ARLINGTON, Va.—The (ONR) today announced awards of $16 million through its 2018 Young Investigator Program (YIP). The awards were made to 31 scientists whose research holds strong promise across a wide range of naval-relevant science and technology areas.
“To meet the demand signal from the 2018 National Defense Strategy, we must attract the best and brightest minds to work on naval warfighting challenges. The Young Investigator Program does just that, and I’m honored to announce the recipients for 2018,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. David Hahn. “Since 1985, this program has attracted outstanding scientists and engineers from across academia to support our Navy and Marine Corps, and as we return to an era of great power competition, that is more important than ever before.”
The YIP is a highly competitive process, rewarding the achievements made by young faculty members. This year’s candidates were selected amongst more than 340 highly qualified applicants based on past performance, technical merit, potential for scientific breakthrough and long-term university commitment. All are college and university faculty who have obtained tenure-track positions within the past five years.
Awardees represent 22 academic institutions nationwide, in disciplines including advanced semiconductors, bio-inspired robotics, mathematical optimization, remote sensing and morphing aircraft. The YIP awards support laboratory equipment, graduate student stipends and scholarships, as well as other expenses critical to ongoing and planned investigational studies. Typical grants are $510,000 over a three-year period.
Introduced in 1985, the ONR YIP is one of the nation’s oldest and most selective science and technology basic research programs. Its purpose is to fund early-career academic researchers—called investigators—whose scientific pursuits show outstanding promise for supporting the Department of Defense, while also promoting their professional development.
View the list of 2018 Young Investigator awardees.