# Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative

**R-2A activity** of project 615094 — University Research Initiatives  
**Program element:** 0601103F — University Research Initiatives  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 1  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601103F/615094/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601103F

## Summary

This activity requests $51.6M in FY2027, 56% of project 615094, down 20% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue funding competitive research grants at U.S. universities that focus on significantly expanding the basic knowledge of Department of the Air Force-relevant science and technology areas. - Continue to focus on complex research efforts not normally achievable in smaller funded, single investigator awards. - Continue to support and recognize superior academic researchers in the early stages of their careers through the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers program. - Continue funding the existing multi-year, multidisciplinary awards and receive proposals from universities to fund next round of multidisciplinary research grants.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** FY 2027 decreased compared to FY 2026 by $12.889 million due to decreased emphasis on multidisciplinary university research initiatives. This reduction reflects programmatic adjustments to the DAF Science and Technology portfolio for strategic realignment to optimize core research areas and improve resource efficiency. This will result in approximately 8 fewer new multidisciplinary university research grants awarded in this effort.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Fund competitive research grants at U.S. universities that focus on significantly expanding the basic knowledge of Department of the Air Force-relevant science and technology areas. - Focus on complex research efforts not normally achievable in smaller funded, single investigator awards. - Support and recognize superior academic researchers in the early stages of their careers through the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers program. - Fund the existing multi-year, multidisciplinary awards and receive proposals from universities to fund next round of multidisciplinary research grants.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 68.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 64.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 51.6 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 615094

- [Science and Engineering Education](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601103F/615094/a1) — FY2027 24.9
- [Research Instrumentation](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601103F/615094/a2) — FY2027 14.9

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0601103F project 615094 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

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