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Washington Headquarters Services · United States

Defense Security Cooperation University - Research Grants

Open

Washington Headquarters Services expects to make awards of $2,500 – $800,000 each. Applications close on 7 Aug 2028. Eligible applicant types include others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification).

About this call

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s (DSCA) Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) promotes access to and production of knowledge on security cooperation. Security cooperation refers to “all Department of Defense (DoD) interactions with foreign security establishments that build and develop allied and partner security capabilities and capacity for self-defense and multinational operations, provide the Armed Forces of the United States with access to the foreign country during peacetime or a contingency operation, and build relationships that promote specific United States security interests” (Joint Publication 3-20, Security Cooperation, 1-2; see also 10 USC § 16, “Security Cooperation”).

Evidence-, theory, and data-building activities that contribute to the body of knowledge on security cooperation or irregular warfare, and that result in lessons that can be applied to practice, are the primary focus of this notice of funding opportunity (NFO). Research products sponsored through this NFO must be unclassified and publicly accessible. DSCU expects awardees to participate in conferences, seminars, focus groups and events, and to make final research products and supporting data (if applicable) easily accessible to the public, in order to enhance dissemination of research findings and facilitate application of lessons learned in areas of policy, practice, and workforce professionalization.

Who can apply

• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Young Institute: open to individual researchers or research teams with or without an affiliation; professional military education (PME) and civilian academic institutions; U.S. and international research and think thank institutions; federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs); U.S. interagency security cooperation communities of interest; and the security cooperation workforce (as defined by 10 USC § 384).

IWC: open to individual researchers or research teams with or without an affiliation; professional military education (PME) and civilian academic institutions; U.S. and international research and think thank institutions; federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs); and the U.S. interagency irregular warfare communities of interest.

Applicants (principal investigators) may submit only one proposal at a time. Proposed formal collaborators (co-principal investigators) or sub-recipients, however, may team on multiple proposals. Current and past awardees from this initiative, or previous versions of this initiative, are eligible to submit white papers/applications under this NFO. UARCs are eligible to submit white papers and applications under this NFO, unless precluded from doing so by their Department of Defense UARC contract.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

How to apply

1. Read the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) linked from the official page: eligibility, cost sharing and evaluation criteria.
2. Make sure your organisation has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI); registration can take several weeks.
3. Register with Grants.gov and set up a Workspace for this opportunity, with the right roles for your organisation.
4. Prepare the required forms, narrative, budget and attachments exactly as the NOFO specifies.
5. Submit before the deadline and keep the tracking number. Check for amendments before you submit.

From the call text

Who can apply

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Company stage

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Single applicant or consortium

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Where applicants must be based

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Where to apply

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Contact

Jonathan Bertsch · jonathan.e.bertsch.civ@mail.mil · 7035453559

Where these facts come from

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 13 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.

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