# University Research Initiatives — Program Element 0601103A

**Program element:** 0601103A  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 1 — Basic Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601103A

## Summary

U.S. Army funding falls 18% to a $63.1M request in FY2027, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House added 32% (to $83.1M); the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators added 21% (to $76.3M).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 75.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 77.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 63.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 72.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 75.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 76.7 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 77.4 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 63.1 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 83.1 | +20.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 63.1 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 76.3 | +13.2 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB3 | MURI/PECASE/DURIP | 75.3 | 77.2 | 63.1 | −18% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project AB3 — MURI/PECASE/DURIP

This project supports the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), and the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) program. The MURI program funds university based basic research in a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines pertinent to maintaining land combat technology superiority. Army MURI efforts involve teams of researchers investigating high- priority, transformational topics that intersect more than one traditional technical discipline. For many complex problems, this multidisciplinary approach serves to accelerate research progress and expedite transition of results to application. The DURIP provides funds to acquire major research equipment to augment current, or devise new, research capabilities in support of Army transformational research. The PECASE program funds single-investigator research efforts performed by outstanding academic scientists and engineers early in their research careers. Work in this project provides a foundation for applied research initiatives at the Army laboratories and centers. Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative | 61.1 | 63.1 | 50.4 |
| Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.2 |
| Defense University Research Instrumentation Program | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.5 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This Program Element (PE) supports the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), and the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) program. The MURI program funds university based basic research in a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines pertinent to maintaining land combat technology superiority. Army MURI efforts involve teams of researchers investigating high-priority, transformational topics that intersect more than one traditional technical discipline (e.g., Intelligent Luminescence for Communication, Display, and Identification).

## Related program elements

- [0601103N — University Research Initiatives](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601103N) (Navy)
- [0602275A — Electronic Warfare Applied Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602275A) (Army)
- [0605502N — Small Business Innovative Research](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605502N) (Navy)
- [1206601SF — Space Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206601SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0601103A (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0601103A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*