National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program Nuclear Forensics Research Award | DHS 22 DN 130 NFRA 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 22 DN 130 NFRA 001

The National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program (NNFEDP) Nuclear Forensics Research Award is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discretionary funding opportunity designed to strengthen the national nuclear forensics workforce by growing recognized technical experts and future leaders in the field. The core purpose is not only to fund research, but to deliberately build long-term expertise and capacity through structured collaboration. The program emphasizes connections between universities, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, Department of Defense (DoD) laboratories, and the National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) interagency community, reflecting the reality that nuclear forensics work is inherently multidisciplinary and often depends on specialized facilities and operational mission partners.

This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically signals that DHS expects to have substantial involvement during the period of performance compared to a standard grant. In practice, that often means closer coordination on technical direction, milestones, deliverables, and alignment with broader NTNF priorities. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and it is associated with CFDA number 97.130. The opportunity is administered through the DHS Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division.

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education, including public and state-controlled universities as well as private universities. A key requirement is built into the solicitation: academic applicants are expected to partner with either a DOE national laboratory or a DoD laboratory. This expectation is central to the award because it enables access to unique capabilities (specialized instrumentation, reference materials, secure facilities, and mission-experienced staff) and helps ensure the research is relevant to real-world nuclear forensics needs. It also supports the workforce development mission by creating pathways for students and researchers to engage directly with national-security-focused laboratory environments.

The funding opportunity number is DHS 22 DN 130 NFRA 001. The opportunity was created on July 14, 2022, with an original closing date of August 30, 2022. DHS anticipated making a single award under this solicitation (Expected Awards: 1), with an award ceiling of $1,395,000. In other words, the program was structured as a relatively large, single-project investment intended to produce meaningful research outputs while also serving as a focal point for training and collaboration that can seed future expertise in nuclear forensics.

• The Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program Nuclear Forensics Research Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.130.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-07-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,395,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for DHS 22 DN 130 NFRA 001

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