ASCENDR - Advancing STEM Careers through Education,
Networking, Development + Research - is a multi-institutional initiative of the
Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU) designed to
strengthen engagement of HSRU institutions, faculty, and graduate students in
research and talent development aligned with national defense priorities.
ASCENDR is supported by the Department of War (DoW) through a Congressionally
established program supporting basic research initiatives and managed by the
STEM Office within S&T Foundations.

ASCENDR Research is a competitive funding program supporting
faculty-led research within designated DoW Critical Technology Areas. The
program is designed to increase the participation of highly qualified early- to
mid-career HSRU faculty in defense-relevant research and strengthen their
capacity to connect their research expertise with DoW priorities, while
integrating graduate students into funded research projects. PIs and any Co-PIs
of selected projects also participate in the ASCENDR Leadership Program as an
integrated faculty development component of the program.

Program Features

• Funding for Defense-Aligned Research: Up to $200,000 per
  award to support one-year research projects.
• 
  
  Graduate Student Integration: Required inclusion of at least
  one Graduate Research Assistant, reinforcing the DoW-aligned STEM talent
  pipeline.
• 
  
  Participation in ASCENDR Leadership: A dual research and
  leadership development model, with all PIs and Co-PIs participating in the
  ASCEND? Leadership Program.
• 
  
  Pathway to Future DoW Funding: A structured pathway toward
  future external DoW funding and expanded national security partnerships.

Research Focus Areas

Initial research topics are informed by the U.S. National
Defense Science and Technology Strategy. For the 2027–2028 funding cycle,
proposed research must contribute to one or more of the six DoW Critical
Technology Areas identified for this competition. Proposals may address a
Critical Technology Area directly or advance foundational, enabling, or cross-cutting
research with a clearly articulated connection to one or more of the areas:

• Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI)
• 
  
  Biomanufacturing (BIO)
• 
  
  Contested Logistics Technologies (LOG)
• 
  
  Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID)
• 
  
  Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE)
• 
  
  Scaled Hypersonics (SHY)

Eligibility

• The proposal must originate from an HSRU member institution
  in good standing.
• 
  
  Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator(s) must
  be a Research Faculty member or Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty member that is
  early to mid-career, defined as within the first 8 years of their professional
  research career.     
• 
  
  The Principal Investigator must hire and integrate at least
  one Graduate Research Assistant for this project. The graduate assistant must
  be enrolled at the start of the project and maintain enrollment eligibility
  throughout the proposed project. 
• 
  
  All PIs, Co-PIs, and the graduate assistant working on this
  project must be U.S. Persons, defined as U.S. born or U.S. Naturalized
  Citizens.
• 
  
  The Principal Investigator and Co-PIs must agree to jointly
  participate in the ASCENDR
  Leadership Program.

Awards: Up to $200,000 per award to support one-year research
projects (Project Period: August 1, 2027 - July 31, 2028)