Denying U.S. Adversaries Access to Sensitive Nuclear, Missile, and Advanced Technical Expertise for Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs that Threaten America

The Denying U.S. Adversaries Access to Sensitive Nuclear, Missile, and Advanced Technical Expertise for Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs that Threaten America funding opportunity is administered by the International Security and Nonproliferation Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (ISN/CTR), a bureau within the U.S. Department of State. The funder has longstanding expertise in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related delivery systems. This funding opportunity continues the Nonproliferation Scientist Engagement Program (NSEP), a targeted initiative that engages high-risk civilian scientists, technicians, and engineers (STEs) with sensitive expertise that could be misused by foreign adversaries such as Iran, North Korea, China, or other actors threatening U.S. security. The primary purpose of this grant program is to prevent the exploitation of displaced or financially vulnerable foreign STEs with dual-use scientific expertise by U.S. adversaries. The goal is to deny these adversaries access to knowledge that could advance nuclear, missile, or other advanced WMD programs targeting the American homeland. The program accomplishes this by offering rapid knowledge security training and by facilitating commercialization support with vetted U.S. partners. Funded projects must demonstrate measurable impacts in preventing adversary exploitation and strengthening participant cybersecurity practices. Approximately $6,000,000 in total program funding is available for up to 10 awards, with individual awards ranging from $100,000 to $2,000,000. The funding instrument may be a grant, cooperative agreement, or interagency agreement. The anticipated start date for funded projects is January 1, 2026, and project periods must not exceed 15 months. Substantial involvement from ISN/CTR is expected, including approval of foreign participants and direct involvement in agenda and curriculum development. Projects must focus on STEs outside the United States; U.S.-based scientists and institutions are not eligible for direct training under this program. Eligibility is open to a wide range of domestic and foreign institutions, including U.S. and foreign nonprofit and for-profit organizations, higher education institutions, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), Public International Organizations (PIOs), and Foreign Public Entities (FPEs). Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov. Cost-sharing is not required and does not influence competitive ranking. Each applicant may submit only one application, although that application may contain multiple standalone projects. The application must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than July 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT. Required documents include SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a summary page, key personnel listing, a monitoring and evaluation narrative and tracker, consolidated project list, project narratives, budget documents, and relevant attachments such as CVs and indirect cost rate agreements. Applications will be reviewed based on feasibility, organizational capacity, program planning, cost-effectiveness, monitoring and evaluation plans, and sustainability. For additional information, applicants are encouraged to send questions to ISN-CTR-SciEngagement@state.gov and ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov. Answers will be posted weekly on Grants.gov through July 25, 2025. Award notifications are expected by October 15, 2025. Final awards will be issued through the HHS Payment Management System, and recipients will be required to report financial and programmatic progress quarterly. This NOFO is subject to federal terms and conditions, and grantees must comply with applicable laws including those prohibiting funding to terrorist organizations and enforcing human rights standards.

Avoid generic awareness-raising projects, provide tailored, measurable approaches, and ensure clear alignment with the nonproliferation objectives.