Special Program Announcement for Office of Naval Research Research Opportunity: FY27 Communications and Networking Applied Research
Grant Opportunity Analysis
The Office of Naval Research is seeking proposals to develop and mature communications and networking technologies for Naval operations in support of the Naval Tactical Grid and distributed maritime operations. Supported projects must focus on key areas such as long-range VHF-band data links, compact electronically-steered apertures, low probability-of-detection communications, advanced distributed network control, and algorithms for predicting network behavior. These technologies must be designed to operate on manned and unmanned platforms under challenging environmental and warfare conditions, including spectrum limitations, jamming, and size, weight, and power constraints. The agency expects to make five to six awards valued between $250,000 and $500,000 annually, with white papers due by July 31, 2026, and full proposals due by November 16, 2026.
Eligible Applicants
All responsible sources from academia, industry and the research community worldwide may submit proposals under this BAA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCUs/MIs, small businesses or other socio-economic participation. All businesses, both small and large, are encouraged to submit proposals and compete for funding consideration. Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal Offerors are allowed so long as such arrangements are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC. Navy laboratories, military universities and warfare centers as well as other Department of Defense and civilian agency laboratories are also not eligible to receive awards under this BAA and should not directly submit either white papers or full proposals in response to this BAA. If any such organization is interested in one or more of the programs described herein, the organization should contact an appropriate ONR Technical POC to discuss its area of interest. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are eligible to submit proposals under this BAA unless precluded from doing so by their Department of Defense UARC contract. Teams are also encouraged and may submit proposals in any areas; however, Offerors must be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data and other information in an integrated program with other contractors, as well as with system integrators, selected by ONR. Disclosures of current and pending support made in this application may render an applicant ineligible for funding. Prior to award and throughout the period of performance, DoD may continue to request updated continuing and pending support information, which will be reviewed and may result in discontinuation of funding.