FY2021 VANNEVAR BUSH FACULTY FELLOWSHIP | N00014 20 S F006

Opportunity Information: Apply for N00014 20 S F006

The FY2021 Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship (VBFF) is a Department of Defense (DoD) basic research grant program aimed at supporting exceptionally creative, high-impact "blue sky" research led by distinguished academic investigators. The program is sponsored by the Basic Research Office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) and is administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). VBFF is focused on unclassified basic research, defined by DoD as fundamental scientific study intended to expand knowledge and understanding without a specific near-term application in mind, but with clear relevance to long-term national security needs across physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences. The central idea is to fund bold work that could reshape entire disciplines, create new fields, or overturn prevailing assumptions, ultimately laying groundwork for future revolutionary DoD capabilities.

The program has several intertwined objectives beyond producing strong academic results. It is designed to strengthen the pipeline of future defense-relevant talent by educating and training graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who may later join or collaborate with the defense workforce. It also aims to build durable, long-term relationships between leading university researchers and the DoD, while increasing researchers' exposure to DoD challenges and priorities. Awardees receive not only research funding but also the designation of "VBFF Fellow," and they and their students are expected to participate in program activities throughout the year. These engagement activities commonly include an orientation meeting, visits to DoD laboratories, technical workshops, and an annual meeting where Fellows present progress and discuss directions with senior DoD science and technology leadership. Fellows may also be invited to contribute to DoD advisory boards, panels, or similar groups, reinforcing the fellowship's emphasis on sustained interaction rather than a one-off grant.

This FOA supports single-investigator proposals, meaning the principal investigator (PI) is expected to be the clear intellectual leader and manager of the effort, even though collaboration is permitted. Collaborators from non-profit or for-profit organizations may participate and may receive funding through subawards or subcontracts, but the university must perform the majority of the work and receive the majority of the funds. As a general expectation, the total fraction of the budget paid to funded collaborators should not exceed 20 percent of the total requested amount across the full five-year project period, although unpaid collaborators are unrestricted. Government agencies, DoD or other government laboratories, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and foreign institutions may collaborate scientifically, but they may not receive VBFF funding either directly or through subawards. Equipment costs are not capped by a specific percentage, but proposals with unusually large equipment budgets must provide strong justification and may be viewed skeptically if the spending appears to undermine the program's intent to support investigator-driven basic research rather than primarily building infrastructure.

Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. universities that offer doctoral degree programs; DoD institutions are not eligible applicants. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to apply, but no dedicated set-aside funding is reserved specifically for them under this announcement. On the individual side, the PI must be a tenured faculty member at the time of submission, with a record of substantial scientific contributions and the capacity to lead the proposed research. The PI must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Dual appointments are allowed, including appointments with other domestic or foreign universities or with non-eligible organizations such as government labs or FFRDCs, but in those cases the eligible university must fully account for the PI's committed effort and associated salary in the proposal's budget and management plan. The announcement also notes that awards to a university can be terminated if the PI leaves the institution or can no longer actively participate, or if the institution severs ties with the PI, underscoring that the fellowship is closely tied to the PI's continued leadership.

Key administrative details from the opportunity listing include: the issuing agency is ONR; the funding instrument is a grant; the activity category is science and technology research and development; the CFDA number is 12.300; and the FOA closing date listed is January 15, 2021. The award ceiling shown is $3,000,000 (interpretable as the maximum potential total award amount under the announcement), and the opportunity is identified by funding opportunity number N00014-20-S-F006.

• The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2021 VANNEVAR BUSH FACULTY FELLOWSHIP" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-07-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-15. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for N00014 20 S F006

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