What really happens when you submit a research proposal to a government funding agency? Seeking answers, I joined the Office of Naval Research (ONR) for what I thought would be a one-year stint. That year turned into forty.

Founded in 1946 as the first government agency dedicated to science and technology funding, ONR has a rich history – one that I witnessed firsthand. But ONR was far more than just reading proposals. It meant working alongside the Naval Research Laboratory, the Naval Warfare Centers, DARPA, and global offices abroad. It meant unexpected opportunities, travel, brilliant colleagues, and visionary leadership.

While ONR supported my research in statistical physics, my programs focused on nonlinear science – managing instability, predicting and controlling it, and sometimes even exploiting it. Chaos theory, a prime example of nonlinear dynamics, has led to surprising and far-reaching applications.