ARO Centers of Excellence Funding Announcement Final.pdf

Special Funding Announcement Army HBCU/MI Research Centers of Excellence

PROGRAM TITLE: U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (CCDC’s) Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)/Minority-Serving Institutions (MIs) Centers of Excellence (COE) Research Program.

Under the ARL HBCU/MI COE Program, funding will be provided for HBCUs/MIs to participate in highly collaborative research opportunities within the HBCU/MI community with major CCDC ARL Army Research Office (ARO) research programs.

ELIGIBILITY: This opportunity is only open to HBCU/MIs as provided in 10 U.S.C. § 2362, eligibility for this competition is open only to “covered educational institutions,” which are defined as:

a. institutions of higher education eligible for assistance under Title III or V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.); or

b. accredited post-secondary minority institutions.

Enrollments, accreditation, and other factors may affect an institution’s eligibility in any given year. With the exception of HBCUs and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), in order to meet the eligibility criterion noted above, an institution must apply to the Department of Education (DoEd) each year for Title III or Title V eligibility. A copy of the DoEd letter dated November 2019 or later certifying eligibility for Title III or Title V assistance must be included with each Whitepaper submitted under this program. The eligibility letter will not be included in the page limit.

If the DoEd eligibility letter is not submitted with the initial Whitepaper, the submission will be deemed ineligible and the submission may not be considered.

SUMMARY: This is a call for HBCUs/MIs to submit whitepapers expressing their interest in participating in research opportunities with major ARO research program areas articulated in this announcement. This COE initiative will support innovative research and education at HBCUs and/or MIs, and will be focused on areas of high Army interest that provides a basis for future technology innovation. These new COEs will conduct multidisciplinary, collaborative research that can increase knowledge in the areas of research emphasis specified in this announcement and have the potential to lead to practical application(s) for the Army. The topic areas described within this announcement are from ARO’s Information Sciences Directorate (ISD), Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD), and Engineering Sciences Directorate (ESD).

The primary goals of the HBCU/MI COE Program are to:

• Expand and diversify the research base through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MIs).

• Encourage research and education collaborations with other institutions of higher education and defense organizations.

• Enhance research and engineering capabilities at HBCU/MIs that align with Army research priorities in the fields of physical, engineering, and information sciences related to long term national security needs.

• Provide opportunities for student participation leading to the next generation of scientists and engineers.

A whitepaper (and any subsequent proposal) should address scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in fields of physical, engineering, and information sciences related to long-term national security needs, as described in this announcement.

An applicant is encouraged to consider innovative approaches for their research projects with a view toward enhancing the ability of their institution to develop stronger science and engineering programs that will enable the institution to participate more competitively in a variety of defense research programs and attract and retain good students by exposing them to state-of-the-art research, further encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM disciplines.

ARO will not prescribe the approach for a whitepaper or subsequent invited proposal; instead, it expects applicants to reflect the unique needs and capabilities of their institution and its partners.

Methods through which program objectives can be achieved are varied. Factors such as research capabilities, facilities, and equipment are unique to each institution and should be considered when preparing a whitepaper or proposal. Whitepapers should address: a) what? -- describe what you hope to uncover, what evidence you have to support your claims, and the advancements it will provide compared to the current state of the art in science and/or engineering; (b) why? – why is your proposed research significant to the scientific or engineering field, and to the US Army; and, (c) how? -- how will you carry out your research (methods, processes, theoretical techniques, etc.) to reduce risk, increase your probability of success, and maximize return on investment for the US Army?

