Office of Naval Research

THE OFFICE OF Naval Research (ONR) is based in Arlington, Virginia, and supports research conducted by the Navy and the Marine Corps. It was established in 1946, and serves as the technical adviser to the chief of naval operations and to the secretary of the Navy. Communication to the secretary of the Navy is via the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition. The ONR mission is to “foster, plan, facilitate and transition scientific research in recognition of its paramount importance to enable future naval power and the preservation of national security.”

The ONR has funded numerous scientists who have eventually won the Nobel Prize for their research. The first example is Felix Bloch, awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1952. He ...