Defense, Security

Apply to Internal Competition // Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2

Limiting Language 
Up to two (2) preliminary proposals per lead organization are allowed. NSF will review the preliminary proposals and provide a binding "Invite" or "Do Not Invite" response for each preliminary proposal. Invited organizations will be allowed to submit a full proposal on the project described in the preliminary proposal by the full proposal submission deadline.

Description
Vulnerabilities in an open-source product and/or its continuous development, integration and deployment infrastructure can potentially be exploited to attack any user (human, organization, and/or another product/entity) of the product. To respond to the growing threats to the safety, security, and privacy of open-source ecosystems (OSEs), NSF is launching the Safety, Security, and Privacy for Open-Source Ecosystems (Safe-OSE) program. This program solicits proposals from OSEs, including those not originally funded by NSF’s Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program, to address significant safety, security, and/or privacy vulnerabilities, both technical (e.g., vulnerabilities in code and side-channels) and socio-technical (e.g., supply chain, insider threats, and social engineering). 

Although most open-source products are software-based, it is important to note that Safe-OSE applies to any type of OSE, including those based on scientific methodologies, models, and processes; manufacturing processes and process specifications; materials formulations; programming languages and formats; hardware instruction sets; system designs or specifications; and data platforms. The goal of the Safe-OSE program is to catalyze meaningful improvements in the safety, security, and privacy of the targeted OSE that the OSE does not currently have the resources to undertake. Funds from this program should be directed toward efforts to enhance the safety, security, and privacy characteristics of the open-source product and its supply chain as well as to bolster the ecosystem’s capabilities for managing current and future risks, attacks, breaches, and responses.

Limit: 2* // Tickets Available: 0

Category I: J Chen (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Category II: T. Swetnam (CAIO Institute) 

Limiting Language*
An organization may submit only one proposal as lead institution for each of Category I and Category II for each solicitation deadline but may be a subawardee on other Category I and II proposals responding to this solicitation. The restriction to no more than one submitted proposal as lead institution is to help ensure that there is appropriate institutional commitment necessary for responsible oversight, by the potential recipient institution, of a national data infrastructure resource. This restriction does not apply to Category III proposals. 

Program Synopsis
The Integrated Data Systems and Services (IDSS) program supports operations-level national-scale cyberinfrastructure systems and services that broadly advance and facilitate open, data-intensive and artificial intelligence-driven science and engineering research, innovation, and education.

Through this solicitation, the IDSS program is accepting proposals for three categories of projects:

• Category I. Development, deployment, and operation of novel national-scale integrated data systems and services, which may include interfacing with or leveraging other existing capabilities, systems and services, as appropriate to the project;
• Category II.  Transition of established smaller scale, regional, pilot, or prototype data-focused systems and services to national-scale production/operational quality/level. This may also include enhancement and expansion of existing national-scale data-focused operational systems and services; and
• Category III. Planning grants for future potential development/deployment or transition/enhancement IDSS projects. 

NSF and the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) have long supported the development of innovative foundational and application-specific cyberinfrastructure resources and systems to address data-intensive research needs at the campus, regional, and community scales, through programs such as Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI), Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*), and other investments. The primary goal of the IDSS program is to support national-scale foundational data cyberinfrastructure that broadly enables data- and artificial intelligence-driven research for many communities. The IDSS program supports foundational transdisciplinary and demonstrably multi-disciplinary projects aimed to broadly impact the science and engineering research and education community. Projects that aim to primarily benefit a single science discipline, domain, project, or application are not supported.

It is recommended that prospective PIs contact program officer(s) from the list of Cognizant Program Officers to gain insight about alignment of their project ideas with the priorities of the IDSS program and Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. As part of contacting Cognizant Program Officers, prospective PIs are also encouraged to ascertain that the focus and budget of their proposed work are appropriate for this solicitation.

Request Ticket (please include intended country of implementation in request) // Limit: 2 (1 per country of implementation: DRC or Indonesia) // Tickets Available: 2

Limiting Language
Multiple applications from an organization are allowed. Applicants can submit up to one application per country. If multiple applications for one country are received, the most recent application submitted by the deadline will be accepted. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, USDOL will not replace it with an earlier application. Applicant entities are not precluded from participating as partners on another entity’s application.

