FY23 Dept of Navy (DoN) Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Education and Workforce Program | N00014 23 S F001

Opportunity Information: Apply for N00014 23 S F001

The FY23 Department of the Navy (DoN) STEM Education and Workforce Program funding opportunity (FOA), administered by the Department of Defense through the Office of Naval Research (ONR), supports grants for STEM education and workforce-development efforts rather than traditional research and development. The program is aimed at strengthening STEM learning and talent pathways through formal and informal education activities that focus primarily on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and related disciplines and topics, including areas like environmental science education and stewardship. In practice, this means proposals should be centered on educational outcomes, training experiences, mentoring capacity, or institutional improvements that grow the STEM pipeline and prepare learners for further education or STEM careers.

The FOA highlights several main types of projects it is designed to fund. One major focus is developing learners knowledge, skills, and interest in STEM, which can include hands-on learning, curriculum or programmatic experiences, and structured engagement designed to increase competency and confidence. Another priority is attracting students into STEM credentials and careers, spanning a wide range of pathways from two-year degrees and professional certifications through graduate and post-doctoral study, with the goal of increasing participation and persistence in STEM fields. The opportunity also supports growth and education-oriented research experiences for post-secondary and graduate students, such as placements with researchers or supervised projects, as long as the primary purpose is educational development rather than generating new research results for commercialization. In addition, the FOA encourages projects that improve the quality of mentors and educators across K-12, higher education, and informal learning settings, including both pre-service and in-service development. Finally, it supports efforts that improve or expand institutional capacity to promote STEM, which can include building sustainable programming, partnerships, or systems that enable an organization to deliver stronger STEM education over time.

A key boundary in this announcement is that it is not intended to fund research proposals in the usual sense. Applications that are primarily research-driven are excluded, except for projects where the research-like activity is mainly an educational experience for students (for example, student research training or experiential learning) and is not expected to produce intellectual property. If an effort is fundamentally a research project, even if it supports STEM goals, the announcement directs applicants to submit such work under the current fiscal year Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) instead. This distinction is important for shaping proposals, because competitive submissions will frame the work around measurable educational and workforce outcomes rather than scientific discovery.

In terms of basic logistics, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number N00014-23-S-F001) under CFDA 12.330, categorized broadly as science and technology and other research and development, but explicitly targeted here to education and workforce programming. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status, as specified), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The announcement was created on December 27, 2022, with an original closing date of September 1, 2023. The award ceiling is listed as $600,000, and the agency anticipated making about 8 awards, which signals a competitive process with a limited number of grants and a moderate maximum award size relative to large-scale R&D programs.

Overall, the FOA is best understood as an education-and-workforce investment vehicle for the Navy, intended to build stronger STEM learning experiences, expand participation in STEM pathways, improve educator and mentor capability, and increase the capacity of institutions to produce and support future STEM talent. Strong proposals under this opportunity would typically present a clear educational problem or workforce gap, define the target participants and learning environment, describe the program activities in operational detail, and lay out credible evaluation measures that show how the effort will increase STEM knowledge, skills, persistence, credentials, or career readiness, while staying away from research aims that would belong under the Long Range BAA.

• The Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY23 Dept of Navy (DoN) 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 Dec 27, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 01, 2023. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses.

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