Bilateral Academic Research Initiative (BARI) Program Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE)

The Bilateral Academic Research Initiative (BARI) Pilot Program is a joint research initiative sponsored by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). The initiative is administered by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) and Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT). BARI aims to foster international collaboration in high-risk basic research in science and engineering, particularly focused on enabling scientific breakthroughs that inform the design of future robotics technologies with embodied intelligence. This funding opportunity supports collaborative research between institutions of higher education in the U.S. and research institutions in South Korea. The central theme is "Foundational Approaches to Embodied Intelligence for Future Generations of Robotics." The goal is to develop robotics components that integrate sensing, decision-making, and adaptation, enabling modular, intelligent systems. The envisioned outcome is a shift in robotic systems development—moving from static, "dumb" components to intelligent, reusable ones that can adapt and learn, thereby fostering a new ecosystem of robotics innovation. Applicants must submit a single proposal that clearly outlines collaborative efforts between U.S. and South Korean teams. Each proposal must provide separate budgets in U.S. dollars for the American team and Korean won for the Korean team. The proposal must emphasize the equal contribution of both parties and detail a coordinated work plan. U.S. awards will be funded up to $6,000,000 over four years, with no more than $1,500,000 annually, while Korean awards may receive up to ₩8,000,000,000. No cost sharing is required, and the grant will only support basic research as defined by DoD policies. The application process is in two stages. First, white papers must be submitted via email to both U.S. and Korean points of contact by May 30, 2025, at 16:00 Eastern Time. Those invited to submit full proposals must apply via Grants.gov by August 29, 2025. White papers are limited to five pages, and full proposals are limited to 25 pages for technical content. Applicants must comply with formatting and submission rules and are encouraged to submit early to ensure timely receipt. Evaluation criteria include scientific and technical merit, cross-disciplinary integration, relevance to DoD and MOTIE missions, qualifications of key personnel, and educational impacts, including doctoral training. The collaborative interaction between U.S. and ROK research teams and student integration are also critical. Awards are expected to be announced by September 29, 2025, with the start date of November 1, 2025, for both countries. For questions, U.S. applicants may contact Dr. David Montgomery at david.w.montgomery61.civ@mail.mil, while Korean applicants may contact Dr. Ilwoo Park at ektmfla97@keit.re.kr. Administrative queries can be directed to Jonathan Bertsch (jonathan.e.bertsch.civ@mail.mil) or Fedline Crowell (fedline.crowell.civ@mail.mil).