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ERI Funding Opportunities

Welcome to the ERI Funding Opportunities Site

College of Engineering campus
Research drives excellence in the College of Engineering by serving as a magnet to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students. Funding opportunities relevant to the College of Engineering will be posted here. If you are interested in pursuing any of these opportunities please contact ERI at eri-pre@iastate.edu for assistance or additional information. New opportunities are posted weekly. To have the new opportunities delivered directly to your inbox please subscribe using your ISU email address. One email per week.

Industrial Technology Validation (ITV)

Energywerk

https://www.energywerx.org/opportunities/industrial-technology-validation-itv-program

Posted Date: September 12, 2025

Accepting Invitations: September 16 thru December 18, 2025

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) established the Industrial Technology Validation (ITV) program to provide unbiased assessments of emerging technologies designed to improve operational performance across industrial sectors. In this program, innovative technologies are installed at industrial facilities, their performance is assessed rigorously, and the results are shared publicly to reduce uncertainty about emerging technologies’ performance, fostering broader market confidence and accelerating adoption for successful technologies.

In this program, technology developers and industrial host sites partner with each other, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), and Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) to evaluate technologies under real-world operational conditions. Technology developers provide the equipment or technology to be tested. Host sites provide the facility where the installation will occur, manage the installation, and provide performance data from both the existing baseline system and the newly installed technology. LBNL analyzes the data and produces a publicly available measurement and verification (M&V) report summarizing the technology’s performance.

To participate, technology developers and industrial host sites must apply jointly; technology developers without a planned host site will not be eligible to apply. ENERGYWERX is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of project teams for this Solicitation. The Teaming Partner List[1] allows entities that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships.

  • Interested entities may apply to the Teaming Partner List HERE
  • The Teaming Partner List can be viewed HERE (Password: ITVTEAM) and will be updated regularly to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

This opportunity will open for applications on September 16, 2025, and applications will be accepted until December 18, 2025. DOE reserves the right to request additional information about applications prior to selection, if necessary. To receive reminders about this and future opportunities, sign up for ITV email updates here.

Citizen Science Seed Funding Program

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-CSSFP

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7B98BB6302-ED70-F1C4-6514-8DF311BEE547%7D&path=&method=init

Posted Date: September 09, 2025

Notice of Intent Due: October 01, 2025

Full Proposal Due: November 19, 2025

Citizen science is a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process. The Citizen Science Seed Funding Program (CSSFP) of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) aims to support scientists and other experts to develop citizen science projects and to expand the pool
of professional scientists who use citizen science techniques in their science investigations.
Four Divisions of the SMD are participating in the CSSFP: the Astrophysics Division, the Biological and Physical Sciences Division, the Heliophysics Division and the Planetary Science Division. All proposals must address one or more goal(s) or objective(s) relevant to at least one of these participating SMD divisions. The Earth Science Division
is not participating; see below for information on citizen science projects related to Earth Sciences.

 

Space-to-Space (S2S) Communication Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

DOD

Solicitation: FA8819-25-R-B006

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/005a7a9568b14126bbb4c6ff3e9e924b/view

Posted Date: September, 14, 2025

White Paper Due Date: October 6, 2025 by 12:00pm Pacific Time

Full Proposal by invitation

To address near-term pLEO technology challenges, the Government, through this solicitation, is
seeking advancement in the following two (2) overarching areas:
1. Space-to-space communications and
2. Space Networking.

Objective 1a: Enable advancements in optical communication

Objective 1b: Create advanced data links and waveforms

Objective 1c: Novel communication techniques

Objective 1d: Enable alternate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)

Objective 1e: Enable space hardware advancements in space-based user radios,
mission antennas and information assurance/cryptographic infrastructure

Objective 1f: Enable support infrastructure for tasking and orchestration

Objective 1g: Enable RF communication payload technology maturation

Objective 1h: Enable payload hosting

 

 

Affordable and Agile Composite Additive Manufactured Structures (AACAMS)

Manufacturing USA

https://www.manufacturingusa.com/opportunities/affordable-and-agile-composite-additive-manufactured-structures-aacams

Posted Date: August 27, 2025

Proposal Due Date: October 28, 2025

America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) are proud to announce a new open project call funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, worth a total of $450K. The project call, Affordable and Agile Composite Additive Manufactured Structures (AACAMS), aims to establish a well-articulated set of roadmaps and reports that will lay the groundwork for investment by the Department of Defense (DoD) and industry to fully mature the continuous fiber additive manufacturing (CFAM) capability and ensure it reaches scale. This study will build a comprehensive understanding of the current CFAM landscape, the technology gaps limiting adoption, and the attributes of this technology that integrators need to mature before deploying CFAM in their products. One award is anticipated.

As global competition intensifies, rapidly producing components for critical weapons and support platforms at affordable mass is imperative. The DoD has prioritized CFAM for its ability to produce robust, lightweight parts by combining plastics with long fibers such as carbon or fiberglass, delivering high performance. Fully matured, CFAM unlocks a highly flexible and adaptable fabrication process that can rapidly shift production between different part types as the design cycle accelerates from concept to fielding. For this roadmap study, CFAM includes any process capable of depositing an unbroken fiber and polymer matrix into a 3D part. This can include layer-by-layer deposition, deposition onto a 3D surface, or freeform fabrication.

