Multi-Disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI)

Multi-Disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) is sponsored by Department of Defense (administered through AFOSR, Army Research Office, ONR). MURI is a DoD-wide program that complements other DoD university research programs. Its goal is to advance defense research, accelerate technology transition, and educate scientists and engineers in interdisciplinary areas important to national defense.

Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURI) Program Full proposals will be accepted until Friday, September 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. Please see the MURI funding announcement for details. Multidisciplinary University Initiative (MURI) efforts involve teams of researchers investigating high priority topics and opportunities that intersect more than one traditional technical discipline.

For many military problems this multidisciplinary approach serves to stimulate innovations, accelerate research progress and expedite transition of results into naval applications. MURI awards are made in research topics specified by the participating defense agencies each year that the program is in force. Specified topics change each year.

Awards are typically for a period of three years (funded incrementally or as options) with two additional years possible as options to bring the total award to five-years, and at a funding level ranging from half a million to about a million dollars per year, with the size of the award dependent upon the topic, technical goals, and availability of appropriations.

The MURI is competed in specific research topics described in the current announcement. Potential proposers are advised to read the announcement carefully. It explains the DoD's research needs upon which the topics are based.

Proposals may be submitted only by U. S. institutions of higher education (i.e. universities) with degree granting programs in science or engineering, or by consortia of such institutions.

Proposals from consortia of academic institutions may be warranted because research in the multidisciplinary topics may require forming teams with strengths in multiple science and engineering fields. One academic institution will be the primary awardee for purposes of award execution. The DoD expects that MURI programs will promote application of defense research, principally for defense purposes but also for commercial purposes.

The research topics described in the MURI announcement generally underpin dual use defense technologies that are critical to national defense and that also have good potential for commercial application.

Interactions with research and development organizations that transition research findings to application, particularly industrial organizations, DoD laboratories, and other organizations that perform research and development for defense applications, are encouraged. Proposals are evaluated competitively. Evaluation criteria are cited in the program announcement.

Point of contact: Paula Barden Email: paula. d. barden.

ctr@us. navy. mil