FY2018 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) | N00014 17 S F014

Opportunity Information: Apply for N00014 17 S F014

The FY2018 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) is a competitive grant program designed to identify and support early-career academic scientists and engineers who show exceptional promise for creative, high-impact research. The main purpose is to bring outstanding new faculty into the Department of the Navy's science and technology (S&T) research ecosystem, provide meaningful research support at a critical career stage, and strengthen long-term teaching and research trajectories while aligning university work with Navy needs and priorities. Proposals are expected to fit within ONR priority research areas published through ONR's S&T departments and to resonate with the interests of specific ONR program officers who manage those technical portfolios.

A central feature of this opportunity is the strong emphasis on alignment and communication with ONR. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the relevant ONR Program Officer before submitting a full proposal to discuss technical fit, scope, and the Navy relevance of the idea. Informal, brief pre-proposals can be used to support those discussions, but they are optional rather than required. The intent is to help applicants shape a proposal that matches ONR's current research needs and to clarify how the work contributes to Navy-relevant advances. Because ONR is organized by technical divisions and program officers, finding the right point of contact and allowing time for back-and-forth discussion is treated as an important practical step in developing a competitive submission.

Eligibility is narrowly defined around early-career faculty status and institutional requirements. Awards are only made to U.S. Institutions of Higher Education that grant degrees in science, engineering, and/or mathematics. The Principal Investigator must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident as of the proposal due date. In addition, the PI must be in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment, and their first full-time appointment must have begun on or after December 31, 2012. ONR provides specific guidance on what counts as tenure-track-equivalent, and applicants are expected to confirm their status against ONR's definition. These requirements reflect the program's focus on supporting researchers who are still establishing independent research programs but have already demonstrated strong potential through prior accomplishments.

The application package must include a research proposal and at least one letter of support submitted through the appropriate university channels. The letter of support is not a formality: applications submitted without at least one letter are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for an award. The FOA highlights that letters of support play a meaningful role in the evaluation process and should address the items specified in the application instructions. In practice, this means applicants need to plan ahead with their department and sponsored research office to ensure that both the proposal narrative and the required institutional letter(s) are prepared, routed, and submitted correctly by the deadline.

Funding is structured as a three-year grant with a base budget of up to $170,000 per year, for a potential total of up to $510,000 across the award period, not including possible equipment or matching enhancements. Funds can be used for reasonable research costs such as salary support for the Young Investigator, graduate student support, supplies, and indirect costs consistent with the institution's negotiated rate. In addition to the base amount, applicants may request extra funds for capital equipment in the first budget period if that equipment meaningfully enhances the proposed research. Importantly, requesting equipment support is explicitly stated not to reduce the chance of receiving an award; equipment funding is considered separately and depends on the availability of funds, so it functions as an add-on opportunity rather than a tradeoff against the core research award.

ONR also offers a matching funds enhancement mechanism to encourage awardees to build collaborative ties with Navy laboratories and other Navy organizations during the YIP period. Under this incentive, the Office of the Director of Research may provide a 1-for-1 match for the first $25,000 per year of additional Department of the Navy funding that the Young Investigator secures to support collaborative research with a Navy laboratory while the YIP is active. Potential sources of eligible Navy funding include Navy laboratories and ONR program officers. Awardees are not required to identify matching-funds plans at the time of YIP proposal submission, and additional Navy support can be arranged later. While a Young Investigator can receive more than $25,000 per year from other Navy sources, the match only applies to the first $25,000 each year and is contingent on available funds. ONR program officers may help connect awardees with potential Navy collaborators if requested.

The program is highly selective and positioned as an honor in addition to a funding vehicle. ONR notes that typically fewer than 10 percent of applicants receive YIP awards; an example provided is that in 2017 more than 360 proposals were submitted and 34 awards were made. Selection considers both the strength and creativity of the proposed research and the applicant's past performance, meaning prior professional accomplishments and a well-documented record matter. Applicants are encouraged to ensure their biographical and qualifications materials thoroughly capture relevant past and current activities because those details influence how reviewers assess potential and trajectory.

Finally, the YIP can serve as a springboard to longer-term ONR support, but it does not guarantee it. After completing the three-year YIP period, awardees may apply for continued funding through ONR's Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Continued support is evaluated as a new proposal and depends on technical merit, alignment with ONR priorities, and the creativity and productivity shown during the YIP. Proposals not selected for YIP may still be considered for other ONR funding opportunities at the discretion of the program officer, but this is limited and not the main purpose of the program. ONR is clear that YIP is not a research initiation program with relaxed standards; it is intended to recognize and support unusually promising early-career faculty whose work fits ONR's mission-focused research agenda.

Key administrative details from the posted opportunity include the Funding Opportunity Number N00014-17-S-F014, the funding instrument type of grant, the activity category of science and technology and other research and development, and the original closing date of September 29, 2017.

• The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2018 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-06-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for N00014 17 S F014

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