Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of the Navy (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program

The Office of Naval Research has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of the Navy Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Program. This program is designed to expand the participation of HBCU and minority institutions in the Navy’s research, development, test, and evaluation activities. The overarching goal is to build and strengthen the ability of these institutions to perform high-quality research in disciplines vital to the mission of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps while fostering student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The program is administered by the Office of Naval Research, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Through this opportunity, the Navy seeks proposals that will not only contribute to its science and technology mission but also expand the research capacity of HBCUs and minority institutions. Projects must focus on naval-relevant basic and applied research and should incorporate faculty and student involvement in meaningful ways. Unlike STEM outreach programs, this funding is limited strictly to research efforts that enhance institutional capabilities and promote sustained engagement between the institutions and the Navy. The total amount of funding available under this notice is $1,575,000, with an anticipated three awards to be distributed. Individual awards are expected to range between $450,000 and $525,000, with performance periods lasting up to three years. Each award will allow up to $150,000 annually for core research activities, with additional restricted funding for materials, equipment, and supplies. These limits decline over the three-year period: $35,000 in the first year, $25,000 in the second year, and $15,000 in the third year. All awards will be incrementally funded and subject to review against performance benchmarks. No renewals or supplements will be allowed, and no-cost extensions require advance justification. Eligibility is restricted to “covered educational institutions” as defined by 10 U.S.C. §4144, which includes higher education institutions eligible under Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as well as accredited post-secondary minority institutions. The principal investigator and all project personnel must be U.S. citizens as of the white paper submission deadline. Each project must be led by a single principal investigator who holds a full-time, tenured or tenure-track academic appointment. Co-principal investigators and subawards are not permitted under this program. The application process is structured in two stages. First, white papers are required and must be submitted through the ONR submission portal no later than September 19, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. These will be evaluated by Navy technical officers, with notifications issued by November 7, 2025. Only applicants whose white papers are favorably reviewed will be invited to submit full proposals, due by December 12, 2025, through Grants.gov. Questions regarding eligibility and technical requirements must be submitted by August 29, 2025, while inquiries about full applications must be made by December 5, 2025. White papers are mandatory, and proposals are accepted only by invitation following favorable white paper review. Applications will be evaluated based on five equally weighted criteria: naval relevance, technical merit and implementation, student engagement strategy, personnel qualifications, and potential contribution to the Department of the Navy’s mission. Special attention will be given to proposals that articulate strong links to high-priority Navy science and technology challenges and that provide clear, well-defined student engagement strategies. Proposals that exceed the maximum award value or fail to meet eligibility requirements will be deemed nonresponsive. For technical inquiries, applicants are encouraged to engage with a Navy Technical Point of Contact before submitting white papers to align their proposals with Navy research priorities. Programmatic questions should be directed to Mr. Anthony C. Smith, Sr., Program Director of the DoN HBCU/MI Program, at don_hbcufoa@navy.mil. Questions regarding grants administration should be sent to Ms. Veronica Lacey, Grants Officer at ONR Code 253, at veronica.y.lacey.civ@us.navy.mil. Award notifications are anticipated on March 27, 2026, with grants expected to start July 1, 2026.