FY18 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Navy and Marine Corps Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), Education and Workforce Program | N00014 18 S F003

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The FY18 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Navy and Marine Corps STEM, Education and Workforce Program FOA (N00014-18-S-F003) is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to strengthen the future and current U.S. Navy and Marine Corps science and technology workforce. ONR is looking for a wide range of ideas that either expand effective existing efforts or introduce genuinely new approaches that help build and sustain clear pathways for diverse U.S. citizens into Department of the Navy (DoN) STEM careers, whether uniformed or civilian. The core emphasis is not just general STEM promotion, but STEM education and training that is explicitly aligned to Navy and Marine Corps workforce needs and helps preserve long-term technological advantage.

A key theme of the FOA is that the Navy workforce pipeline is tightly linked to the broader STEM education ecosystem and the basic research enterprise, so ONR wants projects that improve student and worker outcomes while also connecting those outcomes to naval-relevant skills, experiences, and career awareness. Proposals are encouraged to use evidence-based STEM education research to shape program design and to help explain how and why people decide to pursue STEM pathways that matter to naval missions. ONR also signals interest in modern instructional strategies, including active learning and development of 21st century skills, with the expectation that projects will increase engagement and build the competencies the naval STEM enterprise needs.

Although the announcement can apply across the STEM education continuum, ONR indicates that funding will primarily target efforts working in one or more of four communities: secondary education, post-secondary education, informal science learning environments (such as museums, community programs, and out-of-school STEM), and the current naval STEM workforce community. The FOA allows a wide range of project sizes and levels of complexity. ONR highlights three common project scopes: smaller exploratory pilot projects that test new educational experiences; larger, cohesive education and training activities that strengthen regional capacity by coordinating communities and stakeholders; and stakeholder convenings designed to connect organizations and people in order to develop broader, community-level initiatives.

All proposed efforts must demonstrate clear naval relevance tied to the Naval Research and Development Framework and Addendum. Applicants are expected to connect their educational or workforce concept to one or more of the Navy priority areas: Augmented Warfighter; Integrated and Distributed Forces; Operational Endurance; Sensing and Sense-Making; and Scalable Lethality. In practical terms, this means the education and training content should map to real Navy and Marine Corps mission needs, technical problem spaces, and capability areas, rather than presenting generic STEM programming without a credible defense workforce connection.

The FOA strongly encourages, though does not formally require, thoughtful inclusion of under-represented and under-served populations, including women and minorities. It also points to special audiences that may be of particular interest, such as military dependent children, veterans, and education systems that are integral to naval science and technology communities. At the same time, ONR notes that federal STEM funding responsibilities have been reorganized, and it advises applicants whose main aim is broad national STEM improvement (especially efforts focused on pre-K through about grade 9) to consider other lead agencies such as the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, or the Smithsonian Institution. The message is that ONR wants efforts with a direct line to naval workforce preparation and career pathways, not general STEM outreach disconnected from DoN talent needs.

The FOA places clear expectations on what white papers and eventual applications should contain. ONR wants concepts that are innovative and novel, deliver meaningful participant experiences aligned with Navy and Marine Corps education and workforce priorities, and expose participants to relevant naval elements such as STEM skills, technical content, career options, facilities, and personnel (uniformed or civilian, active duty or retired). Projects are expected to include program-specific measures of performance and effectiveness, showing how success will be tracked in a way that matches project goals. A major requirement is a credible self-sufficiency plan: after ONR funding ends, the effort should have a clear financial sustainability path and leave behind enduring organizational capability rather than disappearing when the grant period closes. The FOA also notes that proposed efforts should be distinct from the types of work requested under ONR's Long Range Broad Agency Announcement, signaling that ONR sees this FOA as focused on education/workforce pathway solutions rather than standard research solicitations.

ONR discourages proposals that are primarily budget pass-throughs for routine costs such as supplies and materials, student tuition, stipends, labor charges, internship costs, or general salary and travel support. The emphasis is on building or improving scalable, impactful pathway programs and community capacity, not mainly subsidizing participation expenses. Evaluation criteria are referenced as being provided in Section II.E of the FOA, indicating that proposers should align their submission to those stated review factors.

Eligibility is limited in ways that reflect the program's intent. White papers may be submitted by responsible sources from academia and nonprofit organizations, but foreign entities are not eligible for awards. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy national laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards directly, although they may participate through teaming arrangements with an eligible prime applicant if allowed under their sponsoring agreements. Similarly, Navy laboratories, military universities, warfare centers, and other federal laboratories are not eligible to submit white papers or applications as primes; however, they may team with eligible applicants, and they are invited to contact the ONR STEM Program Office (onrstem@navy.mil) to discuss potential project ideas using the specified subject line format. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are generally eligible unless restricted by their specific DoD contract terms. Cost sharing is not expected and does not affect merit review, though voluntary cost sharing may be considered if offered.

Administratively, the opportunity is a grant under CFDA 12.330, created on 2017-11-16, with an original closing date of 2018-10-10. The FOA does not clearly state an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided text, suggesting applicants would need to consult the full announcement for detailed funding levels and selection planning. Overall, the program is best understood as ONR's mechanism for investing in evidence-informed, sustainable STEM education and workforce initiatives that measurably strengthen naval-relevant talent pipelines and broaden participation in those pathways among U.S. citizens.

• The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY18 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Navy and Marine Corps Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), Education and Workforce Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.330.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-10-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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