Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach
Active
- Assistance listing
- 11.620
- Agency
-
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Department of Commerce
- Grant awards
- 912 $664,168,543 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Treasury accounts
-
- 13-0525-0-1-376
- 13-0500-0-1-376
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) funds science, technology, business and education outreach activities through Assistance Listing 11.620, with the most recent grant award issued on May 26, 2026.
The program funds a diverse portfolio spanning cybersecurity workforce development, standards education and curriculum integration, small-business innovation in advanced manufacturing and materials, and federal technology transfer promotion. Recent awards support regional cybersecurity training alliances aligned with the NICE Framework; undergraduate and graduate coursework in standards, regenerative medicine, and emerging fields such as quantum cryptography and AI safety; Phase I and II SBIR projects developing commercial products in additive manufacturing, semiconductor metrology, biopharmaceutical sensing, and environmental remediation; and outreach programs connecting federal laboratories with industry and academic partners.
The program is nearly entirely funded by NIST itself, which obligated $664.1 million federal dollars across 905 awards. A single outlier—DOD Missile Defense Agency—funded 7 awards totaling $44 thousand. The assistance-type distribution is heavily weighted toward Cooperative Agreements (94 percent, 854 awards), with a smaller share of Project Grants (6 percent, 51 awards) and Block Grants (1 percent, 7 awards).
Combined federal and non-federal dollars obligated total $679.4 million, indicating modest matching contribution. Typical award magnitudes range from $100 thousand to $400 thousand for SBIR Phase II projects and research grants; cybersecurity workforce development awards typically fall between $250 thousand and $350 thousand; and technology transfer or standards curriculum development awards cluster around $300 thousand to $500 thousand. The program awarded roughly 45–62 grants annually from 2022 through 2025, with only 2 awards recorded in 2026 through May—suggesting the current fiscal year is still in early reporting.
Recent representative awards include a cooperative agreement with the Southern Arizona Cybersecurity Workforce Alliance for $426 thousand to deliver hands-on cybersecurity bootcamps and paid internships to high school students in rural southern Arizona; a cooperative agreement with Intact Solutions for $106.5 thousand to develop thermal simulation frameworks for multi-laser additive manufacturing; and a cooperative agreement with HighRi Optics for $399.9 thousand to commercialize precision imaging calibration standards and data reconstruction software.
Multiple grant opportunities remain active. The Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs (2025-NIST-MSE-01) accepts applications through September 15, 2026, for research and partnership activities in metrology, standards, nanotechnology, AI, and advanced manufacturing. The Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development solicitation (2025-NIST-RAMPS-01) closes July 1, 2025, and seeks community-based partnerships to develop cybersecurity career pathways addressing local workforce needs. The FY 2025 NIST SBIR Program Phase II (2025-NIST-SBIR-02) closed June 14, 2025, and is restricted to prior-year Phase I awardees.
Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, hospitals, and foreign entities at NIST's discretion. Individuals and sole proprietors are not eligible. NIST encourages applications from minority-serving institutions and community colleges.
Objective and description
- Objective
To evaluate the benefits and impacts of NIST research and development efforts and/or evaluate and/or stimulate technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of small businesses in meeting Federal research and development needs,
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Public and private institutions of higher education, public and private hospitals, and other quasi-public and private non-profit organizations such as, but not limited to, community action agencies, research institutes, educational associations, and health centers. The term may include commercial organizations, foreign or international organizations (such as agencies of the United Nations) which are recipients, subrecipients, or contractors or subcontractors of recipients or subrecipients at the discretion of the DoC. The term does not include government-owned contractor-operated facilities or research centers providing continued support for mission-oriented, large-scale programs that are government-owned or controlled, or are designated as federally-funded research and development centers
- Beneficiary eligibility
Public and private institutions of higher education, public and private hospitals, and other quasi-public and private non-profit organizations such as, but not limited to, community action agencies, research institutes, educational associations, and health centers. The term may include commercial organizations, foreign or international organizations (such as agencies of the United Nations) which are recipients, subrecipients, or contractors or subcontractors of recipients or subrecipients at the discretion of the DoC. The term does not include government-owned contractor-operated facilities or research centers providing continued support for mission-oriented, large-scale programs that are government-owned or controlled, or are designated as federally-funded research and development centers, institutions of research and/or education, professional institutes and associations, non-profit organizations, state and local governments, and commercial organizations
- Credentials and documentation
Any required credentials/documentation will be announced in a federal funding opportunity announcement.
- Uses of assistance
To evaluate the benefits and impacts of NIST research and development efforts and/or evaluate and/or stimulate technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of small businesses in meeting Federal research and development needs, and/or increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from NIST research and development efforts and/or NIST's Small Business Innovation Research Program; also, to support innovative approaches and methods for science and/or technology education.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Usually one to five years in length.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Applicants should reply to Notices of Funding Opportunities at posted at www.grants.gov.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria vary with competition. Specific criteria are listed in the Notices of Funding Opportunities posted at www.grants.gov.
- Award procedure
Award process based upon published selection criteria.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Regular programs approval times are from 3 to 6 months.
- Renewals
Future or continued funding will be at the discretion of NIST, based on such factors as satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. Renewals are competed whereas continuations of multi-year agreements are not subject to further competition.
Grant opportunities
Show 39 more
Latest 49 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 912 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | $180,845,996 | 27% |
| 2 | University Of Maryland, College Park | $132,744,719 | 20% |
| 3 | The Johns Hopkins University | $97,113,092 | 15% |
| 4 | Georgetown University | $55,963,551 | 8% |
| 5 | Association Of University Technology Managers Inc. | $28,363,000 | 4% |
| 6 | George Washington University (The) | $25,566,990 | 4% |
| 7 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | $10,234,086 | 2% |
| 8 | Trustees Of The Colorado School Of Mines | $9,725,508 | 1% |
| 9 | Graduate Fellowships For Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Development | $6,108,713 | 1% |
| 10 | American Association For The Advancement Of Science | $4,277,346 | 1% |
10 of 477 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $62,584,608 |
| FY2025 | $161,357,044 |
| FY2024 | $111,934,895 |
| FY2023 | $75,907,515 |
| FY2022 | $83,237,660 |
| FY2021 | $43,630,760 |
| FY2020 | $35,336,564 |
| FY2019 | $25,406,489 |
| FY2018 | $22,293,160 |
| FY2017 | $12,351,685 |
| FY2016 | $18,415,926 |
| FY2015 | $10,277,660 |
| FY2014 | $1,434,567 |
Show all 13
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 11.620?
Assistance Listing 11.620 is Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach, a federal grant program run by National Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce).
What is the CFDA number for Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach?
Its CFDA number is 11.620: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 11.620 awarded?
912 grant awards under 11.620 have obligated $664,168,543 in federal funds to 477 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 11.620?
The recipients obligated the most under Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach are The Regents Of The University Of Colorado ($180,845,996), University Of Maryland, College Park ($132,744,719) and The Johns Hopkins University ($97,113,092).
How much did 11.620 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 11.620 obligated $161,357,044 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 11.620?
None of the latest 49 opportunities under 11.620 is open now. The latest, Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs, was posted on May 14, 2025.
On GovTribe
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