The Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment, funding opportunity number FAA-COE-AJFE, is a cooperative agreement offered by the Federal Aviation Administration under the Department of Transportation. This opportunity focuses on advancing research and development related to alternative jet fuels and reducing the environmental impact of aviation. The program is part of the FAA’s efforts to support sustainable aviation and address environmental challenges in air transportation.

This funding opportunity is exclusively available to university members of ASCENT, the Aviation Sustainability Center. ASCENT is a cooperative aviation research organization established in 2013 and co-led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It comprises 16 leading U.S. research universities committed to reducing aviation’s environmental footprint. The ASCENT coalition focuses on research areas such as alternative jet fuel development, noise reduction, emissions mitigation, and other sustainability initiatives related to aviation.

The program has an expected total of up to 200 awards, with a wide funding range. The award ceiling is twenty million dollars, while the minimum award floor is one dollar. Cost sharing or matching is required for awarded projects, though specific requirements for matching contributions will depend on individual project proposals and their scope. The program has a total estimated funding amount that has not been specified but is part of the FAA’s ongoing commitment to support environmental sustainability in aviation.

The opportunity remains open until September 30, 2025, with applications accepted through Grants.gov. Submissions must align with the FAA’s goals for sustainable aviation and support key research objectives related to alternative fuels and environmental performance. Interested applicants must be part of the ASCENT university coalition to be eligible for this opportunity.

For additional information, interested applicants can contact Oliva Bastiampillai, the management program analyst, by phone at 202-267-3546 or via email at Oliva.Bastiampillai@faa.gov. Details regarding specific project focus areas, application guidelines, and submission requirements will be provided to eligible applicants within the ASCENT network.