Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Fellows Program

The Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Fellows Program is a non-personal services solicitation under FAR Part 13, aiming to select up to five tenured academic professors for one-year fellowships at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Arlington, Virginia. Each selected fellow will receive a firm-fixed-price purchase order not to exceed $200,000, comprising a $150,000 stipend and $50,000 for travel and incidental expenses. The program seeks to bridge academia and the Department of the Navy by immersing leading researchers in ONR’s mission, operational challenges, and strategic planning, while equipping fellows to disseminate critical Navy research insights within their academic communities. Fellows must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, hold tenured associate professor status or be recently promoted full professors by September 1, 2026, and commit to at least four days per month of in-person engagement with ONR headquarters, naval laboratories, or warfare centers. A written report is due 330 days after award, and fellows are expected to foster student recruitment and academic awareness of Navy science and technology priorities. The selection process is conducted in two phases: Phase 1 requires a letter of nomination from the candidate’s institution and a professional curriculum vitae; only finalists proceed to Phase 2, where they submit a white paper addressing how their ONR experience will benefit the Department of the Navy and how their expertise will advance ONR’s mission. No formal scoring or weighting is disclosed, and awards are determined through a holistic, trade-off approach prioritizing qualifications and mission alignment over price. While no security clearance is mandated, access to sensitive information is possible, and strict controls on technical data, intellectual property, and disclosures are enforced through multiple FAR and DFARS clauses, including those governing patent rights, data warranty, and restricted use of government-furnished information. The program does not permit delegation or substitution of the fellow, and no option periods or extensions are provided. Submissions must be sent electronically by July 3, 2026, to the designated point of contact, with no use of formal procurement portals, and no standard contractor identifiers such as UEI or CAGE codes are required due to the academic nature of the appointment.