Air Force Fiscal Year 2020 Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) | FOA AFRL AFOSR 2019 0003

Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2019 0003

The Air Force Fiscal Year 2020 Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) is a competitive research grant opportunity run by the Department of Defense through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). It is designed to back early-career scientists and engineers who are building independent research careers and who have already shown strong potential to produce high-impact basic research. In practical terms, the program is meant to help promising young faculty or equivalent researchers establish momentum in a new research direction, generate foundational results, and position themselves for long-term contributions in areas that align with Air Force interests.

A central requirement is the career-stage eligibility window: applicants must have earned a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree on or after April 1, 2012. This date threshold is intended to keep the focus on investigators who are still relatively early in their professional trajectory, while still allowing enough time after graduation for them to develop a clear research agenda, publish initial work, and demonstrate the ability to lead a project. The program emphasizes exceptional ability and promise, meaning reviewers are generally looking for evidence that the investigator is not only technically strong, but also capable of driving a creative, original basic research program that could open up new scientific or engineering possibilities.

The stated purpose of YIP is threefold. First, it aims to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, with an emphasis on foundational work rather than near-term product development. Second, it is explicitly tied to early-career development, supporting investigators at a point where a major grant can meaningfully shape their lab, their collaborations, and their research identity. Third, it seeks to increase the opportunities for young investigators to understand and connect with the Air Force mission and the scientific and engineering challenges tied to that mission. In other words, while the work is basic research, it should be motivated by, or at least plausibly relevant to, the types of long-range problems the Air Force cares about.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary grant program (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. The funding opportunity is identified as FOA AFRL AFOSR 2019 0003, and it falls under CFDA 12.800, which is commonly associated with Air Force research and development support. The agency listed is the Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, which is the Air Force organization that manages much of its basic research portfolio and interfaces extensively with universities and research institutions.

Eligibility is broad but centered on research-performing organizations. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (including those that are not universities). The listing also includes an “Others” category with a note to consult the additional eligibility text in the full announcement for clarification, which typically covers edge cases such as certain research institutes, laboratories, or other organizations that can serve as the proposing entity depending on the program rules.

In terms of funding scale, the award ceiling is listed as $450,000, indicating the maximum anticipated amount per award under this announcement. The opportunity projected around 37 expected awards, which suggests a fairly selective program that still aims to build a meaningful cohort of young investigators each year. The original closing date for submissions was June 3, 2019, and the funding opportunity record shows a creation date of March 6, 2019, reflecting the typical lead time between announcement release and the proposal deadline.

Overall, the FY 2020 Air Force YIP is best understood as a talent-and-ideas program for early-career researchers doing basic science and engineering with credible connections to Air Force-relevant challenges. It combines recognition of investigator potential with support for novel research directions, and it is structured to help young researchers strengthen their independence, visibility, and alignment with national defense-relevant scientific priorities.

• The Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Air Force Fiscal Year 2020 Young Investigator Research Program (YIP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 06, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 37 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2019 0003

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