How the Aviation Research Grants Program Works

Who can receive an Aviation Research Grant?

All colleges, universities, and legally incorporated nonprofit research institutions qualify for research grants and cooperative agreements. Individuals are ineligible.

Grant Research

FAA-funded research may use any scientific methodology deemed appropriate by the grantee. It is not required that individual proposals be linked to the immediate application of research to current FAA research, engineering, and development (RE&D) projects. Rather, the evaluation criteria for grant and cooperative agreement proposals will include the potential application of research results to the FAA's long-term goals for civil aviation technology.

Grant Funding

Nearly all FAA research grants and cooperative agreements are funded out of the project funds of the FAA's individual RE&D programs. Proposals must be approved and recommended by the RE&D program managers if they are to be funded. For this reason, it is to the benefit of the grant-seeking organization to make contact with the appropriate FAA RE&D Program Manager to discuss research plans and goals before preparing an official grant proposal.

Savings

The FAA also encourages cost sharing where both the FAA Program Office and the grantee provide a portion of the financial assets needed to fund the research projects, resulting in both reaping the benefits of the results.

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Last updated: Thursday, March 14, 2024