The Department of Defense (DoD) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), one element of the University Research Initiative (URI), is sponsored by the DoD research offices. Those offices include the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) (hereafter collectively referred to as "DoD agencies" or “DoD”).
DoD's MURI program addresses high-risk basic research and attempts to understand or achieve something that has never been done before. The program was initiated over 25 years ago and it has regularly produced significant scientific breakthroughs with far reaching consequences to the fields of science, economic growth, and revolutionary new military technologies. Key to the program’s success is the close management of the MURI projects by Service program officers and their active role in providing research guidance.
Deadlines:
- White Papers (not required but strongly recommended): May 2, 2025
- Applications: September 5, 2025
White papers and proposals addressing the following topics should be submitted to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR):
Topic 1: Characterization and Modeling of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere
Topic 2: Ethical Constructs and Adaptive Learning Systems
Topic 3: Structured Light for High Field, High Intensity Laser-Matter Interactions
Topic 4: Optics with Dynamically Reconfigureable Arrays of Molecules and Atoms (OhDRAMA)
Topic 5: 2D/3D Heterostructures via Remote Epitaxy
This MURI competition is open only to, and proposals are to be submitted only by, U.S. institutions of higher education (universities) with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering, including DoD institutions of higher education. To the extent that it is part of a U.S. institution of higher education and is not designated as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) is eligible to submit a proposal to this MURI competition and/or receive MURI funds. Ineligible organizations (e.g., industry, DoD laboratories, FFRDCs, and foreign entities) may collaborate on the research but may not receive MURI funds directly or via subaward.
The total amount of funding for the five years available for grants resulting from this MURI NOFO is estimated to be approximately $170 million dollars pending out-year appropriations. MURI awards are contingent on availability of funds, the specific topic, and the scope of the proposed work. Typical annual funding per grant is up to $1.5M. The amount of the award and the number of supported researchers should generally not exceed the limit specified for the individual topics in Section I.1.