PROCESS: The application process to be considered for an award for the HBCU/MI Outreach Program, consists of a Whitepaper stage and a Proposal stage. The purpose of requesting a Whitepaper is to minimize the effort associated with the production of a detailed proposal for those applicants that have little chance of being selected for funding. The Government’s decision to invite a Proposal submission will be based upon the evaluation results of the timely Whitepaper submission. 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 Proposal for the program and will not receive any feedback on their Whitepaper submission. An applicant invited to submit a Proposal may receive feedback on their Whitepaper prior to their Proposal submission. An Offeror that does NOT submit a timely Whitepaper, is NOT eligible to submit a Proposal for consideration for the award. The following describes the process to be used to make awards for the ARO HBCU/MI COE Program:

1. Whitepapers are to be submitted to the ARO HBCU/MI Outreach Program for each of the research areas described in this announcement. The format and content of the Whitepapers, as well as submission information, are described below. Whitepapers may be submitted to more than one of the topic areas; however each topic area requires a separate submission and copy of Department of Education eligibility letter. Submissions should not exceed 6 pages (i.e., 1 cover sheet plus 5 content pages). A whitepaper submitted should align with Army research priorities and should address scientific study in the fields of physical, engineering, and information sciences related to long term national security needs, specifically as described in this announcement. Each named Principal Investigator from an institution can submit only one whitepaper.

Full proposal submissions must be submitted in accordance with the preparation and submissions instructions under BAA W911NF-17-S-0002-07, except as noted below. As a reminder, an applicant is not eligible to submit a proposal under the announcement unless their Whitepaper submission is timely, is highly rated, and the applicant is INVITED to submit a proposal.

Proposals shall be submitted electronically through the www.grants.gov portal. A proposal sent by any other means (e.g., hand-carried, postal service mail, commercial carrier, fax or email) will not be considered. INVITED Proposals must be received no later than January 8, 2021 at 4:00 PM (EST) to be considered for award. The proposal content information is as specified under BAA W911NF-17-S-0002-07, except the technical proposal (project description) portion of the full proposal must not exceed 15 pages. If the technical proposal exceeds 15 pages, only the first 15 pages will be reviewed and evaluated. As described in the BAA W911NF-17-S-0002-07, the proposal must also include a budget for each year of support requested. Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria described below. Proposal evaluation is expected to be complete and any selections for award made by March 2021. An offeror whose proposal is selected for award will be contacted by a Grant Specialist.

To get full details on all ARO research priority areas, please see the most recent ARO Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) at https://www.arl.army.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ARO- BAA-Amendment-7-Final.pdf.

2. Whitepapers will be reviewed by Army Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in each area of research described herein. If the whitepaper is selected, the PI will be invited to submit a proposal. No proposals will be accepted unless specifically requested by the agency. The HBCU/MI may be contacted by the ARO Technical Program Manager for further discussions should there be any questions on the Whitepaper or should the ARO Program Manager want to discuss partnership or collaboration concerns. Support contractors may be involved in the reviews of the whitepapers and proposals. 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.

3. Whitepapers and proposals will be reviewed based on the following evaluation criteria (in descending order of importance): a) the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research;

b) the extent to which collaborative research efforts can be realized, and c) how the proposed research project contributes to the overall success of the ARL program.

4. The decision on which proposals will be awarded shall be made using the same considerations described in #3 above, as well as balancing those decisions across ARO’s current mission needs. It is anticipated that each scientific area will receive one award towards the goal of establishing 3 new Centers of Excellence under this initiative, however more than one award https://www.arl.army.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ARO-BAA-Amendment-7-Final.pdf https://www.arl.army.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ARO-BAA-Amendment-7-Final.pdf may be made in a scientific area. Subawards are encouraged to enable collaboration and partnership to maximize the impact of the proposed research efforts.

SCHEDULE: The below dates are subject to change based on the number of whitepapers received and proposals invited.

1 October 2020: Whitepapers due (4 p.m. ET)

30 October 2020: Whitepaper evaluations complete

6 November 2020: Request for proposals

7 January 2021: Invited proposals due (4 p.m. ET)

March 2021: Award of grants to selected proposals

FUNDING: Funding for this program is anticipated to be approximately $1.35 million per year, enough to support up to three (3) COEs funded at ~$450K each year for five (5) years. We anticipate the award will be in the form of a grant. Up to 30% of the project each year may be used as a subaward to foster a collaborative research environment and enable connected, interdependent research efforts. For example, if the maximum amount of $450K per year were awarded, then the total combined subaward allowed with another institute of higher education would be 30% of the total effort ($135K of $450K). The subaward is not required to be with another HBCU/MI. However, any equipment purchased as part of this COE program must be installed and remain at the HBCU/MI awarded the grant.

Faculty and/or post-doctoral associates as well as graduate research assistants at the applicant and partner institutions may participate in the project and assist the PI as co-PI or in another capacity. HBCUs/MIs applying under this Special Funding Announcement may propose collaborations with up to one degree-granting Institution of Higher Education (IHE).

Collaborations with entities other than degree-granting IHEs are not permitted. Any proposed collaborations with IHEs should be explained in the narrative as well as the budget justification.

VERY IMPORTANT: There is no guarantee that any of the whitepapers submitted will be selected to submit a proposal or subsequently recommended for funding. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals submitted in response to this announcement. All awards are contingent upon the availability of funds and COEs having met technical goals.

FORMAT AND CONTENT OF WHITEPAPER SUBMISSION: Submissions should not exceed 6 pages (1 cover sheet plus 5 content pages). Included in the 6 page submission should be a 3-page Project Summary/Abstract that should provide a concise description of the research/collaboration to be conducted, the institution(s), and technical area under which the submission should be considered. An additional page should identify the PI and other key personnel, summarizing research credentials. A cover sheet and a final page should include a budget outline and justification. The budget outline should include costs for faculty and student support, proposed equipment purchases, training, travel, partner/subawards, and any other related costs.

The white paper should provide sufficient information on the research being proposed (e.g., hypothesis, theories, concepts, approaches, data measurements and analysis, etc.) to allow for an assessment by technical experts. It is not necessary for white papers to carry official institutional signatures.

Funding Restrictions:

• No fee or profit is allowed.

• Submissions may not request funds for, and awards under this Special Funding

Announcement, may not be used for, the construction or modification of buildings or building support systems (e.g., heating/ventilation/air conditioning, ad distinguished from specific installation requirements for the equipment/instrumentation proposed; raising the ceiling of a building, moving HVAC systems and/or re-routing associated ductwork) or purchase or installation of fixed equipment (e.g., clean rooms and fume hoods).

• Submissions may not request funds for, and awards under this Special Funding Announcement may not be used for, operation and maintenance, including extended warranties, user fees and maintenance agreements.

Additional Submission Information:

Preliminary Inquiries: ARO receives a high volume of whitepapers and proposals annually and anticipates receiving a high volume in response to this announcement. Because of financial constraints, and as noted above, we are able to provide support for only a limited number of the proposals received. 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 strongly encourage applicants interested in submitting whitepapers to this HBCU/MI COE Program to make preliminary inquiries as to the general need for the type of research effort contemplated, before expending extensive effort in preparing a whitepaper and/or detailed proposal or submitting proprietary information.

Preliminary inquiries should be directed to the Technical Points of Contact outlined in the Topic Areas of Interest listed below.

Questions regarding program execution and administration should be directed to:

Ms. Patricia Huff at Patricia.A.Huff26.civ@mail.mil.

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

WHITEPAPER SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Whitepaper submissions must be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, 1 October 2020. Whitepaper submissions are due with DoEd eligibility letter to the ARO HBCU/MI Outreach Program at the following e-mail address: usarmy.rtp.ccdc-arl.mbx.hbcu-mi-programs@mail.mil.

VERY IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for submitting their whitepaper in sufficient time to avoid the possibility of late receipt (for any reason, including technical difficulties).

mailto:Patricia.A.Huff26.civ@mail.mil mailto:usarmy.rtp.ccdc-arl.mbx.hbcu-mi-programs@mail.mil

Submissions received after the deadline will be deemed ineligible and no further consideration will be given to them.

