Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)
The DoD's MURI program funds high-risk basic research for scientific breakthroughs impacting science, economics, and military tech since its start 40 years ago - managed closely by Service Program Officers.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
Office of Naval Research has archived this opportunity.
Funder: Office of Naval Research
Due Dates: May 2, 2025 (White Papers) | September 5, 2025 (Full Proposals)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1.5M/year for 5 years per award; total program funding estimated at ~$170M over five years; typical award up to $7.5M total.
Summary: Supports multidisciplinary, high-risk basic research at U.S. universities to achieve scientific breakthroughs with broad impact in science, technology, and national security.
Key Information: White papers are optional but strongly recommended; only U.S. degree-granting universities are eligible to apply as lead institutions.
Description
The Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program funds teams of investigators at U.S. universities to pursue high-risk, basic research that aims to achieve significant scientific breakthroughs. The program is designed to foster multidisciplinary collaboration, with the expectation that insights from multiple fields will accelerate progress on complex scientific challenges relevant to the DoD and broader scientific community.
MURI has a 40-year track record of producing advances with far-reaching consequences for science, economic growth, and revolutionary new military technologies. Projects are closely managed by Service Program Officers, who provide active research guidance. Each year, the program releases a set of specific research topics spanning physical sciences, engineering, life sciences, and more.
For FY2026, 22 research topics are available, covering areas such as generative AI evaluation, brain-inspired robotics, advanced materials, quantum information, environmental sensing, and more. See the official topic descriptions for full details.
