Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Office Of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP)

The Fiscal Year 2026 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP), under ONR Announcement N0001425SF004, is a competitive federal funding opportunity designed to support early-career academic scientists and engineers. The ONR is a branch of the United States Department of the Navy focused on advancing science and technology to support naval superiority and national security. The ONR YIP aims to attract and retain exceptional faculty members at U.S. institutions of higher education by providing financial support and recognition for innovative research with potential relevance to the Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology (S&T) priorities. Established in 1985, the program specifically targets researchers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment and who have received their PhD or equivalent degree on or after January 1, 2018. Eligible applicants include faculty at U.S. institutions of higher education that grant degrees in science, engineering, or mathematics, as well as U.S. nonprofit organizations operating for scientific and educational purposes. The principal investigator must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident at the time of application. Tenured faculty and prior ONR YIP awardees are ineligible, and co-principal investigators are not permitted. The primary goal of the ONR YIP is to support highly innovative basic or applied research that aligns with ONR’s research areas of interest, which are organized under five S&T departments: Command, Control, Computing, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (C5ISRT); Ocean Battlespace Sensing; Sea Warfare and Weapons; Warfighter Performance; and Air Warfare and Weapons. Proposals must demonstrate potential for creative research that could contribute to the advancement of naval capabilities and national security. Successful applicants may receive up to $750,000 in funding over a 36-month period, with a maximum of $250,000 per 12-month interval. These funds may be used for reasonable costs associated with the proposed research, including investigator salary, student support, supplies, and indirect costs. The ONR YIP anticipates making up to 25 awards, with no more than five awards per S&T department, and expects a total program funding of $18.75 million for the FY2026 cycle. Cost sharing is not required and will not be used as an evaluation criterion. All research must comply with federal regulations and ONR policies regarding human subjects, animal use, biosafety, export control, and other administrative requirements. Research proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov and must include a technical proposal, budget, curriculum vitae, letter(s) of support from the applicant’s institution, and supporting documentation such as a data management plan and current and pending support information. Key dates for the FY2026 ONR YIP are as follows: questions regarding eligibility and technical requirements are due by July 25, 2025, and the full proposal submission deadline is August 1, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate ONR Program Officer for their research area before submitting a proposal. Notifications of selection are anticipated by November 1, 2025, with grant start dates expected around January 1, 2026. The evaluation of proposals will be based on technical merit, alignment with Naval S&T priorities, qualifications and past performance of the principal investigator, institutional support, and budget considerations. The main program contact is Dr. Reginald G. Williams (ONRYIP@navy.mil), and the grants officer is Veronica Lacey (veronica.y.lacey.civ@us.navy.mil):contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.

Strongly encouraged to contact the ONR Program Officer before submitting. Ensure at least one strong letter of support from your institution. Strictly follow submission instructions and deadlines.