The Government will acknowledge receipt of each Whitepaper submission via a return email to the submitter. As stated above, the submitter may be contacted to discuss the Whitepaper. Once the decision has been made as to which Whitepapers will be invited for a full proposal submission, the submitter will be informed that either: (1) the Whitepaper has been selected for a full proposal submission; or (2) the Whitepaper submission is not being considered further in connection with the ARO HBCU/MI COE program. Finally, submitters whose whitepapers are selected for a full proposal will be notified if the proposal is funded or not, after the proposal is submitted, evaluated, and final funding decisions made. No further feedback concerning Whitepaper submissions will be provided to submitters beyond what is described herein.

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

a. Page Size: 8 ½ x 11 inches

b. Margins – 1 inch

c. Spacing – single

d. Font – Times New Roman, 12 point

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

The whitepaper cover page shall include at a minimum: Title of the whitepaper, name of the individual and organization submitting the whitepaper, the research area from the COE funding announcement against which the whitepaper is submitted, and the Technical Point of Contact listed in the topic area.

Applicants shall indicate any Government coordination that may be required for obtaining equipment or facilities necessary to perform any simulations or exercises that would demonstrate the proposed capability.

The cost portion of the whitepaper shall contain a brief cost estimate revealing all the component parts of the proposal, including research hours, burden, material costs, travel, etc.

• Travel: Forecasts of travel expenditures (domestic only allowed) that identify the destination and the various cost elements (airfare, mileage, per diem rates, etc.) must be submitted, if a proposal is requested. The costs should be in sufficient detail to determine the reasonableness of such costs. Allowance for air travel normally will not exceed the cost of round-trip, economy air accommodations. Specify the type of travel and its relationship to the research project. Foreign travel (i.e., travel outside the continental U.S., its possessions and Canada) is not allowed. Special justification will be required for travel by individuals other than the PI(s). Individuals other than the PI(s) are considered postdoctoral associates, research associates, graduate and undergraduate students, secretarial, clerical, and other technical personnel.

• Additional travel may be requested for travel to Army laboratories and facilities to enhance agreement objectives and to achieve technology transfer.

• Participant Support Costs: This budget category refers to costs of transportation, per diem, stipends, and other related costs for participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, meetings, symposia, training activities, apprenticeships and workshops. The number of participants to be supported should be entered in the parentheses on the budget form. These costs should also be justified in the budget justification page(s) attached to the cost proposal.

• Materials, Supplies, and Consumables: A general description and total estimated cost of supplies are required. The basis for developing the cost estimate (vendor quotes, invoice prices, engineering estimate, purchase order history, etc.) must be included. If possible, provide a material list if invited to submit a full proposal.

• Publication, Documentation, and Dissemination: The budget may request funds for the costs of preparing, publishing, or otherwise making available to others the findings and products of the work conducted under an agreement, including costs of reports, reprints, page charges, or other journal costs (except costs for prior or early publication);

necessary illustrations, cleanup, documentation, storage, and indexing of data and databases; and development, documentation, and debugging of software.

• Computer Services: The cost of computer services, including computer-based retrieval of scientific, technical, and educational information, may be requested. A justification/explanation based on the established computer service rates at the proposing organization should be included. The budget also may request costs, which must be shown to be reasonable, for leasing automatic data processing.

• The purchase of computers or associated hardware and software should be requested as items of equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH TOPIC AREAS:

1. Information Sciences

a. Research Area 1 – Frameworks for Constructing Learning Enabled Systems.

Artificial Intelligence-based systems are becoming common-place, yet practices for building larger cyber-physical systems that contain learning enabled components, and possibly non-deterministic components, is at the state of affairs that software engineering was in the early 1970s. When these systems fail it is hard to explain why the system failed, and, importantly, it is hard to identify/ isolate the component that needs to be fixed. System engineering practices are sought that would turn current practices from an art form to science. Important questions that need to be answered include: how do we test systems that have been built? What metrics do we use to be sufficiently satisfied (in a statistical and logical sense) that a system meets expectations? How do we state expectations? What are models of good and bad behavior of Learning enable systems (LES)? How do we debug systems that have been built, when behavior doesn’t match expectations? What mechanisms are necessary when composing LES components to ensure that good behavior of composed systems would ensue? How do we instrument systems under construction to debug (i.e., look under the hood) to identify faults? There is now a long history of advances in Software Engineering practice that have now made it possible to share development responsibilities across the globe. This solicitation seeks work at the intersection of Formal Methods and Software Tools that would provide scaffolding for building Integrated Development Environments (IDE) to curate data and models, debug specifications, and derive efficient executable code that can be deployed, as well as research in software development processes for building robust and resilient code base. This research falls within ARO BAA section II.A.1.c.i.3, Intelligent Information Systems, which calls for proposals that spark innovation in theory, tools and techniques for building Learning Enabled Systems of the future.

