ORSP Announcements
Find the latest research-related announcements and policy updates in one place. This page consolidates important information from internal and external sources, including compliance requirements, procedural changes, and key updates that impact research, scholarship, and creative work at 91桃色.
February 2026
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DOE Announces Lighthouse Grand Challenge Topics
To Accelerate AI-Enabled American Innovation and Leadership
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced 26 Lighthouse Grand Challenge topics designed to accelerate AI鈥慹nabled scientific discovery, energy innovation, and national security capabilities.
DOE announced 26 Lighthouse Grand Challenge topics spanning AI applications that support its missions in scientific discovery, energy deployment, and nuclear and national security. In the coming months, DOE will release a solicitation for multi-institutional teams from national labs, universities, and industry to compete in these areas, along with detailed topic descriptions.
DOE will engage stakeholders鈥攊ncluding the Genesis Mission University Summit on February 18鈥攖o align computing, data, AI tools, and research expertise. It is also launching a Genesis Mission Consortium with a Collaborative Hub linking DOE鈥檚 17 National Labs, industry, and universities, plus Working Groups focused on AI validation, data standards, cloud infrastructure, robotics, automation, and high-performance computing. -
Funding Opportunity: National Defense Faculty Research Small Grant
New Mechanism for Solutions for Critical National Security Challenges
The Front Range Consortium (FRC) has launched the inaugural National Defense Faculty Research Small Grant, designed to strengthen partnerships among universities, industry, and national defense organizations across Colorado鈥檚 Front Range.
The Front Range Consortium (FRC) offers the National Security Faculty Research Small Grant to foster partnerships among defense organizations, industry, and universities to advance impactful national security research. Drawing on Colorado鈥檚 Front Range defense ecosystem, the program supports innovative, early-stage scholarly and creative projects that generate and share new knowledge but does not provide ongoing funding. It also aims to strengthen partner universities by enhancing reputation, teaching, and connections to defense communities.Submission Deadline: March 20, 2026Maximum Application Request: $10,000Eligibility questions: paul.huffman@usafa.org.
January 2026
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USDA Funding Opportunity
AFRI Releases FY 2026 Education and Workforce Development Program
USDA鈥檚 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) has released its FY 2026 Education and Workforce Development (EWD) program solicitation, supporting workforce development efforts from K鈥12 education through postdoctoral training.
The USDA鈥檚 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) provides competitive grants for research, education, and extension. It's Education and Workforce Development (EWD) program is completed annually and supports training from K鈥12 through postdoctoral levels. The FY 2026 solicitation, released January 20, 2026, offers $39.7 million in funding, with program area priority deadlines ranging from mid-March to late April. New in FY 2026, the Education and Workforce Development Workshop Grants support workshops that enhance agricultural literacy, workforce training, experiential learning pathways, and career development for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Applicants are encouraged to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) skills and knowledge across all projects. -
AFRL Funding Opportunity
Funding Opportunity: AFRL Releases Solicitation for Multiple Award Contract Vehicle
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has released the solicitation for the AFRL Multiple Award Contract (AMAC), an IDIQ mechanism supporting rapid acquisition of science and technology capabilities for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has issued a solicitation for the AFRL Multiple Award Contract (AMAC), an IDIQ vehicle to support rapid acquisition of science and technology capabilities for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. The contract streamlines research and development across multiple technology areas to accelerate delivery to the Warfighter. AMAC includes a five-year base period with three one-year options and an estimated total value of $10 billion across all awardees. Open to U.S. entities, including universities and research organizations, offerors must meet export control, telecommunications, and other compliance requirements. The contract falls under NAICS 541715 and enables AFRL to issue task orders without full recompetition.Proposals are due February 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST. -
NIH Implementation of Common Forms
Required for Applications on or after January 25, 2026
Important changes announced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the required Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch (Biosketch) and Current and Pending (Other) Support.
The Office of Sponsored Programs would like to inform you of important changes announced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the required Common Forms for the Biographical Sketch (Biosketch) and Current and Pending (Other) Support. Per , these formats become mandatory for all NIH applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2026, as well as for all Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) and JIT requests.Please review NIH鈥檚 official guidance below:- Implementation of New Common Forms:
- FAQs:
Using SciENcv to Generate the New FormsNIH will require the use of to prepare both the Biosketch (Common Form) and Current and Pending Other Support (Common Form).
Additional instructions, including how to access SciENcv and link your ORCID iD, are available on our websiteRecommended Next Steps- Review the NIH announcements linked above
- Set up or update your SciENcv profile if you haven't already
- Transition your biosketch and other support documents to the new Common Forms
- Inform collaborators involved in upcoming NIH submissions
- Contact ORSP for assistance with the new requirements
Thank you for your attention to this update and for your continued contributions to our research community. -
CANCELLED: Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division Funding Opportunity
Seeking Basic and Applied Research Proposals
NSWCCD has released a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) inviting basic and applied research proposals across key naval science and engineering areas.
NSWC said they cancelled this opportunity per with no estimated date to repost.The Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) released a broad agency announcement (BAA) seeking basic and applied research proposals. NSWCCD is seeking proposals across six research areas: Digital Ecosystems, Hydrodynamics, Naval Platform Integrity, Ship and Submarine Design, Signature Management, and Unmanned Systems. The BAA will remain open through February 27, 2026, or until replaced by another BAA. Interested investigators may submit questions or requests for clarification, which must be received by January 30, 2026. -
NASA Updates & Opportunities
A Snapshot on current status, activities, and funding opportunities
A high鈥憀evel overview of NASA鈥檚 FY 2026 priorities, major missions, and upcoming funding opportunities.
This snapshot provides an update on current status, planned fiscal year (FY) 2026 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) activities and funding opportunities. 2026 will be a major year for the agency, highlighted by the Artemis II mission in February which is expected to launch humans outside Earth鈥檚 orbit for the first time since Apollo and the next flagship telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is expected to launch as early as Fall 2026.
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FDA Funding Opportunity
BAA for Advanced Research and Development of Regulatory Science
FDA released an updated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to support advanced research and development in regulatory science.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released an updated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Advanced Research and Development of Regulatory Science. The BAA is a specialized contract mechanism used by the agency to solicit and fund extramural research concerning high-priority topics of concern to FDA鈥檚 public health mission. For FY 2026, FDA seeks proposals in areas such as biomarkers, innovative clinical trial design, predictive toxicology, medical countermeasures, antimicrobial resistance, and substance use. Please check the Sam.gov website for more information.
December 2025
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DOT Funding Opportunity
Supporting Transportation Research
The U.S. DOT will issue a NOFO for $33M in UTC Program funding
The will release a NOFO for the University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program on December 22, 2025, seeking innovative, transformative transportation research. This re-opened competition will fill five vacant UTC slots, including one Regional 2 Center and four Tier 1 centers.Awards total $33 million over three years (2026鈥2030).Letters of Intent are due January 19, 2026, and full applications are due February 20, 2026. Eligible applicants are higher-education institutions applying as multi-institution consortia. -
New International Research Opportunities
Proposals Now Being Accepted
Proposals are now being accepted for the European Union鈥檚 flagship Horizon Europe program for research and innovation.
Proposals are now being accepted for the European Union鈥檚 flagship Horizon Europe program for research and innovation through its 2026鈥2027 main Work Programme, committing more than $16.4 billion in 2025 to advance ambitious scientific and innovation priorities. This new phase will accelerate the green and digital transitions and additional opportunities to be launched throughout the year.
Please check out the for more information. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Leasa.Weimer@du.edu.
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NEH Funding Opportunity
Focus on building capacity in research and teaching of Western civilization, American history and government, and civics
NEH seeks applications for 20-year term endowments to strengthen research and teaching in Western civilization, American history, government, and civics.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) it is seeking applications to support the funding of 20-year term endowments that 鈥渁dvance the humanities on college and university campuses and at independent educational institutions,鈥痵pecifically by building the organization鈥檚 capacity in research and teaching of Western civilization, American history and government, and civics.鈥 NEH anticipates awarding five grants, with a maximum award amount of $5 million, plus an additional $100,000 in outright funds for fundraising support costs.
The award requires a one-to-one match with nonfederal funds. Application materials are due by February 10, 2026, with award recipients expected to be notified by June 2026.
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NSF Funding Opportunity
Advancing Mathematics Education and Learning for K-12
The CAMEL for K-12 program aims to advance mathematics education through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative technologies.
The NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, announced the Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K鈥12. The program seeks to strengthen math education through collaborations that integrate learning sciences, practitioner expertise, and innovations in AI, data science, and emerging technologies.CAMEL has two phases:- CAMEL Collaborative Networks
- Establishment of a Collaboratory and National Coordinator.
Letters of intent for Phase I are due January 9, 2026 (5:00 p.m. local time), with full proposals due March 11, 2026. Phase II is open only to Phase I awardees. -
NSF RFI
Academic Input Sought
NSF seeks feedback on its proposed Tech Labs Initiative to accelerate research and scale emerging technologies for industry investment.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) has announced a request for information (RFI) to gather feedback on its new proposed Tech Labs Initiative. The Tech Labs initiative aims to create new independent research organizations that will accelerate research with real-world applications, scale across technology readiness levels (TRL), and de-risk the development of emerging technologies to be applicable for industry investment. NSF seeks input from academia, nonprofits, venture capital, the private sector, and other interested parties to inform the development of this program.
NSF TIP will be hosting two webinars to discuss Tech Labs on December 17, 2025, 11:00 AM and January 14, 2026, 2:00 PM ET. Registration is available The deadline for responses to the RFI is January 20, 2026, at 3:00 PM