Funder: Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Due Dates: Rolling (Open until superseded; proposals accepted any time)
Funding Amounts: Typical awards: $100,000–$300,000/year for 3 years (up to 5 years); award ceiling $100,000,000; total program ~$200M/year.
Summary: Supports fundamental research in engineering, information, physical, and biological sciences to advance U.S. Air Force and Space Force capabilities.
Key Information: Proposals are reviewed as received; contact the relevant Program Officer before submitting a full proposal.
Description
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) manages the basic research investment for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, seeking to foster revolutionary scientific breakthroughs that enable world-class, militarily significant, and commercially valuable products. This opportunity solicits unclassified, fundamental research proposals across a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering disciplines, with the goal of advancing knowledge and capabilities relevant to air, space, and cyber operations.
AFOSR organizes its research interests into two main branches, each with multiple focus areas:
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Engineering and Information Sciences (RTA)
- Engineering and Complex Systems
- Information and Networks
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Physical and Biological Sciences (RTB)
- Physical Sciences
- Chemistry and Biological Sciences
International research is also supported through AFOSR’s overseas offices.
Research should be fundamental in nature and aligned with the long-term needs of the Air Force and Space Force. Proposals may address topics such as advanced materials, quantum information, machine intelligence, cybersecurity, human performance, propulsion, sensing, and more. See the full Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for detailed topic descriptions and Program Officer contacts.
Due Dates
- Proposals are accepted at any time (rolling submission).
- The BAA remains open until superseded; some specific topics may recommend target dates—contact the relevant Program Officer for guidance.
Funding Amount
- Typical award: $100,000–$300,000 per year for 3 years (most awards); up to 5 years possible.
- Award ceiling: $100,000,000.
- Estimated total program funding: ~$200 million per year.
- Award types: Grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, technology investment agreements, or other transactions.
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants:
- Public and private institutions of higher education (U.S. and international)
- Non-profit organizations
- For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
- University Affiliated Research Centers (unless precluded by their DoD contract)
- International institutions (via AFOSR international offices)
- Ineligible: Individuals, federal agencies, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)
- No cost sharing required (except for certain non-standard agreements)
- HBCUs, Minority Institutions, Tribal Colleges, and small businesses are encouraged to apply
Application Process
- Contact the relevant Program Officer for your area of interest before preparing a full proposal. Pre-proposals or white papers are strongly encouraged.
- Submit proposals electronically via Grants.gov.
- Required documents include:
- SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance
- Project Summary/Abstract (publicly releasable, 300 words max)
- Project Narrative (no page limit, but concise proposals preferred)
- Biographical sketches and current/pending support for key personnel
- Budget and justification
- Facilities and resources description
- Data Management Plan (optional)
- Proposals are reviewed as received; there is no fixed deadline.
- Evaluation criteria: Technical merit, relevance to DoD missions, and applicant capabilities.
Additional Information
- Research must be fundamental and unclassified. Public dissemination of results is expected.
- Awards may start at any time during the year.
- No guaranteed award: Funding is competitive and subject to availability.
- International collaboration is encouraged through AFOSR’s European, Asian, and Southern Hemisphere offices.
- Student exchange supplements (ISEP) are available for current AFOSR grantees.
External Links
Contact Information
- For technical questions, contact the Program Officer listed for your topic of interest (see BAA Section A).
- For general questions, use the administrative contact above.
- For international research, contact the relevant AFOSR international office (see BAA Section A.5).