Regional Advancement and Capability Enhancement (RACE) | FOA AFRL RW 2020 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA AFRL RW 2020 0001

The Regional Advancement and Capability Enhancement (RACE) opportunity is a Department of Defense grant program issued by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), specifically the Munitions Directorate (AFRL/RW). It is built around the Air Force goal of staying ahead in future conflicts by being able to move and decide faster, understand environments globally with greater clarity, extend operational reach and effects, and manage complex challenges across all operating domains. In practical terms, the program is looking for unclassified basic research proposals that help enable those outcomes, not only through new technology concepts but also through the support structures that allow research and transition to happen efficiently.

RACE is offered as a cooperative agreement, which usually means the government expects more active involvement than a standard grant. Rather than simply funding a project and receiving periodic reports, a cooperative agreement often includes ongoing coordination, shared planning, or direct collaboration with AFRL and potentially related organizations in the Air Force weapons enterprise. The program is authorized under federal defense research authorities (including references to Title 10 U.S.C.), and it is positioned as an assistance mechanism that helps AFRL/RW and, where relevant, partner organizations such as AFLCMC/EB maintain the resources, capabilities, and infrastructure needed to support the broader mission.

The opportunity emphasizes collaboration as a central theme. AFRL is explicitly interested in strengthening connections among research centers, other Department of Defense organizations, public entities, universities, private industry, and operational stakeholders. The underlying message is that achieving the desired leap-ahead capabilities is not just a matter of isolated laboratory work; it requires coordinated ecosystems that can generate ideas, mature them, and move them toward real-world application. RACE is therefore framed not only as research funding, but as a way to build and sustain the regional or organizational capacity that supports ongoing innovation and mission execution.

Key administrative details are straightforward. The funding opportunity title is Regional Advancement and Capability Enhancement (RACE), with funding opportunity number FOA AFRL RW 2020 0001. It is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity area, with CFDA number 12.800. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to applicants of many types (academia, nonprofits, companies, and other entities), subject to any additional eligibility language that may appear in the full announcement. The agency is the Department of Defense, Munitions Directorate.

In terms of scale and competitiveness, the posting indicates an expected single award, with an award ceiling of $9,500,000. The opportunity was created on October 11, 2019, with an original closing date of November 1, 2019. Overall, RACE is best understood as a large, mission-aligned cooperative agreement intended to fund unclassified basic research and, importantly, to ensure the enabling infrastructure and collaborative networks are in place to help AFRL/RW and associated Air Force weapons organizations deliver next-generation capabilities faster and more effectively.

• The Department of Defense, Munitions Directorate in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Regional Advancement and Capability Enhancement (RACE)" 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 Oct 11, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 01, 2019. (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 $9,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for FOA AFRL RW 2020 0001

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: