USMA-BAA-Amendment 01.pdf

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

W911NF-20-S-0008

01 April 2020 – 31 March 2025

ISSUED BY:

U.S. Army Contracting Command Aberdeen

Proving Ground Research Triangle Park Division P.O. Box 12211

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211

Special Notes

1. Formatting of the Announcement

The following table provides an overview of the outline structure of this announcement:

I.

A.

1.

a.

i.

(1) (a) (i)

2. See Appendix 1 for a Table of Acronyms used in this announcement.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY 1

A. Required Overview Content 3

1. Agency Name 3

2. Research Opportunity Title 3

3. Announcement Type 3

4. Research Opportunity Number 3

5. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number and Title 3

6. Response Dates 3 B. Additional Overview Information 4

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY 5

A. Program Description 5

1. Ballistics, Weapons, and Protections (BWT) Campaign 5

a. Blast Protection of Structures 5

b. Future Aviation Capabilities Research and Development 5

c. Next Generation Combat Vehicle Research and Development 5

d. Ballistics and Weapons Engineering Research and Development 6

e. Next Generation Soldier Systems Research and Development 6

2. Energy and Sustainability (ES) Campaign 6

a. Sustainability and Energy Resilience Research 6

3. Materials, Measurements, and Facilities (MMF) Campaign 7

a. Research and Development for Combating Corrosion and Improving

Materiel Readiness

b. Advanced MRI Measurements for Data Analysis and Model Validation 7

c. Material Science and Rapid Prototyping Research 8

4. Unmanned Systems and Space (USS) Campaign 8

a. Next Generation Unmanned Systems Research and Development 8

b. Robotic Systems Research and Development 9

c. Space Engineering and Rocket Technology Research 9

5. Human Support Systems (HSS) Campaign 10

a. Biomechanical Engineering 10

b. Wearable Technologies and Sensors 10

c. Design for Future Combat Leaders 10

6. Emerging Technologies Campaign 10

a. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Cyber Security 11

b. Quantum Sciences 12

c. Internet of Things (IOT) 12 iv

7. Critical Infrastructure Key Resources (CIKR) Campaign 13

a. Critical Infrastructure Resilience 13

8. Life Sciences Campaign 14

a. Biochemistry 15

b. Clinical Studies and Genetics 15

c. Microbiology 16

d. Neurophysiology of Cognition 16

e. Biomaterials and Additive Manufacturing Thrust 17

9. USMA Special Programs 18

a. Conference and Symposia Grants 18 B. Federal Award Information 20 C. Eligibility Information 23

1. Eligible Applicants 23

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 23

3. Other 23 D. Application and Submission Information 24

1. Address to View Broad Agency Announcement 24

2. Content and Form of Application Submission 24

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 36

4. Submission Dates and Times 37

5. Intergovernmental Review 37

6. Funding Restrictions 37

7. Other Submission Requirements 37 E. Application Review Information 38

1. Criteria 38

2. Review and Selection Process 38

3. Recipient Qualification 39 F. Award Administration Information 40

1. Award Notices 40

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 41

a. Required Representations and Certifications 41

b. Policy Requirements 43

3. Reporting 48 G. Agency Contacts 49 H. Other Information 49

1. Contract Proposals 50

2. Grant and Cooperative Agreement Proposals 58

APPENDIX 1: TABLE OF ACRONYMS 62

I. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point's mission is "to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army." The United States Military Academy is located at West Point, New York. USMA executes research to enhance the education of cadets, develop the faculty professionally, and address important issues facing the Army and the Nation. In addition, the Academy conducts research and analysis in emerging fields that may realize novel or vastly improved Army capabilities.

At West Point, research is organized and administered through centers and institutes, most of which reside within academic departments. These centers and institutes, affiliated with each other through the Academy Research Council (ARC), coordinated and supported by the Academic Research Division (ARD), provide the infrastructure necessary to tackle the nation’s and the world’s most challenging problems. Our research centers and institutes bring context to the classroom, are central to our vibrant and pioneering faculty, and are one way West Point connects to the Army and to the Nation. Our students are driven, our faculty is world-class, and through our centers, scholars and scientists thrive and produce their best work. Cadets regularly win Best Paper Awards at national and international graduate-level conferences, our faculty hold fellowships and chairmanships in their discipline's national organizations and our products are deployed to the soldier. In addition to applied research, there are centers and institutes at West Point that focus on other aspects of the USMA mission.

The USMA BAA identifies topics of interest to the USMA departments, directorates, and research centers and institutes. These groups focus on executing in-house research programs, with a significant emphasis on collaborative research with other organizations.

The groups fund a modest amount of extramural research in certain specific areas, and those areas are described in this BAA.

