The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), hereafter generally referred to as “we, us, our, or AFOSR,” manages the basic research investment for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. As a part of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), our technical experts discover, shape, and champion research within AFRL, universities, and industry laboratories to ensure the transition of research results to support U.S. Air Force and Space Force needs. Using a carefully balanced research portfolio, our research managers seek to foster revolutionary scientific breakthroughs enabling the Air Force, Space Force and U.S. industry to produce world-class, militarily significant, and commercially valuable products.
To accomplish this task, we solicit proposals for basic research through this general Broad Agency Announcement outlining the U.S. Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program. We invite unclassified proposals that do not contain proprietary information for research in many broad areas. We expect to fund only fundamental research. Our research areas of interest are described in detail in section A. Program Description.
Our focus is on research areas that offer significant and comprehensive benefits to our national warfighting and peacekeeping capabilities. These areas are organized and managed in two scientific branches, each with two teams:
- Engineering and Information Sciences (RTA) • ENGINEERING AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS (RTA1) • INFORMATION AND NETWORKS (RTA2)
- Physical and Biological Sciences (RTB) • PHYSICAL SCIENCES (RTB1) • CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (RTB2)
Engineering and Complex Systems (RTA1)
- Energetic Solid-State Physics and Mechanochemistry
- GHz-THz Electronics and Materials
- Energy, Combustion, and Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics
- Aerodynamic Sciences
- High-Speed Aerodynamics
- Aerospace Composite Materials
- Multiscale Multifunctional Structures and Systems
- Propulsion and Power
- Agile Science for Test and Evaluation (T&E)
Information and Networks (RTA2)
- Computational Cognition and Machine Intelligence
- Computational Mathematics
- Dynamical Systems and Control Theory
- Dynamic Data and Information Processing
- Information Assurance and Cybersecurity
- Mathematical Optimization
- Science of Information, Computation, Learning, and Fusion
- Trust and Influence
- Complex Networks
- Cognitive and Computational Neurosciences
Physical Science (RTB1)
- Aerospace Materials for Extreme Environments
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Electromagnetics
- Optoelectronics and Photonics
- High-Energy Radiation-Matter Systems
- Quantum Information Sciences
- Physics of Sensing
- Space Physics
- Ultrashort Pulse Laser-Matter Interactions
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Astrodynamics
Chemistry and Biological Sciences (RTB2)
- Biophysics
- Human Performance and Biosystems
- Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials and Microsystems
- Molecular Dynamics and Theoretical Chemistry
- Natural Materials, Systems, and Extremophiles
- Organic Materials Chemistry
- Space Biosciences
All qualified, responsible organizational applicants from academia, the non-profit sector, and industry are eligible to submit research proposals. This includes University Affiliated Research Centers unless precluded from submitting a proposal by their Department of Defense operating contract.
AFOSR receives Congressional appropriated funding to support broad-based scientific and engineering research with the potential to profoundly impact future US Air Force and Space Force capabilities. This general Broad Agency Announcement outlines the U.S. Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program to solicit proposals for basic research. Approximately $200 million is anticipated to be available for support of actions awarded under this announcement, subject to the availability of funds. Research proposals typically are funded between $100,000 and $300,000 per year. Most of our awards are three (3) years in duration. Awards may be proposed for not more than five (5) years. NOTE: AFOSR will not consider any request for exception above $10,000,000.