Opportunity Information: Apply for W911NF 11 R 0011
Apply for W911NF 11 R 0011
- The Dept of the Army Materiel Command in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Minerva Research Initiative (MRI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630 Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 4, 2011 and posted on Jul 18, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 12, 2011 The due date for white papers is 14 September 2011, 400 PM Local North Carolina Time The due date for final proposal submission is extended to 12 December 2011, 400 PM Local North Carolina Time. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $35,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This MRI competition is open to institutions of higher education (universities), including foreign universities. Non profit institutions and commercial entities may also be included on a university led team, performing research as subawardees and receiving funding for their efforts.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Minerva Research Initiative (MRI) is a Department of Defense-sponsored, university-based social science research program designed to fund academic work that speaks directly to areas of strategic importance for U.S. national security policy. Administered under the Department of the Army, Materiel Command, this opportunity is structured as a competitive grant program that brings together universities, research institutions, and individual scholars to conduct multidisciplinary research. A central goal of the program is to expand the DoD's intellectual capital in the social sciences, strengthen its ability to anticipate and respond to future security challenges, and build durable, candid, and constructive working relationships between the defense community and academic social scientists.
This particular funding announcement (Funding Opportunity Number W911NF-11-R-0011) supports projects that align with seven specific research topics identified in Section VIII of the program's Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). In practice, that means applicants are expected to frame their proposed research around the topic areas the DoD has prioritized for that competition cycle, rather than proposing unrelated investigator-driven themes. The program emphasizes cross-institutional and multidisciplinary approaches, signaling that collaborative teams that combine complementary expertise, methods, or regional and thematic knowledge are especially relevant to the initiative's intent.
The award mechanism is a discretionary grant, and the funding activity is categorized under "Other," with the clarification that MRI is a DoD-sponsored social science research program. The CFDA listing associated with this opportunity is 12.630 (Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering). Cost sharing or matching is not required, which reduces barriers for universities and research teams that might otherwise need to secure non-federal contributions to participate.
From a funding perspective, the opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $35,000,000. Individual awards are described with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 and an award floor of $2,000,000, effectively indicating that anticipated awards are around the $2 million level per project. This structure suggests a relatively small number of sizeable research awards, consistent with the initiative's focus on substantial, multi-year, multi-investigator efforts rather than many smaller seed grants.
Eligibility is centered on institutions of higher education, including foreign universities, which is notable because it explicitly allows participation beyond U.S.-based academic institutions. The competition also allows broader project teams: nonprofit institutions and commercial entities may participate as part of a university-led team, typically as subawardees, and may receive funding for their portion of the research. The emphasis on "university-led" projects indicates that the prime applicant and lead institution are expected to be a university, with other organizations contributing specialized capabilities or support under subawards.
In terms of timeline, the opportunity was posted July 18, 2011, with a process that included an initial white paper stage and then full proposals. White papers were due September 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM local North Carolina time, and the final proposal submission deadline was extended to December 12, 2011 at 4:00 PM local North Carolina time (with the original closing date listed as November 7, 2011). The archive date is January 11, 2012, reflecting that this is a historical competition cycle, though the program itself may recur under new BAAs and topics in different years.
For applicants needing access assistance or administrative support related to the announcement, the listed point of contact is the contracting officer, Vonetta Goodson, reachable by phone at 919-549-4291. The announcement also references an additional information link to the Minerva BAA, which would contain the definitive guidance on topic descriptions, required proposal elements, submission instructions, evaluation criteria, and any compliance considerations relevant to DoD-funded research in the social sciences.
Minerva Research Initiative (MRI) Grant FAQs (W911NF-11-R-0011)
1) What is the Minerva Research Initiative (MRI)?
The Minerva Research Initiative (MRI) is a Department of Defense (DoD)-sponsored, university-based social science research program. It funds academic research intended to speak directly to areas of strategic importance for U.S. national security policy, while strengthening long-term working relationships between the defense community and academic social scientists.
2) Which DoD organization administers this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is administered under the Department of the Army, Materiel Command.
3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is W911NF-11-R-0011.
4) What type of funding mechanism is used?
The award mechanism is a discretionary grant.