The USMA BAA seeks proposals from institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, foreign organizations, foreign public entities, and for-profit organizations (i.e., large and small businesses) for research based on the following campaigns: Socio-Cultural; Information Technology; Ballistics, Weapons, and Protections;

Energy and Sustainability; Materials, Measurements, and Facilities; Unmanned Systems and Space; Human Support Systems; and Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Quantum Technologies.

Proposals are sought for cutting-edge innovative research that could produce discoveries with a significant impact to enable new and improved Army technologies and related operational capabilities and related technologies. The specific research areas and topics of interest described in this document should be viewed as suggestive, rather than limiting.

Prospective applicants contemplating submission of a whitepaper or proposal are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate Technical Point of Contact (TPOC). The TPOCs’ names, telephone numbers, and email addresses are listed immediately after each research area of interest. If requested by the TPOC, a whitepaper should be prepared in accordance with the instructions contained in this BAA. Upon receipt, a whitepaper will be evaluated, and the applicant will be advised of the results. Applicants whose whitepapers receive a favorable evaluation may be encouraged to prepare a proposal in accordance with instructions contained in this BAA. The costs of whitepapers and/or proposals in response to this BAA are not considered an allowable direct charge to any award resulting from this BAA or any other award. It may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs specified in FAR 31.205-18. Proposals may be submitted at any time during the announcement period.

The Army has a long history of advocating and supporting research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MSI) USMA welcomes proposals from HBCUs and MIs in full competition with all applicants who may submit proposals under this BAA. USMA also encourages the inclusion of HBCUs and/or MIs as part of a consortium proposal or as sub-recipients to prime recipients.

In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and Department of Defense (DoD) and Army policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the Army.

Applicants submitting proposals are cautioned that only a Contracting or Grants Officer can obligate the Government to any legal instrument involving expenditure of Government funds.

All administrative inquiries regarding this BAA shall be submitted via email to:

Brandon.s.hill24.civ@mail.mil. Scientific and technical questions should be referred to the TPOCs shown following each research area of interest. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check any of the following websites for updates and amendments to this BAA:

www.grants.gov, www.fbo.gov, and the USMA website, https://www.westpoint.edu/centers-and-research/academic-research-division/research-overview. The following website details the research centers at West Point: https://westpoint.edu/centers-and-research.

J. Kenneth Wickiser, PhD Associate Dean for Research Director, Academic Research Division United States Military Academy

A. Required Overview Content

1. Agency Name:

United States Military Academy

2. Issuing Acquisition Office:

U.S. Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, Research Triangle Park (ACC- APG-RTP) Division

3. Research Opportunity Title:

USMA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

4. Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

5. Research Opportunity Number: W911NF-20-S-0008

6. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number and Title:

12.431 – Basic Scientific Research

7. Response Dates:

This BAA is a continuously open announcement valid throughout the period from 01 April 2020 through 31 March 2025, unless announced otherwise.

B. Additional Overview Information

This BAA sets forth research areas of interest to the United States Military Academy. This BAA is issued under paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of basic and applied research proposals, and 10 U.S.C. 2358, 10 U.S.C. 2371, and 10 U.S.C. 2371b, which provide the authorities for issuing awards under this announcement for basic and applied research. The definitions of basic and applied research may be found at 32 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 22.105.

Proposals submitted in response to this BAA and selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provision of Public Law 98369, “The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984” and subsequent amendments.

The DoD agencies involved in this program reserve the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals submitted in response to this announcement. Due to Government budget uncertainties, no specific dollars have been reserved for awards under this BAA. The participating DoD agencies will provide no funding for direct reimbursement of whitepaper or proposal development costs.

Whitepapers and technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned to the applicant. Unless noted in an applicant’s proposal to the contrary, unsuccessful proposals will be retained for six (6) months from declination and then properly destroyed. It is the policy of participating DoD agencies to treat all proposals as sensitive, competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

An applicant may withdraw a proposal at any time before award by written notice or by email sent to the government point of contact identified in Section G of this BAA.

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

1. Program Description

1. Ballistics, Weapons, and Protections (BWT) Campaign

a. Blast Protection of Structures and Vehicles.

The blast imparted on a structure from close indirect fire or from improvised-explosive-devices (IEDs), while short in duration, may be orders of magnitude larger pressure than ordinary service loads. Mines and buried IEDs are an increasingly deadly threat to our vehicles and the soldiers inside, and increasing the thickness of conventional armor has traditionally been the response, which adversely affects vehicle performance. More effective measures of protection require carefully chosen materials and geometries tailored for each specific situation. This line of effort explores advances in high-performance materials, novel geometric structures, as well as recent advances in additive manufacturing technologies to greatly increase the resilience of our structural and armor systems. The work examines structural optimization via field tests in conjunction with cutting-edge high-fidelity computer simulations that use high-performance computers. The resulting engineering solutions inform both next-generation designs and retrofit of existing systems and structures.

