AFOSR plans, coordinates, and executes the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) basic research program in response to technical guidance from AFRL and requirements of the Air Force. Additionally, the office fosters, supports, and conducts research within Air Force, university, and industry laboratories; and ensures transition of research results to support U.S. Air Force and Space Force needs.
The focus of this program is on research areas that offer significant and comprehensive benefits to our national war-fighting and peacekeeping capabilities. These areas are organized and managed in two scientific Branches:
- Engineering and Information Sciences (RTA)
- Physical and Biological Sciences (RTB)
The research activities managed within each team are summarized below:
ENGINEERING AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS (RTA1) The Engineering and Complex Systems team within the Engineering and Information Science Branch leads the discovery and development of the fundamental and integrated science that advances future air and space flight. The broad goal of the team is to discover and exploit the critical fundamental science and knowledge that will shape the future of aerospace sciences. A key emphasis is the establishment of the foundations necessary to advance the integration or convergence of the scientific disciplines critical to maintaining technological superiority. The central research direction for this team focuses on meeting the basic research challenges related to future air and space flight by leading the discovery and development of fundamental science and engineering in the following research areas. The Engineering and Complex Systems (AFOSR/RTA1) Program topics are:
- Energetic Solid-State Physics and Mechanochemistry
- GHz-THz Electronics
- Energy, Combustion, and Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics
- Aerodynamic Sciences
- High-Speed Aerodynamic
- Aerospace Composite Materials
- Multiscale Multifunctional Structures and Systems
- Propulsion and Power
- Agile Science of Test and Evaluation
INFORMATION AND NETWORKS (RTA2) The Information and Networks Team within the Engineering and Information Science Branch is organized to support many U.S. Air Force priority areas including autonomy, space situational awareness, and cyber security. The research programs within this team lead the discovery and development of foundational issues in mathematical, information and network oriented sciences. They are organized along three themes: Information, Decision Making, and Networks. The Information and Networks (AFOSR/RTA2) Program topics are:
- Computational Cognition and Machine Intelligence
- Computational Mathematics
- Dynamical Systems and Control Theory
- Dynamic Data and Information Processing
- Information Assurance and Cybersecurity
- Mathematical Optimization
- Science of Information, Computation, Learning, and Fusion
- Trust and Influence
- Complex Networks
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience
PHYSICAL SCIENCES (RTB1) The Physical Sciences Team leads the discovery and transition of foundational physical science to enable air, space, and cyber power. Research in physics generates the fundamental knowledge needed to advance U.S. Air Force operations, from the perspective of sensing, characterizing, and managing the operational environment as well as developing advanced devices that exploit novel physical principles to bring new capabilities to the warfighter. Research directions are categorized in the following four broad areas, with the focus on advancing our basic understanding of the physical world: (1) quantum matter and devices; (2) plasma and high-energy-density physics; (3) optics, photonics, and electromagnetics; and (4) aerospace materials.
The Physical Science (AFOSR/RTB1) Program topics are:
- Aerospace Materials for Extreme Environments
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Electromagnetics
- Optoelectronics and Photonics
- High-Energy Radiation-Matter Systems
- Quantum Information Sciences
- Physics of Sensing
- Space Science
- Ultrashort Pulse Laser-Matter Interactions
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Astrodynamics
CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (RTB2) The Chemistry and Biological Sciences Team is responsible for research activities in chemistry and biological sciences. A wide range of fundamental chemistry, biology, mechanics, and biophysics research is supported to provide the Air Force with novel options to increase performance and operational flexibility. Research carried out within this team will help usher in revolutionary new technologies that will fundamentally change the way future Air and Space Force weapon systems are designed and implemented. The Chemistry and Biological Sciences (AFOSR/RTB2) Program topics are:
- Biophysics
- Human Performance and Biosystems
- Molecular Dynamics and Theoretical Chemistry
- Natural Materials and Systems
- Organic Materials Chemistry
- Space Biosciences
AFOSR has international program offices in London, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sao Paulo, and Santiago. International Program Officers (IPOs) at these offices fund basic research grants at foreign institutions across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Central and South America. Research areas of interest include all listed topics for the four scientific teams given above as well as other innovative research concepts. Foreign Principal Investigators are highly encouraged to contact the international program office in their region prior to developing a full proposal.
AFSOR will also accept new basic research ideas and are open to considering unique and revolutionary concepts which do not fall into the portfolios described above. If you have an exciting idea that doesn't seem to fit within one of the more specific topic descriptions of this Broad Agency Announcements (BAA) detailing our current technical programs, you may submit it under this section of the BAA. Research should investigate truly new and unique approaches and techniques that may enable revolutionary concepts with potentially high-payoff relevant to Air and Space Forces. Pre coordination is strongly encouraged before submitting a proposal.