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Grants / Department of Defense / Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command

W911NF-21-S-0008: Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary ResearchProgram of the University Research Initiative (MURI)

Closed Closed September 27, 2021 Opportunity W911NF-21-S-0008

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Department of War (DoW) Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) (W911NF26S1000). Status: Closes April 9, 2027 (153 days left). It is in our archive of Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command notices from 2021.

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command offered grants of up to $1.5 million to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 150 awards worth $190 million in total. Applications closed on September 27, 2021.

From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed August 10, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.

Key dates

PostedMarch 22, 2021
DeadlineSeptember 27, 2021
Archived by Grants.govOctober 27, 2021

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.

This MURI competition is open only to, and proposals are to be submitted only by, U.S. institutions of higher education (universities) with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering, including DoD institutions of higher education. To the extent that it is part of a U.S. institution of higher education and is not designated as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) or other University Affiliated Laboratory (UAL) is eligible to submit a proposal to this MURI competition and/or receive MURI funds. Ineligible organizations (e.g., industry, DoD laboratories, FFRDCs, and foreign entities) may collaborate on the research but may not receive MURI funds directly or via subaward.

Is this a realistic fit?

What the grant funds

The MURI program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education (hereafter referred to as "universities") that is of potential interest to DoD. The program is focused on multidisciplinary research efforts where more than one traditional discipline interacts to provide rapid advances in scientific areas of interest to the DoD. As defined in the DoD Financial Management Regulation: Basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences related to long-term national security needs. It is farsighted high payoff research that provides the basis for technological progress (DoD 7000.14-R, vol. 2B, chap. 5, para. 050105. A.) DoD’s basic research program invests broadly in many fields to ensure that it has early cognizance of new scientific knowledge. The FY 2022 MURI competition is for the topics listed below. Detailed descriptions of the topics and the Topic Chief for each can be found in Section II.H, entitled, "TOPIC DESCRIPTIONS." The detailed descriptions are intended to provide the applicant a frame of reference and are not meant to be restrictive to the possible approaches to achieving the goals of the topic and the program. Innovative ideas addressing these research topics are highly encouraged. Proposals from a team of university investigators are warranted when the necessary expertise in addressing the multiple facets of the topics may reside in different universities. By supporting multidisciplinary teams, the program is complementary to other DoD basic research programs that support university research through single-investigator awards. Proposals shall name one Principal Investigator (PI) as the responsible technical point of contact. Similarly, one institution shall be the primary awardee for the purpose of award execution. The PI shall come from the primary institution. The relationship among participating institutions and their respective roles, as well as the apportionment of funds including sub-awards, if any, shall be described in both the proposal text and the budget.

Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Who has won Basic Scientific Research grants before

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Basic Scientific Research (12.431) awarded $2.8 billion across 3,478 grant awards, an average of $814,091 per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
University of Maryland, College ParkMaryland65$147 million
General Dynamics Robotic Systems IncMaryland1$106 million
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts78$98.6 million
University of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia55$68.5 million
Research Triangle InstituteNorth Carolina1$59.2 million

Top states: California ($348 million), Maryland ($319 million), Massachusetts ($300 million), Texas ($221 million), Pennsylvania ($175 million).

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, W911NF26S1000, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.

Questions people ask

Is W911NF-21-S-0008 still open?

No. It closed on September 27, 2021. A newer notice is open: W911NF26S1000, closes April 9, 2027 (153 days left).

Who can apply for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary ResearchProgram of the University Research Initiative (MURI)?

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

What is the deadline for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary ResearchProgram of the University Research Initiative (MURI)?

Closed September 27, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $1.5 million each. About $190 million in total across about 150 awards.

Who has won Basic Scientific Research grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were University of Maryland, College Park, General Dynamics Robotic Systems Inc, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program made 3,478 awards worth $2.8 billion in that time.

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