TPOC: LTC James Bluman, 845-938-3804, CMEcie_director@westpoint.edu

b. Future Aviation Capabilities Research and Development.

This research area informs future technologies for improving the efficiency, performance, lethality, interoperability, and survivability of Army Aviation manned and unmanned platforms. Key technologies, concepts, and capabilities include additive manufacturing of aviation components and repair parts, integration of manned and unmanned systems, vibration isolation and reduction, noise reduction, drag reduction of exposed bodies, active flow control, morphing structures, and pilot-vehicle interface technologies, hardening of the fuel system, fuel system analyses, structural health monitoring, and rotor blade erosion analysis and prevention. Further tasks include analyzing the impact of aerodynamic interference between rotors in multi-copter configurations, analyzing and assessing reliability and maintainability of Future Vertical Lift (FVL) proposals, and conducting manned and unmanned aircraft analysis using modeling, simulation and surrogate vehicles. These technologies are sought to reduce vehicle weight, improve performance, reliability, maintainability, reduce the auditory, visual, and EO/radar signature of Army aircraft, improve pilot situational awareness, facilitate operations in degraded visual environments, facilitate optional vehicle autonomy, allow for manned-unmanned teaming, and increase battlefield effectiveness.

c. Next Generation Combat Vehicle Research and Development.

This research will inform future mobility, lethality and survivability tradeoffs within the Army’s suite of ground combat platforms from light tactical vehicle to heavy combat systems. The research includes, but is not limited to, the modeling and testing of future active suspension technologies for increased platform trafficability and stability, future energy-absorbing armor concepts that will simultaneously reduce vehicle weight and increase Soldier protection, design and development of modular strap-on equipment that can interface with a future vehicle’s power, structure, command and control systems, vehicle autonomy implementation that will allow for optional manning and future powertrain development that will decrease vehicle auditory signature and increase vehicle operating range. Topics may also include research and analysis of the electrification of combat vehicles or the use of novel power plants that are independent of carbon-based fossil fuels.

d. Ballistics and Weapons Engineering Research and Development.

This research area will enlighten future ballistics and weapons engineering design pursuits across the range of Army combat power generation systems from small caliber, individual and crew-served weapons to large caliber, ground combat systems. The research and development is associated with the theory, modeling and experimental analysis of future weapon systems as related to terminal, exterior and interior ballistic performance and metrics. The work includes but is not limited to signature reduction, weapon system sensors, non-lethal technologies, novel cargo projectiles, electromagnetic launch, gun mounts, drone defeat, accuracy and precision enhancement, insensitive munitions, extended range, hypervelocity impact physics, and guidance technologies.

e. Next Generation Soldier Systems Research and Development.

This research area will inform future Soldier lethality and sustainment through the design of future non-weapons related Soldier equipment. The research is not limited to the ideation and prototype of future Soldier systems in the areas of mobile command posts, aerial delivery systems, Soldier load carrying systems, future camouflage and deception/concealment systems, future force projection and force sustainment concepts, advanced in individual body armor and protective technology, and future Soldier sensor systems.

2. Energy and Sustainability (ES) Campaign.

a. Sustainability and Energy Resilience Research.

This research area will inform the development of sustainable defense and civilian public infrastructure and energy systems both at home station and on the battlefield. Research areas include the design and analysis of technologies associated with sustainable infrastructure & hardware for the Army such as resilient energy delivery, storage and consumption systems, assessment of alternative and synthetic fuel production, renewable energy use in industrial processes, utilization of waste produces to improve system efficiency; sustainable maintenance and Health Monitoring of public facilities and infrastructure to include buildings, road, bridges, tunnels, locks, dams, harbors, and similar infrastructure from natural threats such as wear and corrosion, as well as man-made physical, cyber, RF and emerging threats; analysis of future trends associated with environmental and geo-political changes and their effect on defense and civilian infrastructure, energy resilience, and operational flexibility. Research can include material degradation from corrosion and other forms of wear that are unique to DoD applications as well as novel applications of concrete technology in support of both vertical and horizontal construction as well as blast resilient structures. Research can also address novel construction materials, including but not limited to cross laminated timber, structural insulated panels, or advanced/enhanced sustainability concrete materials to determine the defense-application benefits of these materials as well as the potential risks associated with using them in defense applications such as blast response, thermal signatures, RF transparency, etc. Analysis of both home station / installation applications of various technologies and deployed / operational applications is of interest. Deployed applications of energy and sustainability can include, but are not limited to, electrification of combat vehicles, energy support of future weapons such as directed energy systems, and mobile or micro-nuclear power technology, the survivability, distribution, and logistics considerations of novel or alternative fuel sources and analysis of renewable energy options for operational energy consumption and usage.

