Opportunity Information: Apply for MDA 2017 DACV STEM 0001
The Missile Defense Agency STEM Outreach BEST Robotics Grant (Funding Opportunity Number: MDA 2017 DACV STEM 0001; CFDA 12.330) is a discretionary federal grant designed to strengthen K-12 STEM engagement through support of BEST Robotics competitions. The central goal is to help newer, officially recognized BEST Robotics Local Competition Hubs, specifically those in their first five years of operation, expand their capacity by purchasing additional robotics kits. By increasing the number of available kits, a hub can typically support more student teams, broaden participation across schools and districts, and create more hands-on opportunities for students to explore engineering, programming, problem-solving, and teamwork in a competitive project-based setting.
Funding is provided by the Missile Defense Agency, and the assistance is offered in the form of a grant. The program focuses on a practical, near-term barrier that new hubs often face: limited equipment that restricts how many teams can participate. Robotics kits are a direct input into the number of teams a hub can field, which in turn influences the scale and reach of local competitions. The grant is therefore structured as a capacity-building resource meant to help hubs grow early and establish a stronger local pipeline of STEM activities for K-12 students, aligning with broader federal STEM outreach objectives.
Eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education, including both public/state-controlled universities and colleges as well as private institutions of higher education. In practice, this eligibility structure reflects how many BEST Robotics hubs are hosted, administered, or fiscally managed through a college or university partner. The opportunity is not broadly open to all organization types in the source data provided, so prospective applicants would typically need to be an eligible higher education institution that is also connected to an official BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub meeting the "first five years" requirement.
The opportunity was created on May 3, 2017, with an original closing date of June 30, 2017. The maximum award amount listed (award ceiling) is $10,500, indicating that individual grants were intended to be relatively targeted and focused on equipment purchases rather than large, multi-year program funding. The announcement emphasizes outcomes such as increased numbers of competing teams and greater STEM awareness and engagement among K-12 populations, highlighting that the expected impact is broader student participation and deeper exposure to STEM learning experiences enabled by additional robotics kits.Apply for MDA 2017 DACV STEM 0001
- The Missile Defense Agency in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Missile Defense Agency STEM Outreach BEST Robotics Grant" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.330.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-06-30. (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 $10,500.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Missile Defense Agency STEM Outreach BEST Robotics Grant (MDA 2017 DACV STEM 0001) FAQs
What is the Missile Defense Agency STEM Outreach BEST Robotics Grant?
This is a discretionary federal grant funded by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to strengthen K-12 STEM engagement by supporting BEST Robotics competitions. The grant is designed to help certain BEST Robotics Local Competition Hubs expand capacity, mainly by purchasing additional robotics kits.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The central goal is capacity-building for newer, officially recognized BEST Robotics Local Competition Hubs. The grant targets a common early-stage constraint: not having enough robotics kits to support the number of student teams that want to participate.
Who is the funding agency for this opportunity?
The funding is provided by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
What type of financial assistance is being offered?
The assistance is offered in the form of a grant.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is MDA 2017 DACV STEM 0001.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed is 12.330.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education. This includes public/state-controlled colleges and universities and private institutions of higher education.
Are K-12 schools or school districts eligible to apply directly?
The eligibility described is limited to institutions of higher education. Based on the information provided, K-12 schools and districts are not listed as eligible applicants for this opportunity.
Do applicants need to be connected to a BEST Robotics Local Competition Hub?
Yes. The grant is intended to support BEST Robotics Local Competition Hubs, and the eligibility description indicates applicants would typically need to be an eligible higher education institution that is connected to an official hub.
What kinds of BEST Robotics hubs does the grant focus on?
The focus is on newer, officially recognized BEST Robotics Local Competition Hubs, specifically those in their first five years of operation.
What does "first five years of operation" mean in this context?
The grant targets hubs that are within their first five years. The information provided does not specify how the five-year period is calculated or documented, only that hubs must meet this requirement.
What can grant funds be used for?
The stated use is to purchase additional robotics kits for BEST Robotics competitions. The program is framed around equipment as a near-term barrier limiting participation.
Why are robotics kits emphasized?
Robotics kits are described as a direct input into how many teams a hub can support. More kits typically allow a hub to field more teams, broaden participation across schools and districts, and expand hands-on learning opportunities.
What outcomes is the grant trying to achieve?
The announcement emphasizes outcomes such as increased numbers of competing teams and greater STEM awareness and engagement among K-12 populations. The expected impact is broader student participation and deeper exposure to STEM learning experiences enabled by additional kits.
What kinds of STEM experiences does the grant support for students?
The grant supports hands-on, competitive, project-based experiences where students can explore engineering, programming, problem-solving, and teamwork through BEST Robotics competitions.
What is the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed is $10,500.
Is this grant intended for large, multi-year programming?
No. The award ceiling and description indicate the grant is relatively targeted and focused on equipment purchases rather than large-scale, multi-year program funding.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on May 3, 2017.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was June 30, 2017.
Does the grant specifically aim to increase participation across schools and districts?
Yes. The description explains that additional kits can help hubs broaden participation across schools and districts by enabling more teams to take part.
Why is eligibility limited to institutions of higher education?
The information provided explains that many BEST Robotics hubs are hosted, administered, or fiscally managed through a college or university partner, which aligns with the higher-education-only eligibility structure described.
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