POC: Dr. Purush Iyer, s.p.iyer.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4204.

b. Research Area 2 – Digital Forensics. With ubiquitous deployment of information systems including battlefield applications such as the Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT), a large amount of information is contained on every digital “piece”, which could be a hand held device, or an unmanned system such as UGV or IoBT. Even signals such as wireless transmission or network traffic profiles are part of forensics information. It is critical to develop capabilities such that we can harvest information from these devices for the purpose of collecting intelligence or providing digital evidence for law enforcement. Future DoD operations face many challenges; there is a lack of adequate technology and human capability to capture the vast amount of forensic information for better intelligence; our legal systems are extremely overburdened by the amount of digital evidence available to them; and lastly a lack of technology capability to process and present digital forensics as evidence. In the meantime, there is a severe shortage of technologists that can perform forensic analysis for either intelligence gathering or for law enforcement/prosecution. This solicitation seeks innovative ideas to advance the field of digital forensics as follows:

1) A general model and quantification methods for determining the authenticity and robustness of digital evidence of different types; 2) fusion model for forensics from multiple sources/domains; 3) Analytical method and processing techniques for evidence coming from various sources such as electronic hardware, computing devices, network and communication profiles, and digital media data. This research falls under section II.A.1.c.iii.3 of the ARO BAA, Information Assurance.

POC: Dr. Cliff Wang, xiaogang.wang.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4207.

c. Research Area 3 – Advanced Electromagnetic/Optical Detection and Imaging Techniques for Occluded Targets. An enduring area of Army interest is in advanced electromagnetic/optical detection and imaging techniques. This is an incredibly broad field, with many specialized efforts and solutions in different parts of the spectrum and in a variety of environmental scenarios. In this particular topic call, we restrict our focus to imaging of occluded targets, primarily considering targets that are either buried or fully occluded by walls. For both buried objects and for objects occluded behind walls or other obstructions, objectives are generally either or both the identification of shape and of material constitution as represented by dielectric constant. Accomplishing these tasks generally involves solving ill-posed computational inverse problems in signal processing from incomplete and noisy data, mailto:s.p.iyer.civ@mail.mil mailto:xiaogang.wang.civ@mail.mil one of the most challenging problems in computational mathematics. Ideas and efforts are sought for solution techniques for the inverse problems inherent in these situations. The problems generated are often coefficient inverse problems for the time dependent Maxwell equations in 3-D, but with incomplete and noisy data.

Methods are sought for important inverse problems, such as reconstructing visual images from scattered signals in a variety of wavelength domains. Methods developed should include error analysis of performance over different problem types.

This research falls under section II.A.1.c.ii.4 of the ARO BAA, Computational Mathematics.

POC: Dr. Joseph Myers, joseph.d.myers8.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4245.

2. Physical Sciences

a. Research Area 1 – Extreme Condition Chemistry of Molecular Materials. High pressure, high temperature studies on molecular materials. Studies include: pulsed laser radiation of nitrogen containing materials (e.g., azides) at moderate pressures (<10 GPa) for synthesis of new materials through single or multiphoton photochemistry. Use of a combination of optical methods and confinement techniques (like diamond anvil cells) to probe fast chemical reactivity. Other simple molecular materials (such as hydrogen and ammonia) could be investigated at extreme P-T and strain rates as their behavior provides important information on the nature of chemical reactivity under extreme conditions. A key area would be to detect the presence of and make in situ characterization of yet enigmatic transition states using ultrafast spectroscopy methods on the femtosecond timescale. Study of materials under in pre-compressed diamond anvil cells and subjected to dynamic stimuli such as laser driven shocks, fast laser irradiation, and pulsed laser heating.

