Connecting Massachusetts Researchers to Army Biotechnology Priorities — Up to $3M in Year 1 Funding
The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), are offering up to $3 million in Year 1 grant funding to Massachusetts universities, research institutions and companies working on biotechnology and biomanufacturing priorities. BioNexus connects Massachusetts' world-class life sciences and research ecosystem with 10 DEVCOM-defined research challenges.
As a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), NEMC is dedicated to accelerating translational innovation across critical deep tech sectors, bridging the gap between R&D and real-world applications. We are now expanding our successful grant funding and services platforms to the biosciences sector, to help move breakthrough research from lab to impact, directly addressing the Army’s critical challenges in biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
BioNexus Call for Projects
CFP No. 2026-NEMC-02
Key Dates
- Proposer’s Day: Tuesday, June 30
- Submissions Open: Tuesday, June 30
- Q&A Deadline: Wednesday, July 1
- White Papers Due: Friday, July 17
Proposer's Day
Tuesday, June 30
9:00 a.m. EST
In-person and virtual
NEMC and the DEVCOM will present all 10 research topics, answer questions about the solicitation and give applicants a clearer picture of what a competitive submission looks like. Multi-organization teams are encouraged to attend.
Research Topic Areas
BioNexus funds research across 10 U.S. Army-defined topics. Full topic descriptions are available in the Call For Proposals (CFP), Appendix A. Eligible applicants may propose work on one or more topics below:
- Enhancing warfighter resilience and performance through nutritional biotechnology
- Novel bio-protection systems to enhance the safety, shelf-life and resilience of military rations in austere operational environments.
- Pilot-scale bioreactor production of high-quality cellulose.
- Pilot-scale fermentation for scalable production of melanized filamentous fungi.
- Biosensors for detection and monitoring of environmental microbes.
- Predictive approaches to identify and mitigate synthetic organism scale-up failure.
- Bioceramic protein production for durable, water-repellent textile finishes.
- Biomanufacturing of prototype phage-based hygiene products targeting UTI-causing E. coli.
- Bio-based advanced manufacturing of biologically derived pigments for military applications.
- Biomanufacturing engineered bacteria solutions for Army and Department of Warfighter applications.
BioNexus grants are available to eligible applicants who must be located in Massachusetts, including:
- Institutions of higher education (state, municipal, and community colleges and universities)
- Nonprofit organizations (including incubators, accelerators, etc.)
- For-profit entities (including startups and large corporations)
- Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)
- Other public entities
Multi-organization teams are preferred. Awarded projects will be required to contract with MassTech, and it is anticipated that awardees will also execute a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with DEVCOM.
All projects require a match contribution. Match targets (Match Amount:Grant Amount) are 0.5:1.
The application process proceeds in two phases: white paper submission and, for invited applicants, full proposal submission. The target dates below are subject to change; applicants are encouraged to check this page frequently for updates.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Released | Tuesday, June 9 |
| Proposer’s Day (in-person + virtual) | Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. EST |
| Initial Questions Due | Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST |
| Q&A File Posted by | Wednesday, July 8, 2026 |
| White Papers Due | Friday, July 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST |
| Invitation to Submit Full Proposal | Monday, August 3, 2026 |
| Full Proposals Due | Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST |
| Pitch Day | To be announced |
Applications proceed in two phases. Please review the CFP for full instructions.
Phase 1: White Paper
All eligible applicants must submit a white paper by Friday, July 17 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Submission page opens Tuesday, June 30.
Download White Paper Instructions & Template
Phase 2: Full Proposal (Invited Applicants Only)
Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be notified by Monday, August 3. Full proposals will be due Thursday, September 3 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Refer to Section 3.3 of the CFP for full proposal details.
Questions
Questions regarding CFP No. 2026-NEMC-02 must be submitted by email to Bionexus@masstech.org with the subject line: "BioNexus CFP Questions."
Initial questions must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, July 1 to be included in the Q&A File posted on or before Wednesday, July 8.