The Funding Launchpad
Explore current opportunities selected by ORD for MSU researchers. Open an opportunity below for key details, potential MSU fit, and access to proposal-development resources.
The FY27 Department of War Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) supports high-risk, high-impact basic research by multidisciplinary university teams addressing complex defense-relevant scientific problems. The competition is jointly administered through AFOSR, ARO, and ONR and contains 16 specific research topics. Approximately $170 million is anticipated across the program. Typical awards are up to $1.5 million per year for five years (generally a three-year base plus two option years), or roughly $7.5 million total. U.S. degree-granting institutions of higher education in science and/or engineering are eligible, and there is no institutional limit on the number of applications.
Key dates: White papers are optional but strongly recommended and due November 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET; full proposals are due April 9, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. ET. White-paper evaluations are expected by January 8, giving teams time to decide whether to proceed to full proposal.
MURI explicitly exists for problems where multiple traditional disciplines interacting can produce advances that wouldn't otherwise occur; ONR describes these as teams tackling high-priority topics at disciplinary intersections.
16 opportunities under the three sponsoring offices.
AFOSR — Air Force Office of Scientific Research
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Non-linear Mixing Processes for EUV and X-ray Radiation in Optically Thick Systems
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Tunable Goniopolar Semiconductors
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Robustness to Novel Queries in AI for Scientific Discovery
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Unlocking the Potential of TEM Ptychography
ARO - Army Research Office
- Th-229 Enabled by the Solid State (TESS)
- Reticular Qubit Assemblies
- Design of Superomniphobic Materials via Development of Novel, High-throughput, Multi-scale Biological Assays
- Some Like It Hot: Decoding the Biogeochemical Matrix of Fire and Smoke Borne Particulates
- Interfacial Superconcentration in Extreme Multiphase Regimes
- Atomic and Molecular Hybrid Quantum Solids
ONR — Office of Naval Research
- Distinguishing between AI Generated Content and Human Created Content
- Troposcatter Sensitivity to Atmospheric and Electromagnetic Conditions
- Interface Mediated Control of Biofilm Function
- High-Entropy Electrochemical Material
- Bio-Inspired Autonomous and Recurrent Self-Healing in Materials and Structures
NIST — CHIPS Research and Development Office Broad Agency Announcement
2025-NIST-CHIPS-CRDO-01
Deadline: Rolling through Sept. 30, 2029 | Funding: Project budgets should be at least $10M | Project Period: 5 years
Purpose: Supports research, prototyping, and commercial solutions that advance U.S. microelectronics technology, strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, accelerate commercialization, and further national and economic security. Priority areas include semiconductors, AI for advanced microelectronics, quantum technology, biotechnology and biomanufacturing, commercialization of innovation, and standards development.
Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU
This opportunity may align well with MSU strengths in advanced materials, semiconductor-related research, AI-enabled systems, robotics and automation, quantum-related technologies, manufacturing, commercialization, workforce development, and standards-related research. The BAA also explicitly emphasizes domestic manufacturing capacity, supply-chain security, and translation of research into commercial impact.
Application Process
- White Paper — Required and may be submitted at any time through Grants.gov.
- CRDO Review — White Papers are screened for eligibility, completeness, responsiveness, scientific and technical merit, and potential contribution to national and economic security.
- Invitation to Proceed — Applicants may be invited either to submit an R&D Project Path Pre-negotiation Package or, at CRDO’s discretion, an Investment Fund Application.
Key Requirements / Decision Factors
- Strong contribution to U.S. national and economic security
- Demonstrated scientific and technical merit
- Credible project execution and partner capability
- Clear pathway to commercial viability and domestic production
- Applicants may be subject to negotiated government return-on-investment provisions, including equity, warrants, IP licenses, royalties, or revenue sharing
NSF — Organizational Change in the Professional Formation of Engineers (ENGINEER:OC)
PD 26-1342
Deadline: Accepted Anytime | Funding: Per NSF/PAPPG | Project Period: Per NSF/PAPPG
Purpose: ENGINEER:OC supports research and activities designed to drive organizational change and transform the professional formation of engineers at scale. The program seeks to expand access to high-quality engineering education and workforce-development pathways through changes in the organizations and settings where engineers and engineering technologists are educated and prepared.
Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU
This program may be a strong fit for interdisciplinary MSU teams interested in engineering education, workforce development, organizational change, curricular innovation, and translating successful educational approaches into new settings. Projects can involve higher education as well as other academic, informal, center-based, workplace-based, engineering, or engineering-technology environments.