3. Materials, Measurements, and Facilities (MMF) Campaign.

a. Research and Development for Combating Corrosion and Improving Materiel

Readiness.

The Center for Innovation and Engineering (CIE) is interested in researching and developing solutions to mitigate and prevent the corrosion of Army assets. Current research projects in the CIE are focused on designing detection systems for corrosion on structures and researching new corrosion resistant metal alloys; however future research projects are not limited to metals as all materials currently utilized by the Army are subject to degradation by their surrounding environment. Additionally, the CIE is interested in research on curricular development for promoting corrosion education to the future workforce of the Army through multi-disciplinary collaborations in order to increase the overall awareness and interest in combating corrosion.

b. Advanced MRI Measurements for Data Analysis and Model Validation.

This research involves leveraging advanced measurement diagnostics in water tunnel studies to research technological flows in a variety of capacities and fields related to aerodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and environmental flows. Three basic modalities of experiments are envisioned and used interchangeably – time averaged, three-dimensional, three-component velocity field measurements in turbulent flows at isotropic resolutions approaching 0.5mm in each direction; three-dimensional measurements of concentrations of a passive scalar in turbulent flows at isotropic resolutions of 0.7 mm to 0.5% full scale in scaled versions of complex terrain features subjected to steady or periodic releases of a contaminant; and time averaged three-dimensional temperature fields at similar resolutions for a thermally stratified turbulent flow field in complex geometries. The techniques envisioned, termed Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry (MRV), Magnetic Resonance Concentration (MRC), and Magnetic Resonance Thermometry (MRT) respectively as described, leverage developing diagnostic techniques based on magnetic resonance imaging to rapidly acquire large, time-averaged, velocity, concentration, and temperature data sets that are of great practical utility for validation of computational models, model improvements, detailed physical analysis, and for understanding fundamental features of these important classes of flows. Current primary applications for these studies involve exterior ballistics analysis for projectiles, mass transport and thermal studies within advanced gas turbine blades, and environmental flows involving contaminant dispersion within both urban areas and rugged rural terrain.

The experimental analysis is supported by computational comparisons using advanced numerical simulations that leverage in-situ boundary condition measurements and geometry files as initial conditions, and the data are available for comparison with other computational models, experimental data sets, and analyses.

c. Material Science and Rapid Prototyping Research.

This research area seeks to determine new insights into new materials and new fabrication techniques to provide enhanced performance of materials, structures, and energetics with a focus on defense related applications. This research can include novel methods of 3D printing, including 3D printing ceramics, metals, biological material, soils, concrete, energetic material, or recycled materials; the sustainment challenges associated with 3D Printing; 3D Printing at the edge (such as on a Forward Operating Base), the challenges associated with materials degradation from 3D printed parts including corrosion and fatigue; and topology optimization of 3D Printing parts and components associated with defense systems. Material Science topics can include research into the material properties of novel materials with defense applications to include nano-scale fabrication of materials, energetic material, smart materials and smart structures, bio-templating, advanced composites and polymers as well as rapid prototyping techniques.

4. Unmanned Systems and Space (USS) Campaign

a. Next Generation Unmanned Systems Research and Development

This research area will inform future technologies for improving the efficiency, performance, lethality, interoperability, survivability of and protection from unmanned aerial and ground systems. Key technologies, concepts, and capabilities include vehicle design and fabrication, sensor integration and processing, actuation, event-driven autonomy and decision making, multi-agent swarm control, manned-unmanned teaming, path planning, wireless communications, operator-vehicle interface, rapid and airborne deployment, field recovery systems, various counter-unmanned systems capabilities including the development of both cyber, physical, directed energy, or radio frequency-based techniques to neutralize, degrade, defeat, or destroy threat UAS, and agile field and flight testing of the above (UAS or Counter UAS systems). These technologies are sought to maintain the Army and its future leaders on the leading edge of the rapidly evolving field of unmanned systems, as well as provide innovative and effective solutions to support the Soldier.

b. Robotic Systems Research and Development.

This research area will inform the development and scoping of future robotic systems in defense-related environments to include unmanned or optionally manned ground and air systems, robotic drive systems, robotic control systems, unique robotic actuators, particularly with defense-related applications, robotic tethering and powering systems and methods, methods of developing autonomous behaviors and self-organizing (swarming) behaviors of groups of robots, methods of state estimation and control, particularly in GPS denied environments (including indoor or subterranean), methods for obstacle detection and avoidance, the terramechanics of ground vehicles, flight dynamics of novel air vehicles including quad rotors, flapping wing micro air vehicles, hybrid air vehicles, and air-launched vehicles. The research can address multiple phases of the design process from ideation to the realization of testable prototypes.

c. Space Engineering and Rocket Technology Research.

