Industry Day_Q and A_FY25_Final for SAM.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED – APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

STRATEGIC TRENDS RESEARCH INITIATIVE

FY 2025 RESEARCH TOPIC INFORMATION SESSION

(RTIS, OR “INDUSTRY DAY”)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Broad Agency Announcement HDTRA1-24-S-0003 Amendment 03 Strategic Trends Office

Disclaimer: The FY25-29 Strategic Trends Research Initiative Broad Agency Announcement solicits white papers for potential future international dialogues, analytical studies, and other research projects and directly supports DTRA’s mission 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.

FY25 RTIS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS UNCLASSIFIED

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thrust Areas and Priority Topics

Government Call versus Broad Agency Announcement

Contracting Details

Funding Levels

White Paper Submission and Evaluation

Project Team Organization

Emerging CWMD Researcher Qualifications

Foreign Participation in Research

Miscellaneous

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THRUST AREAS AND PRIORITY TOPICS

Question: Are topic areas for Thrust Area 3 limited to the topics provided in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Amendment 01, or can topics be drawn from Thrust Area 2 priority areas that are adjusted to fit the scope/scale/capabilities of a junior countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) researcher?

Answer: There is no prohibition on this; however, the scope/scale/capabilities element of Thrust Area 3 is very important. If you are confident that you can use a topic from the Thrust Area 2 list and provide the appropriate scope as a Thrust Area 3 project, that would be fine. If you are including a junior researcher who is not well-versed in the CWMD community and/or well-versed in research, we want her/him to be able to succeed. This topic list in BAA Amendment 01 is not intended as an exhaustive list.

Question: Are all three thrust areas looking only for studies?

Answer: Not exactly. Every project, regardless of thrust area, is required to produce a technical report as a deliverable at the end of the project, accompanied by an executive summary. The overall characteristics of the project must align with one of the three thrust areas. Regardless of the thrust area, the technical report and executive summary at the conclusion of the project will be a requirement.

Question: Between the BAA and its amendments, there appear to be different lists for Thrust Area 2 topics.

Can you please clarify the Thrust Area 2 topics?

Answer: In the BAA, we outline general areas of research interest for the portfolio—these interests are enduring throughout the life of the BAA. However, we release specific priority research interests on at least an annual basis in the form of BAA amendments. Please refer to Amendment 01, which we posted to SAM.gov on August 2, 2024; it provides more specific, detailed topics that are of priority interest to us for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 research cycle.

GOVERNMENT CALL VERSUS BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Question: Where can the special requirements be found for the Government Call for University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)?

Answer: The Government Call is a separate, shorter document. It is also posted with the BAA on SAM.gov and it corresponds with the BAA language. We encourage you to read both documents.

CONTRACTING DETAILS

Question: Does the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) prefer cost plus or fixed price contracts?

Answer: All Strategic Trends Research Initiative (STRI) contracts are firm fixed price for labor but cost plus for travel costs and other direct costs. We intend to continue using this hybrid award type under the new

BAA.

Question: You mentioned that the base period of performance is 12 months, but in previous years there has been preference for shorter periods, such as 9 months. Is that the case?

Answer: A shorter period of performance is permissible as long as it is justified in the white paper and the research can realistically be performed in a quality manner in a shorter time frame. If 9 months works better for the offeror and includes a clear plan for accomplishing the research in 9 months versus 12 months, the Strategic Trends Office (SI-ST) is open to that but does not have a preference one way or the other. Please note that we have had a history of other studies and dialogues aiming for shorter periods of performance that have needed no-cost extensions to complete the work.

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FUNDING LEVELS

Question: Because we are in an election year, budget levels might change. Do you have a sense of your ability to fund projects over the next 12 months?

Answer: We do not anticipate any major changes. The one factor that might impact funding timelines is the potential of a Continuing Resolution (CR). We do not expect impacts to the size, scope, and scale of the STRI program, but all STRI projects are subject to the availability of funds.

WHITE PAPER SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION

Question: Can you provide clarification on the deliverables that we should include in the white paper submission?

Answer: We will require the same core set of deliverables in both the BAA and Government Call (please refer to BAA Section IV.C.3). However, it is not out of the question that we might request additional deliverables in an award negotiation. One required deliverable for all projects will be monthly progress reports, which DTRA needs for auditing and invoicing purposes.

Question: Will the prime be allowed to submit more than one white paper to cover numerous topic areas?

Answer: There are no specific limits on the number of white papers that a principal investigator (PI) and/or organization can submit. We will review any white papers that we receive. However, SI-ST reserves the right to assess whether a PI can realistically perform multiple projects simultaneously.

Question: What would be the expected timeline for the completion of white paper assessment?

Answer: We cannot provide an exact timeframe, but we are aiming to be much quicker than last year when we were under various constraints. This is dependent on how many white papers we receive, manpower available, and other office taskings. CRs made funding unavailable in fall 2024, which lengthened our timeline. We are aiming to be more prompt than last year.

Question: How long after white paper submission can we expect to hear back on whether or not we should move to full proposal submission (and what would be the turnaround time for that proposal)?

Answer: White papers received by the priority review deadline (11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, September 18, 2024) will receive priority processing. Anything received after that date will be queued for review in the order it is received. We will process the white papers promptly but cannot anticipate the exact date of completion. This is mainly due to the uncertainty surrounding how many white papers we receive. We intend to send request for proposal (RFP) notices as soon as we are able to do so. As a general practice, we allow offerors one month after notification to submit a proposal.

PROJECT TEAM ORGANIZATION

Question: For Thrust Area 2, would it be acceptable to partner with U.S. military personnel?

Answer: This depends on the exact arrangement. Active U.S. Military and Government employees may not receive compensation to work on this U.S. Government-contracted effort as part of their normal duties.

Outside employment arrangements may be possible as long as it does not interfere with normal duties, does not create a security concern, and U.S. Government (USG) personnel file the appropriate financial disclosures. DoD personnel working “outside activities” may not represent the Federal Government during that activity. Personnel in fellowships (e.g., SkillBridge) may be allowed to work on the proposed project and may require a finding from General Counsel on conflicts of interest. Military and Government personnel should be aware of perceived conflicts of interest and the General Counsel may require additional

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restrictions after they return to service. Please see https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/DoD-Personnel/Ethics- Topics-for-DoD-Personnel/Outside-Activities/ for more specific prohibitions on DoD personnel. Direct other concerns about outside activities to an ethics official.

Question: Are there any restrictions on whether organizations could employ a retired DTRA employee as a consultant on a project if they are currently consulting for DTRA in other capacities?

Answer: All DTRA Advisory and Assistance Support contracts (A&AS) have the 252.209-9000 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) clause incorporated in them that provides restrictions to the Prime and its Sub- Contractors. The potential employee would be obligated to engage with their employer to receive an understanding of the terms and conditions of the contract they are supporting and to receive clearance from that employer and the awarding Contracting Officer before opting to participate in this BAA in any capacity.

DTRA cannot provide you with an opinion or information regarding a hiring decision. However, you may consider asking the former DTRA employee for an ethics advisory opinion, which would detail the former employee’s post-government employment restrictions. The former employee can contact DTRA’s ethics counselor, Kelly McGovern, at Kelly.L.McGovern.civ@mail.mil if he/she would like to request an opinion.

Question: If we have DoD members working with us as part of the SkillBridge program, are they allowed to contribute?

Answer: SkillBridge participants must avoid conflicts of interest because placement is a financial interest to that partner company. Per 18USC208, participants will not be able to take official DoD/Service actions that would affect the Partner Company. SkillBridge participants may not represent the partner company to the DoD/Service and cannot represent DoD/Service interests back to the partner company. All SkillBridge participants should be familiar with the DoD Standards of Conduct Office (SOCO) guidance for seeking employment and gift acceptance (available at https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/) and adhere to service-specific ethics standards. For ethics related questions, he or she should consult with his or her command's designated ethics counselor, contact a Regional Legal Service Office (RLSO) legal assistance attorney, or refer to his/her Office of General Counsel (OGC) for guidance.

EMERGING CWMD RESEARCHER QUALIFICATIONS

Question: For Thrust Area 3, is DTRA amenable to involving an emerging CWMD researcher in a project, but not as a PI? For example, if the emerging researcher is not quite prepared to lead a project, can they be involved as a “researcher” or “co-PI?” Or is the thought for this thrust area specifically to allow an emerging researcher to be the PI?

Answer: The aim of Thrust Area 3 is to allow novice researchers to lead their own projects. SI-ST is not categorically opposed to a more junior researcher serving as a co-PI on other projects in other thrust areas, but please keep in mind that one of the white paper evaluation criteria is the qualifications of key research team members.

Question: Can I [as an employee of a professional military education institution] offer to be a senior mentor to a junior researcher within the USG in need of a mentor? Is there some sort of matching service envisioned in the third thrust area?

Answer: Theoretically, that would be acceptable. There is no matching service. If you are at an educational organization with students, you can partner with a student to submit a white paper.

Question: Are there specific criteria for PIs to qualify as an "emerging CWMD researcher" (e.g., less than 5 years’ experience)?

https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/DoD-Personnel/Ethics-Topics-for-DoD-Personnel/Outside-Activities/ https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/DoD-Personnel/Ethics-Topics-for-DoD-Personnel/Outside-Activities/ https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/

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Answer: We have not made specifications to that level of detail to avoid putting artificial requirements on the position. Please review the guidance in the BAA. We encourage you to think of this thrust area as an educational opportunity for the emerging researcher(s).

FOREIGN PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH

Question: Can a PI be a citizen of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally (e.g., Denmark)?

Answer: Yes, a PI can be a citizen of a U.S. treaty ally country.

MISCELLANEOUS

Question: When and where will the Industry Day slides be posted?

Answer: We will post the slides on SAM.gov in the same folder with the BAA and Government Call. We will notify the Industry Day attendees via email once these have been posted.

Question: Can you purchase software or hardware for research during the project?

Answer: In general, no. Software or hardware purchases would need to be approved by the DTRA Chief Information Officer. This is typically not a part of our projects. For example, purchase of test articles for research purposes would not fall within the scope of STRI.

Question: For Thrust Area 2, will DTRA consider proposals for using existing models/simulations for analytical purposes and that do not propose any new model development work?

Answer: Theoretically, yes. We have used specific developed software as a part of understanding how greater knowledge of weapons of mass destruction changes concepts and approaches. But DTRA is not aiming to use STRI projects to validate models and simulations.

Question: How has the Strategic Trends Office incorporated observations and trends analysis generated from other USG agencies with U.S. Code responsibilities as well as allies and partners for CWMD/Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense?

Answer: We have relationships across the U.S. interagency community and Combatant Commands. We consult with them, learn what they are learning, and coordinate with other research offices to ensure that we are not duplicating effort as we solicit our own research. We want to ensure we are spending funds wisely and prioritizing knowledge gaps in the countering-WMD community. If selected as a STRI performer, we are amenable to your conducting similar outreach as a part of your project, but we also aim to do it on our end. One of our main goals is to ensure we are building knowledge progressively, year after year, and awareness of other CWMD community projects and U.S. Government activities is part of that. Multiple year contracts are encouraged where offerors can show a logical knowledge “build” from year to year.

Question: For the international dialogues, is there a preference for multilateral versus bilateral?

Answer: This depends on the project concept, research objectives, and approach. We are open to either but ask that the need for multilateral or bilateral dialogues be justified in the white paper.