Air Force Fiscal Year 2026 Young Investigator Program (YIP)

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Fiscal Year 2026 Young Investigator Research Program (YIP), aimed at supporting early-career scientists and engineers who received their Ph.D. or equivalent degrees on or after April 1, 2018. The program's goal is to foster innovative basic research and enhance the development of young researchers while aligning their work with the missions of the Air Force and Space Force. Awards can be up to $150,000 annually for three years, totaling $450,000. Eligible applicants include U.S. institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and industrial research organizations, with stipulations that principal investigators must be U.S. citizens or residents. Notably, researchers at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and Department of Defense laboratories are ineligible. Interested parties must submit a white paper by July 25, 2025, and full proposals by September 19, 2025. The program particularly encourages proposals in quantum information sciences, emphasizing advancements in quantum computing technologies. Ultimately, the YIP seeks to cultivate a new generation of innovative researchers contributing to vital national defense areas.

The Privacy Act Statement from the Air Force Research Laboratory outlines the collection, use, and disclosure of information relevant to federal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements awarded by the Department of the Air Force. The document cites authorities governing this process, including the Government Paperwork Elimination Act and various Public Laws related to national defense. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring grants and contracts are awarded to responsible parties. The routine uses of the information collected may extend to contractors and law enforcement entities when needed for fulfilling agency functions or investigating potential legal violations. While providing information is voluntary, the document warns that failure to comply with federal disclosure requirements could lead to rejection of applications and other legal consequences. The document ends with sections for individual consent acknowledgment, highlighting the institutional representatives’ signatures and details. Overall, it serves to inform applicants about their rights, the significance of the information requested, and the implications of non-compliance within the context of federal research funding and its management.