Federal grant programs / Department of Homeland Security

Scientific Leadership Awards (97.062)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$11.3 million
• Grant awards15
• Typical award$997,776
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank1458 of 1824
• Type of assistanceProject grants, direct payments for specified use

Key findings

• It is the 1458th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 12 largest recipients received 104% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 8 states and territories.

What the program funds

DHS canceled this program in April 2025. In support of the Science and Technology Directorate's mission to build a pipeline of diverse talent knowledgeable in the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of University Programs administers the Scientific Leadership Awards (SLA) for Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). SLAs fund homeland security-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research at MSIs and supplement existing academic institution curricula with homeland security challenges to prepare MSI students for successful careers within the homeland security enterprise. OBJECTIVES: (1) provide advanced professional and research development opportunities for fellows, scholars and faculty in targeted areas; (2)increase the intellectual capacity, skills and talents, especially those of U.S. citizens in areas of relevance to homeland security; (3) to attract undergraduate and graduate students to obtain advanced degrees in disciplines of importance to homeland security; and (4) to increase the diversity of and highly talented cadre of new and emerging science and technology expertise working in areas of importance and need to homeland security.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Applicants must be from accredited U.S. colleges and universities defined as "minority institutions" by subsection 365 (3) of the Higher Education Act (HEA)(20 U.S.C. subsection 1067K (3)). Student applicants must be U.S. citizens studying in a STEM field relevant to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's mission and objectives. US accredited MSIs are eligible to apply. Student recipients must be U.S. citizens studying in one of the following areas including: computer science, engineering, life sciences, math, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences. Students must have career and employment goals aligned with the mission and objectives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Support is provided to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to develop capacity in HS-STEM and provide financial support and career guidance to students. This support is provided in the form of cooperative agreements. See announcement.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

11/4/2022

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Refer to program guidance.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to colleges and universities.

By state

4 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Texas, California, Florida and North Carolina.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.