Army Center for Syn Bio BAA FINAL 16Nov2020.docx

ARMY RESEARCH OFFICE

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR

Department of Army Center for Synthetic Biology Fiscal Year 2022

W911NF-21-S-0002

ISSUED BY:

U.S. Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground Research Triangle Park Division P. O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211

Issued: 16 November 2020 Whitepapers Due:

Funding Area One (Team): 01 February 2021 Funding Area Two (Seedling): 01 February 2021, 01 February 2022, 01 February 2023, 01 February 2024 Final Proposals by Invite Only Due:

Funding Area One (Team): 24 May 2021 Funding Area Two (Seedling): 24 May 2021, 24 May 2022, 24 May 2023, 24 May 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Required Overview Content

1. Agency Name Combat Capabilities Development Command/Army Research Laboratory/U.S. Army Research Office (ARO)

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

2. Research Opportunity Title Department of Army Center for Synthetic Biology Fiscal Year 2022

3. Announcement Type Initial Announcement

4. Research Opportunity Number

W911NF-21-S-0002

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

12.431 – Basic Scientific Research

6. Response Dates

a. Proposers’ Day – 14 December 2020 1:00-5:00 PM EDT. Virtual venue TBD. An amendment to this BAA will be published with venue and registration information.

b. Whitepapers Funding Area One (Team): 01 February 2021 no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time Funding Area Two (Seedling): 01 February 2021, 01 February 2022, 01 February 2023, 01 February 2024 no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time

c. Selection of whitepapers for full proposal on 01 March 2021, 01 March 2022, 01 March 2023, 01 March 2024

d. Proposals Funding Area One (Team): 24 May 2021 no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time Funding Area Two (Seedling): 24 May 2021, 24 May 2022, 24 May 2023, 24 May 2024 no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time

7. POINTS OF CONTACT

a. Contracting Officer: William Creech, william.a.creech3.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4387

b. Program Manager: Stephanie McElhinny, stephanie.a.mcelhinny.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4240

c. Technical Point of Contact (TPOC): Hugh De Long, hugh.c.delong.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4271

B. Additional Overview Information

This BAA sets forth research areas of interest to the Department of Army. This BAA is issued under FAR 6.102(d)(2), which provides for the competitive selection of basic 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 research. The definitions of basic research may be found at 32 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 98-369, "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, technical, and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned to the applicant. 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 Program Manager identified in Section I.A.7 of this BAA.

There are two funding areas in this announcement which are referred to as Team and Seedling. A submitted proposal may only apply to one funding area. A proposer may submit to both areas but not with the same proposal. Proposals submitted to the Team funding area must comprehensively address one of the Technical Thrust areas listed under Section II.A.2 of this document. Proposals submitted to the Seedling funding area must address elements of one of the Technical Thrust areas listed in Section II.A.2 of this document. Additional information on the scope of the two funding areas is listed below.

This will be a two-step application process. Both funding areas (Team and Seedling) have the same steps:

The application process under this BAA consists of a Whitepaper stage and a Proposal stage. The purpose of this two-step approach is to facilitate pre-screening by the U.S. Government such that detailed proposals are only sought from applicants whose whitepapers demonstrate the most promise for award (this also helps to reduce unnecessary proposal preparation efforts). The Government’s decision to invite a Proposal will be based upon the evaluation results of a timely and compliant Whitepaper submission. Only the most highly rated Whitepapers will receive an invitation from the Government to submit a Proposal. An Applicant that does NOT submit a timely and compliant whitepaper, is NOT eligible to submit a Proposal for consideration for funding. An Applicant that does NOT receive an invitation from the Government to submit a Proposal is NOT eligible to submit a Proposal. An Applicant invited to submit a Proposal will receive feedback on their Whitepaper.

(End of Section)

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Overview

The Army Center for Synthetic Biology is a basic research program initiated by the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)/Army Research Laboratory (ARL)/Army Research Office (ARO). It focuses on areas of strategic importance to U.S. national security. It seeks to increase the Army's intellectual capital in synthetic biology and improve its ability to address future challenges. The Army Center for Synthetic Biology brings together universities, research institutions, companies, and individual scholars and supports multidisciplinary and cross-institutional projects addressing specific topic areas determined by the Department of the Army (DA). The Army Center for Synthetic Biology aims to promote research in specific areas of synthetic biology and to promote a candid and constructive relationship between the Army Science and Technology (S&T) enterprise and the synthetic biology research community.