This research area seeks to analyze, design, develop and test new technology associated with small, multi-stage rocket capability to achieve low earth orbit of small payloads (less than 50 lbs) or to enable the development and realization of a hypersonic air vehicle. The research focus areas include on-board technology including rocket hardware analysis and development, rocket and flight path modeling, aerodynamic analysis, energetic development, development of state estimation, control and/or telemetry systems; design, development and implementation of safety hardware, and the analysis, development and design of alternative rocket fuels. Research areas can additionally include any technology or study that facilitates the development or employment of this technology including usage cases, concept of the operation development, integration of the technology within the existing space infrastructure and policy landscape, technology to support the creation of a mobile space-launch capability or hypersonic-capable air vehicle.

5. Human Support Systems (HSS) Campaign

a. Biomechanical Engineering.

This research area will inform the Department of Defense on biomechanical strategies to enhance soldier readiness. This includes human performance optimization, injury prediction and prevention, physical and cognitive augmentation, analysis of Return to Duty metrics, the influence of various powered prosthetics or exo-skeleton devices on human physical, metabolic, or cognitive functioning. This work may include human subject testing, injury tracking, device design, literature reviews, code development, and simulation.

b. Wearable Technologies and Sensors

This research area will inform the Department of Defense on the science of wearable technologies and cloud-based data collection, archiving, and analyses. The work can include research into the effect of wearable technology and the potential for wearable technology to inform decision relating to Soldier performance. This work may include human subject testing, health tracking, activity monitoring, device design, advanced modelling and simulation. It can include monitoring and assessing soldier performance in various conditions utilizing approaches associated with biomechanics, load carriage performance nutrition, equipment use, injury prevention, and recovery times.

c. Design for Future Combat Leaders.

This research area will inform the way design is taught and practiced at West Point and the ways deeper experience with design might not only make better engineers but also more adaptive and agile leaders. The research includes work on novel curricular structures and new pedagogical techniques. Through a thorough investigation of design across a wide variety of contexts and various disciplines, the research will serve to improve the way design is taught and practiced in academic and field environments in an engineering context and to inform the way engineering design is connected to design as it is taught in the operational Army. These efforts will serve to enhance the broader aim of producing more innovative leaders.

6. Emerging Technologies (ET) Campaign

The ET Campaign focuses on the design, development, experimentation and operationalization of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Quantum technologies. The goal is to create techniques and tools that enable autonomous cyber operations and that ensure the security of Army systems and data. Our research explores the science of information, computation, learning, and fusion as it pertains to the use of artificial intelligence for adaptive pattern discovery, learning, reasoning, perception, action and decision-making given heterogenous, disparate cyber data.

Our research aims to provide the Army Cyber Enterprise new capabilities to:

Shift emphasis from sensing to information awareness Understand the underpinning of cyber autonomy Relieve human cybersecurity analyst cognitive overload in dealing with the data deluge problem Enhance human-machine interface in information processing Protect data and systems using advance cryptography techniques Operate in real-time to handle the pace of modern operations

Our research has the potential to:

Cope with various complex disparate data/information types Integrate a diversity of unique reasoning and learning components collaborating simultaneously Bridge correlational with causal discovery Determine solutions or obstructions to local-to-global data fusion problems Mechanize reasoning/learning and computing in the same computational environment Yield provably efficient procedures to enable or facilitate cyber data analytics Deal with high-dimensional and massive cyber datasets with provably guaranteed performance

a. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Cyber Security

The Government networks currently channel more data than its security analysts can meaningfully process. Analysts are overwhelmed with numerous alerts and are vulnerable to alert fatigue. The vast scale of data collection challenges human-driven/human-only solutions to collection and processing.

The goals of this work are to increase the government’s capacity to process that data by assisting and augmenting analysts through the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, to include deep learning algorithms. Research will focus on experimental investigation and prototype development of AI/ML algorithms and capabilities. In addition, this research program will focus on helping analysts perceive and understand dynamic and unknown environments.

Elements of this research effort include new frameworks and tools for the creation of algorithms; tailored algorithms to perform discrete tasks, particularly in the fields of intrusion detection; resilience against adversarial attacks; new labeling techniques to generate massive scale annotated data for supervised deep learning techniques; new methods of edge computation to bring deep learning algorithms to constrained computational environments; methods to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of algorithmic approaches; interfaces for the display, search, and interaction with algorithmically derived metadata and tabular structured algorithmic output; new techniques, hardware, software, and tools for the training, testing, and validating of algorithms; and storage and indexing capabilities for local algorithmically-produced data.

