AFOSR · US

Air Force Fiscal Year 2027 Young Investigator Research Program (YIP)

Deadline December 4, 2026 22 days left

Award $150,000 per year for three years, up to $450,000 total per award; $4.5M total program funding across up to 50 awards

Announced September 8, 2026

Early Career Defense Materials Quantum Academic Early Career Nonprofit Us Only

What this means for your lab

This grant funds a new faculty member's research program rather than a single purchase, but the $450,000 total typically leaves room for lab equipment alongside personnel and materials costs. A materials, quantum information, or sensing project funded under this program often needs a low-temperature ultra-high-vacuum scanning probe microscope, a surface-analysis platform with XPS, or a closed-cycle cryostat for the transport and spectroscopy measurements involved.

Who can apply

Early-career faculty at U.S. institutions of higher education, or industrial and nonprofit research organizations. PI must have received a PhD or equivalent degree on or after April 1, 2019, and be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident in a full-time, non-contractor position. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and Department of War laboratories are not eligible. White papers due October 9, 2026; full proposals due December 4, 2026.

Read the official announcement ↗ Always confirm dates and eligibility against the agency’s own posting.