Strong collaborations between DA and academia are necessary to overcome challenges associated with achieving the desired goals. Tackling these will require a large comprehensive cooperative effort (while also allowing for exploratory efforts for high-risk concepts) with a teamed approach involving multiple researchers collaborating across separate disciplines. Listed below are knowledge gaps and basic research opportunities which are to be addressed by the Army Center for Synthetic Biology. These are discussed in further detail as the Technical Thrust Areas in Section II.A.2.

Proposals will be considered under one of two funding areas. The first funding area will support two awards to large, team-oriented efforts (Team), with one award in support of each Technical Thrust Area. It is anticipated the Team awards may include several sub-awards to multiple institutions or organizations because the necessary expertise in addressing the numerous facets of the topics may reside within different organizations. The second funding area is for multiple single investigator awards (Seedling). The Team and Seedling awards will collaborate and cooperate among themselves and with DEVCOM ARL and other organizations within the Army S&T Enterprise. Proposals submitted for either funding area (Team or Seedling) must include a teaming and collaboration plan that describes how collaboration, cooperation, and communication will be accomplished among proposing team members, other Team and Seedling awardees under the Army Center for Synthetic Biology, and researchers within DEVCOM ARL and other organizations within the Army S&T Enterprise. Proposals submitted for Team awards must additionally describe a plan for data sharing that includes creation and maintenance of a website accessible by all Center awardees (both Teams and all Seedlings) and researchers across the Army S&T enterprise. During the award selection stage, a single Team awardee will be designated to execute the data sharing website within three months post award and maintain the website for the duration of the award. The research questions addressed under the Team awards should extend across the fairly broad range of linked issues described in detail below, where there is clear potential synergy among the contributions of the distinct disciplines represented on the team. Team proposals must name one Principal Investigator as the responsible technical point of contact. Similarly, one institution will be the primary recipient for the purpose of award execution. The relationship among participating institutions and their respective roles, as well as the apportionment of funds including sub-awards, if any, must be described in both the proposal text and the budget. Proposals submitted under Funding Area One (Team) shall consider provision of facilities for annual two-day reviews which will include the Seedling awardees. It is anticipated that there will be five to ten awards under Funding Area Two (Seedling). All awardees are expected to collaborate and cooperate with and among each other as well as researchers within DEVCOM ARL and other organizations within the Army S&T Enterprise in order to achieve unity of effort toward the goals of the Army Center for Synthetic Biology. While other vehicles such as grants and contracts will be considered, the strong preference is for a cooperative agreement as award type to allow for maximum interaction, cooperation, and collaboration between the Government and the awardee. This will be the preferred award type for both Funding Area One (Team) and Funding Area Two (Seedling).

2. Research Thrusts for the Army Center for Synthetic Biology

a. Background

The main objective of this BAA is to solicit basic research ideas to promote discovery and innovation that enable the rapid and effective exploration and validation of novel synthetic biology systems. This BAA focuses on basic research across a wide range of disciplines including synthetic biology, biochemistry, chemistry, machine learning/artificial intelligence, materials science, and engineering. This BAA focuses on basic research as defined at 32 CFR 22.105.

b. Technical Thrusts

The technical scope of the initiative is defined along the following thrust areas: 1) Predictive Design of Engineered Biological Materials, 2) Predictive Design of Engineered Cellular Systems in Defined Environments.

i. Predictive Design of Engineered Biological Materials

The objective of this thrust is to develop experimental and computational tools enabling the scalable synthesis, assembly and characterization of rationally designed biological materials with control over final material properties. Proposers are encouraged to focus efforts in this thrust on materials exhibiting more than one material property (multifunctional materials) for which a biological solution is anticipated to exceed material properties currently attainable via traditional chemical and/or materials science approaches. Properties of interest include, but are not limited to: optical, mechanical, structural, computational/logic functions. Proposers must provide rationale for the materials and properties selected. A major goal of this thrust is the development of generalizable predictive tools that will support the rational design of multifunctional biological materials beyond those selected for experimental investigation under the Army Center for Synthetic Biology.

Sub-areas within in this thrust could include: comprehensive sampling of the biological material property landscape; material analytical characterization tools; predictive design tools. Additional detail, challenges, and knowledge gaps related to these sub-areas are indicated below:

(1) Comprehensive sampling of the biological material property landscape The development of predictive tools enabling the rational design of multifunctional materials with targeted properties will depend upon robust experimental data sets that comprehensively correlate resultant material properties to specific biological features. Challenges include, but are not limited to: development of approaches to experimentally generate and comprehensively characterize large libraries of variants of the selected material(s); determination of the relevant biological features impacting the material properties of interest (e.g., genetic sequence, molecular structure, epigenetic modification, post-translational modification, molecular interactions, biotic-abiotic interfaces, etc.); delineation of the boundaries of the biological feature-material property landscape.

