Air Force Office of Scientific Research · United States

FY26 DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (DEPSCoR) CAPACITY BUILDING (CB)

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Air Force Office of Scientific Research expects to make 4 awards of $750,000 – $1.5 million each, from a total budget of $6 million. Applications close on 5 Apr 2027. Eligible applicant types include others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification).

Deadline: 5 Apr 2027 (in 141 days)
Grant amount: $750,000 – $1.5 million per project
Total budget: $6 million
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Total budget: $6 million
Expected awards: 4
Cost sharing: Not required
Funder: Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Reference: NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260003
Assistance listing: 12.431 Basic Scientific Research
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗ Add deadline to calendar

About this call

The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) – Capacity Building opportunity. The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DoD plans to award FY26 DEPSCoR appropriations through this announcement.

DEPSCoR's objectives are to:

(1) increase the number of university researchers in eligible States/Territories capable of performing science and engineering (S&E) research responsive to the needs of the DoD.

(2) enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education (IHEs) in eligible States/Territories (listed below) to develop, plan, and execute S&E research that is relevant to the mission of the DoD, and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance; and

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(3) increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHEs in eligible States/Territories receive from the Federal Government for S&E research.

The Basic Research Office anticipates up to $6 million in total funding will be made available for this program to fully fund and award between one to four grants up to $1.5 million (total cost) each. Each grant award will be funded up to $750,000 (total cost) per year for two (2) years.

The award is subject to funding availability. The Basic Research Office reserves the right to select and fund for award all, some, part, or none of the proposals received. There is no guarantee of an award.

Who can apply

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

This funding opportunity aims to support the strategic objectives of IHEs (either individually or in partnership with others) in DEPSCoR States/Territories to achieve basic research excellence in areas of high relevance to the DoD. IHEs in the following States/Territories are eligible to apply for this DEPSCoR opportunity under this announcement: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming see eligibility table in III A.

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

Topics

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

How to apply

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

Denise M Johnson · 7036965968

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	5 April 2027	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Amount per applicant	$750,000 – $1.5 million	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Total budget	$6 million	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page · Funder's programme 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.