The Department of Defense (DoD) Fiscal Year 2026 Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) is administered collaboratively by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The MURI program supports high-risk basic research that aims to achieve transformative scientific advancements of interest to the DoD. Originating over 40 years ago, the program has fostered multidisciplinary teams of university investigators to address fundamental challenges with significant potential to impact national security, science, and technology. This funding opportunity seeks projects that explore novel concepts across diverse scientific domains, ranging from physical and life sciences to engineering and information technology.

The FY26 MURI provides approximately $170 million for a five-year period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The typical funding per award is up to $1.5 million annually, with a five-year total not to exceed $7.5 million. Projects must align with specific topic areas designated by ONR, ARO, or AFOSR, and each proposal must clearly identify the associated topic and research lead. The topics cover emerging and strategic research areas such as ethical constructs in adaptive learning systems, space-time metamaterials, high-temperature materials, AI evaluation, and optics using dynamic molecular arrays. Awards will be in the form of grants, and in the case of ARO, possibly cooperative agreements.

This grant opportunity is open exclusively to U.S. institutions of higher education with degree-granting programs in science or engineering, including DoD-affiliated institutions. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) that are not Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are also eligible. While industry and foreign entities may collaborate, they cannot receive MURI funds directly or through subawards. Proposals supplementing existing awards are not eligible, and there is no limit on the number of applications a single institution may submit.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit white papers by May 2, 2025, though they are not mandatory. Final proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov by September 5, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Validation through Grants.gov may take up to 48 hours; thus, early submission is highly recommended. Feedback on white papers will be provided by June 13, 2025, and award notifications are expected by January 2026. Selected projects are anticipated to begin on May 1, 2026.

Applications must follow detailed formatting and content requirements, including a cover sheet, technical approach, management plan, PI qualifications, budget breakdowns, and disclosure of current and pending support. All proposals must include a publicly releasable project abstract and comply with DoD’s conflict-of-interest and risk-based security review processes. Evaluation criteria include scientific merit, potential DoD relevance, innovation, team qualifications, and cost realism. Applications must also comply with federal policies on human and animal research, export control, and research integrity.

For technical inquiries, applicants should contact the relevant Research Topic Chief listed in Section I.1. Business questions may be directed to Jorge Gallegos at jorge.gallegos@us.af.mil. Policy inquiries for AFOSR can be sent to afosr.rtb.muri@us.af.mil. Questions must be submitted by April 18, 2025, for white papers and by August 22, 2025, for proposals.