Such information is important for elucidation of poorly understood chemical kinetics and reaction type/pathways. This center would be in a prime position to contribute but not overlap with the EM center. It is a great opportunity to build meaningful collaborations between a HBCU/MI and a Tier I research center. Topic directly addresses Army’s need for basic research to enable advanced EM and propellants.

This research falls under section II.A.1.a.i.4 of the ARO BAA, Molecular and Structural Dynamics.

POC: Dr. James Parker, james.k.parker30.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4293.

b. Research Area 2 – Center for Physical Sociodynamics. The aim of this center is to identify and characterize the molecular and neurochemical signals within individual humans that enable, facilitate and catalyze group phase transitions. For example, one man might shout “Jihad!” and the entire group immediately rushes off to commit suicidal missions. The same man might shout “Jihad” at a different time to the same mailto:joseph.d.myers8.civ@mail.mil mailto:robert.a.mantz.civ@mail.mil group and simply be laughed at. The difference between the listeners in the first and the second groups is the neurobiology and neurochemistry inside their brains as well as the biochemical, genetic and epigenetic changes and signals elsewhere within their bodies. The intent of this center is not to study group phase transitions at the macro level, as has been done before, but rather to identify the molecular, biochemical, and neurobiological physical changes occurring within each individual human that enables the group phase transitions to occur. The identification of the molecular and biochemical changes will for the first time enable experimental validation of the theories and models of social dynamics. Future Army applications of the results of this basic research include the development of non-lethal weapons to prevent or delay transition to group violence, stand-off sensors to detect imminent transitions to violence, and an in depth understanding of the physical changes that occur at a molecular level that enable group phase changes.

Social dynamics of interest include but are not limited to large scale collective action (e.g., both peaceful and violent protest movements), emergence of socioeconomic stratification systems, population migration, revolution, discrimination, and widespread radicalization. A challenge in modeling these dynamics is that often the spatial and temporal scales at which biological processes, human behavior, and social dynamics operate are drastically different. Consequently, tracing the impacts of changes in one level on another is difficult. Moreover, changes at large-scale social levels are often sudden, involving an abrupt shift from one state to another, as opposed to a more continuous trajectory of change. Computational models from physics and mathematics that capture non-continuous transitions across states in complex systems may be critical to developing accurate models. With these emphases at its core, a successful Center would necessarily incorporate a transdisciplinary team approach, with the team including biologists, chemists, computational scientists, neuroscientists, behavioral scientists, and social scientists.

This research falls under section II.A.1.a.iii.5 of the ARO BAA, Social and Behavioral Sciences.

POC: Dr. Lisa Troyer, lisa.l.troyer.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4230.

3. Engineering Sciences

a. Research Area 1 – Environmental Modeling and Characterization. Prediction of conditions at the ground surface and identification of signal sources in the environment are two related capabilities required for situational awareness and planning. Promising new approaches to address these challenges are emerging, including advances in environmental seismology, the use of field-deployable wind tunnels, and strategically instrumented field study areas. This call is for research on environmental prediction at length scales up to 100s of kilometers and up to climatological time scales. Research to enable identification of seismic or acoustic sources, radio frequency propagation, and air flow/particle dispersion in complex mailto:micheline.k.strand.civ@mail.mil environments as well as studies of the air/land/flora and water cycle for drought/desertification understanding are also invited. Of special interest are challenging environments such as complex terrain, dense urban environments, cold regions, heavily vegetated areas, and high altitude environments. This research falls under section II.A.I.b.i.5 of the ARO BAA, Earth Materials and Processes.

