10 NOV STRI Industry Day Slides - Amended.pdf

Deter. Prevent. Prevail.

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

November 10, 2022 Strategic Trends and Effects Department (SI-ST)

UNCLASSIFIED—APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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STRI Research Topic Information Session

Virtual Etiquette

• General

• Camera/video use when speaking is optional but preferred

• Keep chat box open for notifications and questions

• Participant microphones will be muted except during Q&A segments

• If you get disconnected, simply rejoin (no need to leave a message in chat)

• Asking Questions

• Speakers will answer questions at specific points in the presentation

• Use the “raise your hand” feature or post a question in the chat box

• Questions posted in the chat box will be answered with a reply in the chat box

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Agenda

This “industry day” serves as a mechanism to share information about DTRA Strategic Trends’ FY23 applied research requirements and specific topics of interest as outlined in HDTRA1-22-S-0004 BAA and Amendment 4 and the associated government call. The submission process and related requirements will also be explained.

• Welcome/introductions

• Short DTRA overview

• SI-STT and STRI overview

• Research interests and thrusts discussion

• Eligibility, submission process, and awards

• White paper technical evaluation process and criteria

• General Q&A

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DTRA OVERVIEW

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

DTRA provides cross-cutting solutions to enable the DoD, the United States Government, and international partners to DETER strategic attack against the United States and its allies; PREVENT, reduce, and counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and emerging threats; and PREVAIL against WMD-armed adversaries in crisis and conflict.

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Overlapping and Complementary DTRA’s Dual Role as a Defense and Combat Support Agency

DTRA serves two distinct yet highly integrated and complementary roles as both a Defense Agency and Combat Support Agency

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Defense Agency

In this more strategic role, we work to reduce global WMD and emerging threats by deterring would-be adversaries’ acquisition and use of such materials. We support key DoD policy and priorities through cross-Service, Department-wide programs such as nuclear assurance, treaty support, and building partner capacity.

Combat Support Agency

In this more operational role, DTRAworks to identify, develop, and field solutions to counter WMD and emerging threats, leveraging our unique capabilities and expertise in direct support of Joint Staff and Combatant Command (CCMD) requirements.

Strategic Priorities and Core Functions

Aligned to the National Defense Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review, and other DoD strategic documents, DTRA plans, programs, and executes operations, activities, and initiatives in pursuit of DTRA’s strategic priorities across five core functions

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Director’s Initiatives

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To address pressing problems requiring special attention, Director Hersman has commenced four agency-wide strategic initiatives:

• Strengthen future arms control

• Prepare for WMD crisis events

• Adapt to the information environment

• Build the workforce of the future

Threat-Based Solutions Around the World

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Counter asymmetric and emerging threat networks through border surveillance and CBRN interdiction

Understand the nexus between strategic competition and WMD threats

Consolidate and secure WMD-related systems and materials

Provide 24/7 technical reachback to advise incident managers and assist in forensic analysis

Conduct force protection and vulnerability assessments of national and allied infrastructure

Support partner nations in developing counter-WMD capabilities

Provide tailored chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear education and training to U.S. forces

Develop a global biosurveillance network to detect outbreaks of especially dangerous diseases

Eliminate declared WMD Stockpiles

Provide critical PPE to laboratory technicians and healthcare workers on the COVID frontlines

SI-STT AND STRI OVERVIEW

Department & Division Missions

The Strategic Trends and Effects Department (SI-ST) identifies future challenges for DTRA regarding emerging threats, provides advice regarding mitigation approaches, and assesses the collective effects of DTRA’s operations, activities, and investments (OAIs) within the operating environment.

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Generate operationally relevant, timely, credible, actionable insights into emerging threats within DTRA’s WMD and Emerging Threats mission space. Enable and guide warfighter understanding of the range of military operations in an evolving battlespace.

Activities: Research, Strategy, Trends Analysis, Events, Tabletop Exercises

[Strategic Trends Division, STT]

Two primary responsibilities:

Provide DTRA leadership with independent analysis and assessments of Agency capabilities (programs) to maximize strategic effects and mitigate risk.

Activities: Operational Research and Statistical Analysis, Program Evaluations

[Strategic Effects Division, STE]

Strategic Trends Division (SI-STT)

• Warfighting challenges related to WMD and emerging threats

• Competition below threshold of armed conflict (includes acute competition)

• Five to 10 years beyond the current fiscal year of execution

• Alignment to national strategic guidance and DTRA Strategy

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Capability/technology focus areas relevant to DTRA’s mission:

Advances in chemical and biological agents

Militarization of space

Advances in missile technology and hypersonic weapons

Advances in manufacturing

Advances in unmanned/ autonomous systems

Advances in non-traditional CBRN delivery systems

Advances in artificial intelligence/machine learning

Advances in Cyber/ digital technology

Application of directed energy weapons

Advances in nuclear technology

Strategic Trends Research Initiative (pronounced “STORY”)

Focus: Deliver operationally relevant, credible, timely, and actionable research (insights and recommendations) for DTRA and the warfighter community

Intent: Help inform future operations, activities, and investments to mitigate/eliminate future threats/challenges, especially in areas relevant to the DTRA mission

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• Focuses on weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, biological, radiological) emerging WMD threats, enabling or disruptive technologies, and associated challenges

• Provides clear and concise analytic products tailored to a primarily USG audience from midlevel to senior personnel with diverse expertise and a range of interests

• Priority Order: DTRA, DoD, Interagency, and (as appropriate) allies and partners, research community

• Prioritizes year-after-year advancement and cross-pollination across projects

• Encompasses primarily UNCLASSIFIED studies, strategic dialogues, and tabletop exercises (classified work can be undertaken in some circumstances)

RESEARCH INTEREST AND THRUSTS

STRI Thrust Areas

NOTE: Please identify the thrust that aligns best to your proposed project; submit to one thrust ONLY

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Thrust Area 1:

WMD-relevant Track 1.5 and Track 2 strategic dialogues

Thrust Area 2:

WMD-relevant research studies to characterize the future battlespace

(5 to 10 years from present)

Methodologies

• Tabletop exercises no longer comprise a separate thrust area, but they can be included as a methodology/approach in study and dialogue projects

• DTRA will not prioritize projects that feature one methodology over another; evaluations will be based on fit for problem/research objective

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Thrust Area 1: WMD-Relevant Track 1.5 and Track 2 Strategic Dialogues (Definitions)

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Definitions

Track 1.5/2 Definition: Unofficial, bilateral, or multilateral meetings that provide an opportunity for American experts to discuss important, and sometimes sensitive, strategic issues with foreign counterparts in a private, open environment, outside of official diplomatic channels (Track 1)

Track Environment Official Government Participation

Non-Government/ Expert Participation

1 Official Yes No

1.5 Unofficial Yes (in private capacities) Yes

2 Unofficial No, but can include a limited number of observers Yes

Thrust Area 1: Definitions, continued

• Meetings must be international. However, expert roundtables or working groups that involve non-U.S. participants may not always meet the STRI definition of a dialogue (Consider Thrust Area 2 for projects intended to elicit feedback on draft analytic products)

• Track 1.5s must include an appropriate number of officials (seek balance/parity)

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Track 2 Strategic Dialogues (Priorities)

Thrust Area 1 FY23 Fall Priorities

• Address defense and military-relevant challenges related to:

• China, Russia, North Korea, and/or Iran

• S&T research relevant to WMD/non-traditional CBRN threats

• Escalation management (WMD use/conflict termination post-employment)

• Extended and integrated deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and/or Europe

• Involve three or more countries that possess shared security objectives and/or threat considerations, can plausibly work together, and are willing to engage with the United States on defense/military issues (including WMD)

• Cover DTRA-relevant topics not sufficiently addressed in other dialogues

• Address future of WMD-related technological development, WMD deterrence, and employment response in crisis/conflict

• Capstone, “large” multilateral dialogue to support U.S. Indo-Pacific coalition building on topics outlined above

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Track 2 Strategic Dialogues (Reminders)

Reminders

• Must identify proposed countries with justification in each white paper. DTRA will not dictate participating countries but has key interests:

• Mix of Indo-Pacific and European participants

• Mix of allies, traditional partners, non-traditional partners, non-aligned

• Must include a primary, concerted focus on WMD and related topics (address any participant-related obstacles in white paper)

• Discussions of technology transfer should focus on regional stability/security aspects, not economics, trade, or commerce

• Dialogues require substantial coordination with DTRA (and potentially other stakeholders) on research questions, agenda, and participant identification

• Meeting(s) are not the primary output. Dialogue is a mechanism to answer research questions. Expected output is the analysis of the dialogue findings

Thrust Area 2: WMD-Relevant Research Studies to Characterize the Future Battlespace (5-10 Years from Present)

Thrust Area 2 FY23 Fall Priorities

• Explore China’s and Russia’s development of strategic capabilities challenging U.S. operations in key strategic regions

• Address intersection of WMD-relevant topics and multi-domain warfare;

including emerging disruptive technologies

• Characterize future battlefield environments

• Illuminate adversary intentions and strategies

• Address future challenges, considerations, and implications

• Provide recommendations related to risk reduction, arms control, and counter-proliferation

Thrust Area 2: WMD-Relevant Research Studies to Characterize the Future Battlespace (5 to 10 Years from Present)

General Guidance

• Studies can involve workshops, SME interviews, scenario-based exercises, table top exercises, or all of above if integrated

• Studies that rely extensively on access to SMEs should consider personnel availability due to schedule conflict(s); offer risk mitigation measures in white paper

• Study submissions should detail availability/access to information to complete work

Additional Considerations

• STRI is not looking for:

• Mining existing data or summarizing insights from the extant literature base (literature reviews can be incorporated into broader analytic efforts)

• Requirements to purchase data subscriptions or tools

• Development of:

• Databases, datasets, manipulation tools

• Software, models, simulations

• Hardware and/or technologies

• Research primarily focused on:

• Economics/commerce issues

• Issues where Interagency (rather than DoD) takes lead

• Other threat domains beyond DTRA’s core WMD mission (focus on nexus)

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Additional Considerations, continued

• Planning and execution of an event:

• Projects must incorporate broader analytic activities

• Two-fold output desired: event interactions/discussion and post-event analysis

• Policy recommendations:

• We do not prioritize research that is primarily focused on the policy realm

• We will entertain limited policy recommendations insofar that DTRA has equities in that policy area (i.e., CBRN and WMD topics) and normally advocates for changes to policy/guidance through normal advisory activities

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Deliverables

All projects have the same core deliverables; additions to this list should be identified as tasks in Statement of Research Work (report/EXSUM templates will be provided)

• External Publications:

• DTRA must receive and approve deliverables prior to external publication

• Consult SI-STT prior to publishing findings resulting from the research in any academic journals, media outlets, or online forums, including websites

• Public facing reports are not acceptable substitutes for the final technical report

• DTRA will notify the researcher of any required public release processes

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Monthly technical and financial progress reports

Briefings:

kickoff, midpoint progress review, and end of project (outbrief)

Final closeout report

Draft and final 12-15 page technical report (not including appendices/ TOC/covers)

Corresponding 1-3 page standalone executive summary

ELIGIBILITY, SUBMISSION PROCESS, AND

AWARDS

Organizational Eligibility

Broad Agency Announcement:

• U.S.-based industrial and commercial entities, including small businesses

• Accredited, degree-granting public and private colleges and universities in the United States

• U.S.-based, not-for-profit research organizations, including think tanks

Government Call: U.S. professional military educational institutions, U.S. military laboratories and research centers, and other federally-affiliated research institutions that are precluded from submitting to a BAA

• University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) unless precluded by contract (submit sponsor authorization)

• Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including U.S. Department of

Energy National Laboratories, unless precluded by contract (submit sponsor authorization)

• Foreign research organizations in U.S. treaty ally countries (specifically NATO members, Japan, Australia, and South Korea) provided they meet requirements to receive a U.S. Government contract award (non-Government only)

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Citizenship Requirements

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Personnel Requirements Principal Investigator Limited to:

• U.S. citizens

• U.S. green card holders

• Citizens of U.S. treaty ally countries (specifically NATO members, Japan, Australia, and South Korea) Subordinate Team Members

May include non-U.S. citizens from ally or partner nations

Two Phase Submission Process

BAA and amendments provide full instruction regarding submission guidelines (SAM.gov);

Government Call highlights specific requirements for this community

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Phase I – White Paper submission

• Consists of a cover page, technical concept, and cost estimate (single attachment)

• Shall not exceed 10 pages or 5 MB of storage space

• Send via email; papers uploaded to submission sites will not be considered

• Do not email the same paper to multiple addresses; select one thrust area

• Do not include multiple papers in the same email

• Must be unclassified Phase II – Proposal submission (after written acceptance of white paper)

• Consists of four attachments: technical proposal, cost proposal, draft Statement of Research Work in provided template (SoRW), and supplemental information

• Shall not exceed 10 MB

• Must be unclassified https://sam.gov/content/home

Contact and Submission Emails

Thrust Area 1: Dialogues dtra.belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-ta1@mail.mil Thrust Area 2: Studies dtra.belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-ta2@mail.mil

• Do NOT send the papers to any individual DTRA email addresses or cc DTRA personnel on the submissions

• Refer all questions to the email address below. Do NOT email questions directly to any DTRA personnel or call them for advice

Administrative correspondence and questions:

dtra.belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-adm@mail.mil

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mailto:dtra.belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-ta1@mail.mil mailto:dtra.belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-ta2@mail.mil mailto:dtra.belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-adm@mail.mil

Dates to Remember

This DTRA BAA is open-ended, but for priority FY23 fall funding consideration, please note the following review periods:

• DTRA accepts submissions on a rolling basis, but utilizes priority review periods

• White papers received after 11:59 PM (EST) on the specified dates will be evaluated, but not until after evaluation of other timely submissions is complete

• DTRA will not consider submissions that begin FY 2024 (start after October 1, 2023) during this review period; consult SAM.gov for future amendments

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Project Type/Thrust Review Begins Strategic Dialogues (Thrust Area 1) Tuesday, December 6, 2022 Studies (Thrust Area 2) Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Award Type, Period of Performance, and Option Periods

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Award Types

Contracts MIPRs Interagency Orders

Period of Performance and Option Periods Period of Performance (PoP)

• Base shall not exceed 12 months; if option periods proposed, total PoP shall not exceed 36 months

• All projects, regardless of type, have the same PoP requirements Option Periods • DTRA will consider up to two option periods if proposed, but reserves the right to award contracts without option periods

• All submissions will be evaluated equally whether or not they include option periods. If proposing option periods:

• State what will be accomplished in each

• Explain the need/additional benefit to Government

• Detail costs associated with each option period

• Deliverables must be submitted at the end of each period (base or option period)

Multiple Submissions and/or Awards

• There is no limit to how many white papers a single organization or researcher can submit. However, do not submit the same white paper to more than one thrust area

• Applicants interested in pursuing a research effort that includes multiple activities that require similar or overlapping analysis should consider proposing a single white paper and, if requested, proposal

• DTRA reserves the right to request that related white papers involving the same Principal Investigator be combined into a single proposal for funding consideration

NOTE: Principal investigators currently completing STRI projects should refer to the BAA and Amendment 4 for specific guidelines on the pursuit of “multiple, distinct projects”

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WHITE PAPER TECHNICAL EVALUATION PROCESS

AND CRITERIA

White Paper Review Process

Review Process:

• Topic-specific Technical Evaluation Panel: Government/Military Only

• Feedback will be provided via email in writing

• Requests for additional feedback (including meetings/phone calls) will not be considered

DTRA reserves the right to forgo a technical evaluation, IF submission:

• Does not include required information

• Is not formatted properly

• Comprises only capability statements

• Comprises list of potential projects an organization could undertake

• Offers an analytic approach for an unidentified research topic

• Simply restates thrust area or topics

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White Paper Technical Evaluation Criteria

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Baseline Criteria: Additional Criteria:

If one or more not met, paper will be categorized as “unsuccessful”

All must be met to be considered “successful”

• Applicability to DTRA mission

• Applicability to DTRA SI-STT mission

• Potential of research output to provide additional value to DTRA and DoD

• Alignment with proposed research thrust

• Problem statement is well-conceived and informed by an understanding of USG and DoD priorities and strategy

• Proposed technical approach is suitable to address the specified problem

• Qualified organization and the proposed PI to perform the research based on evidence of appropriate knowledge, experience, and capabilities

Contact information:

dtra.Belvoir.si.mbx.hdtra1-stri-adm@mail.mil