(2) Material analytical characterization tools Robust characterization tools will be required to analyze the large material variant libraries and provide high-quality pedigreed data for the development of predictive tools. Challenges include, but are not limited to: development of high-throughput analytical methods for characterization, screening and selection of variants with targeted multifunctional material properties; development of sensitive, non-destructive characterization tools that enable analysis of buried interfaces.

(3) Predictive design tools A major goal of this thrust is the development of generalizable predictive tools that will support the rational design of multifunctional biological materials. Challenges include, but are not limited to: development of a comprehensive informatics pipeline; development of robust predictive tools that enable informed design using synthetic biology to produce biological materials with targeted multifunctional properties; creation of algorithms that extract the critical biological features underlying material properties; development of strategies and techniques supporting extrapolation of property prediction to the macroscale; testing and validation of the computational tools/pipelines via prediction of variants required to realize a given set of multifunctional properties, experimental production of the engineered biological material specimens, and characterization of the structure and properties of the resulting materials.

This is not an all-inclusive list, but is provided to help potential Applicants target their proposals appropriately.

ii. Predictive Design of Engineered Cellular Systems in Defined Environments

The objective of this thrust is to develop experimental and computational tools that support the predictive design of engineered cellular consortia in a defined environment. Proposers must provide rationale for the consortia composition, environment and engineered function(s) selected for study. Environments of interest include, but are not limited to: geological systems (e.g., soil, rock), interfaces in the built environment, and corrosive systems. Specifically excluded are the human/animal environments. Engineered functions of interest include, but are not limited to: extraction of valuable elements/materials, waste decomposition, sense and respond, and corrosion prevention. All experimental efforts under this thrust must be conducted in a controlled laboratory setting (e.g., surrogate environment) that accurately reflects the relevant natural environmental conditions anticipated for future operational performance (e.g., aqueous and non-aqueous composition, temperature, humidity, etc.).

Sub-areas within this thrust could include: genetic modification of consortia; stability of engineered biological modifications; control of engineered function. Additional detail, challenges, and knowledge gaps on these sub-areas are indicated below:

(1) Genetic modification of consortia Within the environments of interest, any engineered organisms will exist within consortia that also contain non-engineered organisms. A goal of this thrust is to develop approaches to selectively modify specific organisms within a naturally occurring consortia. Challenges include, but are not limited to: development of relevant surrogate environment(s); development of tools to genetically manipulate environmentally robust chassis organisms (e.g., fungi, extremophiles); development of methods to effectively target specific organisms within a consortium for genetic modification; development of approaches to genetically modify specific members of a consortium while the consortium is located within a defined environment.

(2) Stability of engineered genetic modifications Detailed analysis of the stability of engineered genetic modifications within the context of a consortium is critical not only to ensure the reliable function of the engineered organisms, but also to prevent unintended impacts on the non-engineered organisms within the consortium. Challenges include, but are not limited to: analysis of the fate of engineered DNA within the consortium, including gene transfer, persistence, mutation, etc.; determination of the impact of environmental variation (e.g. temperature, humidity, surface material, etc.) on the function and stability of engineered genetic modifications within the context of a consortium.

(3) Control of engineered function A major goal of this thrust is to gain fundamental understanding of the interactions between engineered microorganisms and the biological, chemical and physical parameters of their environment to inform the predictive design of engineered approaches to support robust controlled performance in a defined environment. Challenges include, but are not limited to: development of approaches to experimentally measure the impact of the biological, chemical and physical parameters of the environment on the function of engineered microorganisms in the context of a consortium; design of engineered biological programs that support tightly regulated activation and inactivation of engineered function; generation of computational models that describe the environmental interactions impacting the function of engineered microorganisms with and without the addition of engineered biological control schemes; development and validation of predictive tools that identify optimal control schemes to support prolonged regulated function of engineered organisms within a given environment and consortium composition.

This is not an all-inclusive list, but is provided to help potential Applicants target their proposals appropriately.

3. Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program

The DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) furnishes the DoD Science &Technology (DoD S&T) and Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) communities with use-access to very powerful high-performance computing systems. Recipients of DoD contracts, grants, and assistance instruments may be eligible to use HPCMP assets in support of their funded activities if program manager approval is obtained and if security/screening requirements are favorably completed. Additional information and an application may be found at https://www.hpc.mil/www.hpc.mil/.

(End of section)

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

It is anticipated the awards will be made in the form of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. While other vehicles such as grants and contracts will be considered, the strong preference is for a cooperative agreement as the award type to allow for maximum interaction, cooperation, and collaboration between the Government and the awardee. This will be the preferred award type for both Funding Area One (Team) and Funding Area Two (Seedling).The awards will be made at funding levels commensurate with the proposed research, investigator/team type, as well as availability of funding. We realize the preparation of a research proposal often represents a substantial investment of time and effort by the applicant. Therefore, in an attempt to minimize this burden, we are requiring applicants interested in funding under Funding Area One (Team) of this BAA to submit whitepapers not exceeding eight pages (technical content). Applicants interested in funding under Funding Area Two (Seedling) of this BAA are required to submit four page (technical content) whitepapers describing the type of research effort to be proposed. Whitepapers received under both Funding Areas will be reviewed and ranked by a Government panel. A detailed description of the whitepaper submissions can be found in Section D.

Highest ranked applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. The determination that a proposal should be invited will be made by the Government and communicated to the applicants. An Applicant that does NOT receive an invitation from the Government to submit a Proposal is NOT eligible to submit a Proposal. Only those applicants invited by the Program Manager will be eligible to submit a proposal.

Under Funding Area One (Team), the awards for full proposals will contain a base period for thirty-six months followed by a single option period of twenty-four months. The base and option period may be incrementally funded. Under Funding Area Two (Seedling), the awards for full proposals will contain a base period for twelve months with up to two option periods, each for twelve months. As with Funding Area One, the base and option period may be incrementally funded. Selection of proposals for Seedling awards in subsequent years (FY23, FY24, FY25, FY26) will be contingent on the availability of funds.

It is anticipated that approximately $1.5M in annual funding will be available for award to each of the two proposals funded under Funding Area One (Team). Awards up to a maximum of $2M annually may be considered only for extremely meritorious proposals. It is also anticipated that up to $1M in annual aggregate funding will be available for all awards under Funding Area Two (Seedling). It is anticipated that the Seedling awards will range from $60k-$250k per year, with typical awards in the range of $120k-$180k per year. Awards in the upper end of the range will be made only for extremely meritorious proposals. Proposals submitted under Funding Area Two (Seedling) in excess of $250k per year will not be considered. It is anticipated that $4M per year is the aggregate funding available for all full proposal awards under this BAA (to include Team and Seedling awards). Exercise of options will be subject to the availability of funds in the out-years.

Whitepapers and subsequent invited full proposals may only be submitted to either Funding Area One (Team) or Funding Area Two (Seedling). Whitepapers and proposals must clearly state which funding area and Technical Thrust it is being submitted under for consideration. Multiple whitepapers and proposals from a single institute may be submitted under either Funding Area.

The ACC-APG RTP Division has the authority to award a variety of instruments on behalf of ARO. Anticipated awards will be made in the form of contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The ACC-APG RTP Division reserves the right to select the type of instrument most appropriate for the effort proposed. While other vehicles such as grants and contracts will be considered, the strong preference is for a cooperative agreement as the award type to allow for maximum interaction, cooperation, and collaboration between the government and the awardee. This will be the preferred award type for both Funding Area One (Team) and Funding Area Two (Seedling). Applicants should familiarize themselves with these instrument types and the applicable regulations before submitting a proposal. Following are brief descriptions of the possible award instruments:

1. Procurement Contract. A legal instrument, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6303, which reflects a relationship between the Federal Government and a state government, a local government, or other entity/contractor when the principal purpose of the instrument is to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government.

Contracts are primarily governed by the following regulations:

a. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

b. Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)

c. Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS)

2. Grant. A legal instrument that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6304, is used to enter into a relationship:

a. The principal purpose of which is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law or the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the Federal Government’s direct benefit or use.

b. In which substantial involvement is not expected between the Federal Government and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the grant.

c. No fee or profit is allowed.

3. Cooperative Agreement. A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant (see definition "grant"), except that substantial involvement is expected between the Federal Government and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the cooperative agreement. The term does not include "cooperative research and development agreements" as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a. No fee or profit is allowed.

