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The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps science and technology funding organization. A university research administrator or investigator usually needs to know three things: which ONR solicitation type applies to the work, where to find it, and whether the resulting award is a grant, a cooperative agreement or a contract. This guide maps those, as described on ONR’s own pages on 2026-11-07. Solicitations change, so confirm any open announcement on its listing before acting.
What it is and who runs it
ONR describes itself as an executive branch agency that supports the President’s budget and the science and technology priorities of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Secretary of the Navy. Its stated mission is to discover, develop and deliver new technology and capabilities for the Navy and Marine Corps. It was founded in 1946 “to plan, foster, and encourage scientific research.” The About page now places ONR within the Department of War. For how defense research funding is organised more broadly, see RDT&E and USD(R&E).
Address. ONR’s headquarters is listed as One Liberty Center, 875 N. Randolph Street, Suite 1425, Arlington, VA 22203-1995.
Science and technology departments
The About page lists five departments, each identified by a code. Matching your topic to a department helps you find the right program area in an announcement.
| Code | Department |
|---|---|
| 31 | C5ISRT |
| 32 | Ocean Battlespace Sensing |
| 33 | Sea Warfare and Weapons |
| 34 | Warfighter Performance |
| 35 | Naval Air Warfare and Weapons |
Source: ONR, About ONR (onr.navy.mil/about-onr), read 2026-11-07.
Eligibility
ONR’s funding opportunities page does not publish a single eligibility list. Eligibility is set by each announcement, so read the “eligible applicants” or equivalent section of the specific BAA, NOFO or BAA Call. The funding page does point to Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 9.1 (responsible prospective contractors) and Subpart 9.5 (organizational and consultant conflicts of interest) as rules that apply to acquisitions.
What it funds or requires
ONR says it seeks “innovative scientific and technological solutions,” and that most of its solicitations are for research and development, issued as Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) and posted on SAM.gov and Grants.gov. What the award instrument is depends on the solicitation type, which is the part most easily misread.
ONR solicitation types
| Type | What ONR says it is | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| BAA | A streamlined method used to advertise and solicit performers for ONR research areas | May lead to acquisition or assistance instruments |
| NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) | Assistance announcement | Assistance only |
| BAA Call | Specific topic and funding under a BAA | As stated in the call |
| CSO (Commercial Solutions Opening) | Competitive; for commercial products and services | Acquisition |
| RFP / RFQ | Negotiated acquisitions | Acquisition |
| RFI | Not binding; responses are not offers | None |
| Special Notice | Used for events such as Industry Days | None |
| SeaPort | Support-services contracts across 22 functional areas | Contract |
Source: ONR, Funding Opportunities (onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities), read 2026-11-07. The page also lists sole-source justifications and approvals (J&As) as a category.
For the ONR long-range BAA in particular, see ONR BAA: Long Range Broad Agency Announcement Explained.
Application or compliance steps
- Find the announcement. ONR’s Announcements page lists BAAs, NOFOs and CSOs. Each entry shows a published date and its deadlines; expired items are kept under a “View expired BAAs, NOFOs and BAA Calls” link. ONR says solicitations are posted on SAM.gov and Grants.gov.
- Identify the instrument. Use the table above: a NOFO is assistance only, while a BAA may produce either an acquisition or an assistance award, so the announcement text decides which compliance regime your office will administer.
- Follow the listing’s stages. Some listings request white papers (“White Papers due no later than”) before full proposals (“Full Proposals will be accepted until”). Follow the stage the specific listing describes.
- Check the topic fit and the rules. The announcement states its own registration, proposal-format and cost requirements, and the FAR subparts above apply to acquisitions. For how ONR topics sit within wider defense priorities, see DoD critical technology areas.
- Unsolicited proposals. ONR states it prefers that ideas go through open solicitations first. Unsolicited proposals are sent to [email protected] and follow FAR Subpart 15.6.
Typical timeline phases
ONR does not publish one fixed calendar. Phases visible on listings are: announcement published; optional white-paper deadline; full-proposal deadline; evaluation and negotiation; award. Dates belong to each announcement, and as of 2026-11-07 the Announcements page showed an active example titled “FY25 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology.” Check the listing for its current dates.
Common mistakes
- Treating a BAA as always a grant. ONR says a BAA may lead to acquisition or assistance instruments; only a NOFO is assistance only.
- Responding to an RFI as if it were a proposal. ONR states RFI responses are not offers and the notice is not binding.
- Submitting an unsolicited proposal before checking open solicitations, which ONR says it prefers first.
- Missing a staged deadline, such as a white-paper date that precedes the full-proposal date.
Related pages
- ONR BAA: Long Range Broad Agency Announcement Explained
- ONR YIP: Young Investigator Program Eligibility, Award and How to Apply
- RDT&E and USD(R&E)
- DTIC
FAQ
What is the Office of Naval Research?
It is the Navy and Marine Corps science and technology agency, founded in 1946, whose stated mission is to discover, develop and deliver new technology and capabilities for those services (ONR About page, read 2026-11-07).
Where is the Office of Naval Research located?
The About page lists One Liberty Center, 875 N. Randolph Street, Suite 1425, Arlington, VA 22203-1995.
How does ONR advertise funding?
Mostly through BAAs, with NOFOs, BAA Calls and CSOs also listed on its Announcements page, which are posted on SAM.gov and Grants.gov according to ONR.
Does ONR accept unsolicited proposals?
ONR’s funding page describes a process under FAR Subpart 15.6 but says it prefers ideas go through open solicitations first.
Sources
- ONR, About ONR: https://www.onr.navy.mil/about-onr (read 2026-11-07)
- ONR, Funding Opportunities: https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities (read 2026-11-07)
- ONR, Announcements: https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities/announcements (read 2026-11-07)
