As a part of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), AFOSR’s technical experts foster and fund research within AFRL, universities, and industry laboratories to ensure the transition of research results to support USAF needs.
To accomplish this task, AFOSR solicits proposals for research through various Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) as well as various other programs outlined below.
Broad Agency Announcements
Broad Agency Announcements are used to communicate the needs and interests of AFOSR. AFOSR keeps specific requirements of each BAA up-to-date on Grants.gov, the United States government’s one source to find and apply for federal grants. See the latest BAAs.
Educational Programs
AFOSR also sponsors research assistantship programs, faculty programs and graduate school programs. These programs support graduate education, encourage development of research excellence in critical technological areas where research facilities and qualified researchers are lacking, train personnel to conduct high-quality research, and stimulate mutual research interests between the Air Force and institutions of higher education.
- Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE)
- Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program (ESEP)
- National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program
- USAF National Research Council Resident Research Associateship (NRC/RRA) Program
- USAF-Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP)
- Visiting Scientist Program
- Window on Science (WOS) Program
- Windows on the World (WOW) Program
Special Programs
AFOSR provides the support for research and education through the following unique programs:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program
- Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR)
- Young Investigator Research Program (YIP)
University Research Initiative (URI) Programs
These programs enhance universities’ capabilities to perform basic science and engineering research and related education in science and engineering areas critical to national defense.