The Research and University Partnerships Office issued the formal Call for Proposals for the FY21 ORAU-Directed Research and Development (ODRD) Program to ORAU subject matter experts.

ODRD now consists of a single proposal process. Previous Phase 1 and 3 awards have been removed, with all ODRD funding dedicated to research projects in the following three FY21 priority focus areas: Public Health; Data Science and Analytics; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Studies. More information about the specific areas of emphasis within these priorities is outlined in the FY21 ODRD Priority Focus Areas document. (Note: these focus areas are also anticipated for FY22, but will be revisited in September.)

One or more awards will be made in each focus area, and up to $150,000 is available for each award. Proposals may span one or more of the priority focus areas, and crosscutting proposals are encouraged. Proposals are due February 1, and must be submitted by an ORAU subject matter expert.

University faculty interested in collaborating on a research idea may submit a brief collaboration interest statement here: https://www.orau.org/university-partnerships/member-grant-programs/odrd.html . These statements are due no later than 11:59pm on December 20th, and will be shared with ORAU researchers who may reach out to initiate collaborations and begin the proposal development process. *This interest statement has replaced the previous Research Concept submission process.

Additional information is available on the ODRD website.