ABOUT US
The Army conducts relevant, transformative research rooted in the tenets of discovery, innovation, and transition to deliver science and technology (S&T) solutions. Army S&T relies closely on external collaboration with academia to conduct research aligned to the Army’s research priorities in support of the Army’s modernization strategy and the Soldier. To that end, Army S&T is committed to furthering its teaming with HBCU-MIs and their students, alumni, and faculty.
Through HBCU-MI research outreach initiatives, the Army is reducing barriers for HBCU-MIs to work with the Army’s S&T enterprise. Listening sessions, site visits, and other outreach to HBCU-MIs have demonstrated that unknown Army priorities, unclear paths to opportunities, lack of connections, and limited time and funding inhibit HBCU-MIs from access equity to partnering with the Army. The HBCU-MI Research Teaming Opportunities site works to address these by serving as a central hub to connect HBCU-MI affiliates with research teaming opportunities and provide information on the Army’s research priorities and S&T enterprise.
Army Research Priorities
Army S&T maintains focused investments in basic and applied research. The Army will execute an investment strategy that delivers underpinning knowledge and technology which addresses the elements of force modernization. Army S&T will continue to have a heavy emphasis on mid- and far-term capabilities, through threat based, concept driven and capability informed work.
Disruptive Energetics
Greater than 2x energetic energy over smaller footprints.
Quantum
Optimized information transfer, sensing, and communication with unparalleled security.
RF Electronic Materials
Taking advantage of optical and thermal properties of diamond materials for directed energy.
Hypersonic Flight
Aerodynamics, materials, and processes.
Artificial Intelligence
Increasing speed and agility in which we respond to emerging threats.
Autonomy
Maneuverability and off-road mobility of platforms.
Synthetic Biology
Reactive and responsive skins/spectrally selective materials/antimateriel properties.
Material by Design
Protection overmatch against future threats.
Science of Additive Manufacturing
For next generation munitions for increased range and lethality.
Working With The Army
The Army’s success depends on maintaining and developing partnerships with HBCU-MIs, and recognizes that differing attributes, experiences, and talents are force multipliers. Through the Army’s enhanced partnerships with HBCU-MIs, the Army will reinforce mutual trust, cohesion, and benefits of teaming.
The Army gains new research and talent communities, while HBCU-MIs gain collaboration opportunities and enduring autonomy. These collaborations will strengthen the capacity of HBCU-MIs to provide excellence in education and provide opportunity for HBCU-MIs to conduct research critical to the Army S&T’s support of the Soldier.
FAQs
What is the purpose of 10 U.S. Code § 4144?
U.S. Code § 4144 exists to support research, development, testing, evaluation, or educational enhancements in areas important to national defense through the competitive awarding of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, scholarships, fellowships, or the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation.
Which institutions are eligible for assistance under U.S. Code § 4144?
Covered Educational Institutions include historically black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions such as Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSI), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
What is the definition of a Covered Educational Institution?
A Covered Educational Institution is an institution of higher education eligible for assistance under title III or V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.) or an accredited postsecondary minority institution.
Who administers the program established by U.S. Code § 4144?
The program is administered by the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Secretary of each military department, shall carry out a program to provide assistance to Covered Educational Institutions to assist the Department in defense-related research, development, testing, and evaluation activities.
What kind of assistance can the program provide to Covered Educational Institutions?
The program can provide technical assistance or funding to Covered Educational Institutions.
How can an undergraduate student jumpstart their career by teaming with the Army through various scholarships, grants, internships, and apprenticeship opportunities?
The Army HBCU-MI SPARK Program offers a 10-week summer internship for full-time undergraduate students from HBCU-MIs to conduct research in STEM fields at an Army facility. Students work on research projects related to the Army mission guided by government scientists and engineers. Army HBCU-MI SPARK – Home
What are the training and research opportunities for graduates at all levels to advance a career?
- Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) – Internships & Fellowships — the Army Educational Outreach Program offers our nation’s youth and teachers opportunities for meaningful, real-world STEM experiences, competitions and paid internships alongside U.S. Army researchers and Primary Investigators, with the goal of creating a highly competent STEM talent pool to strengthen the U.S. Army, DoD, and the Nation’s workforce. AEOP interns (high school, undergraduate) and AEOP fellows (graduate, post-doctoral) conduct real-world, Army-sponsored research alongside scientists and engineers in world-class facilities. https://www.usaeop.com/type/internships-fellowships/
- The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program is designed to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industrial control system security professionals and security managers to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission for federal, state, local and tribal governments. This program provides scholarships for up to three years of support for cybersecurity undergraduate and graduate (MS or PhD) education. In return for their scholarships, recipients must work for the U.S. government after graduation in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship. CyberCorps®: Scholarship for Service
- The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program is a highly competitive, portable fellowship that is awarded to U.S. citizens and nationals who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in one of fifteen supported disciplines. The NDSEG Fellowship Program confers high honors upon its recipients who choose the U.S. institution they wish to attend. NDSEG Fellowship Program lasts three years, pays full tuition and all mandatory fees, a monthly stipend, and up to $1,600 USD a year in medical insurance (dental and vision insurances are not included). https://ndseg.sysplus.com/NDSEG/About/
- The DOD HBCU/MI Summer Research Program provides a bridge between the classroom and real-world experiences and aims to increase the number of minority scientists and engineers throughout DOD. The initiative encourages students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, guides them toward advanced studies, and prepares them for careers in science and engineering fields important to the defense mission. Students, both undergraduate and graduate, will participate in the program for 11 weeks and will be placed in DOD facilities across the nation. Students conduct research relevant to the defense mission under the supervision of DOD scientists and engineers. Homepage – DoD HBCU/MI Summer Research Internship Program
- The DoD SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is a unique opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students to advance their education and jumpstart their careers. SMART provides merit-based scholarships to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students pursuing STEM degrees. SMART scholarship recipients receive full tuition, annual stipends, summer internships, and after graduation, civilian employment with the Department of Defense. Applications are open annually from August 1 to the first Friday in December. https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart/en
How can your institution learn about current and past Army HBCU-MI Technical Webinars?
Army HBCU-MI Technical Webinars (2314) Army HBCU-MI Outreach Webinars – YouTube
Are you a high school student or soon-to-be high school graduate interested in STEM? Here are several research programs in the Army S&T Enterprise for you.
- The Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) – Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) — Army Educational Outreach Program offers our nation’s youth and teachers opportunities for meaningful, real-world STEM experiences, competitions and paid internships alongside U.S. Army researchers, with the goal of creating a highly competent STEM talent pool to strengthen the U.S. Army, DoD, and the Nation’s workforce. AEOP’s Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), promotes original research and experimentation in STEM. At JSHS, high school students compete for scholarships and recognition by presenting results of their STEM projects to a panel of judges. Student STEM Competitions – Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
- Pathways Internship Program — designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions with opportunities to work in agencies and explore federal careers while getting paid for work performed. Students who successfully complete the program may be eligible for conversion to a permanent job in the civil service. Pathways Internship Programs – Careers
How can academicians advance their careers within the research programs in the Army S&T Enterprise.
The HBCU-MI Faculty Immersion Program provides opportunities to create artificial intelligence and machine learning research partnerships with HBCU-MIs. Faculty collaborates with scientists and engineers at an institution to foster collaboration and capabilities regarding state-of-the-art technological. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/355730
How can your institution engage in innovative technology solutions to support Army challenges and gain access to funding opportunities.
The xTech Program manages the Army’s prize competitions to award and accelerates innovative technology solutions that can help solve Army challenges. xTech competitions engage the non-defense business sector and start-up technology companies, with the Army Science and Technology ecosystem to leverage cutting edge technologies. Recent competitions include xTech HBCU, designed to engage with eligible institutions, and highlight opportunities to collaborate with the Army to tackle critical Army challenges, earn prize money, network with Army program managers and provide potential funding opportunities to tackle Army challenges. xTechSearch – Accelerate innovative technology solutions
How can your institution engage in biomedical, behavioral and social science research.
