PDS-UAE-02-FY2026 Lunar Payload Design Challenge

The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) at U.S. Mission UAE invites results-oriented proposals for programs that foster economic opportunities for U.S. businesses, investors, and innovators, and showcase American leadership and excellence in science, technology, culture, arts, sports, culinary diplomacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and health. The purpose is to strengthen ties between the United States and the United Arab Emirates in ways that make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous and advance the interests of the American people as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence (2026) and celebrate the enduring U.S.-UAE partnership. See Section C, Program Description for more information. This APS outlines the funding priorities and strategic themes we will focus on in FY2026, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below. Proposals that fail to conform to the requirements outlined in this APS will not be considered. Goals and Objectives Proposals must focus on one of the seven priority areas outlined below. All proposed programs must clearly advance American strength, safety, and/or prosperity, to advance Goal 2 of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs: Secure opportunities to advance U.S. commercial and strategic interests . Specifically, all proposals must include an American element or demonstrate meaningful engagement with American experts, organizations, or institutions in ways that advance U.S. interests and promote understanding of American policies, perspectives, society, culture, and values. Proposals that include programming across multiple emirates are encouraged. Possible PD grant proposals include, but are not limited to: Programs that generate tangible opportunities for U.S. companies and American experts and institutions by connecting them with Emirati partners, suppliers, procurement channels, investors, government stakeholders, and/or decision makers; supporting U.S. market entry and visibility in the UAE; and facilitating engagements designed to produce measurable outcomes, including deals, partnerships, exports, investment, licensing, training agreements, or expanded U.S. market share across strategic sectors. Proposals may include activities such as events, collaborative projects, workshops, conferences, speaker series, alumni engagement initiatives, performances, trade and expo engagement, business networking activities, or programs conducted in connection with appropriate UAE trade shows, festivals, or public events. Examples of programs include, but are not limited to: • Programs that connect U.S. companies and experts with Emirati partners, suppliers, procurement channels, investors, and decisionmakers, facilitating business-to-business networking, investment matchmaking, and engagements designed to produce commercial partnerships, deals, exports, or expanded market access for American firms across strategic sectors. • Subject-matter expert, academic, and professional lectures, seminars, workshops, and speaker programs featuring American experts. • University-industry partnerships, including with research or technology parks, that generate commercialization projects and innovation initiatives, creating opportunities for U.S. companies in STEM fields and emerging technologies to expand partnerships and commercial engagement in the UAE. • Programs in partnership with UAE institutions and American companies that promote U.S. technologies, products, and services through workshops, trade show engagement, expos/showcases, and business networking in priority sectors such as AI, healthcare, energy, or the creative industries. • Hackathons, innovation competitions, maker spaces, or other hands-on activities that showcase American leadership in AI, space, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies. • Professional and academic exchanges, training programs, and collaborative projects between U.S. and UAE institutions. (Note: This funding cannot be used to support construction-related activities. End note.) Priority Program Areas and Strategic Themes: Proposals must focus on one of the seven priority areas outlined below: 1. CELEBRATING AMERICA'S 250th ANNIVERSARY (FREEDOM 250): Initiatives that celebrate America’s 250th birthday by showcasing American excellence, innovation, technology, dynamism, culture, and strength of the U.S.-UAE partnership. 2. CELEBRATING AMERICAN SPORTS EXCELLENCE DURING THE AMERICAN DECADE OF SPORTS: Initiatives that leverage major U.S.-hosted sporting events, such as the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, to showcase American excellence in sports, sports science, athlete development, event management, tourism, and entertainment while strengthening U.S.-UAE engagement and creating opportunities for American sports institutions, companies, and experts to expand partnerships and commercial engagement in the UAE. 3. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ADOPTION AND INNOVATION: Initiatives that promote the adoption of American AI technologies and strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration in AI, innovation, and applied STEM fields, including cybersecurity, space, energy, water security, and smart agriculture, while creating opportunities for U.S. companies, universities, and research institutions to expand partnerships and commercial engagement in the UAE. 4. CULINARY DIPLOMACY: . Initiatives that use food and culinary arts as a bridge to strengthen U.S.