Today, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) recognized awardees of the 2024 Young Investigator Program (YIP).

Twenty-four recipients will share nearly $18 million in funding to conduct innovative scientific research that will benefit science and technology for the Department of the Navy.

“In order for ONR to support the Sailors and Marines we have the privilege of serving with innovation and scientific and technological excellence, we must identify and attract the brightest scientists and engineers from around the nation,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus. “The Young Investigator Program is critical to that goal, and I am honored to announce the recipients for 2024.”

The ONR YIP is a highly competitive program that attracts outstanding early-career academics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to propose innovative solutions to Navy and Marine Corps warfighter challenges. Prior academic accomplishments and potential for significant scientific breakthroughs are key elements of the evaluation criteria. The 2024 YIP awardees were chosen from more than 220 applicants — all of whom are college and university tenure-track or equivalent faculty and obtained a Ph.D. on or after Jan. 1, 2016.

Awardees represent 20 academic institutions in 16 states, supporting a broad range of naval-relevant research topics, including quantum information, artificial intelligence, autonomous operations, sensors and sensing, power systems, robotics, high-temperature thermal management and hypersonics.

The YIP awards support postdoctoral and graduate student stipends and scholarships, the acquisition of laboratory equipment, and other expenses critical to the planned research. Typical grants are $750,000 over a three-year period.

Established in 1985, the ONR YIP is one of the nation’s oldest and most selective basic-research, early-career awards in science and technology. Its purpose is to fund tenure-track academic researchers, or equivalent, whose scientific pursuits show outstanding promise for supporting the Department of Defense, while also promoting their professional development.

View the list of 2024 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator awardees.