The Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program seeks proposals addressing research areas (as described in the ONR Science and Technology Department section of ONR's website at https://www.onr.navy.mil) which are of interest to ONR Program Officers will be considered. Contact information for each division (a subgroup of an S&T Department) is also listed within the S&T section of the website.
ONR FY27 NOFO for Young Investigator Program
Office of Naval Research · Opportunity number N0001426SF004
Details summarized from the official notice as of Oct 15, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.
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Key facts
| Opportunity number | N0001426SF004 |
|---|---|
| Agency | Office of Naval Research Department of Defense |
| Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA) | 12.300 |
| Posted | Aug 17, 2026 |
| Deadline | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Cost sharing or matching required | No |
| Funding type | Grant |
| Category | Science technology and other research and development |
| Last updated here | Oct 15, 2026 |
Summary from the notice
Who can apply
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:
- Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
Not listed as eligible
- Small businesses
- Nonprofits
- Colleges and universities
- State governments
- Local governments
- Tribal governments and organizations
- Larger for-profit companies
- Individuals
Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.
Eligibility details from the notice
Awards under this NOFO will be made only to U.S. Institutions of Higher Education which award degrees in science, engineering, or mathematics. U.S. Non-profit organizations operating primarily for scientific and educational services may also submit proposals. The Principal Investigator of a proposal must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident (on the date proposals are due), holding a first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent faculty position at that university, and has received his/her PhD or equivalent degree on or after 01/01/ 2019. The term "national" of the United States includes a native resident of a possession of the United States, such as American Samoa.
Registrations you will likely need
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
- SAM.gov registration for your organization, which also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.
- A Login.gov account, which Grants.gov uses for sign-in.
- A Grants.gov applicant registration linked to your organization's UEI.
Past awards for this program
Totals for assistance listing 12.300 from public USASpending.gov data, as of Sep 27, 2026. Past awards do not predict future funding.
| Year | Listing | Awards | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12.300 | 3 | $262,785,446 | $87,595,149 |
| 2025 | 12.300 | 2 | $217,611,458 | $108,805,729 |
| 2024 | 12.300 | 2 | $217,611,458 | $108,805,729 |
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