4. Grants and cooperative agreements for institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities are primarily governed by the following:

a. Federal statutes

b. Federal regulations

c. 2 CFR Part 200, as modified and supplemented by DoD's interim implementation found at 2 CFR Part 1103

d. 32 CFR Parts 21, 22, 26, and 28

e. DoD Research and Development General Terms and Conditions

f. Agency-specific Research Terms and Conditions

5. Grants and cooperative agreements for for-profit and nonprofit organizations exempted from Subpart E—Cost Principles of 2 CFR Part 200, are primarily governed by the following:

a. Federal statutes

b. Federal regulations

c. 32 CFR Part 34 - Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with For-Profit Organizations

d. 32 CFR Parts 21, 22, 26, and 28

e. DoD Research and Development General Terms and Conditions

f. Agency-specific Research Terms and Conditions

6. The following websites may be accessed to obtain an electronic copy of the governing regulations and terms and conditions:

a. FAR, DFARS, and AFARS: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/

b. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse

c. DoD Research and Development General Terms and Conditions: https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions

d. Agency-specific Research Terms and Conditions: http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?page=8

(End of section)

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants under this BAA include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and for-profit organizations (i.e. large and small businesses) in the United States or its territories. Whitepapers and proposals will be evaluated only if they are for fundamental scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the scientific state of the art or increasing basic knowledge and understanding. Whitepapers and proposals focused on specific devices or components are beyond the scope of this BAA. More than one whitepaper and/or proposal is allowable from any single institution or organization.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Generally, there is no requirement for cost sharing, matching, or cost participation to be eligible for award under this BAA. Cost sharing and matching is not an evaluation factor used under this BAA.

In addition, if cost sharing is proposed on a grant or cooperative agreement proposal submitted by a nonprofit or institution of higher education, the award will be subject to the restrictions at 2 CFR 200.306. If cost sharing is proposed on a contract proposal, the award will be subject to the restrictions at FAR 35.003.

3. Other

Pursuant to the policy of FAR 35.017 and supplements, selected Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) may propose under this BAA as allowed by their sponsoring agency and in accordance with their sponsoring agency policy.

D. WHITEPAPER SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Overview

Whitepapers should focus on describing details of the proposed research, including how it is innovative, how it could substantially increase the scientific state of the art, Army/DoD relevance, and potential impact.

Whitepapers for Funding Area One (Team) are limited to ten (10) total pages; eight (8) pages for whitepaper technical content, one (1) cover page and a one (1) page addendum as discussed below. Evaluators will only review the whitepaper cover page, up to eight whitepaper technical content pages, and the one-page addendum.

Whitepapers for Funding Area Two (Seedling) are limited to six (6) total pages; four (4) pages for whitepaper technical content, one (1) cover page and a one (1) page addendum as discussed below. Evaluators will only review the whitepaper cover page, up to four whitepaper technical content pages, and the one-page addendum.

Whitepapers must be in the following format but do not require any special forms:

• Page Size: 8 ½ x 11 inches

• Margins – 1 inch

• Spacing – single

• Font – Times New Roman, 12 point

Combine all files and forms into a single PDF before submitting.

2. Format and Content of Whitepapers:

a. COVER PAGE (not to exceed one page):

The whitepaper cover page shall include at a minimum: Title of the whitepaper, name and contact information of the individual and organization submitting the whitepaper, the Funding Area (Team or Seedling), the Technical Thrust that will be addressed, the BAA number of this announcement, and the TPOC name, if known.

b. TECHNICAL CONTENT (Funding Area One (Team)) (not to exceed eight pages):

i. Scientific (max. 6 pages) - What is your basic idea? Why is it innovative? What are the technical challenges to this idea you will be focused on with your research? What are the scientific and technical approaches to overcome the challenges?

ii. Impact (max. 1 page) - If successful, how will this work improve the capabilities of future synthetic biology systems?

iii. Programmatic (max. 1 page) – To the extent known at this point, provide details on the research team, timeline, deliverables, and estimated cost of the research. A teaming approach to include the Team award for the other Technical Thrust and the Seedling awards, as well as researchers within DEVCOM ARL and other organizations within the Army S&T Enterprise shall be presented. Brief per year descriptions are an acceptable level of granularity.

c. TECHNICAL CONTENT (Funding Area Two (Seedling)) (not to exceed four pages):

i. Scientific (max. 3 pages) - What is your basic idea? Why is it innovative? What are the technical challenges to this idea you will be focused on with your research? What are the scientific and technical approaches to overcome the challenges?

ii. Impact (max. 0.5 page) - If successful, how will this work improve the capabilities of future synthetic biology systems?

iii. Programmatic (max. 0.5 page) – To the extent known at this point, provide details on the research team (if more than one PI), timeline, deliverables, and estimated cost of the research. Brief per year descriptions are an acceptable level of granularity.

d. ADDENDUM (Funding Area One (Team) not to exceed 1 page; Funding Area Two (Seedling) not to exceed 1 page):

Include biographical sketches of the key personnel who will perform the research, highlighting their qualifications and experience.

