YIP NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250006 Qs and As.pdf

11 July 2025

YIP NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250006

Questions & Answers

Q1. Does this 5-page limit for white papers include the cover page?

Answer: No.

Q2. What are the contents of the cover page?

Answer: The cover page should include the NOFO number, proposal research topic title (research discipline area), and proposer’s point of contact information (name, telephone number, and email address).

Q3. What will be paper size, margin line spacing, font style and size?

Answer: Paper Size – 8.5 x 11-inch paper; Margins – 1inch; Spacing – 1.5-line spacing;

Font—Times New Roman or Garamond 12 point.

Q4. Is there any guidance on the white paper content?

Answer: Identification of proposed research and issues, potential impact on DAF and DoD capabilities, potential team members and development plans, proposed technical approaches (i.e. hypothesis, theories, concepts, approaches, data measurements, analysis, etc.), and all publications and presentations.

Q5. Is there any guidance on what the CV should and shouldn’t contain specific to this funding opportunity?

Answer: Yes. You must include a short biographical sketch and a list of all publications and presentations.

Q6. I will be transitioning from X Institution to Y Institution to begin a position as an Assistant Professor starting 01 August. Since the white paper deadline is July 25, could you advise which Institution I should list on the submission?

Answer: Please list your future Institution for submission if invited to submit a full proposal, for that will be the Institution submitting the proposal.

Q7. Are there specific formatting guidelines for the white paper? Based on the program announcement, my understanding is that the main text should be five pages or fewer, with additional pages allowed for references and the CV. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes. Identification of proposed research and issues, potential impact on DAF and DoD capabilities, potential team members and development plans, proposed technical approaches (i.e. hypothesis, theories, concepts, approaches, data measurements, analysis, etc.), and all publications and presentations. Paper Size – 8.5 x 11-inch paper;

Margins – 1inch; Spacing – 1.5-line spacing; Font—Times New Roman or Garamond 12 point.

Q8. Regarding research focus- the program appears to welcome a broad range of topics. Could you please share whether there is a preference for certain types of work, such as (1) modeling and simulation or (2) satellite data analysis?

Answer: Please ask your question to your respective Program Officer. The list of AFOSR Programs and their respective Program Officers can be found here:

https://community.apan.org/wg/afosr/w/researchareas.

Q9. I am writing to inquire about the AFOSR Young Investigator Program (YIP). I understand that U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required for eligibility. I am currently a U.S.

resident alien and in the process of obtaining a Green Card. My I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) has been approved, and I anticipate receiving my Green Card by the end of 2025.

Answer: No. YIP Primary Investigators must have permanent residency at the time of proposal submission.

Q10. I have a question regarding applicant eligibility. I am currently working in industry and believe I cannot apply to the YIP program as an individual person. Do I need to start a small business (LLC) to be eligible?

Answer: Individual awards are made to U.S. Institutions of higher education, industrial laboratories, for-profit, or non-profit research organizations where the individual Principal Investigator (PI) is employed on a full-time basis and holds a regular, non-contractor position. A YIP PI must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.

Researchers working at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), or a Department of Defense (DoD) Laboratory are not eligible for this competition. The YIP is awarded to an Institution, not an individual.

Q11. Page 18 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) mentions “letters of support”, however the only “letters” explicitly mentioned elsewhere in the NOFO are on pages 11 and 37 respectively, and neither of those “letters” seem relevant for me. Thus, I would like to ask, are there any other letters of support required or recommended as part of the FY26 YIP proposal?

Answer: No letters of support are required. You are welcome to submit them as part of your proposal package, and they are excluded from the page limitations.

Q12. The funding opportunity announcement states, “the principal investigator of a proposal must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident as of the proposal deadline. Does this mean that tenure-track faculty members on an H-1B visa are not eligible for this grant?

Answer: Correct. YIP Primary Investigators must have permanent residency at the time of proposal submission.

Q13. I am a research faculty member at a UARC. Would I be eligible for this opportunity? In the solicitation, I see guidelines regarding the ineligibility of researchers at FFRDCs and those at DoD laboratories, but I did not see any UARC-specific language.

Answer: UARCs are eligible to apply.

Q14. I would like to inquire if there are any eligibility criteria (e.g. age, nationality status, etc.)

for Co-Investigators for this program. Could you please confirm the maximum number of Co- Investigators allowed?

Answer: The YIP is a SINGLE investigator award. There are 0 Co-Investigators allowed.

Q15. I have a question regarding eligibility. I am currently on an H1-B visa and in the process of obtaining my green card. My I-140 has been approved, and I expect to apply for adjustment of status within the next 3-4 months. Am I eligible to apply for this opportunity under these circumstances?

Answer: No. YIP Primary Investigators must have permanent residency at the time of proposal submission.

Q16. Does the YIP award only fund the PI? That is can a budget for YIP include funding for support staff or a Co-PI? I see where it states there can be no Co-PI. It also reads, “No domestic or foreign collaborators, funded or non-funded, are allowed for this single investigator award.”

So, I take that to mean YIP is meant to fund only one investigator who the PI. Am I allowed to include senior personnel on the proposal team? Are there any restrictions on this?

Answer: Correct. There are absolutely no collaborators allowed on this SINGLE INVESTIGATOR award. There should only be one individual listed for senior personnel.

Q17. Would you recommend contacting the Program Officer in advance to discuss the research topic before submitting the white paper or full proposal?

Answer: Yes. You are highly encouraged to reach out to the Program Officer prior to submitting a white paper. You must submit a white paper to be eligible to submit a full proposal. Only those invited to submit a full proposal will be considered eligible for an award.

Q18. Are collaborations with industry or national laboratories (e.g. for characterization or other support roles) permitted? If then, are there any restrictions or preference of these collaborations?

Answer: The YIP is a SINGLE INVESTIGATOR award. There are 0 Co- Investigators allowed. NO collaboration is allowed or encouraged.

Q19. Would a faculty member employed as a full-time Assistant Research professor on a continuing appointment meet the requirements of a “full-time, non-contractor, permanent, career-competitive, or tenure-track position (based on your institution’s definition) form the NOFO? Or does the position have to be tenure-track if the Institution has tenure-track positions?

Answer: The Principal Investigator (PI) must hold a full-time, non-contractor permanent, career-competitive, or tenure-track position (based on the PI’s institution’s definition) with their organization, or their proposal must include a letter from their organization stating that they will be considered for a full-time, non-contractor permanent, career-competitive, or tenure-track position. This is in addition to the requirement that they are a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.

Q20. I have signed a contract for tenure-track appointment at X Institution beginning in January 2026. Am I eligible for the FY26 YIP Program?

Answer: No, you must meet the eligibility requirements at the time of proposal submission.

Q21. I am employed by an organization dedicated to educational innovation, research, and workforce development. The organization is not located in the United States. Am I eligible to apply?

Answer: You are eligible to apply if your organization is a U.S. institution of higher education, industrial laboratory, for-profit business, or non-profit research organization where the individual principal investigator is a U.S. citizen, national, or has permanent residency at time of proposal submission; employed on a full-time basis and holds a permanent position.