# FY26 DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (DEPSCoR) – RESEARCH COLLABORATION (RC) (NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004)

**Plain-English Eligibility Score:** 45/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004 |
| Title | FY26 DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (DEPSCoR) – RESEARCH COLLABORATION (RC) |
| Agency | Air Force Office of Scientific Research |
| Status | posted |
| Posted / open date | 2026-08-10 |
| Close date | 2027-04-05 |
| Award ceiling | $600,000 |
| Award floor | $200,000 |
| Estimated total funding | $14,400,000 |
| Funding category | Science and Technology and other Research and Development |
| Eligible applicants | Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification) |
| Eligibility notes | This funding opportunity aims to create basic research collaborations between a pair of researchers, namely 1) Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI), henceforth referred to as Applicant, a full-time faculty member who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD directly funded research Prime award and 2) Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI), henceforth referred to as Collaborator, an investi |
| CFDA / Assistance listing | 12.431 |
| Summary | The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) – Research Collaboration (RC) 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  |
| Agency contact | denise.johnson.19@us.af.mil & nicole.thomas.20@us.af.mil |

## Why this score
- 151 days until the deadline: enough time to prepare a strong application.
- Award ceiling of $600,000 suits small organizations.

Source: Grants.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) (https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363526). Last refreshed: 2026-11-04T18:11:59.874Z.
Data from Grants.gov. Always read the full notice of funding opportunity before applying. Informational only; not legal or grant-writing advice.