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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 Lori Jarmon (ljjarmon@iastate.edu, 294-3316) 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.

Dual Use Technology Development at Marshall Space Flight Center Fiscal Year (FY) 2025

NASA

Solicitation: 80MSFC25M0001

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={C28F97FC-4237-EAF5-FA7C-E69D3BAD0789}&path=open

Posted Date: April 10, 2025

Proposal Due Date: June 30, 2025 by 11:59 pm ET

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is being used to create partnerships between NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and U.S. based companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations. The purpose of these partnerships is to conduct technology development projects that are mutually beneficial to both the partner institution and for NASA. MSFC engineers and their external partners are developing advanced technologies and sustainable solutions to benefit NASA, industry, academia, and government. MSFC’s application and refinement of innovative design tools define the agency’s leadership in engineering the systems, hardware, and techniques needed to return to the Moon. The goal is to create collaborative, resource-sharing projects where the NASA partner is developing a technology primarily for its own public purposes, and NASA can provide financial support or other
assistance.

Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus (M3X)

NSF

Solicitation: PD 25-058Y

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/m3x-mind-machine-motor-nexus

Posted Date: April 16, 2025

Proposals Accepted Anytime

The Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus (M3X) program supports fundamental research that enables intelligent engineered systems and humans to engage in bidirectional interaction in a physics-based environment, to enhance and ensure safety, productivity, and well-being.

For the purpose of this program an intelligent engineered system is a human-designed system — physical, virtual, or a combination of both — that interacts with its environment to achieve specific goals. These systems collect data, analyze it to make informed decisions, and take actions that enhance safety, efficiency, and well-being. They may operate autonomously or collaboratively with humans, adapting their actions based on the data they collect.  A key requirement for the M3X program is that these systems must function within a physics-based environment, whether physical or virtual, where interactions exhibit recognizable physical behaviors, such as those associated with gravity, friction, force, and inertia.

Intelligent engineered systems are becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, interacting with humans across diverse environments and through different modalities (for example, visual, haptic, auditory). M3X aims to deepen the understanding of such interactions, particularly in complex and dynamic settings such as elder care, disaster response, and dynamic workplaces. The program encourages explorations into the physical or cognitive principles that enable or constrain human-machine collaboration, advancing foundational theories, interaction modeling, and technological innovations that enhance adaptability, efficiency, and intuitiveness.

AIR DELIVERED EFFECTS UNIVERSITY DAY 2025

AFRL/ RW

Solicitation: FA8651-22-S-0001

https://sam.gov/opp/0f7bcd72bac4439db19f9bba68116af6/view

Posted Date: April 15, 2025

Proposal Due Date: May 14, 2025 by 3:00 pm CT

This CALL is open to U.S. Universities only. The purpose of this CALL is to solicit leading-edge
research from academic collaborators that currently do not have a relationship with AFRL/RW.
However, AFRL/RW will consider all U.S. Universities’ proposals. AFRL/RW intends to award short term seedling projects only in the following two research areas that will allow AFRL/RW Government
researchers to assess the value and the partnering relationship feasibility, technical quality, and return on investment. Proposal(s) submitted in response to this CALL that are selected for award are the results of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition in
Contracting Act of 1984.
Research Area Topics:
• RA 2 – BIOPRINCIPIC SYSTEMS (SENSORS, PROCESSING, CONTROL, AND
MATERIALS) (RWTCA) with Research Title: Collective Swarming Resulting from Emerging
Behavior by Autonomous Biological
• RA 17 – WEAPON AUTONOMY AND CONTROL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (RWTA)
with Research Title: Computationally Efficient, Intelligent Guidance and Control Algorithms

Education and Broadening Participation in Earth Sciences (EAR EBP)

NSF

Solicitation: PD 25-1575

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/ear-ebp-education-broadening-participation-earth-sciences

Posted On: April 11, 2025

Response Due Date: Accepted Anytime

Synopsis

The Division of Earth Sciences’ Education and Broadening Participation Program (EBP) facilitates activities that engage a wide range of audiences in Earth Sciences research efforts, which are:

1) Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers: This program provides funding to academic institutions that allows them to offer summer internships to undergraduate students and opportunities for teachers who would like to participate in earth sciences related research efforts.

2) EAR Postdoctoral Fellowships: The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) awards 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships to highly qualified investigators within 24 months of obtaining their PhD to carry out an integrated program of independent research and professional development.

3) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER): This program supports pre-tenure researchers who would like to combine their research efforts with excellent educational programs.  EAR EBP prioritizes co-funding of CAREER awards that include a focus on broadening participation in the geosciences.

4) Unsolicited (“ad hoc”) Proposals: Creative efforts to support recruitment and retention of talented individuals in Earth sciences are also supported as “ad hoc” proposals submitted through EAR Education & Broadening Participation.

 

The Research on Research Security Program (RoRS)

NSF

Solicitation: PD 25-275Y

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/rors-research-research-security-program

Posted On: April 11, 2025

Response Due Date: Accepted Anytime

Synopsis

NSF is committed to securing the nation’s research enterprise as part of its core mission. The Research on Research Security (RoRS) program will advance the understanding of the full scope, potential, challenges, and nature of the research on research security field through scholarly evidence.