- U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMEDCOM) USAMRDC: U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command
- U.S. Army Research Institute for Behavioral and Social Science https://ari.altess.army.mil/
How can your institution submit a proposal to Army researchers for consideration?
The ARL Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) ARL Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) – DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
How can your institution learn about various funding opportunities for cutting-edge innovative research that could enable new and improved Army operational capabilities and related technologies?
Opportunities for Funded Research Funded Research – DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
How can your institution learn about opportunities for Collaborative Partnership?
Collaborative Partnerships Collaborative Partnerships – DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
How can your institution learn about opportunities for Technology Transfer?
Technology Transfer Technology Transfer – DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
Army Science and Technology Research Enterprise
The Army S&T enterprise conducts relevant, transformative research to deliver science and technology solutions for the Soldier. Specializing in various focus areas, the centers that make up the greater S&T Enterprise provide a robust offering of research opportunities for HBCU-MI affiliates. Learn more about each of these centers by checking out their information below.
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology)’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research & Technology) (DASA(R&T))
DASA(R&T) is responsible for policy, budget, and oversight of the Army’s science and technology (S&T) investments and provides oversight to the Army Educational Outreach Program and Army S&T HBCU-MI outreach initiatives. Due to its positioning within Headquarters, Department of the Army and its oversight role, DASA(R&T) is ideally positioned to assist in guiding prospective partners to opportunities across the breadth of the Army.
U.S. Army Research Institute (ARI) for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
ARI is the Army’s lead S&T Laboratory for developing innovative assessment methods for selection and assignment, creating new and more efficient job analytic techniques to identify knowledge, skills, behaviors, and preferences requirements, providing effective methods to develop Soldier competencies across a career, and creating approaches for optimal personnel assignment to teams. ARI achieves this through research advances and the application of the behavioral and social sciences to address personnel, organization, Soldier, and leader development issues.
U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC)
Army Futures Command integrates on a daily basis with entrepreneurs, scientists and businesses to employ an entrepreneurial spirit of accepting the risk of failure early and cheaply in order to create the best solution for our Soldiers. Much of this work is accomplished through four subordinate, supporting commands, which operate through collaborative partnerships with industry and academia to help keep Soldiers safe, America strong, and to win on any future battlefield.
U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM)
The U.S. Army Command (USAMEDCOM) provides ready and sustained health services support and force health protection in support of the Total Force to enable readiness and to conserve the fighting strength while caring for our People and their Families.
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) Technical Center
The USASMDC Technical Center supports the joint Soldier by providing science, technology, and test and evaluation expertise to enable Soldier dominance today and in the future. The Technical Center focuses on three essential tasks: executing science and technology, research and development, and test and evaluation; managing and operating the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site; and conducting space operations and space domain awareness.
U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)
DEVCOM is a team of world-class scientists, engineers, analysts, technicians and support staff who are fully focused on empowering America’s Soldiers today and in the future. DEVCOM believes in getting out of the scientific lab and into the dirt, taking calculated risks and finding new solutions every day. Their experts drive scientific discovery, advance and improve existing technologies, and engineer solutions to technical limitations. DEVCOM leverages cutting-edge technologies to give Soldiers the ability to see, sense, decide and act faster than their adversaries.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
ERDC is a world-class research and development (R&D) organization with a near 100-year history of discovering, developing and delivering new ways to make the world a safer and better place. The ERDC conducts R&D for the nation in military missions, civil works, contingency operations, international and interagency operations, and geospatial support. The ERDC has aligned its R&D-focused efforts with Army and administration priorities and works to address national challenges including climate change, energy resilience, cyber and physical security, modernizing national infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
Army RDT&E Enterprise: Centers and Labs