3. Restrictive Markings on whitepapers:

a. Any proprietary data that the applicant intends to be used only by the Government for evaluation purposes must be clearly marked. The applicant must also identify any technical data or computer software contained in the whitepaper that is to be treated by the Government as limited rights in technical data and restricted rights in computer software. In the absence of such identification, the Government will conclude there are no limitations or restrictions on technical data or computer software included in the whitepaper. Records or data bearing a restrictive legend may be included in the whitepaper. It is the intent of the Army to treat all whitepapers as procurement sensitive before award and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation.

Care must be exercised to ensure that classified, sensitive, and critical technologies are not included in a whitepaper. If such information is required, appropriate restrictive markings and procedures should be applied prior to submission of the whitepaper.

b. Applicants are cautioned, however, that portions of the whitepapers may be subject to release under terms of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended.

4. Evaluation and Disposition of whitepapers

(1) Evaluation Process: Applicants are advised that invitations for proposals will be made based on the whitepaper submission and the availability of funding. The whitepaper will be evaluated for the concept's scientific merit, technical and resource plausibility, collaboration and teaming plan, and potential contributions of the effort to the Army and DoD mission. Applicants whose whitepapers are evaluated as having significant scientific merit may be invited to submit a full proposal. An applicant may not submit a proposal without submitting a whitepaper and receiving a proposal invite from the Government.

(2) Disposition Process: The applicant will be notified in writing (email) after completion of the evaluation. Whitepapers will not be returned to applicants.

5. Whitepaper Submission

All whitepapers must be emailed directly to the following email address: usarmy.rtp.rdecom-aro.mbx.baa2@mail.mil. In the email subject line, include the phrase “Whitepaper Submission Army Center for Synthetic Biology,” the BAA number W911NF-21-S-0002, and the Technical Thrust Area from Section II.A.2 of this BAA. Whitepapers submitted via email must be in a single PDF formatted file as an email attachment.

E. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INFORMATION

1. Funding Area One (Team) Proposal Information

a. Eligibility. An Applicant that does NOT submit a timely and compliant whitepaper under Funding Area One (Team) is NOT eligible to submit a Funding Area One (Team) proposal for consideration for funding. Only the most highly rated whitepapers will receive an invitation from the Government to submit a proposal. An Applicant that does NOT receive an invitation from the Government to submit a proposal is NOT eligible to submit a Funding Area One (Team) proposal.

b. Research Sought and Duration. Proposals in the amount of $1.5-2M per year or less are sought for research in one of the two Technical Thrusts identified in Section II.A.2 of this BAA. The awards will contain a thirty-six month base period and one twenty-four month option.

2. Funding Area Two Proposal (Seedling) Information

a. Eligibility. An Applicant that does NOT submit a timely and compliant whitepaper under Funding Area Two (Seedling) is NOT eligible to submit a Funding Area Two (Seedling) proposal for consideration for funding. Only the most highly rated whitepapers will receive an invitation from the Government to submit a proposal. An Applicant that does NOT receive an invitation from the Government to submit a proposal is NOT eligible to submit a Funding Area Two (Seedling) proposal.

b. Research Sought and Duration. Proposals in the amount of $60k-$250k per year are sought for research in the areas identified in Section II.A.2 of this BAA. The awards will contain a base period for 12 months followed by up to two option periods, each for twelve months.

3. Proposal Preparation.

i. Eligible applicants should submit proposals with technical sections that are no more than twenty-five (25) pages in length for Funding Area One (Team) and no more than ten (10) pages in length for Funding Area Two (Seedling). Proposals shall clearly state in the forefront material the Technical Thrust addressed by the proposal. No brochures or explanatory material should be submitted with the proposal.

ii. Proposed research efforts must be "stand alone" and not predicated on the use of any facilities other than those under the direct control of the applicant(s).

iii. The research proposal should follow the format set forth in Section II.F (Proposal Application and Submission Information) of this BAA. Limited rights in technical data and restricted rights in computer software should be identified as an attachment to the proposal. Otherwise, it will be concluded that the proposal does not contain any such limitations or restrictions

iv. The principal investigator(s) (PI) should disclose and explain the relevance of the proposal to the research interests identified earlier in the research thrust areas of this BAA.