5) How is the funding activity categorized?
The funding activity is categorized under "Other," with the clarification that MRI is a DoD-sponsored social science research program.
6) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing associated with this opportunity is 12.630 (Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering).
7) What is the main purpose of MRI funding?
The program aims to expand the DoD's intellectual capital in the social sciences, improve the ability to anticipate and respond to future security challenges, and build durable, candid, and constructive relationships between defense stakeholders and academic researchers.
8) Are proposals investigator-driven, or must they align with specific topics?
Applicants are expected to align proposed research with seven specific research topics identified in Section VIII of the program's Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Proposals should be framed around the topic areas the DoD prioritized for that competition cycle, rather than unrelated investigator-driven themes.
9) Where are the official research topics described?
The seven research topics are identified in Section VIII of the program's Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), referenced by the announcement as the definitive source for topic descriptions and related requirements.
10) Does the program encourage multidisciplinary or collaborative research teams?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes cross-institutional and multidisciplinary approaches and signals that collaborative teams combining complementary expertise, methods, or regional/thematic knowledge are especially relevant to the program's intent.
11) What is the estimated total funding available under this opportunity?
The announcement lists an estimated total funding amount of $35,000,000.
12) What is the anticipated size of individual awards?
Individual awards are described with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 and an award floor of $2,000,000, indicating anticipated awards around the $2 million level per project.
13) Does the ceiling and floor both being $2,000,000 mean all awards are expected to be the same size?
Based on the stated ceiling and floor, the opportunity indicates awards are anticipated at approximately $2,000,000 per project. The structure suggests a small number of sizeable awards rather than many smaller grants.
14) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this opportunity.
15) Who is eligible to apply as the primary (prime) applicant?
Eligibility is centered on institutions of higher education. The opportunity indicates the prime applicant and lead institution are expected to be a university.
16) Are foreign universities eligible?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly includes foreign universities, meaning participation is not limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education.
17) Can nonprofits participate?
Yes. Nonprofit institutions may participate as part of a university-led team, typically as subawardees, and may receive funding for their portion of the research.
18) Can commercial (for-profit) entities participate?
Yes. Commercial entities may participate as part of a university-led team, typically as subawardees, and may receive funding for their portion of the research.
19) Does the opportunity allow individual scholars to participate?
The program description notes that the competition brings together universities, research institutions, and individual scholars. However, the eligibility emphasis in this announcement indicates projects are university-led, suggesting individuals participate through or in partnership with an eligible university applicant.
20) What was the application process for this competition cycle?
The process included an initial white paper stage followed by full proposals.
21) When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on July 18, 2011.
22) What was the white paper deadline?
White papers were due September 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM local North Carolina time.
23) What was the final proposal deadline?
The final proposal submission deadline was extended to December 12, 2011 at 4:00 PM local North Carolina time.
24) Was the final proposal deadline changed from an earlier date?
Yes. The original closing date was listed as November 7, 2011, and it was extended to December 12, 2011.
25) What does the archive date indicate?
The archive date is January 11, 2012, indicating this is a historical competition cycle. The MRI program may recur in other years under new BAAs and topic sets.
26) Who is the point of contact for access assistance or administrative support?
The listed point of contact is the contracting officer, Vonetta Goodson.
27) How can the point of contact be reached?
Vonetta Goodson can be reached by phone at 919-549-4291.
28) Where should applicants look for definitive instructions and requirements?
The announcement references an additional information link to the Minerva BAA. That BAA is described as containing definitive guidance on topic descriptions, required proposal elements, submission instructions, evaluation criteria, and compliance considerations relevant to DoD-funded social science research.
29) What kind of projects does this funding structure suggest?
With anticipated awards around $2 million and an estimated total of $35 million, the structure suggests a relatively small number of substantial research projects, consistent with multi-year, multi-investigator efforts rather than smaller seed grants.
30) What should an applicant emphasize to align with MRI priorities based on this announcement?
Based on the information provided, applicants should (1) align tightly with one of the seven Section VIII BAA topics for that cycle and (2) consider cross-institutional, multidisciplinary collaboration that brings together complementary expertise and methods in support of DoD-relevant social science research.
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