Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Directors' Research Initiative (DRI)
The Air Force & Space Force seek research proposals on "Energy for Agility," focusing on energy generation, storage, distribution, and system resilience in extreme environments.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
Air Force Office of Scientific Research has archived this opportunity.
Funder: Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Due Dates: April 1, 2025 (Current Closing Date) | May 1, 2025 (Archive Date)
Funding Amounts: Estimated total funding $6,750,000; individual awards range from $600,000 to $2,250,000
Summary: Supports research on "Energy for Agility" focusing on innovative energy generation, storage, distribution, and resilience for Air and Space Force systems.
Key Information: Emphasis on discovery science, advanced materials, AI-driven system optimization, and protection against extreme environments including radiation exposure.
Description
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Directors' Research Initiative (DRI) is a funding opportunity from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) that also aligns with interests of the United States Space Force. The initiative’s theme is Energy for Agility, aiming to support discovery science that addresses future energy resource needs for integrated Air and Space Force operations.
Key research areas include:
- Groundbreaking innovations in energy generation methods (traditional, nuclear, alternative fuels).
- Mobile energy storage solutions and advanced power distribution systems.
- Power system engineering that transcends traditional electrical engineering approaches, incorporating applied mathematics to optimize power efficiency across variable system activities.
- Development of next-generation batteries through rigorous coupling of kinetics, mechanics, and electrochemistry.
- Integration of precision multi-material manufacturing, high-fidelity material simulation, AI-driven self-learning, and advanced platform/propulsion design for revolutionary system optimization.
- Addressing new challenges from increased space activities, such as radiation exposure and extreme environments, requiring protective coatings, radiation hardening, and multifunctional materials and electronics.
- Exploration of human exposure and protection issues related to localized extreme environments created by agile energy systems.
- Opportunities at the intersection of fundamental chemistry, biology, computational sciences, and unconventional energy concepts.
The initiative seeks proposals in four specific topic areas (detailed in the full announcement) that align with these themes.
