FY27 Communications and Networking Applied Research Announcement for Office of Naval Research

The Office of Naval Research is seeking white papers and full proposals for applied research projects in communications and networking. The goal is to develop measurable advances in technology that can enable and enhance end-to-end connectivity and quality-of-service for mission-critical information exchange among naval, joint, and coalition forces. The focus areas include long-range VHF-band data link development, novel design and prototyping of compact electronically-steered apertures, innovative approaches for low probability-of-detection communications, advanced techniques for distributed network control, and new algorithms for predicting network behavior. • The proposed projects should support the Navy's Information Warfare vision and provide high throughput robust communications and networking. • The projects may be funded for one, two, or three years, with an estimated award value of $250,000 to $500,000 per year. • White papers should be submitted by July 31, 2026, and full proposals by November 16, 2026. • The ONR is receptive to innovative ideas that are not within the specified focus areas but are important to the Navy/Marine Corps communications and networking.