Air Force Fiscal Year 2026 Young Investigator Program (YIP)
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250006
- Agency
-
Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Materiel Command, Department of Defense
- Applications due
- Award size
- $150,000 to $450,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Eligible applicants
-
- Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- Small Businesses
- For Profit Organizations
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) is seeking proposals for the Fiscal Year 2026 Young Investigator Research Program (YIP), aimed at supporting early-career scientists and engineers who received their Ph.D. or equivalent degree after April 1, 2018. The program objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, enhance early career development, and increase opportunities for young investigators to understand Air Force and Space Force mission challenges. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents employed full-time at U.S. institutions of higher education, industrial laboratories, or non-profit research organizations, with researchers from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers or DoD Laboratories explicitly excluded. Proposals will be evaluated based on technical merits, potential relationship to Department of Defense missions, and the likelihood of developing new research capabilities. Key dates include pre-proposal inquiries due by July 4, 2025, white papers due by July 25, 2025, and proposals due by September 19, 2025.
The program anticipates awarding thirty-seven traditionally funded YIPs and two additional YIPs in partnership with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences in the Quantum Information Sciences research discipline. Each award will provide up to $150,000 per year for three years, totaling $450,000 per award, with the potential for additional YIPs funded from other AFOSR research funding. The research will be conducted at the recipient's institution, with a focus on basic research that supports the technological needs of the Air Force and Space Force. All actions are contingent on the availability of funds, and the anticipated award date is March 1, 2026.
Synopsis
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
This is a special Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), which will hereafter generally be referred to as "we, us, our, or AFOSR." The Fiscal Year 2026 Air Force Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) intends to support individual early in career scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees by 01 April 2018 or later showing exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. The program objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators; and increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force and Space Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering.
Individual awards are made to U.S. institutions of higher education, industrial laboratories, for- profit, or non-profit research organizations where the 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 a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, or a Department of Defense (DoD) Laboratory are not eligible for this competition.
YIP awards are funded up to $150,000 per year for three years, for a total of $450,000. No single year may exceed $150,000. Please review the remainder of this announcement for additional information.
Under this competition, an anticipated thirty-seven (37) traditionally funded YIPs and two (2) YIPs funded in partnership with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) in the Quantum Information Sciences research discipline may be awarded. There may be potential for an additional 37 YIPs funded from other AFOSR research funding. All actions are based on the availability of funds.
KEY DATES:
Pre-proposal inquiries due NLT 04 JUL 2025
Government response posted NLT 11 JUL 2025
White papers due by 25 JUL 2025
Feedback anticipated NLT 22 AUG 2025
Proposals due by 19 SEP 2025
Anticipated award date 01 MAR 2026
Update #2 ·
Amendment 0001 Corrected link to the AFOSR BAA: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359050 White Paper Information You are required to submit a white paper by Friday, July 25th, 2025, at 11:59PM EST to the Program in your research discipline area. If you have previously submitted a white paper to the PO and feedback was provided you are still REQUIRED to submit under this NOFO to potentially be considered eligible for this competition. No exceptions will be granted. Upon the PO white paper review and feedbacck, an invitation to submit a YIP proposal may be extended. You may submit more than one white paper to a single or multiple research discipline; but you must acknowledge so on each submission. White papers must be submitted electronicaly via https://community.apan.org/wg/afosr/p/submitawhitepaper. Detailed instructions are included on the submission page. For support, please contact Ms. Ellen Robinson at (703) 835-3078 or email at afosryip@us.af.mil. If you do not submit a white paper under this NOFO, you will be ineligble to submit a YIP proposal. APAN is not hosted by the Air Force so those users who cannot view the page will need to contact APAN directly. Please ensure you are attempting to access: https://community.apan.org/wg/afosr/. The APAN Help Desk Team is available during the following times 0800-2000 EST at 1-808-472-7855. Users can also submit a ticket here: https://www.apan.org/APAN/pages/servicenow. (i) White Paper Format • Paper Size - 8.5 x 11-inch paper • Margins -1 inch • Spacing - 1.5-line spacing • Font- Times New Roman or Garamond 12 point • Page Limitation - 5 pages maximum (excluding cover page, curriculum vitae, and references)(ii) White Paper and Curriculum Vitae Content • The cover page should include the NOFO number, proposal research topic title (research discipline area), proposer's point of contact information (name, telephone number, email address)• Identification of proposed research and issues -
This is a special Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), which will hereafter generally be referred to as "we, us, our, or AFOSR." The Fiscal Year 2026 Air Force Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) intends to support individual early in career scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees by 01 April 2018 or later showing exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. The program objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators; and increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force and Space Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering.
Individual awards are made to U.S. institutions of higher education, industrial laboratories, for- profit, or non-profit research organizations where the 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 a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, or a Department of Defense (DoD) Laboratory are not eligible for this competition.
YIP awards are funded up to $150,000 per year for three years, for a total of $450,000. No single year may exceed $150,000. Please review the remainder of this announcement for additional information.
Under this competition, an anticipated thirty-seven (37) traditionally funded YIPs and two (2) YIPs funded in partnership with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) in the Quantum Information Sciences research discipline may be awarded. There may be potential for an additional 37 YIPs funded from other AFOSR research funding. All actions are based on the availability of funds.
KEY DATES:
Pre-proposal inquiries due NLT 04 JUL 2025
Government response posted NLT 11 JUL 2025
White papers due by 25 JUL 2025
Feedback anticipated NLT 22 AUG 2025
Proposals due by 19 SEP 2025
Anticipated award date 01 MAR 2026
Update #1 ·
This is a special Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), which will hereafter generally be referred to as "we, us, our, or AFOSR." The Fiscal Year 2026 Air Force Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) intends to support individual early in career scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees by 01 April 2018 or later showing exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. The program objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators; and increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force and Space Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering.
Individual awards are made to U.S. institutions of higher education, industrial laboratories, for- profit, or non-profit research organizations where the 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 a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, or a Department of Defense (DoD) Laboratory are not eligible for this competition.
YIP awards are funded up to $150,000 per year for three years, for a total of $450,000. No single year may exceed $150,000. Please review the remainder of this announcement for additional information.
Under this competition, an anticipated thirty-seven (37) traditionally funded YIPs and two (2) YIPs funded in partnership with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) in the Quantum Information Sciences research discipline may be awarded. There may be potential for an additional 37 YIPs funded from other AFOSR research funding. All actions are based on the availability of funds.
KEY DATES:
Pre-proposal inquiries due NLT 04 JUL 2025
Government response posted NLT 11 JUL 2025
White papers due by 25 JUL 2025
Feedback anticipated NLT 22 AUG 2025
Proposals due by 19 SEP 2025
Anticipated award date 01 MAR 2026
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