FY 2027 Purdue University Federal Appropriation Request Process

Schedule
Background and Purpose
General Guidelines
Program Requirements and Expectations
Appropriation Request Details
Review Criteria and Process
Contact Information
Frequently Asked Questions

Overview of the FY27 Appropriations Process

An informational webinar that provides an overview of the federal appropriations process took place on October 30, 2025 at 4.00 pm EST. The webinar addresses the background and goals of the Federal Appropriation Request Process and outlines priority areas for Purdue University's FY 2027 priorities.
Click HERE to access the recording.
Applications are due November 24, 2025 at 12.00 pm (noon) EST via the online InfoReady submission portal: https://purdue.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1997211
Faculty will be notified in January 2026.
Initial Hill briefings and feedback to applicants will occur around February/March 2026.

Background and Purpose

The federal appropriation process is long and complex. As part of this process, individual Members of Congress, both in the House and Senate, solicit requests from constituents, such as Purdue University, to help shape future budgets and funding priorities for the federal government. Legislators have an opportunity to direct funds to specific initiatives and projects that advance the priorities of their constituents and help the state's economy. Purdue follows an annual internal process to solicit appropriations requests and then selects and advances the most competitive ideas based on Purdue strategic priorities, alignment with federal government investments, and Indiana congressional delegation topics of interest.

Purdue submits appropriations requests to foster a collaborative and sustainable relationship with our congressional delegation and federal agencies and to develop pathways that allow for Purdue strengths to help solve national and state problems. Specifically, the benefits of developing and submitting appropriations requests include opportunities to secure federally-directed spending through alignment with federal priorities, to inform and influence appropriations language that dictates policy and program implementation, and to engage with federal agencies during policy and program adoption.

General Guidelines

Proposed projects should target one of the themes identified below.
Proposed projects typically range between $3 million to $20 million; however, requests outside this range will be considered with justification.
Proposed projects should not replicate what is typically funded through federal competitive grant processes.
Proposed projects are often multifaceted, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and multi-institutional (e.g., partnerships with other institutions of higher education, national laboratories, industry, and/or state agencies). Accordingly, partnerships with entities outside of Purdue can often be beneficial as with more partners involved, Purdue is able to engage with additional congressional delegations, thus strengthening the application.
Proposed projects should have the support of a federal agency and a federal program manager should be identified as a point of contact.
Proposed projects should be aligned with federal agency priorities and investment areas.

Identified Themes for FY 27

1. Microelectronics, Advanced Packaging & Trusted Supply Chains

Examples: Semiconductor and packaging R&D; supply chain resilience partnerships; workforce pipelines for CHIPS; regional tech hub ecosystems

2. Hypersonics, Propulsion, Test Infrastructure & Energetics

Examples: Hypersonic flight systems; propulsion and energetics R&D; expansion of test facilities; defense-industry partnerships

3. Advanced Nuclear (SMRs / Microreactors) & Grid Reliability

Examples: Small modular reactors; microreactor demos; nuclear workforce programs; integration of nuclear and renewables; coal-to-nuclear transition pilots

4. Biomanufacturing & AI-Enabled Discovery

Examples: AI-driven drug discovery; advanced biologics/vaccine manufacturing; university-industry translational partnerships; biotechnology supply chain security

5. AI, Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure Resilience

Examples: AI for defense/logistics; cybersecurity for critical infrastructure; trusted AI testbeds; cross-sector AI/cyber workforce

6. Workforce for Advanced Manufacturing, Semiconductors & Nuclear

Examples: Apprenticeship/credential programs; higher ed-industry integration; semiconductor and nuclear workforce pipelines; statewide tech workforce hubs

7. Digital Agriculture, Food Security & AgTech Manufacturing

Examples: Precision agriculture with AI/robotics; climate-resilient farming practices; food processing innovation; rural broadband/telehealth

8. Space Systems, Autonomy & On-Orbit Operations

Examples: Autonomous spacecraft and satellite systems; on-orbit servicing and debris mitigation; university-NASA collaborations; aerospace workforce development

9. Transportation Safety, UAS & Airport Technology

Examples: UAS for logistics and safety; autonomy in aviation and airports; smart cargo/mobility systems; safety monitoring tech for regional airports

10. Health Systems, Rural & Veterans Care Innovation

Examples: Telehealth for rural areas; AI-enabled diagnostics and medical devices; VA and HRSA health workforce pilots; device innovation partnerships

Program Eligibility, Requirements and Expectations

Faculty (tenure-track/tenured, research, clinical) on all campuses are invited to submit applications. Only one application is allowed per principal investigator. However, investigators are allowed to partner on an unlimited number of applications as co-investigators.

An applicant must complete an application per the instructions below. If the application is accepted and it advances as a Purdue appropriation request, the applicant will work with Purdue's Office of Research and federal affairs team to develop the appropriation request.

Appropriation Request Details

The details below should be included in your application. The main body of the application must use Arial 11-point font with 1-inch margins and single line spacing, and must include all sections defined in the application template, which is linked here. The components listed below are required. Combine all documents into a single PDF file to upload within the InfoReady application portal.

Application Content, Preparation and Submission Process

Applications must be submitted prior to November 24, 2025 at 12.00 pm (noon) ET., via the online InfoReady submission portal: https://purdue.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1997211

To apply via InfoReady at the link above, you must create a profile if you have not done so already. Please make sure to set one of the Purdue campuses as your primary organization, otherwise you will not be allowed to apply.

Appropriation Request Application

As explained in the template, the following components are required. This document application should be no longer than three pages.

Title
Single sentence request
Summary of the project: a lay abstract that connects the specific request for funding to the significance of the problem and the current Purdue capabilities to solve the problem (200 words or less)
Appropriation target (agency/bill/account): this can be left blank if not familiar, although faculty are welcome to provide suggestions based on their knowledge
Background: Current work in this space connected to the broader significance or background of the project
Project Description: This section should include a description of the work to be conducted if funded; description of industry engagement (if any); description of specific engagement with the Program Officer/Program Manager at the federal agency.
Purdue expertise: Why Purdue is uniquely equipped to do this
National benefit: A brief description of how the proposed work will help address national needs and priorities (150 words or less)
State benefit: A brief description of how the proposed work will help address state needs and priorities (150 words or less)
Year one agenda: A description of what will be accomplished within the first year of research

Supplemental Material

This section should include material to demonstrate history in the proposed research space and the team's capabilities. This document should be no longer than two pages. Examples of content to provide include the following:

Description of team's federal, state and industry funding record in the space proposed
Description of team's program agency contacts
Description of the current Purdue infrastructure that supports the proposed activities
Description of partnerships outside of Purdue that support this work
Any other relevant information

Budget

Please provide a rough order of magnitude budget that addresses the funding needed for the overall project, whether it is a one-time or multi-year appropriation request. For multi-year requests, include proposed future year's budgets and planned scope. The budget should be submitted within the template provided and should also include a brief budget justification. This section has no page limit.

Please be prepared to work with pre-award services at a later date to develop a more detailed budget if your application is selected to move forward. However, there is no need to engage pre-award services during the initial submission.

Review Criteria and Process

Appropriation requests will be reviewed by the Office of Research. All applications will be reviewed confidentially until they must necessarily become public. Requests will be reviewed based on their alignment to Purdue strategic priorities, federal government investments, and Indiana congressional delegation topics of interest.

Contact Information

Please contact Preeti Sivasankar (preeti@purdue.edu) for programmatic questions and Emily Stevenson (steve201@purdue.edu) for application process questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should indirect costs be included in my budget?

A: Yes, please budget using Purdue's standard negotiated indirect cost rate.