F. PROPOSAL APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to View Broad Agency Announcement

This BAA may be accessed via the following websites:

a. Grants.gov (www.grants.gov)

b. Federal Business Opportunities (beta.SAM.gov) - FBO.gov has been moved to beta.SAM.gov and is now known as Contract Opportunities.

c. ARL website (http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?Action=6&Page=8.)

Amendments to this BAA, if any, will be posted to these websites when they occur. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check these websites for updates and amendments.

The following information is for those invited to respond to this BAA:

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. General Information

i. Preliminary Inquiries: Potential applicants may make preliminary inquiries to the TPOC and/or Program Manager as to the appropriateness of the type of research effort contemplated, before expending extensive effort in preparing a whitepaper and/or detailed proposal or submitting proprietary information.

*NOTE: The Government will not be obligated by any discussion that arises out of preliminary inquiries.

ii. Classified Submissions: Classified proposals are not accepted under this BAA.

iii. Use of Color in Proposals: All proposals received will be stored as electronic images. Electronic color images require a significantly larger amount of storage space than black-and-white images. As a result, applicants' use of color in proposals should be minimal and used only when necessary for details. Do not use color if it is not necessary.

iv. Post-Employment Conflict of Interest: There are certain post-employment restrictions on former federal employees, including special government employees (18 U.S.C. 207). If a prospective applicant believes a conflict of interest may exist, the situation should be discussed with the TPOC listed in the BAA for their area of scientific research who will then coordinate with appropriate ARO legal counsel prior to the applicant expending time and effort in preparing a proposal.

v. Statement of Disclosure Preference: In accordance with Section II.F.2.c.iii of this BAA, ARO Form 52 or 52A shall be completed stating your preference for release of information contained in your proposal. Copies of these forms may be downloaded from the ARO web site at https://www.arl.army.mil/business/broad-agency-announcements/baa-forms/.

NOTE: Proposals may be handled for administrative purposes by support contractors. These support contractors are prohibited from submitting proposals under this BAA and are bound by non-disclosure and/or conflict of interest requirements as deemed appropriate.

vi. Equipment: Normally, title to equipment or other tangible property purchased with Government funds vests with nonprofit institutions of higher education or with nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is conducting scientific research if vesting will facilitate scientific research performed for the Government. For-profit organizations are expected to possess the necessary plant and equipment to conduct the proposed research. Deviations may be made on a case-by-case basis to allow for-profit organizations to purchase equipment but regulatory disposition instructions must be followed.

b. The Application Process

The application process is in three stages as follows:

i. Stage 1- Verify the accuracy of your Unique Entity Identifier (formerly DUNS) at the Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) website http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform before registering with the System for Award Management System (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. Prospective applicants must be registered in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan. The SAM obtains Legal Business Name, Doing Business Name (DBA), Physical Address, and Postal Code/ Zip+4 data fields from D&B. If corrections are required, registrants will not be able to enter/modify these fields in SAM; they will be pre-populated using D&B Unique Entity Identifier record data. When D&B confirms the correction has been made, the registrant must then re-visit sam.gov and click a “yes”' to D&B's changes. Only at this point will the D&B data be accepted into the SAM record. Allow a minimum of two (2) business days for D&B to send the modified data to SAM.

ii. Stage 2 - Prospective proposers are required to submit whitepapers prior to the submission of a complete, more detailed proposal as described in the sections above.

iii. Stage 3 – The most highly rated and approved whitepaper applicants will be invited by the Government and are required to submit proposals in order to be considered for funding. Only applicants requested by the Program Manager are eligible to submit proposals. All proposals submitted under the terms and conditions cited in this BAA will be reviewed.

All proposals for Assistance Instruments must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using Workspace. Proposals for Contracts may be submitted via either Grants.gov or email to: usarmy.rtp.rdecom-aro.mbx.baa2@mail.mil. See Section II.F.2.d of this BAA for information on the proposal submission process.