TPOC: Paul Maxwell, (845) 938-5865, paul.maxwell@westpoint.edu Elie Alhajjar, (845) 938-5865, elie.alhajjar@westpoint.edu

b. Quantum Sciences

The Army needs to better employ quantum sciences in a number of areas to improve the performance and security of its future systems. Research is needed in the following areas:

i. Quantum computing to solve highly complex problems in real time

ii. Quantum sensing to achieve highly sensitive sensors and enable highly accurate navigation

iii. Quantum communications, and networking to enable highly secure and efficient information flow

iv. Cryptographic algorithms that are secure against Quantum computing attacks

TPOC: Lubjana Beshaj, (845) 938-0564, lubjana.beshaj@westpoint.edu

Travis Russell, (845) 938-3495, travis.russell@westpoint.edu

c. Internet of Things (IOT) –

The Army is integrating a wide range of capabilities and equipment from the Internet of Things domain. The Army’s interest is driven in part by the fact that the amount of usable communication bandwidth on the battlefield will be dynamic, and as such automated reallocation of communication resources and information sharing strategies are more challenging than commercial ones. Research is needed to improve Army IOT in the following areas:

i. New concepts, quantitative models and technical approaches enabling automated security and management of IoT devices.

ii. New machine learning techniques that accelerate decision making are needed to address the scale/volume of IoT security information and advance the science.

iii. New approaches, low-complexity algorithms, and methods to enable IoT to be secure, resilient, and to automatically manage and affect risk and uncertainty in a highly deceptive, mixed cooperative/adversarial, information-centric environment.

iv. Novel approaches to enable improved training on securing IoT.

TPOC: Paul Maxwell, (845) 938-5865, paul.maxwell@westpoint.edu

7. Critical Infrastructure Key Resources (CIKR) Campaign

The CIKR Campaign focuses on research that contributes to securing critical infrastructure. The goal is to improve the critical infrastructure resilience of communities and military installations. Our research explores human factors, organizational structure, networks, cyber psychology, cyber ranges, and cyber education as related to any and all of the critical infrastructure sectors, defined by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Our research aims to provide new capabilities to:

Understand gaps in critical infrastructure research Explore information sharing (what is shared, to whom, how quickly, how much information) Determine what aspects of critical resilience exercise planning can be automated Understand the needs of communities and installations in developing critical infrastructure resilience Better emulate operational technology for improved cyber range support Explore decision-making when there is a critical infrastructure cyber event Explore the impacts of critical infrastructure disruption events on other sectors and/or military movement

Our research has the potential to:

Automate portions of the exercise planning process Integrate existing frameworks and knowledge bases into a scalable, repeatable critical infrastructure resilience framework Develop a rich picture of readiness using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data Provide communities and military installations with a road map to critical infrastructure resilience Model and simulate impacts of critical infrastructure disruptions Standardize metrics for measuring impacts of disruptions, information sharing, organizational planning, and/or other difficult to measure factors in incident response

Determine regional and local trends in critical infrastructure incident response and preparedness

a. Critical Infrastructure Resilience

The Government relies on civilian critical infrastructure to support military installations and military movement. Research is needed in the following areas:

i. Developing a scalable, repeatable framework for communities and installations to use

ii. Understanding interdependencies between civilian critical infrastructure and military installations and military movement

iii. Understanding the concerns of communities pertaining to critical infrastructure protection and resilience

iv. Determining the impacts of critical infrastructure disruption events

v. Expanding the number of locations that can participate in Jack VoltaicTM events

vi. Studying how much critical infrastructure resilience planning can be automated

vii. Improving standardization of data collection for a more meaningful analysis

viii. Using data collected to model and simulate impacts of critical infrastructure events on military installations and military movement

ix. Emulating operational technology to allow for its inclusion in cyber range events

x. Sharing information gained from Jack VoltaicTM events with stakeholders and those who may benefit

xi. Visualizing critical infrastructure interdependency and impact data

xii. Any other topics that can improve critical infrastructure protection or resilience

TPOC: Erica M Mitchell, (845) 938-3583, erica.mitchell@westpoint.edu

8. Life Sciences Campaign

The Life Science Program supports basic and applied research to advance scientific knowledge and understanding of the fundamental properties, principles, and processes governing biomolecules, cells, as well as multi-species communities, biofilms, individual humans, and groups of humans. Research investments are driven by exploiting new scientific opportunities with anticipated long-term payoffs, including maintaining U.S. technological superiority and developing new Army capabilities.

