science_technology_and_other_research_and_development · DOD-ONR
Special Program Announcement for Office of Naval Research Research Opportunity: FY27 Communications and Networking Applied Research
Office of Naval Research · N0001426SBC11
Award Range
$250K – $500K
Expected Awards
6
Deadline
November 16, 2026
GRANTQUICK SUMMARYPlain-English Overview
ONR funds 6 research grants ($250K-$500K each) for communications and networking technologies for Naval operations in contested environments.
Who Should Apply
Universities, defense contractors, and research labs with military communications and RF expertise.
Who Should NOT Apply
Consumer electronics, software-only firms, non-defense researchers.
Key Requirements (Plain English)
- •Must develop comms/networking tech for Navy
- •6 awards of $250K-$500K
- •Must address contested environments
- •No cost-sharing required
💡 GrantQuick Tip
Think cognitive radio, resilient mesh networks, covert low-probability-of-intercept systems. Contact the program officer first.
Competitiveness: Moderate — 6 awards in defense communications.
What This Grant Funds
The proposed topic will develop and mature Communications and Networking technologies for Naval operations.
Background:
A Design for Maritime Superiority (2018) describes an operational architecture for distributed maritime operations (DMO) that "... will provide accurate, timely, and analyzed information to units, warfighting groups, and fleets." A critical component of this architecture is the Naval Tactical Grid (NTG) to connect distributed units into groups and distributed groups into fleets.
Communications and networking technologies that can provide seamless, robust, connectivity are key enablers for the NTG. These technologies will be deployed on a variety of platforms, both manned and unmanned, operating under challenging environmental and operational warfare conditions (lack of infrastructure, mobility, spectrum limitations, interference, multipath, atmospherics, jamming, electronic intercept, size/weight/power constraint, etc.) in different domains (land, maritime [includes both surface and undersea], cyber, and space). Successful
Command and Control (C2) and decision making, at all levels of command, for DMO is critically dependent on these communications and networking technologies
Attachments
Who Can Apply
Eligible Applicant Types
Funding Details
- Minimum Award
- $250K
- Maximum Award
- $500K
- Expected Number of Awards
- 6
- Cost Sharing Required?
- No
- Funding Instrument
- grant
Key Dates
Agency Contact
Stephen Hughes Grantor
stephen.t.hughes.civ@us.navy.milReady to apply?
View the full NOFO and submit your application on Grants.gov