Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)

The Department of Defense (DoD) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) is an essential component of the DoD's University Research Initiatives (URI) program, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). MURI funds multidisciplinary research projects at U.S. institutions of higher education, supporting innovative research that can lead to scientific breakthroughs in areas critical to national defense. Established in 1985, MURI aims to foster collaborations among researchers from different scientific disciplines to address complex DoD challenges and advance foundational knowledge with long-term relevance to defense technologies.

The fiscal year (FY) 2026 MURI program anticipates a total funding of approximately $170 million over a five-year period, subject to congressional appropriations. Individual MURI awards typically provide annual funding of up to $1.5 million per grant. Funding is contingent upon topic-specific requirements, proposal scope, and availability of resources. The program encourages applicants to engage with designated Research Topic Chiefs before submitting proposals to ensure alignment with research priorities.

Eligible applicants are limited to U.S. institutions of higher education that offer degree-granting programs in science and engineering. This includes DoD-affiliated institutions but excludes Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), industry entities, and foreign institutions, although they may collaborate on projects without receiving MURI funds directly. Submissions must comply with DoD policies on fundamental research, cost-sharing is not required, and proposals for supplementary funding of existing projects are not permitted.

The application process involves two stages: a white paper submission, which is optional but strongly encouraged, followed by a full proposal submission. White papers must be submitted by May 2, 2025, and full proposals are due by September 5, 2025. The anticipated award notification date is January 2026, with a project start date of May 1, 2026. Submissions must be completed through Grants.gov and validated before the deadline to ensure eligibility.

Evaluation criteria include scientific and technical merit, potential for significant advancement in fundamental research, relevance to DoD mission needs, qualifications of the research team, adequacy of research facilities, and reasonableness of the proposed budget. White paper feedback will be provided by June 13, 2025, allowing applicants to refine their proposals based on initial assessments. The final selection will be made by a panel of DoD technical experts.

For inquiries, applicants should contact the designated program officers:

ONR: Dr. Amanda Netburn (Amanda.N.Netburn.civ@us.navy.mil)
ARO: Dr. Sue Kase (usarmy.rtp.devcom-arl.mbx.aro-muri@army.mil)
AFOSR: Ms. Katie Wisecarver (afosr.rtb.muri@us.af.mil)
Business-related inquiries should be directed to Veronica Lacey (ONR), Ramila Century (ARO), or Jorge Gallegos (AFOSR).