The interests of the Life Science Program are primarily in the following areas:

synthetic biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, natural products chemistry, clinical science, epigenetics, systems biology, bioinformatics, biomaterials, and environmental biology. The results of fundamental and applied research supported by this Program are expected to enable the creation of new technologies for improving warfighters' physical and cognitive performance capabilities, for protecting warfighters, and for creating new Army capabilities in the areas of biomaterials, energy, biosensors, additive manufacturing, and health- and performance-related data.

The Program’s research thrusts are currently focused on five research areas. The titles, scopes and points of contact for these programs, each of which address general aspects of basic research in life sciences, are listed in the following subsections. A small number of symposia, conferences and workshops are also supported in part or in whole to provide an exchange of ideas in areas of Army interest.

(a.) Biochemistry

This research thrust emphasizes basic research focused on understanding and controlling the activity and assembly of biomolecules. Scientific advances supported by this Program are anticipated to enable the development of novel systems, materials and processes that enhance Soldier protection and performance. An overarching goal of the Program is to provide the scientific foundations to support biological activity outside of the natural biological context, including integration of biological systems with synthetic systems.

The Biomolecular Specificity and Regulation thrust is focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which biomolecules recognize and interact with their targets, as well as the regulatory mechanisms utilized to activate or inhibit biomolecular activity. This research thrust also includes novel engineered approaches to modulate and control biomolecular activity.

The Biomolecular Assembly and Organization thrust is focused on understanding the molecular interactions and design rules that govern self-assembly of biomolecules into both naturally occurring biomolecular structures and designed architectures. This research thrust also includes novel approaches to control biomolecular assembly and approaches to utilize biomolecular architectures to organize biomolecular activity and/or achieve specialized properties.

TPOC: Dr. Kevin O’Donovan, kevin.odonovan@westpoint.edu, 845-938-7293

(b.) Clinical Studies and Genetics

This research thrust supports basic and applied research in genetics, molecular biology, genomics, epigenetics, and systems biology in areas that may enable the optimization of the Soldier's cognitive and physical performance capabilities, increase Soldier survivability, and improve Army capabilities in areas such as biomaterials, sensing, energy, and intelligence. This Program emphasizes innovative high-risk fundamental research in areas such as identification and characterization of gene function, gene regulation, genetic interactions, gene pathways, gene expression patterns, epigenetics, mitochondrial regulation and biogenesis, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA replication, mutagenesis, oxidative stress, and DNA repair.

The Clinical Studies thrust is focused on identifying and characterizing the genetic and metabolic pathways that affect warfighter survival and performance. This Program is interested in identifying and understanding the molecular factors that affect human physical and cognitive performance capabilities as well as human survival and protection under normal conditions and when affected by a variety of stressors likely to be encountered in battlefield situations, such as dehydration, heat, cold, sleep deprivation, fatigue, caloric insufficiency, pathogens, and physical and psychological stress. Biomarkers of performance and injury and microbiome interaction with the warfighter are of particular interest.

The Genetics thrust is focused on understanding genetic change at a population level. Areas of interest include mechanisms of prokaryotic adaptation, social insects, modeling species distributions, plant genetics, biological components of social instability, and biological systems for sensing and detection.

(c.) Microbiology

This research thrust supports basic research in fundamental microbiology that can help advance needs in Soldier protection and performance. There are two primary research thrusts within this program: (i) Microbial Survival Mechanisms, (ii) Analysis and Engineering of Microbial Communities, and (iii) Microbial Therapeutics and Remediation.

The Microbial Survival Mechanisms thrust focuses on the study of the cellular and genetic mechanisms and responses that underlie microbial survival in the face of environmental stress. These stressors include extremes in temperature, pH, or salinity; the presence of toxins including metals and toxic organic molecules;

oxidative stress; and cellular starvation and the depletion of specific nutrients.

Research approaches can include fundamental studies of microbial physiology and metabolism, cell biology, and molecular genetics that examine key cellular networks linked to survival, microbial cell membrane structure and the dissection of relevant critical signal transduction pathways and other sense-and-respond mechanisms.

The Analysis and Engineering of Microbial Communities thrust supports basic research that addresses the fundamental principles that drive the formation, proliferation, sustenance and robustness of microbial communities through reductionist, systems-level, ecological and evolutionary approaches. Bottom-up analysis of information exchange, signaling interactions and structure-function relationships for single and multi-species communities within the context of planktonic and biofilm architectures is considered.

The Microbial Therapeutics and Remediation thrust focuses on alternatives to classic antibiotics as methods to control the growth and replication of microbes.

Particular areas of interests are bacteriophage, ex vivo antibody production, and natural products such as short chain fatty acids. Research is conducted to identify promising candidates and to determine their effectiveness in isolation as well as a component in combination therapy.