 

Incorporating Human Behavior in Epidemiological Models (IHBEM)

NSF

Solicitation: NSF 25-538

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/ihbem-incorporating-human-behavior-epidemiological-models

Posted On: April 10 2025

Response Due Date: July 14 2025 by submitting organization’s local time

Synopsis

The Incorporating Human Behavior in Epidemiological Models (IHBEM) program supports research that incorporates social and behavioral processes in mathematical epidemiological models. The program provides support for projects that involve integrated participation from the mathematical and social, behavioral, and economic sciences.

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Webster Outlying Field (WOLF) Airborne Systems Integration (ASI) Division

DoD

Solicitation: N68335-25-R-0403

https://sam.gov/opp/ae9fefc902524a73a8842b732cd819da/view

Posted Date: April 09, 2025

White Paper Due Date: April 09, 2026 by 4:00 pm ET

Proposals by Invitation

NAWCAD Lakehurst, NJ in support of WOLF ASI Division is soliciting white papers/proposals for research and development support in technologies that are applicable to the following: air platforms, manned and unmanned payloads, advanced computing and processing, air platform support systems, advanced air system security and protection, and improved Naval air capabilities. Example focus areas include improved technologies, techniques or advanced applications of communications, Electro-Optical (EO), Infrared (IR), Radio Frequency (RF), acoustic and non-acoustic sensors, persistent surveillance technologies, and special sensor systems for Navy manned aircraft and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).

Methodological Advancements for Generalizable Insights into Complex Systems

DARPA

Solicitation: DARPA-EA-25-02-05

https://sam.gov/opp/093a0c0386e6416ea3f48a7aea5b0047/view

Posted Date: April 08, 2025

Proposal Due Date: July 10, 2025 by 4:00 pm ET

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is issuing an Advanced Research Concepts (ARC) Opportunity, inviting submissions of Abstracts for innovative exploratory research concepts in the technical domain of computational science research in complex, dynamic, evolving systems. This ARC Opportunity, Methodological Advancements for Generalizable Insights into Complex Systems (MAGICS), is issued under the master ARC Exploration Announcement (EA), DARPA-EA-25-02.
ARC Opportunities are designed to allow an individual researcher the opportunity and time to focus on nascent, paradigm-shifting ideas for national security applications. While multiple researchers from the same organization may propose, the aggregate level of effort for a proposed research concept is expected to be equivalent to one full-time equivalent (FTE) and 12 months, as ARC topics are designed for ideas that nominally would take a full year effort (1 FTE over 1 year) to properly validate. DARPA expects that the individual(s) working on the proposed idea primarily focus on the effort for the entire period of performance to the maximum extent practical. The maximum period of performance is 12 months. Each ARC award’s total cost should range from $100,000 to $300,000, including direct and indirect costs and graduate student tuition, if applicable. Proposed costs for materials, equipment, and Other Direct Costs (ODC) are limited as outlined in the master ARC EA, DARPA-EA-25-02. Under no circumstances will profit be authorized. While resource sharing is not expected, it may be offered in the proposal. DARPA
understands not all ideas and organizations may fit in this parameter range and will work with a
proposer to ensure truly innovative ideas can be explored with the required resources. Travel and
publication costs may not be proposed. No sub-awardees are permitted.

NASA Research Announcement: Urine and Air Separation – Two Phase Fluid Separator Technology

NASA

Solicitation: 80JSC025SEPARATOR

https://sam.gov/opp/d45ef0265b804e7cbd6197f3c6f2b815/view

Posted Date: April 08, 2025

White Paper Due Date: April 18, 2025 at 11:59pm CT

ASA is seeking proposals under this focus area to advance the state-of-the-art (SOTA) of urine/air separator technology with the ability to integrate the technology demonstration into a contingency toilet should an unrecoverable failure occur. The contingency toilet architecture will use a urine collection interface with airflow for waste separation from the body, odor control, and a gas-liquid separator to allow the collected urine to be processed with the on-board urine processor. The entire system will be efficiently packaged to minimize the onboard volume but allow for maintenance by crew on ISS.

To sufficiently advance the SOTA, a proposed separator must be able to reliably and robustly provide sufficient separation over a variable flow rate and duration of urine. If needed, airflow may be provided by an external blower or fan. It must be efficient, minimize system power and cooling requirements, and be small enough in size to fit within the spacecraft. It must be robust and have a long life to minimize the crew system maintenance and the spares mass needed for a human space exploration mission.

Expedited Research Implementation Series (ERIS)

DARPA

Solicitation: DARPA-PS-25-05

https://sam.gov/opp/1e287185b7694348881c2d99dcf0e8bf/view

Posted Date: December 10, 2025

Proposal Due Date: May 30, 2025 by 11:59 pm ET

As identified by DARPA, and based on its current set of program office interests, the government
is seeking video solution pitches that are relevant to one or more of the following topic areas which
are derived from DARPA’s direction to create breakthrough technologies and capabilities for
national security. This current list of topic areas will evolve as the customer base and mission focus
areas supported by ERIS evolve.

The current topic areas for ERIS include:
• Detecting and tracking elusive objects of interest across air, land, and space domains.
• Overcoming limitations of current sensing systems (size, weight, power, and cost (SWaPC), performance).
• Developing advanced antenna technologies for improved performance and reduced size.
• Developing advanced technologies for improved resilience, efficiency, and effectiveness of strategic systems. This topic are supports technologies for critical infrastructure and military command-and- control systems (networks and applications across strategic, command, operational, and tactical edges).

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