agency does no more than provide grant funds to the recipient. Most field research https://discover.dtic.mil/grant/

ONR: N0001425SF001

Page 17 of 36 FY26 DURIP funded by DoD, however, constitute activities covered by a NEPA categorical exclusion that do not require preparation of further environmental planning documentation. This is particularly true with regard to basic and applied scientific research conducted entirely within the confines of a laboratory, if the research complies with all other applicable safety, environmental, and natural resource conservation laws. Questions regarding NEPA or other environmental planning or regulatory compliance issues should be referred to the technical point of contact.

d. Field 7 – Project Summary/Abstract: Leave Field 7 blank; complete Form SF-424 Project Abstract. If an error message occurs when leaving Block 7 blank, upload the Project Abstract.

e. Field 8 – Project Narrative: Clearly describe the research, including the objective and approach to be performed, keeping in mind the evaluation criteria. Attach the entire proposal narrative to R&R Other Project Information form in Field 8. To attach a Project Narrative to Field 8, click on “Add attachment” and attach the technical proposal as a single PDF file. Save the file as “Technical Proposal” as typing in the box is prohibited.

You must clearly describe how the proposed equipment or instrumentation will:

(a) Enhance the quality of research and research-related education currently funded by the DoD. Indicate the DoD organization, the contract or grant number, and the principal investigator (PI), and concisely describe the thrust of the research and the research-related education in sufficient detail to enable review of the proposal by an evaluator who is not familiar with your research program; and/or,

(b) Contribute to research and research-related education currently proposed to the DoD. Indicate the organization and PI of the proposal under consideration, the prospective DoD sponsor, and concisely describe the thrust of the research and research-related education in sufficient detail to enable review of the DURIP proposal by an evaluator who is not familiar with your research proposal; and/or,

(c) Establish new research capabilities or enhance current research capabilities for performing research and research-related education in areas of interest to the DoD.

Additionally:

(d) Describe how the proposed equipment or instrumentation will interface with existing facilities or upgrade other equipment or instrumentation available for research and research-related education at your institution; and,

(e) Describe the amounts and sources of ongoing or proposed support for the research and research-related education to be facilitated; and,

(f) Describe any special circumstances regarding the acquisition or installation of the equipment or instrumentation; and,

(g) Indicate the estimated useful life of the equipment.

f. Field 9 – Bibliography & References Cited: Upload your Bibliography/References Cited

ONR: N0001425SF001

Page 18 of 36 FY26 DURIP as a single PDF.

g. Field 10 – Facilities & Other Resources: Describe facilities available for performing the proposed research and any additional facilities the Applicant proposes to acquire at their own expense. Indicate government-owned facilities already possessed that will be used.

(Additional equipment will not be provided unless the research cannot be completed by any other practical means.)

h. Field 12 – Other Attachments: Optional, as necessary.

d. Research and Related Budget

Travel costs may be proposed to the extent that it is required for testing and/or acceptance of the proposed instrumentation. Travel must be clearly justified to demonstrate relevance to the success of the project. Sufficient detail shall be provided for how travel costs were estimated.

The awarding agency reserves the right to request further details and reduce travel costs after program and business office review.

You must include a budget that identifies the cost per item for equipment or instrumentation to be purchased, associated travel costs, and the total cost. Cite the proposed sources of the equipment or instrumentation on the budget justification attachment. This form is not included in your page count.

Your equipment or instrumentation costs should be based on recent quotations from manufacturers or distributors. Itemize equipment on the R&R Budget form to the extent possible or provide an itemization on the budget justification attachment.

Your travel costs should be based on your institution’s written travel policy, or in accordance with 2 CFR 200.475. Itemize travel costs on the budget justification attachment.

All equipment or instrumentation requested must be considered part of one “system” costing $50,000 to $3,000,000 absent an exception; and thus, all equipment or instrumentation proposed must be exempt from indirect costs. NOTE: AFOSR will not consider any request for exception above $7,000,000.

NOTE: Awards are made in whole dollar amounts only. Proposed budgets should be submitted in whole dollars.

You must use 1 December 2025 as the anticipated start date in your proposal and budget;

however, the actual effective date is not final until an award is made.

The final awarded budget is subject to change based on availability of funds.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.475

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Page 19 of 36 FY26 DURIP

ALLOWABLE DURIP COSTS UNALLOWABLE DURIP COSTS

Acquisition of major equipment or instrumentation consistent with the evaluation criteria, including: reasonable costs for design, construction, assembly, and/or installation by external contractors or university technicians or engineers.

