Staff Research Program

The Staff Research Program, announced by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory’s Army Research Office (ARO), is established to facilitate collaborative research between ARO scientific staff and higher education institutions. Administered through the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Research Triangle Park Division, this funding opportunity supports the mission of ARO by fostering scientific partnerships that promote advanced research in science and engineering. The cooperative agreements are valid from June 3, 2025, through June 2, 2030. The core objective of the program is to enable ARO scientific staff to maintain and broaden their professional research competencies through hands-on engagement in basic scientific research. These efforts will be collaborative in nature and performed in partnership with educational institutions equipped with necessary laboratory and research infrastructure. The program explicitly aims to conduct research that expands scientific understanding in fields such as mechanical sciences, physics, chemistry, computing science, and related disciplines where the external institutions’ capabilities align with ARO interests. Funding will be administered as cooperative agreements, reflecting a legal framework where the federal government maintains significant involvement in project execution. Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov, and the program is open continuously, beginning April 1, 2025, until 4:00 PM local time on March 31, 2030. The proposals must adhere to specific formatting requirements, including a 25-page limit for technical content, and must include the SF-424 (R&R) and related forms, project abstract, narrative, and budget details. Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education that demonstrate recognized capacity in specified scientific fields. There is no cost-sharing requirement. Applications must be unclassified and must demonstrate how the research contributes to ARO’s mission. Proposals are evaluated based on scientific merit, contribution to Army objectives, offeror qualifications, and cost realism. Importantly, ARO Program Managers cannot conduct research at institutions where they exercise official responsibilities to avoid conflicts of interest. Applications are subject to a rigorous review process, including risk-based security assessments of personnel involved, to ensure no undue foreign influence, especially connections to foreign governments of concern. The program prohibits award to institutions associated with Confucius Institutes or malign foreign talent recruitment programs post-specified deadlines. Compliance with U.S. national policy and federal regulations is mandatory, including regulations concerning human subjects, animal use, and data reporting. For application-specific questions, applicants should contact Mr. William Creech, Grants Officer, via email at William.a.creech3.civ@army.mil. Proposals and all related documentation should be submitted through the Grants.gov system, and applicants are encouraged to complete registrations in the System for Award Management (SAM) and Grants.gov well in advance.

Ensure early registration in UEI and SAM, avoid submission delays by applying early, and adhere strictly to formatting and document requirements.