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The Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Director, Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) has established the National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowships (NSSEFF) program. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) manages the NSSEFF program for DDR&E. The NSSEFF program provides extensive, long-term financial support to distinguished university faculty and staff scientists and engineers to conduct unclassified, basic research on topics of interest to DoD. An additional program goal is to foster long-term relationships between the science and engineering faculty program fellows and the DoD. NSSEFF ensures that our nation has an active, long-term, well informed, and aggressive research and engineering portfolio that attracts creative and energetic scientists, engineers, and their students.

Accredited, U.S. doctoral degree-granting academic institutions may nominate distinguished faculty and staff scientists and engineers to receive a NSSEFF award. The Fellows will be selected based on competitive evaluations of the scientific and technical merit of the nominees' white papers and proposals. It is anticipated that approximately 10 fellowships will be awarded each fiscal year.

Fellow will receive up to $4,250,000 in long-term financial support (up to $850,000 per year for up to 5 consecutive years) to conduct unclassified research on topics of interest to DoD. Fellows are expected to produce quantifiable research results over the five-year period of the grant. Fellows are also expected to participate in informational meetings that will include opportunities for discussions with DoD technical personnel.

Grants will be made to the faculty member's university in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Fellows will be required to be full and active participants in all NSSEFF activities, provide annual reports of research progress and financial management to the Department, and brief DoD leadership in person at least once each year on their research progress and results.

Full details of application and submission information for the most recent National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship Competition can be found at http://www.grants.gov. Search for AFOSR-BAA-2009-4.