Minerva Research Initiative’s (Minerva) Defense Education and Civilian University Research (DECUR) Partnership

Agency: Washington Headquarters Services

12.431 -- Basic Scientific Research

Archived opportunityLast Updated: May 13, 2026

Description

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is interested in receiving applications for Minerva’s DECUR Partnership. The DECUR Partnership aims to develop collaborative basic research partnerships between PME Institutions and Civilian Research Universities by supporting fundamental scientific research that improves the capacity of security-related basic social science research and education. Building upon the success of Minerva’s university research awards, the DECUR Partnership aims to pair civilian university researchers with PME faculty to facilitate collaborative research in the fundamental understanding of the social and cultural forces shaping U.S. strategic interests globally. OSD is particularly interested in projects that align with and support the upcoming 2022 National Defense Strategy.

...

Minerva emphasizes questions of strategic importance to U.S. national security policy, and the DECUR partnership aims to increase the Department’s intellectual capital in the social sciences and improve its ability to address future challenges and build bridges between the Department and the social science community. Minerva brings together universities and other research institutions around the world and supports multidisciplinary and cross-institutional projects addressing specific interest areas determined by the Department of Defense. The Minerva program aims to promote research in specific areas of social science and to promote a candid and constructive relationship between DoD and the social science academic community.

The Minerva Research Initiative competition is for research related to nine (9) topics listed below. Innovative white papers and applications related to these research areas are highly encouraged. Detailed descriptions of the interest areas—which are intended to provide a frame of reference and are not meant to be restrictive—can be found in Section XI.C of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) document, “Specific Minerva Research Initiative Topics.”

Topic 1: Social Implications of Environmental Change

Topic 2: Resource Competition, Social Cohesion, and Strategic Climate Resilience

Topic 3: Security Risks in Ungoverned, Semi-Governed, and Differently-Governed Spaces

Topic 4: Analysis of Foreign Influence Operations in Cross-Cultural Perspective

Topic 5: Community Studies on Online and Offline Influence

Topic 6: Computational Social Science Research on Difficult-to-Access Environments

Topic 7: Social and Cultural Implications of Artificial Intelligence

Topic 8: Humans and Outer Space

Topic 9: Management and Information in the Defense Environment

For complete information related to this NFO, please see the Related Documents Tab.

For any questions regarding this NFO, please contact Dr. Fiona Butcher, OUSD(R&E): fiona.d.butcher.fn@mail.mil.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Miscellaneous

Other

Additional information

All U.S.-based civilian universities and Professional Military Educational (PME) institutions associated with the Air Force, Navy/Marine Corps, and Joint PME may submit applications under this NFO. Due to Army policy, Army-affiliated PME institutions are not eligible for the DECUR Partnership.Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to apply.Teams are encouraged and may submit applications in any and all areas. At minimum, there should be a civilian university Principal Investigator (PI) and a PME co-PI. Non-profit institutions and commercial entities may be included on a university-led team as subawardees only, receiving funding for their efforts accordingly. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this NFO. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal applicants are allowed provided they are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC. Regardless the size of the team, however, the maximum award amount is $400,000 distributed evenly over a two-year period.

Grantor contact information

Description

Jonathan Bertsch

Email

Grants Officer, WHS/AD

jonathan.e.bertsch.civ@mail.mil

Documents

File name	Description	Last updated
F08_Minerva_DECUR_NFO_Amendment_2.pdf	HQ003422NFOEASD04 Minerva DECUR NFO Amendment 2	Oct 28, 2022 07:33 PM UTC

Link to additional information

Archived: December 22, 2022

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates.

Award

$2,000,000

Program Funding

Expected awards

$200,000

Award Minimum

$200,000

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

HQ003422NFOEASD04

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

Funding instrument type:

Grant

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

Category of Funding Activity:

Science technology and other research and development

Category Explanation:

History

Version:

Posted date:

July 6, 2022

Archive date:

December 22, 2022