Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)

DURIP (AFOSR)

Supports United States universities acquiring major research equipment for defense-relevant research capabilities.

The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) is a tri-service annual program co-administered by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). DURIP funds U.S. institutions of higher education to acquire major research equipment that augments existing capabilities or develops new ones in areas of interest to the Department of Defense. Award amounts range from $50,000 to $1,500,000, and awards are typically one year in duration. Only degree-granting institutions in science, mathematics, or engineering are eligible; for-profit companies, non-profits, research organizations, and individuals are not eligible to receive DURIP awards.

Eligible equipment purchases must be clearly tied to DoD-relevant research programs. Routine equipment replacements or general-purpose laboratory upgrades that do not advance a specific research capability are not funded. The annual cycle is governed by a DoD-wide BAA typically released in the fall; AFOSR program officers receive and route the Air Force portion of applications. The AFOSR point of contact is DURIP@us.af.mil.

Organizations seeking DURIP awards should frame equipment requests around a specific, active, or proposed research program that aligns with one of AFOSR's scientific areas — Engineering and Complex Systems, Information and Networks, Physical Sciences, or Chemistry and Biological Sciences. A strong DURIP proposal demonstrates that the requested instrument directly enables research that cannot otherwise proceed and articulates the DoD benefit of the resulting capability. Universities that already hold AFOSR grants or have established relationships with AFOSR program officers are well-positioned to compete, as proposals are evaluated in the context of the institution's overall research engagement with the Air Force.