Open Period Solicitation 1_BAA Amend 01_28Sep2026.pdf

As of 20 Nov 2025

Continuing Human Enabling, Enhancing, Restoring and Sustaining (CHEERS)

Open Period Solicitation 1 – All Technical Areas

FA2384-24-S-2334

Contents

1.0 Overview Information

2.0 Full Text Announcement

2.1 Program Description

2.2 Statement of Objective/Description of Technical Areas

2.3 Deliverable Items

2.4 Schedule

2.5 Other Requirements

2.6 Science and Technology (S&T) Protection

2.7 Other Information

2.7.1 Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability

2.7.2 Base Support/ Network Access

2.7.3 Multiple awards subject to Fair Opportunity

2.7.4 Data Rights Desired

2.7.5 Military Equipment Valuation

2.7.6 Human or Animal Subject Use

2.7.7 Hazardous or Radioactive Materials

2.7.8 Ozone Depleting Substances

2.7.9 Ground Flight Testing

3.0 Award Information

4.0 Cost Sharing or Matching

4.1 Other

4.1.1 Foreign Participation

4.1.2 White Paper Limits

5.0 White Paper / Proposal and Submission Information

5.1 Overview

5.2 First Step (White Paper) Instructions

5.3 Second Step (Proposal) Instructions

6.0 White Paper / Proposal Review Information

7.0 Award Administration Information

7.1 Award Notices

8.0 Other Information

8.1 Acquisition of Commercial Items:

8.2 Representative List of Clauses

List of Attachments

Continuing Human Enabling, Enhancing, Restoring, and Sustaining (CHEERS) Multiple Authority Announcement (MAA)

Open Period 1 - 2 – Step

To access hyperlinks from this electronic solicitation – Hit CTRL and click on the link.

1.0 Overview Information

Federal Agency Name

Air Force Research Laboratory, Human Effectiveness Directorate & the United States Air Force School of Medicine (AFRL/RH &

USAFSAM)

MAA Number and Title

FA2384-24-S-2233, Continuing Human Enabling, Enhancing, Restoring, and Sustaining (CHEERS)

Applicable MAA Technical Area(s)

All Technical Areas listed under Attachment 2 and Attachment 3 of CHEERS MAA.

Solicitation Authority

• U.S.C 4001 - Federal Acquisition Regulation and it’s Supplements (FAR(S))/ FAR 35 Part 35.016 (Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs))

• U.S.C 4021 – Research Projects: Transactions other than contracts and grants (Other Transactions for Research / ARA

• U.S.C. 4022 – Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects

• 10 U.S.C. 4023 – Prcurement for Experimental Purposes (applicalble to Academic Research Agreements / ARA).

• 32 CFR Part 22 & 2 CFR Part 200 – Grants and Cooperative Agreement

Solicitation Number and Title

FA2384-24-S-2334

Open Period 1 – All Technical Areas Solicitation Type This is the Initial Solicitation Solicitation Format Open Period 2-Step Call

Step 1 White Paper Submission Due Date

WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: White papers will be accepted through 30 September 2027. Only white papers are due at this time.

Submit white papers to AFRL.711HPW.MAA@us.af.mil

Step 2 Proposal Due Date

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in the Requests for Proposals sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to meet the needs of the Air Force.

mailto:AFRL.711HPW.MAA@us.af.mil

Estimated Program Cost

TBD - Dependent upon the approach proposed. Note: Total value of all awards issued under this Open Period Solicitation will not exceed $484.73M.

Anticipated Number of Awards

TBD – The Air Force anticipates multiple awards for this solicitation. However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more contracts for all, some or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding fluctuations.

Contract/Instrument Types

TBD, but types available are Contracts, IDIQs, Grants, Cooperative Agreements, 10 U.S.C. 4021, and 10 U.S.C. 4022.

Agency Conacts

Program Manager(s):

Kelly Kaleda, AFRL/RHW, kelly.kaleda.4@us.af.mil Stacey Martens, AFRL/RHD, stacey.martens@us.af.mil Dr. Lindy Lutz, AFRL/RHB, lindy.lutz.2@us.af.mil Linda Armstrong, AFRL/USAFSAM, linda.armstrong.7@us.af.mil

Contracting Officer:

Amber Taylor, AFRL/RAKH, amber.taylor.9@us.af.mil Ashlee Green, AFRL/RAKH, ashlee.green.1@us.af.mil

Address general MAA questions as stated in paragraph 2.2 below to:

AFRL.711HPW.MAA@us.af.mil mailto:kelly.kaleda.4@us.af.mil mailto:stacey.martens@us.af.mil mailto:lindy.lutz.2@us.af.mil mailto:linda.armstrong.7@us.af.mil mailto:amber.taylor.9@us.af.mil mailto:ashlee.green.1@us.af.mil

Notice:

All terms of MAA and Industry Guide apply unless specifically addressed in Call.

