Request for Proposals 2025-26 NCITE Research Projects
Download NCITE's Full Year 6 RFP
OVERVIEW
The research objective of NCITE is to bring together capabilities of colleges, universities, federal laboratories, industry, and nonprofit organizations to help thwart terrorism as part of NCITE’s role as DHS’s trusted agent for counterterrorism and terrorism prevention research.
NCITE’s research seeks to innovate, educate, and create new counterterrorism and prevention strategies while building a workforce pipeline where it’s desperately needed: in STEM and homeland security fields.
Our mission is to make these research findings relevant and ready. Our hope is to help America’s homeland security frontline be known as first in-class for terrorism and targeted violence prevention.
DEADLINE
11:59 p.m. EST, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Please submit proposals to NCITERFP@unomaha.edu.
VISIT THIS PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW NCITE SELECTS PROJECTS
QUESTIONS?
Applicants should direct questions to NCITERFP@unomaha.edu. Written questions will be accepted until Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. NCITE will publish all written questions and responses to the RFP page on our website by Feb. 3, 2025, for review by all prospective applicants.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Updated to include questions submitted for the Year 6 RFP. Responses are below.
Can the grant be distributed to a partnership between a nonprofit and a university, or is it typically awarded to a single entity, provided that the PI is also a fellow at our organization? How should the roles and responsibilities between the nonprofit and the university be structured in the proposal?
The PI of the project must be employed by an academic institution. Nonprofits or non-academic institutions may be partners on a project, and the funding allocation may be equally distributed. The roles and responsibilities between universities and non-academic institutions should be appropriate for the project that is submitted. We do not have specific requirements for this, as each proposal may be different.
In the case of a successful proposal, will the project be branded under NCITE, or would we and/or the university retain ownership and branding rights for the work produced?
Public-facing (including to the U.S. government) materials produced and disseminated during the project’s award period including, but not limited to, reports and presentations will be required in NCITE’s templates. Templates are created as a co-brand allowing the research partners, institutions, and universities to be identified. NCITE will require prior review and approval of all deliverables, reports, and publications resulting from the creation of the work during the award period before being disseminated to the public.
Can I submit a proposal of a topic that has been previously studied within NCITE?
Yes, you can submit a proposal on topics that have been previously funded. Proposals may also have previous NCITE researchers as key personnel. All proposals undergo rigorous scientific and relevancy review. Funding decisions are made based on the scientific rigor and relevance of the project as well as appropriateness of the budget.
Can you look over my idea(s) prior to my submission? Is there a program officer I can speak with to share a potential idea?
No, we are unable to provide feedback on specific proposal ideas. We welcome formal and complete submissions that address the Year 6 challenge questions.
Is this limited to only two awardees?
As noted in the full RFP, we are looking to award approximately two new projects.
What are examples of previous research projects?
Visit the NCITE Research page for examples of current and past NCITE projects.
What is the page limit and how should the proposal be prepared?
A: 12 pages
Not including citations, written proposals should be 12 pages maximum, single spaced and saved as a Word document.
What is the checklist of documents for the zip drive?
A: The zip drive submitted should include:
- Project Workplan Template (REQUIRED)
- Excel Budget Sheet (REQUIRED)
- Word Budget Justification (REQUIRED)
- University Indirect Rate Sheet (REQUIRED)
- Investigator CVs (SUGGESTED)
Is there a budget cap for each project?
A: YES
NCITE has identified approximately $350,000 for new awards in 2025-2026.
The average annual award amount of selected projects has been $158,000.
In addition, budgets should reflect: the value of stewardship of federal awards, a focus on interdisciplinary teams, and a commitment to early career researchers and students.
The Excel Budget Sheet and Word Budget Justification are not included in the 12-page proposal limit. Is that correct?
A: Yes, that is correct. The Excel budget sheet and Word budget justification are separate documents and do not count toward the 12-page proposal limit.
Is a PDF an okay format for the final proposal as opposed to a Word document?
A: Please submit final proposals as a Word document.
How many collaborators can I have?
A: There is not a limit to the number of collaborators on a project team.
As an individual consultant, will I be directly connected with NCITE without being sponsored by a university?
A: Please refer to the Eligible Grantees section of our RFP. Under this call for proposals, principal investigators must be employed by an institution of higher education. As an individual consultant, you could be part of a proposal submitted by a research team at a university but would not be eligible to lead a project.
We can include Investigator CVs in the zip drive that we submit. Is that correct?
A: Yes, we welcome investigator CVs, and you can include those in the zip drive.
Is there a limit to how many proposals someone can submit?
A: No, there is not a limit to how many proposals someone can submit.