ActiveDept of the Army -- Materiel Command · 2026

Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC)

Q: Who can apply for Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC)?

According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification). This special notice seeks proposals from one or more for-profit firms in accordance with 32 CFR 37.210. A consortium, led by a for-profit firm, is also encouraged. Cost sharing or matching funds are required. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.

Q: Is Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC) a federal grant?

Yes — Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC) is offered by Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command and this listing comes from Grants.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.

Q: How do I apply for Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC)?

Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.

Quick Facts

Agency: Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command
Funding: See RFP
Deadline: Check Source
Status: Active
Eligibility: Eligible applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification). This special notice seeks proposals from one or more for-profit firms in accordance with 32 CFR 37.210. A consortium, led by a for-profit firm, is also encouraged. Cost sharing or matching funds are required.

About This Grant

**PLEASE REVIEW FULL SPECIAL NOTICE** Funding Opportunity Title: Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC) Funding Instrument Type: Technology investment agreement The aim of this Special Notice under the ARL BAA (W911NF-17-S-0003), under Grants.gov Opportunity W911NF-17-S-0003-SPECIALNOTICE-LC-CSAC, is to fund a team or multiple teams to design, manufacture, and deliver a battery-powered atomic clock that achieves identical (or better) size, weight, and power (SWaP) and performance to the commercially available chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) with a selling price goal of < $300/unit in high volume. Precise timing is critical for numerous Army applications such as navigation, communications, surveillance, and synchronization of sensors and systems. Assured PNT solutions currently rely on acquiring GPS signals, which may not be readily available in increasingly contested environments. Commercially available silicon MEMS and quartz oscillators (TCXO, OCXO) are unable to provide GPS holdover in the event of a GPS outage, except for high-end OCXOs that may be considered large and power hungry for certain applications. To ease reliance on GPS, long-holdover clocks with SWaP-C appropriate for various DoD platforms are necessary to enable mission-critical functions even in contested environments. Current high-performance atomic clocks (maser, laser-cooled cesium fountain) serve as standards and are large, expensive, and require regular monitoring and exquisite environmental control. Since the early 2000s, the chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) has been developed and successfully matured into a commercial product with DARPA and industry investment. While an Army/Air Force/OSD Manufacturing Technology effort further reduced the manufacturing cost1, the current selling price is still prohibitive for high-volume, low-SWaP DoD platforms. There is an opportunity to leverage the many advances in MEMS, photonics, and atomic physics over the past two decades to develop state-of-the-art, high-performance, battery-powered atomic clocks with improved manufacturability, significantly reduced cost, and improved performance. This special notice seeks proposals from one or more for-profit firms in accordance with 32 CFR 37.210. A consortium, led by a for-profit firm, is also encouraged. Points of Contact: Jonathan Hoffman jonathan.e.hoffman.civ@mail.mil Jenna Chan Jenna.f.chan.ctr@mail.mil

Funding Opportunity Number: W911NF-17-S-0003-SPECIALNOTICE-LC-CSAC. Assistance Listing: 12.431. Funding Instrument: O. Category: ST.

View Original RFP

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Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
This special notice seeks proposals from one or more for-profit firms in accordance with 32 CFR 37.210. A consortium, led by a for-profit firm, is also encouraged.
Cost sharing or matching funds are required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC)?

According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification). This special notice seeks proposals from one or more for-profit firms in accordance with 32 CFR 37.210. A consortium, led by a for-profit firm, is also encouraged. Cost sharing or matching funds are required. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.

Is Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC) a federal grant?

Yes — Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC) is offered by Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command and this listing comes from Grants.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.

How do I apply for Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC)?

Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.

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This solicitation invites applications (also referred to as “proposals”) for basic research projects. The proposals must align with the research areas of interest to the DoW (which includes the USW(R&E) and the Agencies) and enhance the education of students in areas of STEM that align with the DoW research interests. Information about these areas of interest (including websites) is discussed below. The USW(R&E) Critical Technology Area descriptions are at https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CTA-One-Pager-Option-Nov2025.pdf. The critical technology priorities rely on innovation and workforce talent. The critical technology areas are: - Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI) - Biomanufacturing (BIO) - Contested Logistics Technologies (LOG) - Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID) - Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE) - Scaled Hypersonics (SHY) Basic research projects in research areas of interest to the Agencies are presented in their respective Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), which are available as follows: Army Research Laboratory combined Broad Agency Announcement is available at: https://www.arl.army.mil/collaborate-with-us/opportunity/arl-baa/. This BAA may also be found on Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) by entering the BAA number, W911NF-23-S-0001, in the “Search Grants” keyword box. Office of Naval Research: https://www.onr.navy.mil/ Select “Work With Us,” then “Funding Opportunities,” and then “BAAs, FOAs and Special Program Announcements” to see the FY26 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology, BAA N00014-23-S-B001. This BAA may also be found on Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) by entering the BAA number in the “Search Grants” keyword box. In addition to providing details about the Agencies’ research interests, the above documents include names and contact information of technical program managers. Principal Investigator and a Co-Principal Investigator (PI/Co-PI) are encouraged to peruse the research interests of each Agency and to contact the respective program managers to discuss mutual research interests. Applications with relevance to the interests of multiple Agencies may receive multiple reviews. Additional information and questions about the critical technology areas should be directed to Agency Contacts identified in Section II.G. of this NOFO. Other research areas that are not aligned with the (OUSW(R&E)/ASW(S&T) critical technology priorities listed in I.B.7 will be considered. The Agencies’ BAA listed above under I.B.6 provides other research areas of interest to the DoW. NOTE: Use the above-referenced Agency documents only to identify research areas of interest to the Agencies. Disregard instructions contained therein regarding application preparation, content, and submission requirements. Instead, follow the instructions in this NOFO. Projects proposed for funding under this NOFO must be for basic research. As defined by DoW, “basic research” is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications toward processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, life sciences, and information sciences related to long-term national security needs. Principal Investigator and a Co-Principal Investigator (PI/Co-PI) are encouraged to consider innovative approaches for their research projects with a view toward enhancing the ability of their institution to develop stronger science and engineering programs that will enable the institution to participate more competitively in a variety of defense research programs, attract and retain good students by exposing them to state-of-the-art research, and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. Methods through which these goals can be achieved are varied. Factors such as research capabilities, facilities, and equipment are unique to each institution. Therefore, DoW will not prescribe the approach for a research project; instead, it expects applications to reflect the unique needs and capabilities of the applicant institution. Funding Opportunity Number: W911NF26S0085. Assistance Listing: 12.630. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $100K – $2M per award.

$100K – $2M per awardDeadline: Aug 11, 2026

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