Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program
Open Opportunities (1)
Live Grants.gov opportunities funded under this program — you can apply now.
- Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program Deadline: Jul 13, 2026
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
Recipients are expected to: 1) develop curriculum to educate students about documentary standards and standardization so that they enter the workforce and/or continue their studies with a strong understanding and appreciation for the value and benefits of standards and standardization; 2) develop sustainable approaches, methods, and models and demonstrate how the curriculum can be replicated and/or built upon by the recipient and other U.S. colleges and universities to support the integration of documentary standards and standardization content into curriculum; and 3) develop and implement a plan to broadly disseminate project information, results, and outcomes through internal and external outreach.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Other
Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001, located in the United States or its territories.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
Initial Administrative Review of Applications.
Applications received by the deadline will be reviewed to determine eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness to this NOFO and to the scope of the stated program objectives. Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or nonresponsive may be eliminated from further review. However, NIST, in its sole discretion, may continue the review process for an application that is missing non-substantive information, the absence of which may easily be rectified during the review process.
Applications that are determined to be eligible, complete, and responsive will proceed for full reviews in accordance with the review and selection process below:
(1)
Merit Review. At least three (3) independent, objective reviewers, who may be Federal employees or non-Federal personnel, with appropriate professional and technical expertise relating to the topics covered in this NOFO, will evaluate, and score each eligible, complete, and responsive application based on the evaluation criteria. While every application will have at least three (3) reviewers, applications may have more than three (3) reviewers if specialized expertise is needed to evaluate an application. During the review process, the reviewers may discuss the applications with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, not a consensus. Based on the numerical average of the reviewers’ scores, a rank order will be prepared and provided to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
(2) Selection. The Selecting Official, the Director of NIST’s Standards Coordination Office or their designee, will make final award recommendations to the NIST Grants Officer.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 60 to 90 days
- Renewal interval: > 180 Days
Program details & compliance
Description
The Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SCO CD CAP) is seeking applications from eligible applicants for activities to develop undergraduate and/or graduate level curricula to incorporate documentary standards, standards development, and standardization information and content into seminars, modules, courses, and learning resources. The recipients will work with NIST to strengthen education and learning about documentary standards, standards development, and standardization.
Mission Categories
Primary: Economic Development
Other categories:
Higher EducationEngineering
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
The following can be funded under this program:
●the design, testing, and evaluation of undergraduate and/or graduate curricula, course content and materials, courses or course modules, seminars, class assignments, student projects, and/or student participation in mock standards development activities and negotiations;
●standards curriculum in any area that support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and/or other related disciplines such as law, public policy, business, and/or multi-disciplinary approaches;1
●stipends for instructors who are not funded as key technical personnel but are identified in the proposal as collaborators from other IHEs and have
demonstrated a commitment through a Letter of Commitment from their department head or higher, to pilot and/or implement the curricula developed into undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum at their school;
Ctravel to implement the Communication and Dissemination Plan (see Section IV.2.a.(6).c. and Section V.1.b. of this NOFO); and
are identified in the proposal as collaborators from other IHEs and have
demonstrated a commitment through a Letter of Commitment from their department head or higher, to pilot and/or implement the curricula developed into undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum at their school;
●
travel to implement the Communication and Dissemination Plan (see Section IV.2.a.(6).c. and Section V.1.b. of this NOFO); and
●help for the cost for students who assist instructors.
Restrictions
The following will not be funded under this program:
●activities involving researching an idea for a project, and the evaluation of the viability, necessity, or usefulness of a project; ideas for projects should be fully developed prior to submitting an application for consideration;
●education, such as certifications, training, or courses, for individuals proposed to participate in projects, as detailed in the project budget; individuals must already have the necessary knowledge and expertise to successfully complete the project at the time the proposal for funding is submitted;
●activities involving K-12 education or workforce/industry education;
●food/beverage or catering;
●equipment and supplies categories in excess of $3,000 combined; and
●projects involving the conduct of research, including research involving human subjects or live vertebrate animals.
Required Documentation
Accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001, located in the United States or its territories.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements
Formula
This program is a discretionary federal assistance award administered by DOC/NIST. No statutory formula or administrative allocation method applies. Funding amounts are determined based on merit review and agency discretion in accordance with the NOFO. There are no matching requirements and no Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements.