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Defense & Security Federal Grants 2026

DOD, DARPA, and AFRL grants including SBIR/STTR programs for defense technology, cybersecurity, and national security research.

ACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES: 159 // TOTAL FUNDING CAPACITY: $13,395,944,999 // STATUS: LIVE

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The Department of Defense is the largest single funder of research and development in the United States, spending over $100 billion annually on R&D activities. A significant portion flows through competitive grants and contracts to universities, research institutions, and companies. DOD's SBIR program — the largest SBIR program among all federal agencies by funding volume — awards over $1 billion per year to small businesses developing technology with defense applications. DARPA funds breakthrough research through its program manager model, covering areas from autonomous systems and AI to advanced materials and biotechnology. Service branches including the Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, and Air Force Research Laboratory also run competitive basic research programs. Cybersecurity has emerged as a major funding priority, with CISA, NSA, and DOD all investing in cybersecurity research and workforce development. Universities with strong engineering, computer science, and physical science programs are major recipients across all DOD research programs.

The DOD research funding ecosystem distinguishes between basic research (6.1), applied research (6.2), and advanced technology development (6.3) — each with different risk tolerance, timeline expectations, and eligible performer types. Basic research grants from ARO, ONR, and AFOSR are the most accessible for universities, with no security clearance required and broad discretion for investigators to pursue scientifically interesting directions within a broad area announcement. Applied research cooperative agreements involve more DOD direction and oversight. DARPA operates entirely outside this framework, using Other Transaction Authorities (OTA) and Cooperative Agreements with unique terms that differ significantly from standard federal grants. For companies, the Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) and Other Transaction (OT) agreements provide faster pathways to DOD adoption than traditional SBIR. The DOD's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) connects commercial technology companies with DOD needs through Commercial Solutions Openings — a procurement mechanism rather than a grant, but often the final step after SBIR-funded development.

Defense & Security — Frequently Asked Questions

Can civilian organizations apply for DOD grants?

Yes. DOD research grants — including those from the Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, and Air Force Research Laboratory — are open to U.S. universities, nonprofits, and companies. There is no requirement to be a defense contractor or to have prior DOD experience for most basic research grants. However, some applied research and development programs may have additional security or compliance requirements, particularly for research involving controlled unclassified information.

What is the DOD SBIR program and how large are the awards?

The DOD SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program funds R&D by U.S. small businesses with defense applications. Phase I awards provide up to $250,000 for 6 months of feasibility work. Phase II awards provide up to $1.75 million for 2 years of prototype development. Phase III involves transitioning the technology to the DOD or commercial market, often through contracts rather than grants. Each military service branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, SOCOM, DTRA, etc.) runs its own SBIR topics within the unified DOD SBIR program.

Are there DOD grants specifically for cybersecurity?

Yes. DARPA runs cybersecurity-focused programs periodically (such as cyber resilience and software assurance programs). NSA funds cybersecurity research through its Laboratory for Telecommunications Sciences and academic programs. CISA has cooperative agreement programs for cybersecurity workforce development and critical infrastructure protection. DOD also funds cybersecurity research through the Army Research Laboratory, and the National Security Agency Center for Academic Excellence designates universities for cybersecurity education funding.

What is the Army Research Office (ARO) and how do researchers apply?

The Army Research Office funds basic research in chemistry, electronics, environmental science, life sciences, mathematics, materials science, mechanical science, network science, and physics relevant to Army modernization. ARO primarily funds through Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) that specify research areas of interest. Proposals are submitted through Grants.gov or the Army's electronic BAA system. Awards typically range from $200,000 to $800,000 per year for 3 years. University researchers do not need security clearances for ARO basic research grants.

How does DARPA select research teams and how competitive is it?

DARPA program managers actively recruit performers based on technical reputation and prior work — DARPA's model is closer to venture capital than traditional grant review. Formal solicitations (Broad Agency Announcements, Special Notices) invite proposals, but DARPA PMs also engage researchers informally at conferences. Competition is extremely intense: DARPA receives thousands of white papers per BAA and funds a small fraction. Success depends on proposing specific, measurable technical milestones that could change the state of the art — broad research plans without clear milestones are rarely funded.

Active Defense & Security Federal Grants (159)

SEC_ID: W911NF25S0007 06/02/2030

Staff Research Program

Award Ceiling $10,000,000

The ARO is soliciting proposals for Staff Research Program opportunities. The purpose of the program is to enable ARO scientific staff to ma...