On March 6, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) released its fiscal year (FY) 2020 broad agency announcement (BAA) for the Young Investigator Program (YIP). This popular program, which is also offered by other Department of Defense (DOD) branches such as the Army Research Office (ARO) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), provides early career university faculty a path into the Air Force’s research enterprise through multi-year research grants. With this program, AFOSR identifies promising young tenure-track faculty who demonstrate the ability to deliver innovative research aligned with AFOSR’s research priorities.
Proposals should address research areas outlined in AFOSR’s most recent BAA titled “Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.” Proposals may be submitted for only one research area. AFOSR’s four research areas are:
- Engineering and Complex Systems (RTA1)
- Information and Information Networks (RTA2)
- Physical Sciences (RTB1)
- Chemistry and Biological Sciences (RTB2)
Due Dates: Pre-proposal inquiries and questions must be submitted no later than April 26, 2019. Proposals should be submitted no later than June 3, 2019 at 11:59 EST. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program officer in their technical area to discuss their research ideas before submitting a proposal. The projected YIP award start date is January 1, 2020 but is determined at the time of the award.
Total Funding and Award Size: Individual awards will be funded at a maximum of $450,000 for a three year base period, with a limit of $150,000 funding annually. AFOSR anticipates making 37 awards in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts.
Eligibility and Limitations: This BAA is open to faculty who have received their PhD on or after April 1, 2012. U.S. institutions of higher education, U.S. nonprofit research organizations, industrial laboratories, and for-profit businesses may submit proposals. Note that AFOSR makes awards to institutions, not individuals. Additional eligibility and submission instructions can be found in the full FOA.
Sources and Additional Information:
- The full FOA is available at www.grants.gov under solicitation number “FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-20190003.”
- A complete list of AFOSR research interests and program officers can be found at www.grants.gov under number “FA9550-18-S-0003.”
— Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC