ONR names inaugural cohort of 12 for new CNR Fellows Program

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Office of Naval Research has named 12 academics to the inaugural class of Chief of Naval Research Fellows, a one-year program intended to channel cutting-edge university research toward high-priority Navy and Marine Corps needs.

Selected from more than 180 nominations representing roughly 70 U.S. institutions, the fellows will receive a $150,000 stipend and up to $50,000 for travel. Over the yearlong term, they are expected to spend about four days a month on site at ONR in Arlington, review research proposals, provide technical feedback on ongoing efforts, and propose new topics aligned with naval focus areas. A formal welcoming ceremony is scheduled for October at ONR headquarters.

“This was an extremely rigorous, competitive selection process, and we are pleased to partner with some of the best and brightest minds our nation has to offer,” said Chief of Naval Research Dr. Rachel Riley. “We look forward to collaborating with these innovative thought leaders to strengthen the warfighting capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps.”

The program is designed to immerse participants in the naval science and technology enterprise, including how ONR program officers build portfolios and evaluate proposals; the Navy and Marine Corps’ most pressing operational challenges; the planning, programming, budget and execution process; the roles of naval labs and industry partners; and ONR’s internal performance metrics. ONR says the one-year timeline is meant to encourage rapid learning and contributions while cultivating a broader, long-term network of academic partners and campus advocates for the Department of the Navy.

According to ONR, the fellowship was initially planned for five participants, but leadership expanded the cohort to 12 to better cover the focus areas in the command’s new S&T strategy.

“One important benefit of the Chief of Naval Research Fellows program is that it strengthens the connection between academia and the DoN,” said Williams. “The Fellows will come away with a deeper understanding of real-world naval challenges that could not only foster new, relevant and impactful research — but also inspire their students to pursue careers in the naval S&T workforce.”

Eligibility for selection required nominees to be tenured associate professors by Sept. 1, 2026, or full professors promoted within the past two years, and to be nominated by a department head or dean.

The 2026 CNR Fellows are:
– Dr. Alfred Chen, University of California, Irvine
– Dr. Dan Scolnic, Duke University
– Dr. Kaitlin Frasier, University of California San Diego – Scripps Institute of Oceanography
– Dr. Michael Kaess, Carnegie Mellon University
– Dr. Yuxiong Wang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
– Dr. Zhenghui Sha, University of Texas at Austin
– Dr. Anna Tarakanova, University of Connecticut
– Dr. Joydeep Biswas, University of Texas at Austin
– Dr. Mohammed Agamy, University of Albany
– Dr. Akane Sano, Rice University
– Dr. Michael Rubenstein, Northwestern University
– Dr. Suo Yang, University of Minnesota