RFI Public Input on Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing

EERE / DOE

Solicitation: EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/03/2025-16881/public-input-on-energy-conservation-standards-for-manufactured-housing

Posted Date: September 08, 2025

Response Due Date: December 02, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is issuing a request for information (“RFI”) to solicit public input regarding certain aspects of its energy conservation standards for manufactured housing. The public input received is anticipated to help guide DOE’s further refinement of certain aspects of its standards for manufactured housing, as well as the supporting technical analysis, including anticipated costs and benefits. It may also serve as the basis for restructuring the approach and framework for standards that would apply to manufactured housing. DOE also seeks any additional information from the industry and public which may further inform the agency’s views and regulatory program.

Low-Cost Interceptor

MDA / DoD

Solicitation: HQ0860-25-S-C003

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/2f2bf84e004b4d9a8a01f445603c3a89/view

Posted Date: September 04, 2025

Required White Paper Due Date: September 29, 2025

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) “Low-Cost Interceptor (LCI)” solicitation provides industry an opportunity to provide the Government with innovative approaches to rapidly demonstrate very low cost (<$750K per missile), modular interceptor designs to counter ballistic and hypersonic threats. This solicitation is for a concept demonstration effort utilizing readily available components and technologies within a very compressed schedule.

This solicitation seeks industry innovation for the design, prototyping, and testing of a Low-Cost Interceptor (LCI) to supplement legacy missile defense systems and provide low-cost options to
support the rebalancing of the offense/defense cost disparity. To effectively defend against large scale attacks from low cost, Supersonic Cruise Missiles (SCM), SRBM/MRBM, and Hypersonic
Glide Vehicles (HGV), MDA is examining interceptor options for considerably decreased unit costs in exchange for a slightly reduced performance rate.

Influenza Transmission Research Consortium

NIH

Solicitation: RFA-AI-25-035

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-25-035.html

Posted Date: September 03, 2025

Earliest Submission Date: October 07, 2025

Proposal Due Date: November 07, 2025 by 5:00 pm Local Time

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support basic research to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying human-to-human transmission of seasonal influenza virus. The NOFO will establish an Influenza Transmission Research Consortium comprised of a network of individual Influenza Transmission Research Centers. Centers should propose collaborative, multidisciplinary teams that will investigate the dynamics and drivers of influenza transmission and develop novel resources to further the field of respiratory virus transmission.

Research Initiatives in Support of FHWA Bridges and Structures Programs

DOT

Solicitation: 693JJ3-23-BAA-0001 Call 3.0

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/3a1f571c724a4b4cbfa1634aa264e5d3/view

Posted Date: September 02, 2025

Concept Paper Due Date: November 03, 2025 by 12:00 pm ET

Proposals by invitation only.

The purpose of this project is to collect and synthesize an academic-grade evaluation of data collected in response to the December 13, 2021 memo, and/or perform forensic evaluation on any cores that remain to support that analysis. The goal of this effort is to put data in the public domain that can be used to enhance national specifications in terms of ultrasonic inspection and bridge design for fracture.

FHWA is seeking solutions that address one or both of the following two objectives:

1. Link the decibel rating of rejectable defect(s) within a core to a forensic evaluation of the defect(s) type, size, and orientation.

2. For quality control, some owners specified performance testing of UT technicians, and/or instituted multiple levels of UT inspection of the same weld by different UT technicians to validate indications before officially reporting them as “rejectable.”

The xTechHumanoid Competition

ARMY

The xTechHumanoid Competition

Posted Date: August 06, 2025

Concept Papers Due: October 01, 2025

The U.S. Army is seeking innovative humanoid technology solutions from eligible small and large businesses across the globe to advance toward fielded militarized humanoid capabilities through the xTechHumanoid competition. This platform offers participants the opportunity to engage with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), earn prize money and potentially receive a contract award or agreement of up to $1.25 million.  

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) is partnering with the Humanoid Community of Collaboration, a collaboration with the joint service and DOD, to deliver the xTechHumanoid competition. The U.S. Army recognizes that the U.S. DOD must enhance engagements with industry by (1) understanding the spectrum of ‘world-class’ technologies being developed commercially that may benefit U.S. DOD; (2) integrating the sector of non-traditional innovators into the U.S. DoD Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem; and (3) providing expertise and feedback to accelerate, mature, and transition technologies of interest to the U.S. DOD in support of the Soldier.  

Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

DHHS

Solicitation: PAR-25-322

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/358879

Posted Date: August 25, 2025

Proposal Due Date: August 25, 2028

The Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant supports an innovative project that represents a change in research direction for an early stage investigator (ESI) and for which no preliminary data exist. Applications submitted to this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) must not include preliminary data. Applications must include a separate attachment describing the change in research direction. The proposed project must be related to the programmatic interests of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) based on their scientific missions.

 

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