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The ONR BAA is the Office of Naval Research’s standing Long Range Broad Agency Announcement for Navy and Marine Corps science and technology. It is the open door through which universities, companies and other research performers propose work to ONR program officers without waiting for a topic-specific call. This guide covers who can receive awards, which route a submission takes, how proposals are evaluated, and where the announcement differs from a typical grant notice. Everything below is as described on the official ONR page and the announcement document on 2026-10-29.
What it is and who runs it
The Office of Naval Research broad agency announcement in question is titled “FY25 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology”, announcement number N0001425SB001, published October 1, 2024. It covers three components: ONR itself, ONR Global (ONRG) and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL). It replaces the earlier N0001424SB001 announcement published in October 2023.
ONR describes BAAs as “a streamlined method used to advertise and solicit performers for ONR research areas.” The legal basis for the competitive procedure is the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations at 32 CFR 22.315(a), and awards under the announcement follow FAR 35.016(e). A formal request for proposals is not issued; the announcement itself is the solicitation. For the general mechanism, see our guide to the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).
Two timing details matter. The ONR page states that full proposals are accepted until December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM EST. The announcement text says it stays open for about one year from publication, or until replaced by a successor announcement, and that proposals may be submitted at any time. Check ONR’s funding opportunities pages for a successor announcement or amendment (the page lists amendments 0001 to 0008) before you start writing.
Eligibility
Under section C.1 of the announcement, “All responsible sources from academia, industry and the research community worldwide may submit proposals.” Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions are encouraged to apply, but there are no set-asides.
Who is not eligible?
- Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy laboratories, cannot receive awards. They may team with eligible offerors if their sponsoring agreement permits.
- Navy laboratories, military universities, warfare centers and other DoD or civilian agency laboratories are not eligible and should not submit.
- University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are eligible unless their DoD contract precludes it.
Separately, the announcement notes that under section 1062 of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act, DoD may not fund institutions that host a Confucius Institute without a waiver (applicable from October 1, 2023).
What it funds or requires
The announcement covers science and technology work including “basic research, applied research, advanced technology development”, and under certain conditions advanced component development and prototypes. It is not a vehicle for acquiring technical, engineering or other support services. Naval STEM education programs sit under a separate announcement (N0001424SF002 or its replacement).
Awards can take the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and other transaction agreements (used for research and for prototypes). The announcement’s Appendix 1 covers grants and cooperative agreements and Appendix 2 covers contracts and other transactions. Funded amounts and periods of performance “may vary depending on the technology area and the technical approach”, so there is no fixed award size to plan around. ONR reserves the right to fund all, some or none of the proposals, does not pay for proposal development, and treats proposals as sensitive competitive information.
Application or compliance steps
- Find the program officer. Match your idea to a technology area and contact the cognizant ONR program officer. ONR lists its program managers on its website, and the announcement says to consult them.
- Ask about a white paper. The announcement says white papers are “frequently desired” and that offerors should consult the program officer on whether one is wanted. The format is 8.5 x 11 inches, 1-inch margins, single-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point, five pages excluding a cover page. A cover page is mandatory for ONR and ONRG submissions, and the forms are on ONR’s how-to-apply pages.
- Submit through the right route. The route depends on the component:
- ONR and NavalX white papers go through FedConnect, with a confirmation email to the ONR technical point of contact.
- ONRG white papers go by email to the ONRG grants-proposals mailbox or the relevant ONR Global Science Director.
- MCWL white papers go by email to the MCWL Future Technology Office.
Email attachments are limited to 5 MB, in Word 2016 or PDF format. Classified submissions are permitted with special wrapping.
- Prepare the full proposal if the program officer encourages one, following the appendix that matches your expected instrument. ONR also asks offerors to review its organizational conflict of interest rules before submitting.
For the white-paper stage at another DoD agency, compare how to write a DARPA BAA white paper.
Typical timeline phases
The announcement describes phases rather than fixed durations, so none are given here: contact with a program officer, an optional white paper, a full proposal, evaluation, and then a decision on the award instrument (contract, grant, cooperative agreement or other transaction). Because proposals may be submitted at any time during the open period, there is no single deadline cycle to plan around, apart from the announcement’s own closing date.
How proposals are evaluated
Awards are made on “technical merit, importance to agency programs, and funds availability”, with cost realism and reasonableness considered. Section G.1 gives the criteria for white papers and full proposals:
- Overall scientific and technical merit and responsiveness to the announcement, including offeror capabilities and the qualifications of the principal investigator and key personnel.
- Potential naval relevance and contribution to the ONR and Department of the Navy mission. This criterion includes a risk assessment under section 1286 of the FY2019 NDAA (as amended) covering foreign talent recruitment programs, funding sources, patent filings and affiliations with parties on the Denied Entity List.
- Availability of funds, which does not apply to white papers.
Disclose affiliations, funding sources and talent-program participation accurately and completely, because they are assessed alongside technical merit.
Common mistakes
- Writing a full proposal without first speaking to the program officer, when the announcement tells offerors to consult one about white papers.
- Submitting as an ineligible organization, such as an FFRDC or a Navy laboratory, rather than through an eligible teaming partner.
- Sending a white paper to the wrong place: FedConnect for ONR and NavalX, email for ONRG and MCWL.
- Exceeding the five-page white paper limit or leaving out the mandatory cover page for ONR and ONRG.
- Treating the announcement as a source for support services or education programs, which it excludes.
- Working from an out-of-date copy: confirm there is no newer amendment or successor announcement before submitting.
Related programs
| Program | How it relates |
|---|---|
| ONR Young Investigator Program | ONR’s separate Young Investigator Program, covered in its own guide. |
| DoD research funding landscape | Overview of how ONR fits among DoD research funders. |
| Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) | The general mechanism and legal basis behind this announcement. |
| ONR notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs) | Per ONR, NOFOs result only in assistance instruments, while BAAs may result in acquisition or assistance instruments. |
FAQ
Do I need a white paper for the ONR BAA?
Not necessarily. The announcement says white papers are frequently desired by program officers and that you should ask the cognizant program officer for your technology area whether one is wanted.
Is the ONR BAA open to universities outside the United States?
The eligibility language says responsible sources from academia, industry and the research community worldwide may submit proposals, subject to the exclusions above and the foreign-influence risk review in the evaluation criteria.
Does ONR prefer unsolicited proposals?
No. ONR’s funding opportunities page says it prefers a response to an open solicitation over an unsolicited proposal.
Where are ONR announcements posted?
ONR states that its announcements are posted on SAM.gov and Grants.gov, and it keeps its own list on its funding opportunities pages.
Sources
- ONR: FY25 Long Range BAA for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology (checked 2026-10-29)
- Announcement N0001425SB001 (PDF) (checked 2026-10-29)
- ONR: Funding opportunities and How to apply (checked 2026-10-29)
