Air Force Fiscal Year 2026 Young Investigator Program (YIP)

The Air Force Fiscal Year 2026 Young Investigator Program (YIP), administered by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), is a competitive funding opportunity designed to support early-career scientists and engineers who demonstrate exceptional potential for conducting basic research. Administered under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 4001, this initiative aims to stimulate creative research in science and engineering while fostering early career development and strengthening the alignment of new investigators with the Air Force and Space Force missions. AFOSR, located in Arlington, Virginia, supports foundational scientific research that is critical to the advancement of Air and Space Force capabilities. The YIP is a key part of this mission, offering three-year awards of up to $150,000 per year, totaling a maximum of $450,000. A total of 37 traditionally funded awards and two additional awards in collaboration with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) are expected to be granted. These LPS-aligned awards will focus specifically on gate-based quantum computing. The program does not allow any cost sharing or matching requirements, nor are there co-investigators permitted, emphasizing the recognition and support of individual research leaders. Eligible applicants must be employed full-time in a non-contractor, permanent position at a U.S. institution of higher education, nonprofit, for-profit research entity, or industrial laboratory. All principal investigators (PIs) must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents who received their doctorate on or after April 1, 2018. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and Department of Defense laboratories are not eligible. Proposals must be focused on a single AFOSR research area as outlined in their most current Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), and applicants are encouraged to coordinate with program officers prior to submission. The application process includes several key steps and deadlines. Interested applicants must submit pre-proposal inquiries by July 4, 2025. White papers, which are required and serve as initial concept summaries, are due by July 25, 2025. AFOSR will provide feedback on white papers by August 22, 2025. Final proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov no later than September 19, 2025. Applicants will be notified of selection outcomes by February 14, 2026, and award start dates are anticipated by March 1, 2026. Applicants must follow strict submission protocols, including the use of the SF-424 (R&R) Application package, and must include components such as a data management plan, project narrative, budget justification, and disclosure forms. Proposals must not exceed 20 pages excluding references, CVs, and budget forms. A publicly releasable abstract of no more than 300 words is required, and specific formatting guidelines (e.g., 1.5-line spacing, 12-point font) must be adhered to. No proprietary or confidential information is permitted within submissions. Proposals will be evaluated based on technical merit, relevance to Air Force and Space Force missions, and potential for expanding research capabilities. Additional criteria include qualifications of key personnel and facilities, likelihood of transitioning results to development efforts, and the integrity of current and pending support disclosures. Security risk reviews will be conducted for all senior/key personnel, and applicants are expected to comply with U.S. government requirements regarding foreign influence, conflicts of commitment, and public dissemination of unclassified research results.

Coordinate with program officers before submission; submit white papers for initial feedback by July 25, 2025; follow formatting strictly; do not include confidential information.