-UAE ties while promoting American agricultural products, food systems, hospitality expertise, and culinary innovation. Programs should create opportunities for U.S. food producers, culinary professionals, hospitality companies, and agricultural exporters to expand partnerships and commercial engagement in the UAE. 5. CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION AND DIGITAL HERITAGE: Initiatives that showcase American leadership in cultural heritage preservation, artifact and antiquities protection, site conservation, and digital heritage technologies, including VR/AR platforms, 3D scanning, and digital archiving, while promoting U.S. expertise and expanding opportunities for American technology providers, educational institutions, and cultural organizations to strengthen partnerships and commercial engagement in the UAE. 6. HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES: Initiatives that strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration in health and life sciences by promoting American expertise, technologies, research, and innovation while expanding partnerships and commercial opportunities for U.S. companies, healthcare institutions, and academic organizations in the UAE. 7. CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND DIGITAL INNOVATION: Initiatives that strengthen U.S.-UAE cooperation and commercial engagement in the creative industries, digital media, entertainment, gaming and game development, esports, immersive technologies, and AI-enabled creative sectors by showcasing American platforms, technologies, platforms, storytelling, and innovation models while creating opportunities for U.S. companies, creators, developers, institutions, and experts to expand partnerships, collaboration, and market engagement in the UAE. Programs may also highlight the importance of intellectual property protections, creator rights, licensing frameworks, and responsible innovation in supporting growth across the digital and creative economy. In addition to the specific requirements listed above, all proposals must: Clearly indicate the primary grant priority area the program is focused on. Clearly indicate the key public diplomacy audience(s) that will be targeted by the program and the key activities to be delivered through the program. Identify the emirate(s)/city(cities) in which activities will take place. Identify specific outcomes to be achieved by the end of the grant period. Clearly delineate how elements of the proposed program will have a multiplier effect and be sustainable beyond the life of the grant. Provide a traditional and/or social media plan for marketing program activities and outcome, if applicable. Identify any tools (surveys, beneficiary interviews, focus groups, etc.) that will be developed and used for Monitoring and Evaluation purposes. Participants and Audiences: All proposals must focus on audiences in the United Arab Emirates and in the United States. If appropriate and feasible, proposals may have a regional scope and include participants from other countries, with a view to strengthening broader U.S. engagement in the region. Proposals should describe both the primary and secondary audiences for the program, including age, sex, geographic location, and anticipated reach. Primary audiences are those that will participate directly in the program, and secondary audiences include those reached indirectly, for example, via traditional or social media. Specific audiences that are considered a priority include: · Students, emerging leaders, and young professionals (ages 14-45), particularly in STEM, entrepreneurship, sports, media, technology, culinary arts, and the creative industries; · Entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, educators, artists, chefs, content creators, startup founders, and other professionals engaged in technology, business, culture, and innovation sectors; · Mid-career and senior-level professionals, decision-makers, institutional leaders, investors, and industry experts across sectors including artificial intelligence, healthcare, education, aerospace, sports, media, cultural heritage preservation, entertainment, and emerging technologies; · Alumni of U.S. government-funded programs; and Representatives of academic institutions, research organizations, technology parks, innovation hubs, cultural institutions, and business associations involved in strengthening U.S.-UAE collaboration and commercial engagement. Mandatory application forms • SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals) at grants.gov. • SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at grants.gov. • SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at grants.gov or the Mission's website (Note: The SF-424B is only required for individuals, organizations exempt from registration, and for organizations not required to fully register in SAM.gov.) • Budget Project Narrative Template: (detailed budget categories) at grants.gov. Summary Page (optional) Cover sheet stating the applicant's name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. Proposal (5 pages maximum) The proposal should contain sufficient information such that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use the Mission's recommended proposal template (APS Application Form) included with our APS package on Grants.gov or your own proposal format, but the proposal must include all the items below. • Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact. • Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Mission UAE and/or U.S. government agencies. • Problem Statement: Clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed • Program Goals and Objectives: The "goals" describe what the program is intended to achieve. The "objectives" refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. • Project Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives. • Project Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate. • Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. • Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? • Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. (NOTE: If your proposal requires permission, collaboration, cooperation, and/or some form of approval from or partnership with an Emirati governmental office to effectuate the project, you should obtain that permission and support prior to submitting your proposal so you can include the required letters of permission or agreement with your proposal. • Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? • Media Outreach Strategy: Applicant's plan for using traditional and/or social media to raise awareness of the program and U.S. funding of it, recruit participants, and highlight program impact and benefits for Emiratis. Budget Justification Narrative After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate file to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section I. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. Proposal applications may be submitted at any time before the closing date of July 15, 2026, 5:00PM UAE Time at 5.00 p.m. UAE time. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

The U.S. Department of State's U.S. Mission to the UAE announces an open competition to implement the Lunar Payload Design Challenge , a program that brings together U.S. and UAE graduate students in a hands-on, team-based initiative to develop technologies relevant to future lunar missions. The program builds advanced technical and collaborative skills while fostering partnerships between universities, industry, and research institutions. The initiative strengthens U.S.-UAE cooperation in space innovation, highlights U.S. leadership in lunar exploration, and creates pathways for continued collaboration, research advancement, and potential mission integration. This program directly advances U.S. foreign policy priorities under the "Make America More Prosperous" pillar by expanding partnerships in high-growth sectors of the space economy and reinforcing the strength, competitiveness, and collaborative nature of the U.S. innovation ecosystem, and advances Goal 2 of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs: Securing opportunities to advance U.S. commercial and strategic interests. Project Background: The United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) maintain a strong and growing partnership in science, technology, and innovation, including in the space sector. As the UAE continues to invest in advanced space capabilities, including lunar exploration, there is a strategic opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation by fostering collaboration among emerging leaders in aerospace engineering, robotics, and related fields. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks to strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration by supporting joint, applied research and development efforts focused on lunar exploration technologies. In particular, the program will emphasize the design and development of payload concepts suitable for inclusion in upcoming lunar missions, aligning with increasing global momentum toward lunar science and commercialization. Through a hands-on, team-based Lunar Payload Design Challenge, this program will bring together American and Emirati graduate students from institutions with existing space-focused programs to collaboratively develop payload concepts, instruments, and/or related technologies that could contribute to future lunar missions. The initiative will highlight U.S. leadership in space technology and innovation while advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities under the "Make America More Prosperous" pillar by expanding partnerships in high-growth sectors of the space economy. By connecting participants with leading U.S. academic institutions and potential industry and government partners, the program will promote the strength, competitiveness, and collaborative nature of the U.S. innovation ecosystem. Previous Efforts and Lessons Learned: PDS and Mission partners have previously supported educational exchanges, STEM-focused workshops, and innovation challenges aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and building technical capacity. Programs that incorporate hands-on, experiential learning and sustained collaboration between U.S. and foreign participants have demonstrated strong outcomes in participant engagement, skills development, and long-term institutional partnerships. In contrast, shorter-term or purely lecture-based programming has shown more limited long-term impact. Additionally, programs that are not closely aligned with current industry and research priorities have demonstrated reduced relevance for participants already operating within advanced technical ecosystems. This project builds on best practices by emphasizing: Collaboration between institutions with existing technical capabilities; Applied, mission-oriented problem-solving aligned with current lunar exploration priorities; Sustained engagement beyond the initial program; and Real-world application with potential pathways toward research advancement, commercialization, or mission integration. The inclusion of a follow-on component further strengthens the program by extending engagement beyond the initial activity and introducing elements of mentorship, industry exposure, and potential advancement toward mission-ready concepts. Project Audience(s): Geographic Location: United States and United Arab Emirates Age Group: Graduate-level students (typically ages 22–35) Profession / Field: STEM