# Young Investigator Program (YIP)

**R-2A activity** of project 1402 — Naval STEM, Outreach, & Partnerships  
**Program element:** 0601153N — Defense Research Sciences  
**Component:** U.S. Navy · **Budget Activity:** 1  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601153N/1402/a3  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601153N/1402

## Summary

This activity requests $11.5M in FY2027, 18% of project 1402, down 9.3% 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.** - Complete Young Investigator Program topics initiated in previous fiscal years and review opportunities to transition technologies and identify future funding for high-quality investigators that will contribute to developing capabilities for the Navy. - Continue FY2025 and FY2026 YIP awards to assistant professors that have demonstrated exceptional promise for performing innovative research. The research will benefit the Sailor by improving lethality, survivability, and communications. Additionally, many of the investigators will provide long-term support and knowledge in solving Naval-related challenges. - Initiate Young Investigator Program awards selected in fiscal year 2027 that will provide innovative solutions to naval warfare challenges and establish a pipeline for future scientists and engineers in support of warfighter superiority.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The decrease in funding from FY 2026 to FY 2027 is due to completion of Young Investigator Topics started in prior fiscal years.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Complete Young Investigator Program topics initiated in previous fiscal years and review opportunities to transition technologies and identify future funding for high-quality investigators. - Continue FY2024 and FY2025 YIP awards to assistant professors that have demonstrated exceptional promise for performing creative research. The research will benefit today's and the next generation warfighter by improving lethality, survivability, and communications. Additionally, many of the investigators will provide long-term support and knowledge in solving Naval related S&T challenges. - Initiate Young Investigator Program topics selected in fiscal year 2026 where each awardee will provide innovative solutions to naval warfare challenges and establish a pipeline for future scientists and engineers in support of warfighter superiority.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 12.6 |
| FY2027 | Request | 11.5 |

> 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 1402

- [Naval STEM](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0601153N/1402/a0) — FY2027 39.0
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities / Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) — FY2027 9.2
- Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program and The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (NREIP/SEAP) — FY2027 2.8

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0601153N project 1402 (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.*