Know the Earth. . . Show the Way. . .

Understand the World

The National Geospatial-Intelligence 

Agency (NGA), is the functional manager 

for the National System for Geospatial 

Intelligence (NSG), and provides strategic 

thinking, guidance and direction 

concerning all aspects of Geospatial 

Intelligence (GEOINT). 

To achieve this mission, NGA conducts a 

multidisciplinary program of basic and 

applied research in geospatial intelligence 

topics through grants and fellowships to 

the leading investigators, research 

universities, and colleges in the nation. 

This research, under the NARP, provides 

fundamental support to NGA’s basic and 

applied research programs. The research 

programs are organized as portfolios 

under the NGA Research Roadmap with 

current NGA research goals:

1. Automation 

2. Enrich GEOINT

3. GEOINT Assurance

4. High Performance

Compute

5. R&D Transition

to Operations

NGA Academic Grants Program

NARP’s Academic Grants Program is seeking grant proposals from U.S. colleges and universities for 

academic grants to perform research in geospatial intelligence disciplines supporting work in any of 

our research disciplines:

• Geospatial information science

• Physics

• Mathematics

• Statistical forecasting

• Geography

• Computer science

The program is designed to establish a foundation of relationships with academia for all areas of 

geospatial intelligence research. 

The NARP connects NGA Research with academia to promote research that supports NGA’s research 

mission. Grants are generally awarded for a two-year period with up to three one-year options, in 

response to the Academic Grant Broad Agency Announcement that is posted on www.grants.gov. 

Grants are awarded in three categories:

NGA University Research Initiatives (NURI): The NURI program supports research in geospatial 

intelligence disciplines at U.S. colleges and universities. NURI grants are open to private and 

public educational institutions that carry out science and engineering research and/or related 

science and engineering education.

NGA New Investigator Program (NIP): The NIP awards grants to faculty employed by eligible 

institutions who are U.S. citizens, naturalized citizens and permanent

U.S. residents holding faculty positions at U.S. universities and colleges and who have held 

their doctorate degrees (PhD or equivalent) for less than five years at the time of application. 

NGA Research Collaboration Forums (NRCF): The NRCF grants are open to private and public 

educational institutions that carry out science and engineering research and/or related science 

and engineering education. An eligible lead institution will be the primary awardee for purposes 

of award execution. These grants are intended to encourage collaboration forums in the 

United States, in close partnership and coordination with NGA Research, for the systematic 

exploration, discourse, and advancement of greater scientific breakthroughs or understanding 

in one or more of the research interests of NGA.

If you have an interest in any of the competitive NARP grant categories described above please see 

the NGA Academic Grant Broad Agency Announcement posted on the www.grants.gov website.

• Visual cognition

• Data Science & Data Analytics

• Computational Modeling

• Human Computer Interaction

• Astrophysics

• Remote Sensing

3

2

1
• Open and review Broad Area Announcement (BAA)

• Submit white papers followed by invited proposals

• NGA evaluates submitted proposals on a rolling 

basis and will make awards quarterly

• Visit www.grants.gov to learn more and to submit 

your path-breaking research

The NARP is seeking to award two- to 

five-year grants to U.S. colleges and 

universities to perform research on 

subjects of interest to the agency.

NARP grants are designated for basic 

research that will benefit future NGA needs 

and requirements. This research provides 

the fundamental science support for NGA’s 

applied and advanced research programs 

to address gaps in imagery and geospatial 

science and technology. 

At NGA, academic grants work within one 

or more of our seven research pods:

Analytic Automation, Source Automation, 

Geophysics, Geospatial Cyber, Analytic 

Modeling, Space, and Environment & 

Culture.

Approved for public release, 18-505

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

7500 GEOINT Drive

Springfield, Virginia 22150

www.nga.mil

Academic

Grants Program

NGA Academic Research Program

For more information contact

narppo@nga.mil

Academic Grant Opportunites are posted at

www.grants.gov

Interested in applying for an

academic grant from NGA

Visit www.grants.gov

Application Process