Executive Summary 
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $9 million total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for 2 cooperative agreements aimed at securing fair and reliable critical mineral supply chains free of child labor (CL) and forced labor (FL). ILAB intends to fund one cooperative agreement of up to $5 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and one cooperative agreement of up to $4 million in Indonesia. The duration of each project will be 54 months from the award date. Applicants may propose a shorter period of performance in line with their proposed strategy. Applicants may choose to apply for one or both cooperative agreements. Applicants that wish to apply for both Cooperative Agreements must submit two distinct applications.

The cooperative agreements will be focused on the supply chains of critical minerals identified in the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, published by the Department of Labor as required under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 and subsequent reauthorizations (TVPRA List). Applications must propose a strategy to address CL and/or FL in the supply chains of at least one (1) of the following minerals in one (1) of the following countries:
• DRC: Cobalt, copper, tantalum, tin, and/or tungsten.
• Indonesia: Nickel, with the option to also include tin.

Applicants must propose to work with key stakeholders to identify and address child labor and/or forced labor, and related labor abuses in their proposed country of implementation. Applicants must propose a strategy to conduct activities under each of the following two focus areas:

Focus Area 1: Policy and Legal Frameworks. Applicants will propose a strategy to assist partner governments and supply chain actors to bring their mining, labor, procurement, trade rules, and other relevant policy frameworks into full alignment with international standards,
particularly U.S. forced-labor import requirements, International Labor Organization
conventions, and other due diligence guidelines and best practices

Focus Area 2: Capacity Building for Monitoring, Identification, Enforcement, and
Remediation. Applicants will propose a strategy to improve national and local systems for monitoring and identifying child labor and/or forced labor in critical mineral supply chains. Applicants must also propose a strategy to strengthen public and private sector entities responsible for addressing child labor and/or forced labor in critical mineral supply chains through enforcement actions and through remediation measures for children and individuals placed in conditions of child labor and/or forced labor.

In addition to work under the two Focus Areas outlined above, applicants must propose a strategy to conduct a supply chain research study and produce a final report in close coordination with ILAB. Applicants should plan to produce a final research product within the first three years of the project period of performance.

Eligible applicants include any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit
organizations, including any faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, or public international organizations (PIOs). Please see section III of this funding opportunity announcement for complete eligibility requirements. Faith-based organizations are encouraged to apply, as are all organizations. Those that meet the eligibility requirements may receive awards under this funding opportunity. DOL will not, in the selection of recipients and administration of the grant, discriminate on the basis of an

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Langauge: 
OVW will consider only one application for this program per institution. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OVW will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted before the deadline. 

Executive Summary:
The Addressing Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking at HSIs, HBCUs,  and TCUs Initiative (Campus Set Aside Initiative) uses set aside funding (34 U.S.C. § 20125) from the OVW Campus Program to support Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in strengthening their institutional response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Campus Set Aside Initiative will support activities focused on building the capacity of HSIs, HBCUs, and TCUs to develop and implement strategies to prevent and address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking that meets the needs of its students, including effective response protocols and prevention programming.  

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Limiting Language:
Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the final application received, and time stamped by grants.gov will be reviewed for eligibility.

Executive Summary
While global in scope, engagements with the following countries will be prioritized but not limited to: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore. Thailand, and Vietnam.  These funds will be used to support activities related to national implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). This includes support to build countries’ capabilities to implement their BWC obligations, including improving the safety and security of biological research through national policies and other measures – a priority outlined in the recent Executive Order 14292, “Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research”. This work will advance the safety and security of the United States and Americans at home and abroad by promoting effective implementation of nonproliferation measures to prevent the acquisition, development, and use of biological weapons.

Funds will strengthen the BWC and advance biosafety and biosecurity globally to protect Americans at home and abroad from the development and use of biological weapons and to prevent laboratory accidents that could have harmful consequences for the United States.

In order to safeguard the United States and Americans at home and abroad from biological accidents and biological weapons acquisition, development, and use, these funds will advance BWC implementation in other countries, including support for developing national level policies and practices to ensure the safe and secure operation of high-containment laboratory facilities, strengthening oversight to ensure responsible conduct of research, and implementing data-informed best practices for biological risk management. Activities undertaken will be in the form of workshops and trainings.