2.0 Full Text Announcement

2.1 Program Description:

The Air Force Research Laboratory, Human Effectiveness Directorate (RH) and the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), is soliciting white papers (and potentially later technical and cost proposals) on the research located in the attached Statements of Objectives to the MAA.

2.2 Statement of Objective/Description of Technical Areas:

Please see all Technical Areas listed in the Statements of Objectives attached to the

CHEERS MAA.

Address technical questions to the org box listed below:

Address contracting questions to the org box listed below:

2.3 Deliverable Items:

a. Data Items: TBD

b. Software: TBD

c. Hardware: TBD

d. Other: TBD

2.4 Schedule:

a. Overall Period of Performance: TBD

b. Data Item Delivery: TBD

c. Software Delivery: TBD

d. Hardware Delivery: TBD

2.5 Other Requirements:

a. Program Security Classification: TBD – See CHEERS MAA, Section 2.7 (a) Program Security Classification for further information.

b. Export Control: TBD – See CHEERS MAA, Section 2.7 (d) Export Control for further information.

c. Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS): May apply to FAR-based awards resulting from this Solicitation. See CHEERS MAA Industry Guide, Chapter 6 for additional details.

2.6 Science and Technology (S&T) Protection and Cybersecurity:

A. AFRL S&T Protection Program Requirements:

In accordance with Air Force Research Laboratory Instruction (AFRLI) 61-113, “Science and Technology (S&T) Protection for the Air Force Research Laboratory”, offerors invited to Step 2 must submit the following as part of their formal proposal:

1. A completed initial Standard Form (SF) 424, Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form, for all Senior/Key Personnel proposed in support of the AFRLI 61-113 Personnel Risk Assessment requirement.

2. Documentation of a Security Program Plan in support of the AFRLI 61-113 Initial Institution S&T Protection Program Review requirement. This must include, at a minimum, a complete Security Program Questionnaire (provided at Step 2).

3. A completed Privacy Act Statement consent form for each Covered Individual, signed by the Applicants/Recipients as the Individual’s Sponsor.

B. DoD Cybersecurity and CMMC Requirements (DFARS/RFO and CMMC Updates)

To ensure the protection of Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on contractor systems, all offerors must comply with current Department of Defense (DoD) cybersecurity safeguarding requirements. The following clauses are incorporated by reference and apply to this solicitation and any resulting awards:

1. DFARS 252.204-7021, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Requirements: Prior to award, the successful Offeror shall have a current (i.e., not older than 3 years) CMMC certificate at the level specified in the solicitation. The Contractor shall maintain the required CMMC level for the duration of the contract.

• Note to Offerors: The specific CMMC level required (Level 1 for FCI or Level 2 for CUI) will be detailed in the individual Step 2 Request for Offer (RFO) or

RFP.

C. Gold Standard Science (GSS) Compliance:

In accordance with Executive Order 14332 and Executive Order 14303, "Restoring Gold Standard Science", all research and development assistance awards or experimental procurement agreements under 10 U.S.C. 4023/4021 (ARA) must adhere to GSS principles.

GSS is research conducted in a manner that is: (a) reproducible; (b) transparent; (c) communicative of error and uncertainty; (d) collaborative and interdisciplinary; (e) skeptical of its own findings and assumptions; (f) structured for the falsifiability of hypotheses; (g) subject to unbiased peer review; (h) accepting of negative results as positive outcomes; and (i) conducted without conflicts of interest.

Offerors submitting under this announcement must explicitly commit to GSS. A signed copy of the Gold Standard Science Compliance and Disclosure Form (found at the end of this document) must be submitted with any Step 2 Proposal.

2.7 Other Information:

2.7.1 Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability:

See CHEERS MAA, Section 2.9.1 Government Furnished Property (GFP Availability) for further information.

2.7.2 Base Support/ Network Access:

See CHEERS MAA, Section 2.9.2 Base Support/Network Access for further information.

2.7.3 Multiple awards subject to Fair Opportunity:

Not applicable.

2.7.4 Data Rights Desired:

See CHEERS MAA Industry Guide, Chapter 3 for additional details.

2.7.5 Military Equipment Valuation:

TBD - Dependent upon the approach proposed.

2.7.6 Human or Animal Subject Use:

2.7.7 Hazardous or Radioactive Materials:

TBD - Dependent upon the approach proposed.

2.7.8 Ozone Depleting Substances:

2.7.9 Ground or Flight Testing:

3.0 Award Information:

Anticipated funding: TBD - No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available.

4.0 Cost Sharing or Matching:

Cost Sharing is not required.

4.1 Other:

4.1.1 Foreign Participation:

See CHEERS MAA, Section 4.4.1 Foreign Participation for additional details.

4.1.2 White Paper Limits:

There are no limits on the number of white papers an offeror may submit. If an offeror submits multiple white papers, each white paper must provide unique approaches.

5.0 White Paper / Proposal and Submission Information:

5.1 Overview:

This Solicitation consists of a Two-Step Process described in detail below. White Papers/Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with the CHEERS MAA, the CHEERS MAA Industry Guide, and this Solicitation. The Government intends to review white papers/proposals and award some, all, or none of the proposals received without negotiation/discussion; however, the Government reserves the right to negotiate with those offeror(s) whose proposal is selected for funding.

ONLY WHITE PAPERS ARE BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

5.2 First Step (White Paper) Instructions:

See CHEERS MAA, Industry Guide Chapter 4.

5.3 Second Step (Proposal) Instructions:

See CHEERS MAA, Industry Guide Chapter 4. Any deviations from the CHEERS MAA Industry Guide will be identified in the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued to those offerors who have submitted White Papers identified as further interest to AFRL.

6.0 White Paper / Proposal Review Information:

See CHEERS MAA, Industry Guide Chapter 5.

6.1 Evaluation Process

Consistent with EO 14332 and DoD regulations, a structured two-step evaluation process will be used.

Step 1: Initial Screening (Go/No-Go Criteria)

Proposals must meet the following baseline requirements to proceed to full evaluation:

1. GSS Commitment: Proposal demonstrates success in implementing Gold Standard Science and explicitly commits to GSS administration policies.

2. Demonstratable Results: Proposal outlines clear benchmarks for measuring success to accelerate delivery of emerging human-enabling technologies to the warfighter.

3. Cost/Price Realism: Evaluation of the proposed budget to ensure costs are reasonable, allocable, and realistic for the proposed effort.

4. Prohibited Content Check: The project does not fund, promote, or facilitate: (a) racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination; (b) denial of the sex binary in humans; (c) illegal immigration; or (d) initiatives compromising public safety or promoting anti-American values.

Step 2: Full Evaluation/Review (Selection Criteria)

Applications that pass the initial screening will receive a comprehensive peer/scientific review using a “weight of scientific evidence” approach:

1. Technical Merits: Assessment of the scientific and technical quality, innovation, and feasibility of the proposed work.

2. Potential Relationship to DoW Missions: Relevance and potential contribution of the research to Department of War and DAF mission objectives.

3. Cost/Price Realism: Evaluation of the proposed budget to ensure costs are reasonable, allocable, and realistic for the proposed effort.

4. Risk Assessments: Pre-award S&T Protection and cybersecurity risk assessments in accordance with 2 CFR 200.206.

7.0 Award Administration Information:

7.1 Award Notices:

An email response will be sent notifying offerors that their white paper has been received.

Offerors will be notified of the disposition of their white paper. Please note: 180 days is a notional timeframe for a white paper to be reviewed and could be longer based on the government white paper review cycle. Those offerors submitting white papers assessed as meeting Air Force needs will be asked to submit a technical and cost proposal. An offeror submitting a proposal without first submitting a white paper will not be eligible for an award. The cost of preparing white papers in response to this Solicitation is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205- 18.

8.0 Other Information:

8.1 Acquisition of Commercial Items:

Based upon market research, the Government is not using the policies contained in FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in this solicitation, unless a specific commercial product or service is proposed under the 10 U.S.C 3458 authority.

8.2 Representative List of Clauses

Attachment 1, Representative List of Provisions and Clauses is provided for informational purposes. The RFO-based contracts, standard DFARS cybersecurity and CMMC clauses apply in full. For assistance instruments (grants/cooperative agreements), the DoD R&D General Terms and Conditions and AFRL Addendum govern the award.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Representative List of Provisions and Clauses

2. Gold Standard Science (GSS) Compliance and Disclosure Form (Included below)

Gold Standard Science (GSS) Compliance and Disclosure Form

A. Background and Authority

This document is required for any institution applying for federal financial assistance or participating in an Academic Research Agreement (ARA) under 10 U.S.C. 4023. Its purpose is to ensure that all applicants understand and commit to the principles of "Gold Standard Science" (GSS) as mandated by Executive Order 14332 ("Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking") and Executive Order 14303 ("Restoring Gold Standard Science").

Failure to provide this signed disclosure with a Step 2 proposal will result in the immediate rejection of your application.

B. Definition of Gold Standard Science

Per EO 14303, GSS is research conducted in a manner that is:

• Reproducicble

• Transparent

• Communicative of error and uncertainty

• Collaborative and interdisciplinary

• Skeptical of its own findings and assumptions

• Structured for the falsifiability of hypotheses

• Subject to unbiased peer review

• Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes

• Conducted without conflicts of interest

C. Acknowledgement and Consent

By signing below, I, the authorized representative of the institution named, hereby acknowledge and certify that:

1. I have read and understood the definition of Gold Standard Science as outlined above.

2. The institution and all key personnel involved in the proposed project will adhere to all administration policies, procedures, and guidance respecting Gold Standard Science in the execution of this project if funded.

3. I understand that providing this consent is a mandatory prerequisite for award, and failure to comply during performance may result in termination for cause.

Proposal Title: ___________________________________________

Institution Name: __________________________________________

Authorized Representative Signature: __________________________

Printed Name & Title: ________________________________________

Date: ________