Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative | FOA AFRL AFOSR 2018 0001

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.

• 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.

Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2018 0001

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