Construction of modification of buildings, building support systems such as heating, ventilation, or air conditioning, plumbing, or electrical, or fixed equipment such as clean rooms or fume hoods

Costs for continued operation and maintenance, including extended warranties

Purely instructional equipment

Computers for DoD-relevant research programs consistent with the evaluation criteria

General purpose computing facilities

Any materials or supplies costs not DIRECTLY related to the stand up/function of the major instrumentation item being purchased

Travel costs for testing and/or acceptance of proposed instrumentation, and associated indirect (F&A) costs

Direct salaries of faculty, postdoctoral associates, or students

Subawards for research expertise related to instrumentation implementation/testing

General research M&S

Costs that are not allowable under 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles

e. Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded)

To evaluate compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. A§ 1681 Et. Seq.), the Department of Defense is collecting certain demographic and career information to be able to assess the success rates of women who are proposed for key roles in applications in STEM disciplines. In addition, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2019, Section 1286, directs the Secretary of Defense to protect intellectual property, controlled information, key personnel, and information about critical technologies relevant to national security and limit undue influence, including foreign talent programs by countries that desire to exploit United States’ technology within the DoD research, science and technology, and innovation enterprise.

The R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form has inputs to collect both ”biosketch” and “current and pending support” by using the common forms located at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1d691c0585555104f1e61f46bb41ef97&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1d691c0585555104f1e61f46bb41ef97&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6

ONR: N0001425SF001

Page 20 of 36 FY26 DURIP https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/nstc_disclosure.jsp.

The R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form will be used to collect the following information for all senior/key personnel, including Project Director/Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Project Director/Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI), whether or not the individuals' efforts under the project are to be funded by the DoD. NOTE: DURIP proposals typically do not include Co-PIs.

(1) Degree Type and Degree Year fields as the source for career information.

(2) Upload the biosketch/CV/resume (limited to 5 pages per CV) to the Biographical Sketch field.

(3) Current & Pending Support (no page limit): Applicants shall include a list of all current projects the individual is working on, in addition to any future support the individual has applied to receive, regardless of the source. Upload this document by clicking “Add Attachment.” The following information shall be included for each current or pending project:

(4) Title and objectives

(5) The percentage per year to be devoted to the other projects

(6) The total amount of support the individual is receiving in connection to each of the other research projects or will receive if the other proposals are awarded

(7) Name and address of the agencies and/or other parties supporting the other research projects

(8) Period of performance for the other research projects

Additional senior/key persons can be added by selecting the “Next Person” button. Note that, although applications without these fields completed may pass Grants.gov edit checks, if DoD receives an application without the required information, DoD may determine that the application is incomplete and may return it without further review. DoD reserves the right to request further details from the Applicant before making a final determination on funding the effort.

f. Research and Related Personal Data

This form will be used by DoD as the source of demographic information, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and disability information for the Project Director/Principal Investigator and all other persons identified as Co-Project Director(s)/Co-Principal Investigator(s). Each application must include this form with the name fields of the Project Director/Principal Investigator and any Co- Project Director(s)/Co-Principal Investigator(s) completed; however, provision of the demographic information in the form is voluntary. If completing the form for multiple individuals, each Co-Director/Co-Principal Investigator can be added by selecting the “Next Person” button. The demographic information may be accessible to the reviewer but will not be considered in the evaluation. Applicants who do not wish to provide some or all the information should check or select the “Do not wish to provide” option.

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Address to Request Application Package

This NOFO may be accessed from the sites below. Amendments, if any, to this NOFO will be https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/nstc_disclosure.jsp

ONR: N0001425SF001

Page 21 of 36 FY26 DURIP posted to these websites when they occur. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check these websites for updates and amendments.

a. Grants.gov: www.grants.gov

b. ONR website: https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities

c. ARO website: https://arl.devcom.army.mil/collaborate-with-us

2. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) All Applicants submitting proposals or applications must:

a. Be registered in SAM prior to submission;

b. Provide a valid UEI number in each application or proposal it submits to the agency; and

c. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

SAM may be accessed at https://www.sam.gov/SAM.

A Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to an Applicant/offeror until the Applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an Applicant/offeror has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the Applicant/offeror is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another Applicant/offeror.

3. Submission Instructions

a. Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for the…