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

Nonprofit

• Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
• Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)

Education

• Private institutions of higher education
• Public and state institutions of higher education

Business

• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses