Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2018 0001
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) is a competitive grant opportunity run through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to fund university-based basic research that could matter to long-term U.S. national security needs. The central goal is to support high-impact, foundational science and engineering work that expands fundamental understanding of important phenomena, rather than projects aimed at building a specific product or near-term application. In DoD terms, this is "basic research": systematic study intended to increase knowledge and understanding, with payoffs expected to be long-range and potentially transformational.
A defining feature of MURI is its emphasis on multidisciplinary teams. The program is designed for research efforts where two or more traditional disciplines genuinely interact, with the idea that combining perspectives and methods can accelerate breakthroughs in areas the DoD cares about. The announcement explicitly frames MURI as complementary to other DoD university research programs that primarily support single-investigator work. In practice, MURI expects proposals where the research questions require different kinds of expertise, which may be spread across multiple departments within one university or across multiple universities working together.
Applicants are expected to build a team around one designated Principal Investigator (PI), who serves as the main technical point of contact. One institution must be identified as the primary awardee responsible for managing the grant, and the PI must be affiliated with that primary institution. If the project involves other universities or organizations, their roles and responsibilities must be clearly laid out, and the budget must show how funds will be apportioned across the primary award and any sub-awards. The solicitation underscores that these relationships and funding splits should be described both in the narrative proposal and in the budget documentation, signaling that organizational structure and management planning are an important part of the evaluation.
Research must align with the specific FY 2019 MURI topics identified in the solicitation. Topic details and the government "Topic Chief" points of contact are referenced as being provided in a dedicated section titled "Specific MURI Topics." While those descriptions are intended to give applicants a concrete frame of reference, the solicitation also stresses that they are not meant to be overly restrictive, and it encourages innovative approaches to meeting the topic goals. In other words, applicants are expected to stay within the boundaries of a listed topic, but they have flexibility in how they propose to tackle the scientific challenges.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary, science and technology research and development grant, listed under CFDA 12.800, with the funding opportunity number FOA AFRL AFOSR 2018 0001. The issuing agency is AFOSR. The original closing date shown is November 13, 2018, reflecting the timeline for the FY 2019 competition. The listing includes an award ceiling of $1,000,000, indicating the maximum amount anticipated per award under the posted parameters. The opportunity also includes an eligibility field that references nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, while the narrative description repeatedly states the program supports research at U.S. institutions of higher education; in real-world submissions, that typically means applicants should pay close attention to the full solicitation language and official eligibility rules to confirm who may apply as a prime recipient versus a sub-awardee.
Overall, the FY 2019 MURI call is aimed at ambitious, high-payoff basic research led by universities, built around multidisciplinary collaboration, and aligned to a defined set of DoD-relevant scientific topics. It prioritizes foundational advances that can seed future technological progress for defense needs, with clear expectations for team organization, a single accountable PI and lead institution, and transparent budgeting for any multi-institution collaboration.Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2018 0001
- The Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-03-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-11-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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FY 2019 DoD MURI (AFOSR) Grant Opportunity - FAQs
What is the FY 2019 DoD Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)?
The FY 2019 Department of Defense (DoD) MURI is a competitive grant opportunity administered through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). It funds university-based basic research intended to support long-term U.S. national security needs. The program is designed to support high-impact, foundational science and engineering efforts rather than near-term product development.
What is the main goal of the MURI program?
The central goal is to enable high-impact, foundational research that expands fundamental understanding of important phenomena. The focus is on advancing core scientific and engineering knowledge with long-range, potentially transformational payoffs, not on delivering a specific prototype, product, or near-term application.
What does DoD mean by "basic research" in this program?
In this context, "basic research" refers to systematic study directed toward increasing knowledge and understanding. The expected benefits are long-term and may be transformational, rather than tied to immediate operational needs or product deliverables.
What makes MURI different from other DoD university research programs?
A defining feature is the emphasis on multidisciplinary teams. The solicitation describes MURI as complementary to other DoD university research efforts that primarily support single-investigator work. MURI expects genuine interaction among two or more traditional disciplines to tackle research questions that require diverse expertise.
Is a multidisciplinary team required?
Yes. MURI is designed specifically for multidisciplinary research efforts where two or more disciplines meaningfully interact. Proposals are expected to be built around research questions that require different kinds of expertise, which may be drawn from multiple departments within one institution or across multiple universities collaborating together.
Can a MURI team include multiple universities?
Yes. The program anticipates that expertise may be spread across multiple universities (and potentially other organizations). When multiple institutions are involved, the proposal should clearly describe each participant's role and responsibilities and show how funding will be distributed across the primary award and any sub-awards.
Does the proposal need a single Principal Investigator (PI)?
Yes. Applicants are expected to organize the team around one designated Principal Investigator (PI), who serves as the main technical point of contact for the effort.
What is the "primary awardee" and why does it matter?
One institution must be named as the primary awardee responsible for managing the grant. The PI must be affiliated with that primary institution. This structure establishes a single organization that is accountable for administration and overall grant management.
How should roles and responsibilities be described for team members and partner institutions?
The solicitation emphasizes that the roles and responsibilities of all participating organizations should be clearly laid out. This includes describing collaborations and management relationships in the narrative proposal as well as reflecting them in the budget documentation.
How should the budget handle multi-institution collaborations?
The budget should show how funds will be apportioned across the primary award and any sub-awards. The solicitation signals that the funding splits and institutional relationships should be documented in both the proposal narrative and the budget materials, making organizational structure and management planning an important part of the submission.
Do proposals have to align with specific FY 2019 MURI topics?
Yes. Research must align with the specific FY 2019 MURI topics identified in the solicitation. The topic descriptions and the government "Topic Chief" points of contact are referenced as being provided in a dedicated section titled "Specific MURI Topics."
Are the topic descriptions intended to be restrictive?
No. While applicants are expected to stay within the boundaries of a listed topic, the solicitation notes that the topic descriptions are not meant to be overly restrictive. Innovative approaches that meet the topic goals are encouraged.
Who is the issuing agency for this funding opportunity?
The issuing agency is the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
What is the funding opportunity number (FOA) for this announcement?
The funding opportunity number is FOA AFRL AFOSR 2018 0001.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant?
The listing includes CFDA 12.800.
What type of grant opportunity is this (administratively)?
It is described as a discretionary, science and technology research and development grant opportunity.
What is the closing date shown for the FY 2019 MURI competition?
The original closing date shown is November 13, 2018, reflecting the timeline for the FY 2019 competition.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed?
The opportunity listing includes an award ceiling of $1,000,000, indicating the maximum amount anticipated per award under the posted parameters.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
The narrative description repeatedly states that the program supports research at U.S. institutions of higher education. Separately, the eligibility field references nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education. Because these statements can appear in different parts of an opportunity posting, applicants should rely on the full solicitation language and the official eligibility rules to confirm who may apply as a prime recipient versus participating as a sub-awardee.
Is this program focused on near-term applications or product development?
No. The program is framed around foundational advances and fundamental understanding, with long-range payoffs. It is not aimed at building a specific product or delivering a near-term application.
What does the solicitation emphasize about proposal evaluation priorities?
Based on the description provided, the solicitation places clear emphasis on (1) alignment to a defined FY 2019 MURI topic, (2) true multidisciplinary interaction among disciplines, (3) a clear team structure with one PI and one primary awardee, and (4) transparent management and budgeting for any multi-institution collaboration.
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