Department of Army:Fiscal Year 2026 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). This funding opportunity is administered through three DoD research offices: the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DURIP aims to enhance the research capabilities of U.S. institutions of higher education by funding the acquisition of major research equipment and instrumentation. This initiative supports the DoD's long-term goal of fostering research and education in science, engineering, and technology areas relevant to national defense. The primary purpose of DURIP is to improve the capabilities of accredited U.S. universities to conduct DoD-relevant research and to educate scientists and engineers in fields crucial to defense missions. The program funds the purchase of equipment and instrumentation that augment existing research infrastructure or create new research capacities. Applications should clearly demonstrate how the requested equipment will support research and research-related education in disciplines aligned with the missions of AFOSR, ARO, or ONR. Proposals may address the enhancement of currently funded DoD research, support for pending proposals, or the development of new DoD-relevant research capabilities. DURIP provides between $50,000 and $3,000,000 per award, with an estimated total program funding of $34 million, contingent on appropriations. Exceptions above the $3 million limit may be considered in rare cases of high-priority defense research, though AFOSR will not consider requests above $7 million. Equipment must be used for research purposes only; instructional or general-purpose computing equipment is not eligible. Allowable costs include purchase, assembly, installation, and testing of the equipment. Proposals must provide recent cost quotations and detailed justifications for all expenses. Eligible applicants are accredited U.S. institutions of higher education with degree-granting programs in science, mathematics, or engineering. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are also eligible, but for-profit educational institutions and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are not. There is no cost-sharing requirement, though voluntary contributions are allowed. Institutions may submit multiple proposals and receive multiple awards. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov and follow specific formatting and content guidelines, including mandatory forms, budget justification, and a technical proposal limited to 25 pages. Applicants must use December 1, 2025, as the proposed start date. All proposals must be validated by Grants.gov by the submission deadline. Pre-submission inquiries must be sent by April 11, 2025, and complete proposals are due by April 25, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Submissions should include conflict of interest disclosures, environmental compliance statements, and all key personnel biosketches and current/pending support information. Proposals will be evaluated based on their potential impact on DoD-funded research, relevance to defense priorities, and enhancement of research-related education. Awards are granted through a competitive review process, and selected proposals may undergo a risk-based security review. Notifications of award decisions will be sent via email, with ONR using a secure online document system. Post-award requirements include progress reports and compliance with national policies on lobbying, conflicts of interest, and export controls.