Educational and Special Programs

Educational Programs
AFOSR also sponsors research assistantship programs, faculty programs and graduate school programs. These programs support graduate education, encourage development of research excellence in critical technological areas where research facilities and qualified researchers are lacking, train personnel to conduct high-quality research, and stimulate mutual research interests between the Air Force and institutions of higher education.

• Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE)
• Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program (ESEP)
• USAF National Research Council Resident Research Associateship (NRC/RRA) Program
• USAF-Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP)
• Visiting Scientist Program (VSP)
• Window on Science (WOS) Program
• Windows on the World (WOW) Program

Special Programs
AFOSR provides the support for research and education through the following unique programs:

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program
• Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR)
• Young Investigator Research Program (YIP)
• AFRL/AFOSR Center of Excellence
• University Nanosat Program (UNP)

University Research Initiative (URI) Programs
These programs enhance universities' capabilities to perform basic science and engineering research and related education in science and engineering areas critical to national defense.

• Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)
• Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program
• Presidential Early Career Award in Science & Engineering (PECASE)