Fiscal Year 2022 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program – Lending Library (DURIP-LL) | FOA AFRL AFOSR 2022 0002

Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2022 0002

The Fiscal Year 2022 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program - Lending Library (DURIP-LL) is a Department of Defense funding opportunity administered by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) that supports universities in building and running a lending library centered on existing DURIP-funded research equipment. The main idea is not to buy new instrumentation, but to take instrumentation that was previously purchased through DURIP awards and turn it into a structured, well-advertised program that loans or shares that equipment to create more hands-on learning and research experiences. While the equipment may have originally been funded through the Army Research Office (ARO), Office of Naval Research (ONR), or AFOSR, this specific lending library opportunity is described as a stand-alone STEM supplement offered only by AFOSR.

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education, including both public/state-controlled universities and private universities, and applicants must be prior DURIP recipients who currently have access to DURIP-funded instrumentation. In practice, that means proposals should clearly identify the specific DURIP instrumentation being leveraged, confirm that the institution controls and can make the equipment available, and explain how the lending library will function operationally. The announcement emphasizes creating, marketing, and implementing the lending library, so applicants are expected to describe not only how the equipment will be loaned or shared, but also how potential users will find out about it, how access will be scheduled and managed, what training and supervision will be provided, and how the program will be sustained and administered.

A core requirement is an education and outreach focus tied to DoD priorities, especially experiential learning enabled by real instrumentation. The solicitation highlights that proposals must address the impact of the instrumentation on the institution's ability to educate K-12 students through research experiences in disciplines important to DoD missions. In other words, the lending library is meant to be a vehicle for meaningful STEM engagement and research-related education, not simply a campus equipment-sharing system. Competitive proposals would be expected to explain how K-12 students (and typically educators as well) will gain hands-on exposure to research tools and methods, how activities connect to relevant science and engineering disciplines, and how the equipment access will translate into authentic learning experiences rather than demonstrations only.

The opportunity is also explicitly aligned to DoD STEM goals, which shape what the program is trying to achieve and how proposals may be evaluated. Those goals are: (1) inspiring community engagement in DoD STEM education programs and activities to provide meaningful STEM learning opportunities for students and educators; (2) attracting the nation's and DoD's current and future STEM workforce through multiple pathways to educational and career opportunities; (3) increasing participation of underserved and underrepresented groups in STEM education; and (4) improving the efficiency and effectiveness of STEM education and workforce development programs through evaluation and assessment. As a result, proposals are expected to go beyond describing outreach events and include a clear plan for who will be reached, how access and participation will be broadened (particularly for underserved or underrepresented groups), and how outcomes will be measured and assessed. The announcement also notes that applicants should include relevant funding information, including other federal funds that may be used and any non-federal cost contributions or support being applied to the STEM outreach and education components.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the science and technology / research and development category (CFDA 12.800) offered by the Department of Defense through AFOSR. The funding opportunity number is FOA AFRL AFOSR 2022 0002. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $50,000, with an expected 50 awards, reflecting relatively small grants intended to enable program setup and execution rather than large-scale equipment purchases. Key dates provided are a creation date of February 4, 2022, and an original closing date of May 13, 2022.

• The Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2022 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program – Lending Library (DURIP-LL)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 04, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 13, 2022. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2022 0002

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