POC: Dr. Julia Barzyk, julia.g.barzyk.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4379.

b. Research Area 2 – Electronic Processes in Living Cells. Biotronics focuses on the discovery and manipulation of phenomena and the creation of new processes where electronics and biology overlap at the cellular / sub-cellular level. Biotronics supports acquisition of knowledge associated with physics of living systems. Of particular interest are approaches to map electronic processes within a single cell.

The program seeks novel methodologies to probe a cell’s intrinsic bioelectric fields from the “outside.” Many efforts have focused on uses of nanostructures and endocytosis-based methods to probe cells. There remains a need to define new ways of manipulating the cell’s electronic machinery without cell penetration. The program seeks to facilitate the interfacing of electronic modalities to control or manipulate biology especially for information processing purposes. The program recognizes that this requires understanding of hard-soft interfaces, as well as strategies to quantitatively map specific carriers (electrons on the hard side and ions on the biology side). Biotronics also supports efforts to microscopically understand the biological “machinery” that controls cellular responses as well as the associated metabolic and regulatory pathways that mitigate external perturbations. Biotronics facilitates scientific endeavors that are multidisciplinary and include but are not limited to electrical engineering, biology, materials chemistry, and functional imaging. Of particular interest are novel measurement modalities that link function and structure at the microscopic level and appropriate timescales. Thus this program fosters work that combines novel materials/devices, spectroscopy, microscopy, and chemical biology. Of specific interest are important dynamics that occur at interfaces: electrons traverse interfaces between hard and soft materials thus ultimately affecting redox chemistry which moves ions to membranes. Ions then cross the membrane which presents an opportunity to store or harvest energy from the electrostatic field of cells. The research area seeks understanding and control of inter-and intra-cellular phenomena at the micro- and nano-scale. This research falls under section II.A.I.b.ii.1 of the ARO BAA, Biotronics.

POC: Dr. Albena Ivanisevic, albena.ivanisevic.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4314

c. Research Area 3 – Dynamic, Adaptive, Reconfigurable: Materials (re)Design by

External Drives. The future Army will increasingly rely on materials and technologies that are multi-functional and dynamically reconfigurable. Such reconfigurable materials are expected to play a major role in next generation sensors, signature management, protection, targeting, and other technologies that will allow the Soldier to adapt to changing battlefield requirements and circumstances in real-time. Non-equilibrium self-assembly—known also as dynamic or dissipative self-assembly—is emerging as a rational way to create materials that are intrinsically dynamic, adaptive, and reconfigurable. Much like living systems, these self-assembling active matter systems can adopt various configurations when subject to an external driving force. These driving forces can be optical, vibrational, thermal, acoustic, electrical, magnetic, chemical, etc., and induce the system to adopt a particular ordered, pseudo-ordered, or disordered state for as long as the external drive is applied. Each non-equilibrium state of the system can exhibit extraordinary properties with respect to the propagation of Army-relevant wavelike phenomena, including light, sound, and heat. Despite the promise of these materials, current research is largely phenomenological, and a full understanding of the interplay between the nature of the external drive(s), many-body interactions within the active material, the myriad possible end states, and the resulting physical properties is still lacking. Concerted and integrated computational and experimental efforts are still needed to develop general design rules for non-equilibrium self-assembling active materials. This solicitation seeks novel ideas for designing and realizing self-assembling systems that adopt multiple (3+), tunable non-equilibrium states by dissipating energy from a variable external drive. Changes in configuration should be accompanied by dramatic changes in the physical properties of the material (e.g., an optical, vibrational, or acoustic band gap). Theory-based computer simulations and data-driven tools like machine learning should be a primary driver towards extracting general design rules for active matter. Complementary experiments should be used to confirm theoretical predictions and refine the design rules. This research falls under section A.1.B.iii.1 of the ARO BAA, Materials Design.

POC: Dr. Evan Runnerstrom, evan.l.runnerstrom.civ@mail.mil, 919-549-4259

Questions should be directed to the relevant POCs no later than one week prior to whitepaper and proposal due dates.

mailto:evan.l.runnerstrom.civ@mail.mil