ONR, on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, for the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program | N00014 19 S F006

Opportunity Information: Apply for N00014 19 S F006

This funding opportunity is a Department of Defense education and workforce-development grant managed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. It is tied to the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program (MEEP), which was created by the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) under 10 U.S.C. 2196. The core aim is to strengthen the United States manufacturing talent pipeline by establishing new, or improving existing, manufacturing-focused engineering education and training programs. The end goal is practical and defense-driven: produce a current and next-generation workforce capable of designing and building military systems and components in ways that preserve DoD technological advantage.

The program is centered on industry-relevant manufacturing education aligned to specific defense manufacturing needs. Applicants are expected to focus on one or more manufacturing technology areas that matter to DoD, such as lightweight structures, systems, and materials; robotics for manufacturing; manufacturing approaches that leverage nanotechnology; manufacturing of components and systems related to power generation, energy storage, or power distribution; and manufacturing of multifunctional electronics and optical devices. The government is looking for training that clearly connects to real production challenges, modern factory environments, and the kinds of processes and materials used in defense supply chains.

A major emphasis is building multidisciplinary skills that match how modern products are actually designed and manufactured. Proposed programs should strengthen curricula so students can work across disciplines (for example, mechanical, electrical, materials, industrial engineering, and computer science) and function in environments where design, development, and manufacturing are tightly integrated. The opportunity also highlights the importance of computational tools for modeling and simulation as part of manufacturing decision-making, meaning students should be trained to use digital methods to inform manufacturing plans, predict performance, and optimize processes. There is also a business and supply-chain realism baked into the goals: students should be prepared to collaborate across organizations and understand how manufacturers and suppliers of different sizes, from start-ups to large prime integrators, fit into an optimized production ecosystem.

Hands-on, shop-floor capability development is explicitly encouraged, not treated as optional. The announcement calls out practical training areas such as welding; manufacturing-related programming and automation skills (including CNC, CAD, PLCs, control logic, and robotic control); operating and maintaining state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and tooling; process monitoring and optimization; in-line quality assurance; and broader manufacturing operations topics like supply chain and distribution management. In other words, the DoD is not just looking for theoretical coursework, but for programs that produce graduates who can step into real manufacturing environments and contribute quickly.

ONR is seeking consolidated, integrated, multidisciplinary education programs that cover the total manufacturing engineering enterprise. Within that broad scope, the FOA flags three points as especially important: first, targeted instruction and curricula tied to the desired technologies and skills; second, concrete and well-defined industry engagement; and third, geographical diversity. The industry engagement piece is not a vague preference. Applicants are expected to spell out specific partnerships and collaboration details and to create credible pathways for students to gain direct manufacturing experience through internships, summer placements, or cooperative work-study arrangements. The FOA treats industrial partnership design as a critical element of a competitive program.

The kinds of activities that can be supported are wide-ranging, reflecting the idea that manufacturing education is more than a single course or lab. Allowable and encouraged components include classroom and laboratory instruction, thesis work, individual and team projects, internships and co-ops, and structured interactions with industrial facilities, consortia, or similar organizations in the United States (and, where appropriate, certain foreign-country interactions). The program can also support faculty and teacher development, recruitment of highly qualified manufacturing educators, seminars and workshops aimed at specific skills, personnel exchanges such as visiting scholars or industry executives, and the development or updating of manufacturing curricula and course offerings. Beyond traditional higher education, the FOA also allows for manufacturing workforce training programs, joint manufacturing engineering programs with defense labs and depots, and expanded outreach and training opportunities for members of the armed forces, their dependents, veterans, and DoD employees.

Measurement and proof of impact are required, not implied. Proposed programs are expected to include quantitative assessment plans that demonstrate improved understanding of manufacturing engineering challenges and solutions, and that show the instruction is measurably higher quality and more effective as a result of the program. In practice, this means applicants should be prepared to track outcomes like enrollment and completion, skills attainment, placement into manufacturing roles, internship participation, certifications earned, lab competencies, and other metrics that demonstrate real workforce readiness and educational improvement.

Eligibility is broad for non-federal U.S.-based entities, with a strong preference for responsible sources that can execute industry-connected programs. Industry, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and consortia of these groups may submit white papers under the FOA. Foreign entities are not eligible. Prior awardees from this initiative (or earlier versions of it) are allowed to apply again. At the same time, several categories are explicitly restricted: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy national labs, cannot serve as the principal applicant, although they may participate through teaming arrangements if their sponsoring agreements allow it. Navy laboratories, military universities, warfare centers, and other federal laboratories are also not eligible to submit white papers or applications as direct applicants, but they may team with eligible applicants; those organizations are directed to coordinate interest through the ONR point of contact listed in the announcement. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are generally eligible to submit white papers unless their specific DoD UARC contract prohibits it.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category (CFDA 12.300), posted by ONR under Funding Opportunity Number N00014-19-S-F006. The original closing date listed is June 28, 2019, and the posting date is February 15, 2019. The announcement does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided source text, which typically means applicants need to consult the full FOA package for budget expectations, submission steps, and evaluation criteria. Overall, the opportunity is best read as a workforce and education investment program designed to produce manufacturing engineers and technicians with modern, defense-relevant skills, validated by industry partnerships and backed by measurable outcomes.

• The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "ONR, on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, for the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-02-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-06-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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