The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is responsible for policy development, planning, resource management and program evaluation. OSD includes the offices of top civilian defense decision-makers with regard to personnel, weapons acquisition, research, intelligence and fiscal policy, as well as offices the Secretary establishes to assist in carrying out assigned responsibilities.
The grant aims to support research and education in fields important to national security. It seeks to increase the number of STEM graduates and promote collaborations with defense entities. Funding is provided through competitive grants or cooperative agreements for research, development, testing, evaluation, or educational improvements.