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

Executive Summary
Priority Region: Ukraine

This program aims to promote shared security, stability, and technological innovation for the United States and Ukraine by establishing collaborative partnerships between U.S. and Ukrainian scholars, industries, and research institutions in key priority areas. These partnerships will enhance defense capabilities and security while promoting technological innovation and shared knowledge between the United States and Ukraine.

By integrating education, defense, and innovation, the program strengthens U.S. national security and ensures that Ukraine remains a robust partner, mitigating the risk of its intellectual and technological advancements being exploited by competitors.

These partnerships will help enhance the resilience of U.S. and Ukrainian defense sectors, strengthen cyber defenses, increase energy security, and utilize U.S. best practices and expertise in agriculture, construction, and demining to help create a safer and more secure U.S.-Ukraine partnership, leading to increased economic and investment opportunities for U.S. businesses.

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

Overview
Tajikistan is a critical counterterrorism nexus in Central Asia, a region ISIS-K seeks to exploit for recruitment and illicit cross-border activities. Despite vulnerabilities caused by Tajikistan’s remote and rugged borders, which create risks of illicit movement, it appears the greatest terrorist risk to the region and U.S. security lies in the potential of terrorist groups to inspire, recruit, and organize Central Asians to commit attacks. This project seeks to develop early detection strategies for at-risk communities to detect, report, and respond to illicit trends and activities, with a focus in frontier localities. In doing so, this project builds Tajikistan’s capability to interdict terrorist activity and movement through early detection, responding to terrorist activity at the source to protect America’s borders and security.

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO.  If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the final application received, and time stamped by grants.gov will be reviewed for eligibility.  Each application can include multiple projects that will be evaluated independently. 

Executive Summary
The Director of National Intelligence assesses that Russian scientific institutes continue to research and develop chemical and biological weapons (CBW) capabilities, including technologies to deliver CBW agents. Russia retains an undeclared chemical weapons program and has used chemical weapons at least twice during recent years in assassination attempts with Novichok nerve agents, also known as fourth-generation agents, against Russian opposition leader Aleksey Navalny in 2020, and against U.K. citizen Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yuliya Skripal on U.K. soil in 2018. Russian forces almost certainly continue using chemicals against Ukrainian forces, with hundreds of reported attacks occurring since late 2022.

In response to this very specific national security threat, ISN/CTR will engage biological, biotechnology, chemical, and pharmaceutical (BBCP) industry on compliance and due diligence best-practices to protect manufacturing and distribution supply chains from Russian acquisition of material and equipment for CBW development. In the instances of use, ISN/CTR will train first responders to assess and secure contamination sites and collect and transport samples to maintain a proper chain of custody to a detection laboratory.  ISN/CTR will also train laboratory staff in CBW detection methods to ensure beneficiaries are technically proficient to detect CBW use, as well as strengthen cybersecurity via assessments and select upgrades to protect detection processes, documentation, and reporting.   

 

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO.  If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the final application received, and time stamped by grants.gov will be reviewed for eligibility.  Each application can include multiple projects that will be evaluated independently.  

Executive Summary
Proliferator states, such as Russia and China, increasingly use the sale of their advanced conventional weapons (ACW) systems as a means to obtain financial resources, exert malign influence, and create strategic defense dependencies.  At the same time, countries with existing ACW contracts are seeing these systems operate in Ukraine, as well as experiencing the impact of manufacturing and supply shortages.  To adapt to the sanctions against them, Russia has been forced to turn to China to supply the materials, technology, and logistics for their defense industrial base for critical high priority items, creating close networks of collaboration.  

China, Russia, and other adversarial states leverage private military and security companies (PMSCs) to facilitate of the flow of weapons and ammunition, destabilize regional and national authorities, exploit natural resources including critical minerals, and harm civilian populations. The award recipient will leverage its network to conduct in-person trainings and workshops informed by open-source research on these subjects. The target audience of in-person trainings and workshops includes individuals from national and regional military and law enforcement groups as well as key policymakers of both domestic and regional groups.

Objectives include planning and organizing in-person technical events on countering proliferation of advanced conventional weapons and private military companies for at least 20-50 stakeholders per event. If more targeted sessions are necessary, ISN/CTR can consider them. The events should aim to engage participants from multiple sectors. The in-person trainings and workshops will be informed by open-source research completed in advance of trainings.