FY 2025 Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP) | 693JK325NF0003

Opportunity Information: Apply for 693JK325NF0003

The FY 2025 Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity run by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to support research and development that improves pipeline safety and integrity. The program is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means PHMSA expects to have more substantial involvement than with a standard grant (for example, coordination on technical direction, milestones, deliverables, or data-sharing). The overall aim is to fund innovative, practical solutions to real-world safety challenges affecting pipelines and related facilities.

For FY 2025, PHMSA is targeting five specific research topic areas. The first focuses on evaluating the risk of vehicle strikes on aboveground pipeline equipment and facilities. This can include studying how impacts occur, which assets are most vulnerable (such as metering and regulating stations, valve sites, and other aboveground appurtenances), how to assess likelihood and consequences, and what engineering or operational strategies could reduce risk. The second topic centers on preventing human error through technology, equipment, or procedures. That can cover a wide range of work such as decision-support tools, improved control-room practices, better work procedures, training approaches, human factors engineering, or technology that reduces the chance of incorrect actions during operations, maintenance, emergency response, or construction activities.

The third topic addresses strain capacity in vintage pipelines, specifically testing, modeling, and verification. This area is commonly tied to understanding how older pipe materials, seam types, welds, and historical manufacturing practices behave under modern operating conditions, including higher stresses or changing loading conditions. Research here may involve developing or validating test methods, improving models that predict strain-based failure or deformation limits, and producing evidence-based approaches operators can use to demonstrate safety margins. The fourth topic focuses on non-metallic pipe inspection technology. As non-metallic pipes (such as certain plastic systems) are widely used in distribution and other applications, inspection and condition assessment can be more challenging than with steel. Work in this category could include developing new inspection sensors, in-line tools, external scanning methods, data analytics, or validation methods to reliably detect damage, defects, degradation, or installation-related issues.

The fifth topic concerns acceptable methods for modeling shrouding or obstructions for pressurized liquid releases, specifically referencing liquefied natural gas (LNG). This topic is about how physical obstacles, enclosures, barriers, terrain, or nearby structures affect the behavior of a release, including dispersion, vapor cloud formation, or hazard zones. Research may aim to improve the accuracy and defensibility of modeling approaches used in safety assessments and siting decisions, including computational methods, validation datasets, and guidance on when certain modeling assumptions are appropriate.

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education, including public and state-controlled universities as well as private colleges and universities. The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with CFDA number 20.724. The funding opportunity number is 693JK325NF0003, and the official title is FY 2025 Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP). PHMSA expects to make about 25 awards under this announcement, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000. The original closing date for applications is June 20, 2025, and the opportunity was created on May 19, 2025.

In practical terms, this solicitation is best suited for university research teams that can connect rigorous research methods with applied outcomes that PHMSA and the pipeline industry can use, such as validated models, test protocols, decision tools, inspection technologies, or implementation-ready procedures. Because it is a cooperative agreement, applicants should generally be prepared for active collaboration with the agency and for delivering concrete technical outputs aligned to one of the five focus areas.

• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2025 Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.724.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-05-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-06-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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