Project Types
Innovation Projects — Develop and apply new cultural or curricular innovations in a particular setting, including first practical implementations of established theory.
Adaptation/Implementation Projects — Build on previous work by adapting existing models for new contexts.
NSF — Translation to Practice (TTP) Supplemental Funding
NSF 25-540
Deadline: TTP-Explore Accepted Anytime | Funding: Up to $600K | Project Period: Up to 24 months
Purpose: NSF Translation to Practice supplemental funding helps researchers move promising discoveries toward real-world application. The primary mechanism, TTP-Explore (TTP-E), supports high-risk, use-inspired research and early translational activities that were not included in an existing NSF research award.
Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU
TTP-E may be particularly valuable for MSU investigators with active NSF-funded research that has produced a promising technology, method, tool, or other innovation ready for initial translation beyond the original research scope. It provides a pathway to explore real-world applications without waiting to develop an entirely new NSF proposal.
How TTP-Explore Works
1. Develop a 3–5 Page Preliminary Description
Describe the use-inspired research and translational activities, the societal, market, or technological gap being addressed, team and partner roles, work plan, milestones, and why supplemental funding is needed.
2. Contact Your NSF Program Officer
Send the preliminary description to the cognizant NSF Program Officer and obtain written approval before submitting a supplemental funding request.
3. Submit the Supplement
If invited, submit through Research.gov and include the 3–5 page description and the Program Officer's approval email as supplementary documents.
Additional TTP Support
I-Corps Training Supplement — $50,000
Supports the seven-week experiential entrepreneurial training required for certain TTP-Translate and TTP-Partner awardees who have not completed qualifying I-Corps training for the technology within the previous two years.
Intellectual Property Support — Up to $50,000
TTP projects may include funding for intellectual-property protection, including eligible Technology Transfer Office or third-party patenting expenses.
A Good Candidate for TTP-E? Consider TTP-E if you can answer yes to these questions:
- Do I have an eligible active NSF research award?
- Has the research produced something with potential beyond the laboratory?
- Is the proposed translational work outside the scope of my original award?
- Can I articulate the real-world problem or opportunity this innovation could address?
NSF Expeditions in Computing — NSF 26-525
Preliminary Proposal Deadline: December 2, 2026
Full Proposal Deadline: July 27, 2027, by invitation only
Eligibility: U.S. institutions of higher education; individuals may participate in only one Expeditions proposal per competition
Maximum Request: $15 million
Project Period: Up to 7 years
Cost Share: Voluntary committed cost sharing prohibited
Purpose: NSF Expeditions in Computing supports large, multidisciplinary teams pursuing ambitious foundational research that could shape the future of computing and information science. Projects should look at least a decade ahead, tackle challenges beyond the scope of conventional research awards, and demonstrate why the combined effort is greater than a collection of smaller projects. Areas of interest include emerging computing architectures, AI and learning theory, neuroscience-inspired computing, robotics and embodied intelligence, next-generation communications and other high-risk, high-reward computing research.
Good fit for: Established interdisciplinary teams with a transformative computing vision, strong institutional or multi-institutional collaboration, and a clear need for long-term, large-scale investment.
DoD DEPSCoR Research Collaboration — FY26
PIs may submit only one application each.
More information at https://pivot.proquest.com/funding_opps/0e73b29b-7d58-4905-810a-f2f1552…;
White Paper Deadline: October 12, 2026
Full Proposal Deadline: April 5, 2027, by invitation only
Eligibility: Eligible DEPSCoR-state institutions, including Mississippi
Maximum Request: $600,000
Project Period: 3 years
Cost Share: Not required
Purpose: DEPSCoR Research Collaboration is designed to help faculty enter and become competitive within the DoD research enterprise. Each project pairs an eligible faculty researcher who has never served as PI on a directly funded DoD research prime award with an experienced DoD-funded researcher who serves as collaborator, co-PI and mentor.
Projects must address one of 12 specified DoD basic-research topics, including space bioscience, data and information processing, condensed matter physics, aerodynamics, earth materials, human performance, wireless networks, electrochemistry, nonlinear systems, social cognition, shock mitigation and UAS research.
Good fit for: Tenured or tenure-track MSU faculty with strong basic-research expertise who are interested in DoD funding but have not previously led a directly funded DoD research award.