NDEP STEM Open NFO | HQ003423NFOEASD01

Opportunity Information: Apply for HQ003423NFOEASD01

The NDEP STEM Open NFO is an open, long-running Notice of Funding Opportunity issued by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, focused on supporting and studying STEM-related programs. Rather than being a single one-time solicitation, it functions like an umbrella framework under which the government will periodically publish amendments and event-driven announcements (such as Industry Days and Opportunity Days) that introduce specific funding targets, priorities, and instructions. The overall purpose is to fund practical mechanisms that both implement STEM education, outreach, and workforce initiatives and also generate evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

The scope is broad and includes many types of STEM activities that align with DoD workforce and technology needs. Examples named in the opportunity include STEM education and outreach programs, support for STEM education at two-year institutions and community colleges, manufacturing and engineering education efforts, education and workforce development tied to DoD Critical Technology Areas, enhanced civics education, STEM scholarship programs, strategic partnership building, and work focused on program evaluation and assessment. It also explicitly welcomes data analytics and visualization efforts that help measure performance or improve decision-making, plus activities aligned to the DoD STEM Strategic Plan and other National Defense Education Program (NDEP) congressional initiatives. In practice, the exact topics the DoD wants to fund at any given time will be spelled out in each amendment or announcement released under this open NFO.

A key feature of this opportunity is that applicants may be required to submit a white paper first, and that requirement depends on the specific amendment or announcement. When required, the white paper is submitted by email to osd.dodstem@mail.mil and is used as a gatekeeping step to identify which concepts are strong enough to invite for a full application. Only applicants selected from the white paper stage will be invited by the government (via email) to submit a complete application through Grants.gov for formal review and possible award. White papers that do not address the specific focus areas listed in the relevant amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement will not be evaluated and will not receive an invitation to submit a full proposal. In other words, it is not enough to fit the broad STEM theme; each submission must clearly match the particular requirements and program description attached to the current amendment.

Eligibility is fairly inclusive across the domestic STEM ecosystem. Eligible applicants include industry, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, state and local educational agencies, and consortia that combine these types of organizations and/or industry partners. Foreign entities are explicitly not eligible for consideration. The funding instrument is a discretionary grant, and the funding activity category is education under CFDA 12.006. The opportunity is managed by Washington Headquarters Services.

Administratively, the listing indicates a maximum award ceiling of up to $10,000,000, although the actual size, number, and structure of awards can vary depending on the specific amendment and the funding that is available at the time. The opportunity remains open for several years, with an original closing date shown as February 8, 2028, which reinforces that this is a continuing vehicle for multiple competitions released over time rather than a single deadline-driven grant. Applicants interested in applying would typically monitor the “Related Documents” and subsequent amendments for the most current topic areas, whether a white paper is mandatory, and the detailed submission and evaluation criteria tied to the specific funding call.

• The Washington Headquarters Services in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NDEP STEM Open NFO" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.006.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-02-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-02-08.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for HQ003423NFOEASD01

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