fields including aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer science, and related disciplines Primary Audiences: Emirati Graduate Students: Graduate students in STEM fields, particularly aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer science, or related disciplines, enrolled in UAE universities with established aerospace, engineering, or space-related programs. U.S. Graduate Students: Graduate students in STEM fields, particularly aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer science, or related disciplines, enrolled in U.S. universities with established aerospace, engineering, or space-related programs. Participating Institutions: U.S. and UAE universities and research institutions with demonstrated experience or ongoing work in space systems, lunar research, or related technological domains. Departments with demonstrated experience in building and testing hardware systems (including prototypes, lab-scale instruments, or field-deployable devices) are strongly encouraged to apply. Teams without prior instrument development experience may participate if they include a clear plan for hardware realization and appropriate technical partnerships. Emerging Space Sector Professionals and Partners: Academic institutions, research centers, and early-career professionals engaged in lunar exploration, payload development, or adjacent fields. Project Goal: Strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration in lunar exploration and space innovation by supporting joint development of payload and technology concepts through applied, team-based learning experiences involving institutions with existing space-related capabilities. Project Objectives: Objective 1: Facilitate a collaborative Lunar Payload Design Challenge engaging at least 30 graduate students (15 Emirati and 15 U.S.) from qualified institutions in team-based development of payload or mission-support concepts aligned with lunar exploration priorities, resulting in at least 90 percent of participants demonstrating improved technical and collaborative skills through post-program assessments. Objective 2: Increase participants' understanding of U.S. leadership in space technology, particularly in lunar exploration initiatives, and enhance awareness of opportunities for collaboration with U.S. institutions, agencies, and industry partners. Objective 3: Support the development of at least 1-3 viable payload or technology concepts with potential applicability to future lunar missions, including those aligned with NASA or partner mission architectures, and facilitate continued collaboration among participating institutions, with at least 50 percent of teams maintaining engagement or advancing their concepts within six months of program completion. Mandatory application forms ● SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals) at grants.gov ● SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at grants.gov ● SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at grants.gov (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals, organizations exempt from registration, and for organizations not required to fully register in SAM.gov) Proposal (5 pages maximum) Applicants must submit a complete narrative proposal in a format of their choice, or they may use the attached proposal template if they like. The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. The proposal must include all the items below: ● Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact. ● Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying : A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the State Department and/or U.S. government agencies as well as experience with and expertise in areas related to those described in the NOFO. Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to use the attached Applicant Organization Information Survey form to provide this information. If the applicant chooses not to use the attached form, all of the requested information from the form will still need to be addressed in the application package. ● Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed ● Program Methods, Design, Activities, and Deliverables: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives. ● Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. ● Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? ● Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees (if applicable). ● Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Proposals must include a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP). Submission Deadline: All applications must be received by July 15, 2026, 5:00PM UAE Time. For the purposes of determining if an award is submitted on time, PDS will utilize the timestamp provided by Grants.gov. This deadline is firm and is not a rolling deadline. If organizations fail to meet the deadline noted above their application will be considered ineligible and will not be considered for funding. Submission Method A : Submitting all application materials directly to the following email address: UAEPASGrants@state.gov . Applicants opting to submit applications via email to UAEPASGrants@state.gov must include the Funding Opportunity Title and Funding Opportunity Number in the subject line of the email. Submission Method B : Submitting all application materials through Grants.gov. For those opting to apply through Grants.gov, thorough instructions on the application process are available at http://www.grants.gov . For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or go to https://www.grants.gov/support.html . Please note that UAEPASGrants@state.gov is unable to assist with technical questions or problems applicants experience with Grants.gov.