EconDefense
ACQ-21 / Workforce and expertise

Build research capacity in eligible states through DEPSCoR

Competitively fund university research, instrumentation and graduate assistance, and facilitate laboratory collaboration in eligible states and territories.

Action briefPDF dossier · original 168Download record
Authority / instrument · ACQ-21

University research & workforce

Workforce and expertise

Statute & instrument
Authority holder

Secretary of Defense acting through USD(R&E)

What this does not authorize / hard limit

Geographically targeted eligibility; not a universal state economic-development grant.

Recorded executor

DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer

Continue to actor →

Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedAvailable program appropriations; no entitlement from designation alone. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProcess sourcedA current DEPSCoR research-collaboration notice identifies the actual offices, mentor pairing, geographic eligibility and grant scale. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Public evidence describes the institution and instrument; it is not approval of an individual transaction.

At a glance

Possible toolACQ-21 · Other statutory tools
Legal basis10 U.S.C. §4010

Authority holder: Secretary of Defense acting through USD(R&E)

Other statutory tools

Mechanism tags describe the source text; they do not expand the authority.

Availability and verification

Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.

Program process and intake

Checked 2026-10-04 · program documented. Program evidence is separate from legal authority, available funds and transaction approval.

A current DEPSCoR research-collaboration notice identifies the actual offices, mentor pairing, geographic eligibility and grant scale.

FY 26 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration

Who this route serves
Eligible-state university faculty paired with experienced defense-research mentors
Administering office / routing lead
OUSD(R&E) Basic Research Office; AFOSR awards; ONR administration
Direct implementation

This is the named DEPSCoR program implementing the geographically targeted research-capacity instrument, not a general state business subsidy.

What this evidence label means
White-paper deadline ahead

White papers due October 12, 2026; invited full proposals April 5, 2027.

Status reference date: 2026-10-04 · research checked 2026-10-04

Army research teaming: current academic opportunities · 2026 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration; white-paper and invited-proposal datesofficial program opportunity listing · Evidence record

Program eligibility

  • Applicant is a tenured/tenure-track faculty member in a listed eligible jurisdiction with no prior DoD prime-research PI award; mentor has qualifying active DoD prime-PI experience during October 2018–September 2026.

    FY26 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration notice · NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004; description, eligibility, amendments and award informationofficial funding opportunity · published 2026-08-10 · Evidence record

Steps and preparation

  • Read eligibility table and latest amendments; prepare the paired research proposal and security/disclosure documents; full proposals follow the invitation process.

    FY26 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration notice · NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004; description, eligibility, amendments and award informationofficial funding opportunity · published 2026-08-10 · Evidence record
Funding, limits and authority relationship

Funding and financial terms

  • research grants · FY2026 funds /2027 award cycle

    Up to24 three-year grants of$600,000 each; anticipated$14.4 million overall fromFY2026 appropriations, subject to availability. No matching requirement.

    FY26 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration notice · NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004; description, eligibility, amendments and award informationofficial funding opportunity · published 2026-08-10 · Evidence record

Exclusions and limits

  • A listed state alone is insufficient: PI/mentor and institutional conditions also apply.

    FY26 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration notice · NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004; description, eligibility, amendments and award informationofficial funding opportunity · published 2026-08-10 · Evidence record

Authority relationship source

FY26 DEPSCoR Research Collaboration notice · NOFOAFRLAFOSR20260004; description, eligibility, amendments and award informationofficial funding opportunity · published 2026-08-10 · Evidence record

Read DEPSCoR notice and amendments →

published guidance: Published process; verify the controlling notice before submission.

Research scope and sources checked

Read official Grants.gov mirror and current Army opportunity listing; checked updated September 16 amendments, geographic and prior-award eligibility, sponsor/awarder/administrator separation and dates.

What remains unverified

  • Individual awards and uncommitted balances not independently verified.

A dated source check is not continuing monitoring. Recheck the linked official notice before preparing a submission. Browse program research →

Requirements and limits

Eligibility & prerequisites

  • USD(R&E) designates eligible states using statutory funding and state-commitment criteria.
  • Awards support defense-responsive science/engineering and competitive research capacity.

Limits & exclusions

  • Geographically targeted eligibility; not a universal state economic-development grant.

Funding conditions

  • Available program appropriations; no entitlement from designation alone.

Read the funding and execution guide

Who contributes what

Need & planning

  • USD(R&E) and Service science-and-technology executives
    Office profile
  • DARPA or Service laboratory/program manager

Resources

  • Sponsoring component RDT&E budget owner; component comptroller
    Office profile

Approval

  • Secretary of Defense or military-department Secretary; valid delegate must be confirmed
    Office profile

Execution

  • DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office
    Office profile
  • Performing laboratory or external research performer

Partners & review

  • Operational customer / acquiring program
  • Security, export-control, counsel and fiscal officials as applicable

Office links are editorial matches to the original role text, not verified delegations. Composite labels and unmatched actors are preserved.

Coordination pathway

USD(R&E) program → eligible-state/institution review → Service research/grants office → university/laboratory partnership.

Actor and execution-role sources

Legal basis

What this research establishes

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedAvailable program appropriations; no entitlement from designation alone. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProcess sourcedA current DEPSCoR research-collaboration notice identifies the actual offices, mentor pairing, geographic eligibility and grant scale. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Confidence: High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.

Currentness: GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation.

Review scope: Original research target October 2, 2026; no record-specific last-review date supplied. Publication is not legal-currentness certification.

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