AFOSR Broad Agency Announcement (basic research)

AFOSR BAA — Basic Research

Funds basic research at United States universities across defense science, materials, aerospace, and quantum topics.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), operating under solicitation number FA9550-25-S-0001, is the primary continuous funding mechanism through which AFOSR awards grants for basic research to universities, industry laboratories, and non-profit research organisations across the United States. AFOSR is the basic research arm of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and its stated mission is to foster and fund research that ensures transition of scientific results to support U.S. Air Force needs. The BAA covers four scientific divisions: Engineering and Complex Systems, Information and Networks, Physical Sciences, and Chemistry and Biological Sciences.

Proposals are accepted year-round with no fixed closing date. The required process is a two-step submission: applicants first submit a white paper, and only those invited by an AFOSR program officer proceed to a full proposal. This structure allows program officers to screen for scientific merit and relevance before committing review resources. Eligible applicants include universities, industrial laboratories, and non-profit research organisations registered in the United States; individuals and foreign organisations cannot apply directly. Award amounts, page limits, and the scoring rubric are specified in the full BAA PDF on Grants.gov and vary by division, topic, and program officer; AFOSR does not publish a standard floor or ceiling for basic research grants under this mechanism.

To compete effectively, applicants should first identify the relevant AFOSR program officer within one of the four divisions, review that officer's current research interests, and craft a white paper that directly maps to stated Air Force science priorities. AFOSR program officers are reachable and typically responsive to pre-submission inquiries. The BAA reference FA9550-25-S-0001 is also the umbrella solicitation used for Young Investigator Program eligibility checks, making it a foundational document for all AFOSR applicants. Full opportunity details and the BAA PDF are posted at Grants.gov under the FA9550-25-S-0001 solicitation number.