The Department of Defense Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (DoD STEM), under its National Defense Education Program
(NDEP) and 10 U.S. Code 2192, seeks to enter into a cooperative agreement with a Consortium
of like‐minded organizations (herein “Consortium Members”) to provide a continuum of
meaningful STEM learning experiences for students and educators through effective STEM
education and outreach programs. The Consortium will be named Defense STEM Education
Consortium (DSEC). The Department intends to award ONE (1) cooperative agreement award of
up to $190M over a period of performance of (up to) ten‐years. This cooperative agreement will
consist of ONE (1) two‐year base period of up to $37M, followed by up to FOUR (4) two‐year
option periods of $37.5M to $39M each, totaling up to ten years and up to $190M total
Optional renewal periods are subject to availability of funds based on annual budget
appropriations.
Applications Due: March 11, 2024
The cooperative agreement will be awarded to a Lead Organization which meets the
qualifications of a “non‐federal entity,” defined in 2 CFR § 200.1 as a State, local
government, Indian tribe, Institution of Higher Education (IHE), or nonprofit organization or
a for‐profit organization per 32 CFR 34. Applicants are reminded that formation of a
Consortium is a requirement in order to be responsive to this FOA, and the Consortium may
be either already existing or newly formed. All Consortium Members are expected to have
significant involvement and input into the overall DSEC effort.
The projected scope of the cooperative agreement is up to $190 million over the course of
ten (10) years. The Basic Research Office within the OUSD(R&E) will execute the DoD’s
strategy to take a coordinated and cohesive approach to its STEM investments. Table 1
presents the estimated annual funding for the DSEC COA over the potential ten‐year period
of performance. The projected funding includes all costs associated with the COA. This
information should be used as a guide by applicants when developing an application.