TPOC: LTC Jason Barnhill, jason.barnhill@westpoint.edu, 845-938-5815

(d.) Neurophysiology of Cognition

The Neurophysiology of Cognition research thrust supports non-medically oriented basic research in neuroscience, the behavioral sciences, physiology and neuro-engineering that might enable the optimization of Soldier's cognitive and physical performance capabilities. An overarching goal of the program is to provide foundational knowledge of molecular, cellular and systems-level neural codes underlying cognition and performance across multiple length and time scales.

Research in this program can include a broad range of methodological and theoretical approaches applied to animal and human experimental systems including electrophysiology, neuroimaging and computational neurobiology. This includes the study of the psycho-physiological implications of brain-machine interfaces, the measurement and modeling of individual cognitive dynamics and decision making during real-world activity, and identifying how neuronal circuits generate desirable computations. In the long term, research in this area may enable the development of interfaces enabling humans to more efficiently control machines, new training methods and devices to predict and optimize individual performance, and the potential restoration from injury at the neural level. Basic research opportunities are sought in two primary research thrusts: (i) Multisensory Synthesis and (ii) Neuronal Computation.

Multisensory Synthesis. The Multisensory Synthesis thrust aims to understand how the human brain functions in relation to the interaction of sensory, cognitive and motor processes during its performance of real-world tasks. Research focuses on mapping, quantifying and modeling distributed neural processes, physiological processes and mind- body interfaces that mediate these features to ultimately develop better understanding of cognition for eventual application to Soldier performance.

Neuronal Computation. The Neuronal Computation thrust is focused on understanding how living neuronal circuits generate desirable computations, affect how information is represented, show robustness to damage, incorporate learning and facilitate evolutionary change. Research focuses on determining how brains structure, process and refine inputs into efficient decisions and behaviors, and how these multiscale features are altered under stresses. Cell culture, brain slice and in vivo models are used to develop better understanding of small and large-scale living neural networks for eventual application in Army systems.

(e.) Biomaterials and Additive Manufacturing Thrust

The Biomaterials and Additive Manufacturing thrust is focused on developing technologies and procedures for on-demand production of needed items and materials in austere environments as well as producing materials that provide electrochemical communication with cells and tissues at biotic/abiotic interfaces. A key outcome of this research is to enhance soldier protection and survivability with the production of sensors for both environmental conditions as well as sensors to detect the health and wellness of soldiers. Additionally, the additive manufacturing component of this trust will focus on enhancing prolonged field care and developing advanced experimental models using human derived cells.

TPOC: LTC Jason Barnhill, jason.barnhill@westpoint.edu, 845-938-5815

9. USMA Special Programs

a. Conference and Symposia Grants

Introduction. The United States Military Academy supports conferences and symposia (as defined in the DoD Travel Regulations) in areas of policy, humanities, social science, natural science, technology, and engineering that bring experts together to discuss recent research or educational findings or to expose other researchers or advanced graduate students to new research and educational techniques. USMA encourages the convening in the United States of major international conferences, symposia, and assemblies of international alliances.

Eligibility. Notwithstanding the Army's authority to provide grant support for such events, only non-commercial policy, humanities, social science, scientific, technical, or professional organizations that qualify for tax exemption may receive a conference grant/symposia grant. Those who meet this requirement should also be aware that the DoD does not permit "co-sponsorship" (as defined in DoD 5500.07-R) absent additional high level staffing and approval. In other words, the conference grant support identified in this BAA is NOT DoD sponsorship or co-sponsorship since USMA is neither an organizer, nor provider, of any substantial logistical support for the conferences addressed in this section.

Conference Support. Conference support proposals should be submitted a minimum of six

(6) months prior to the date of the conference.

Technical Proposal Preparation. The technical portion of a proposal for support of a conference or symposium should include:

(1) A one page or less summary indicating the objectives of the project.

(2) The topics to be covered.

(3) The location and probable date(s) and why the conference is considered appropriate at the time specified.

(4) An explanation of how the conference will relate to the educational, research, and professional development mission and interests of USMA and how it will contribute to the enhancement and improvement of scientific, engineering, and/or educational in general and activities as outlined earlier in the research areas of this BAA.

(5) The name of chairperson(s)/(PI)(s) and his/her biographical information.

(6) A list of proposed participants and the methods of announcement or invitation.

(7) A summary of how the results of the meeting will be disseminated.

(8) A signed cover page.

Cost Proposal Preparation. The cost portion of the proposal should show:

(1) Total project conference costs by major cost elements.

(2) Anticipated sources of conference income and amount from each.

(3) Anticipated use of funds requested.

(4) A signed budget.

Participant Support. Funds provided cannot be used for payment to any federal government employee for support, subsistence, or…