Future Scholars for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Development Programs

*** Due to Government funds availability, Letters of Intent and/or Proposals are currently NOT being accepted. Should funds become available, the FOA will be updated to accept Letter of Intent and/or Proposals. If you have questions, please contacted by the Grants and Agreements Officer or Contracting Specialists.***

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is seeking innovative applications for Future Scholars under Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Development Programs. AFRL intends to award multiple grants and cooperative agreements, subject to the availability of funds.

This is a five year open Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) accepting proposals from the date of publication for award of grants and cooperative agreements, subject to the availability of funds. Once the FOA has reached the five year period and/or funds are no longer available, the announcement will be modified to reflect the announcement as closed. This FOA will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure awards are pertinent to the Government’s needs and ceiling values.

Proposals may be submitted any time from the FOA issue date, until the final submission deadline for proposals and will be evaluated as they are received. Prior to submitting a proposal, Recipients are required to submit a Letter of Intent to the Points of Contact (POCs) listed in Section VII - Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s).

This FOA supports STEM Workforce Development programs or projects that align with the Federal STEM Strategy and the DoD STEM Mission. This announcement encourages programs or projects that improve the capacity of education systems and communities to create impactful STEM educational experiences for students and teachers, and prepare the 21st century STEM workforce. AFRL’s Workforce Development programs or projects include, but are not limited to:

• Internships (High School through Doctoral)
• Fellowship Apprentice/Residency Programs
• College or University project-based learning programs
• Formal or informal workforce development programs or projects that align with the Federal STEM Strategy and DOD STEM Mission

Before submitting an application, Recipients are highly encouraged to read the Federal STEM Education Strategy and the DoD STEM’s Mission.

AFRL anticipates a total of $50,000,000.00 of Federal funding for multiple awards under this FOA. Proposed efforts may range in size, complexity and periods of performance. The Government reserves the right to fund, in whole or in part, any, all, or none of the applications submitted in response to the FOA. Using the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2192, AFRL will select proposed efforts that meet the anticipated FOA’s Funding Opportunity Description and clearly address the goals and objectives as stated in the FOA.

Questions concerning this FOA may be emailed to:

Sara Telano, Contracting Officer, sara.telano@us.af.mil

Lauren Rice, Contracting Specialist, lauren.rice.3@us.af.mil

Email Subject: FOA-20-AFRL/RVKE-0001 Questions

Please note, Questions and Answers related to this FOA have been posted and are available for review in Grants.gov.

Recipients are advised to complete the following steps, which are required for application submission:

• Obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (including the plus 4 extension, if applicable) at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
• Register in Grants.gov to receive automatic updates when Amendments to a FOA are posted. Please note that applications will ONLY be accepted through Grants.gov. http://www.grants.gov/.
• Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov/. To be eligible for an award, the Recipient must (1) be registered in the SAM before submitting its application; (2) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

Recipients who are not registered with SAM.gov and/or Grants.gov should allow sufficient time to complete these requirements. It is suggested that the process be started as soon as possible. Questions relating to the registration process, system requirements, how an application form works, or the submital process must be directed to Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Questions relating to the SAM registration process must be directed to Federal Service Desk Contact Information at 1-866-606-8220 or at www.fsd.gov. AFRL representatives cannot answer Grants.gov or SAM registration questions.

Recipients wishing to receive additional information on this FOA, including future amendments, should register in Grant.gov as soon as possible. Recipients will only receive an email when an amendment is posted on Grants.gov, if the Recipient is register for email notifications for the FOA in Grants.gov. The Government recommends email registration as soon as possible after the release of the FOA to ensure notice of any amendments or other FOA information.

Department of Defense (DoD) offers many DoD STEM programs (including internships, scholarships, and fellowships) for individual applicants. For individual program participant opportunities with the different DoD branches (including the Air Force), please visit the DoD STEM program websites below: https://dodstem.us/about https://dodstem.us/stem-programs/programs Unfortunately, the current FOA is not individuals. You are encourage you to visit the DoD STEM program website for individual opportunities.