Requests for waiver of electronic submission requirements may be submitted via email to: usarmy.rtp.rdecom-aro.mbx.baa2@mail.mil or regular mail (USPS):

Army Research Office ATTN: RDRL-RO (Proposal Processing) P.O. Box 12211

RTP, NC 27709-2211

All required forms for proposals may be downloaded from the ARO web site at: https://www.arl.army.mil/business/broad-agency-announcements/baa-forms/

c. Preparation of Proposals

i. COVER PAGE:

(1) A Cover Page is required. For contract proposals submitted by email, use ARO Form 51. For all Assistance instruments and contract proposals submitted via Grants.gov, use the SF 424 (R&R) Form. Proposals will not be processed without either: (1) a signed Cover Page, ARO Form 51, or (2) a SF 424 (R&R) Form.

(2) Should the project be carried out at a branch campus or other component of the applicant, that branch campus or component should be identified in the space provided (Block 11 on the ARO Form 51 and Block 12 on the SF 424 (R&R) Form).

(3) The title of the proposed project should be brief, scientifically representative, intelligible to a scientifically-literate reader, and suitable for use in the public domain.

(4) The proposed duration for which support is requested should be consistent with the nature and complexity of the proposed activity.

(5) Specification of a desired starting date for the project is important and helpful; however, requested effective dates cannot be guaranteed.

(6) Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 7701, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 [Section 31001(I)(1), Public Law 104-134] and implemented by 32 CFR 22.420(d), federal agencies shall obtain each awardees’ Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). The TIN is being obtained for purposes of collecting and reporting on any delinquent amounts that may arise out of an awardees’ relationship with the Government.

(7) Applicants shall provide their organization's Unique Entity Identifier (formerly DUNS). This number is a nine-digit number assigned by D&B Information Services. See Section II.D.3 of this BAA for requirements pertaining to the Unique Entity Identifier.

(8) Applicants shall provide their assigned Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code. The CAGE Code is a 5-character code assigned and maintained by the Defense Logistics Service Center (DLSC) to identify a commercial plant or establishment.

ii. TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Use the following format for the Table of Contents. Forms are available at https://www.arl.army.mil/business/broad-agency-announcements/baa-forms/ under "BAA Forms" (Forms, ARO BAA Forms).

Research and Related Other Project Information B-2

Project Abstract C-1

Appendices K-1 List Appendix Items:

This format applies to all proposals submitted via email and via Grants.gov. Applicants' should show the location of each section of the proposal, as well as major subdivisions of the project description.

iii. STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE PREFERENCE (FORM 52 OR 52A): Complete and sign ARO Form 52 (Industrial Contractors) or ARO Form 52A (Educational and Nonprofit Organizations).

iv. RESEARCH AND RELATED OTHER PROJECT INFORMATION: Must be completed and signed by all applicants.

v. PROJECT ABSTRACT:

(1) The project abstract shall be completed on the form entitled “Publicly Releasable Project Abstract” found at the following website: http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?page=218.

(2) Unless otherwise instructed in this BAA, the project abstract shall include a concise statement of work and basic approaches to be used in the proposed effort. The abstract should include a statement of scientific objectives, methods to be employed, and the significance of the proposed effort to the advancement of scientific knowledge.

(3) The abstract should be no longer than one (1) page (maximum 4,000 characters).

(4) The project abstract shall be marked by the applicant as publicly releasable. By submission of the project abstract, the applicant confirms that the abstract is releasable to the public. For a proposal that results in a grant award, the project abstract will be posted to a searchable website available to the general public to meet the requirements of Section 8123 of the DoD Appropriations Act, 2015. The website address is https://dodgrantawards.dtic.mil/grants/#/home

(5) The Abstract shall clearly indicate to which Funding Area the Proposal is being submitted (Team or Seedling) and which Technical Thrust the proposal addresses.

vi. PROJECT DESCRIPTION (TECHNICAL PROPOSAL): The technical portion of the proposal is limited to 25 pages for proposals under Funding Area One (Team) and 10 pages for proposals under Funding Area Two (Seedling) and shall contain the following:

(1) A complete discussion stating the background and objectives of the proposed work, the challenges to achieving the objectives, scientific approaches to be considered, the relationship to competing or related research, and the level of effort to be employed. Include also the nature and extent of the anticipated results and how they will significantly advance the scientific state-of-the-art. Also, include the manner in which the work will contribute to the accomplishment of the Army and DoD's mission. Ensure the proposal identifies any scientific uncertainties and describes specific approaches for the resolution or mitigation of the uncertainties. More specifically, the proposal shall include:

(a) A list intellectual property owners, if any

(b) A brief description of the overall goal for the effort

(c) Impact, if successful, both to the Army and DoD

(d) For background include how is it done today, what is new in your approach and why you…