Fundamental Research to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction

The BioWatch program, managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is designed to detect aerosolized biological attacks by continuously monitoring the air for specific biological threats using strategically placed air collectors. This federally managed, locally operated system provides early warnings of biological incidents, enabling state and local authorities to respond quickly and effectively, thereby reducing casualties and fatalities. BioWatch supports the National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan (2022) by informing decision-making, enhancing preparedness, and providing post-incident support to limit the impacts of biological threats. Operating in over 30 metropolitan areas across 22 states, BioWatch protects roughly one-third of the U.S. population and extends its coverage to high-visibility special events. Its core activities include operating air samplers, collecting and analyzing air samples, assisting partners with planning and preparedness through guidance, training, and exercises, and alerting and coordinating response actions upon detection of a threat. The program’s objectives are to maintain a robust biodetection capability, engage stakeholders in preparedness and response, and establish coordination mechanisms across federal, state, local, and tribal levels to ensure rapid and effective public health responses to bioterrorist attacks. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for the performance of field operations--including deploying and maintaining a fleet of air monitoring units, collecting and replacing filters from those units, and transporting filters daily to BioWatch laboratories in metropolitan areas identified below. As optional for specific metropolitan areas listed below, field operations further include laboratory operations, such as sample processing, analysis, and results reporting. Eligible recipients of this cooperative agreement are state and local government agencies, regional governmental organizations, public institutions of higher learning, and federally recognized tribal governments.

Treasury is publishing multiple funding opportunity notices for its RESTORE Act grant programs. This announcement applies only to the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program.Trust Fund amounts are available to establish one or more Centers of Excellence through competitive subawards to nongovernmental entities and consortia in the Gulf Coast Region, including institutions of higher education. Funds may be used to establish Centers of Excellence, and by those Centers of Excellence for science, technology, and monitoring in one or more of the following disciplines as described in the RESTORE Act and Treasury’s implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.704: 1) Coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration, and protection, including solutions and technology that allow citizens to live in a safe and sustainable manner in a coastal delta in the Gulf Coast Region. 2) Coastal fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research and monitoring in the Gulf Coast Region. 3) Offshore energy development, including research and technology to improve the sustainable and safe development of energy resources in the Gulf of Mexico. 4) Sustainable and resilient growth, economic and commercial development in the Gulf Coast Region. 5) Comprehensive observation, monitoring, and mapping of the Gulf of Mexico.Eligible applicants issuing subawards to Center(s) of Excellence must establish and implement a program to monitor compliance with its subaward agreements.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the NIJ FY 2026 State and Local Collection and Reporting of Crime Data program. This opportunity seeks proposals for rigorous research that examines the accuracy of crime data collection and reporting practices across state and local jurisdictions. The goal is to identify common challenges and develop scalable and widely adoptable best practices to improve data quality and integrity. Of particular interest are studies that examine how agencies collect information regarding offenses to ensure fidelity between reported data and actual events and to strengthen broader data governance practices.

The Office of Science (SC) of the Department of Energy (DOE) hereby announces its continuing interest in receiving applications for support of work in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, and Isotope R&D and Production. On September 3, 1992, DOE published in the Federal Register the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Program (now called the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program), 10 CFR 605, as a Final Rule, which contained a solicitation for this program. Information about submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluation and selection processes and other policies and procedures are specified in 10 CFR 605.   This NOFO is our annual open solicitation that covers all research areas in SC and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. Any research within SC’s Congressionally authorized mission may be proposed under this NOFO.   This NOFO will remain open until September 30, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time, or until it is succeeded by another issuance, whichever occurs first. This NOFO succeeds DE-FOA-0003432, which was published September 30, 2024.

COE for Technical Training and Human Performance

The EDU Core Research (ECR) program offers this ECR:Core solicitation and invites proposals for fundamental research (curiosity-driven basic research and use-inspired basic research) that contributes to the general, explanatory knowledge that underlies STEM education in one or more of the three broadly conceived Research Areas: Research onSTEM Learning and Learning Environments, Research on Broadening Participation in STEM fields, andResearch on STEM Workforce Development. Within this framework, the ECR program supports a wide range of fundamental STEM education research activities, aimed at learners of all groups and ages in formal and informal settings. Fundamental researchgenerates knowledge and understanding with the potential for broad relevance. The potential implications of ECR fundamental research for improving STEM education practice may be indirect and long-term rather than direct and immediate. Moreover, whether they include basic or use-inspired basic research, all successful ECR:Core proposals focus on the advancement or refinement of foundational knowledge for STEM education. The amount of funding and duration requested in proposals submitted to the ECR:Core solicitation should align with the maturity of the proposed work and the size and scope of the empirical effort. The solicitation has three levels of funding with a range of budget sizes, and proposals may request a duration of 3 to 5 years for any level: (1)Level I proposals may request up to $500,000; (2)Level II proposals may request up to $1,500,000; (3)Level III proposalsmay request up to $2,500,000. All proposals should justify the level of funding and duration in the project description.