Pilot Program to Increase Research Capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority-Serving Institutions

The Department of the Army Materiel Command, through its Army Research Laboratory and Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, is soliciting applications to establish a pilot program that increases research capacity at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to achieve very high research activity (R1) status on the Carnegie Classification scale. Eligible applicants must be HBCUs or MSIs not currently classified as R1 institutions, certified by the Department of Education for Title III or Title V assistance status, with a Principal Investigator serving in a senior leadership position such as Provost, Vice-Provost, or VP of Research who is a U.S. citizen. Proposals must align with Department of War critical technology areas including Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy, and Scaled Hypersonics, while enhancing STEM education. Evaluation will be based on the strength of proposed research capabilities, institutional commitment to achieving R1 status, alignment with National Academies recommendations and Department of War missions, and cost realism of budgets. The deadline for submitting questions is March 27, 2026, with proposals due by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 10, 2026, through Grants.gov.

The Department of War intends to make five awards totaling approximately $50 million, with individual awards not exceeding $10 million and maximum annual funding of $2 million per year over a performance period not to exceed five years. Award decisions are expected in July 2026, with grants issued by late August 2026. No subawards or paid collaborators are permitted under this program. Applicants should note that funding is restricted for equipment, facility alterations, classified research, consultant services, student tuition, travel outside the contiguous U.S., and proposals cannot reference climate change, diversity, or related terminology. All awards are subject to risk-based security reviews assessing covered individuals' foreign affiliations and institutional compliance with Gold Standard Science standards.