ONR Young Investigator Program (YIP)

The ONR Young Investigator Program sits under the Office of Naval Research and supports academic scientists and engineers in their first or second tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent faculty appointment. It targets researchers with strong promise for creative work in fields relevant to the Navy and Marine Corps. Typical awards are $750,000 over 36 months, with up to $250,000 per year for salary, student support, supplies, travel, and indirect costs. Eligible hosts include US universities and nonprofit scientific or educational organizations, while applicants must be US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. A university official submits the proposal, and a letter of support is mandatory. The program runs on an annual solicitation track and the current record places it between cycles, so timing matters as much as fit for a given round. The strongest proposals align tightly with ONR science and technology priorities and use the pre-proposal conversation to sharpen the match before submission.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.