HDTRA125S0001_B Topics Release_Final_Amendment3.pdf

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 1

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

HDTRA1-25-S-0001

Amendment 3

Posted January 22, 2026

Research and Development Directorate (RD) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department (RD-CB)

Fundamental Research to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (C-WMD)

Original Posting Date: 1 October 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION NO. PAGE NO.

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

1. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

2. AWARD INFORMATION

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

6. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

7. AGENCY CONTACTS

8. OTHER INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT 1: SPECIFIC TOPICS

ATTACHMENT 2: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

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OVERVIEW INFORMATION

Agency Name:

Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Research and Development (RD) Directorate Chemical and Biological Technologies Department (CB) 8725 John J. Kingman Road, MS 6201 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201 Funding Opportunity Title: Fundamental Research to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (FRCWMD) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Announcement Type: This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity. This BAA is in effect from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2034. It is anticipated that a majority of the actions funded from this announcement will be in the form of grants; however, other instruments such as cooperative agreements (CAs) or other transactions (OTs) for research may also be awarded from this announcement. No contracts will be awarded from this announcement. Submissions for this BAA may occur in two ways: 1) in response to the published topics detailed in Attachment 1 or 2) to a general thrust area as described in Section 1.5.

In general, all topic-specific and general thrust area submissions require pre-coordination in accordance with the guidelines in Section 1.5 and Section 4.2.1. DTRA reserves the right to waive the pre-coordination requirement for topics on a case-by-case basis; and will state the waiver applies within the individual topic description. If a pre-application white paper is received without prior coordination, DTRA may not review it. From the date of the disposition email the applicant has 45 calendar days to submit the pre-application white paper. If the submission is not feasible within this 45 calendar day window, the abstract must be coordinated again to ensure the interest in the white paper remains.

The evaluation of all submissions will be conducted in two phases. Phase I is for receipt and evaluation of pre-application white papers in direct response to a published topic or by invitation based on the assessment of the idea by the Technical POC. Phase II is for receipt and evaluation of invited proposal applications. Invitation to the Phase II, invited proposal submission, will be based on the evaluation results of the Phase I pre-application white paper.

Funding Opportunity Number: HDTRA1-25-S-0001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 12.351 Dates: This BAA is open continuously from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2034.

Published topics will include instructions on any topic-specific opening and closing dates as well as any topic-specific limitations on award types, dollar values, and eligibility. Submissions to a general thrust area may occur at any time this BAA is in effect. Applicants should take care to note requirements for pre-coordination of an abstract.

ADDITIONAL OVERVIEW CONTENT

Research, educational program, or other effort proposals are sought from accredited degree-granting colleges and universities. Research, educational program, or other effort proposals are also sought from industrial, commercial (including small businesses), and not-for-profit research entities. DTRA strongly encourages and may give preference to pre-application white papers

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 4 and proposals that demonstrate a significant contribution (significant is defined as a minimum of 30% of total value) by one (1) or more universities.

All submissions (pre-application white papers and invited proposals) must be made in accordance with the submission instructions in this BAA through www.grants.gov using the application packages linked with this BAA (under the “Package” tab) on www.grants.gov.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring compliant and final submission of their pre-application white papers and proposal applications. Any submission that does not conform to the requirements outlined in the BAA and in the invitation for proposal may not be reviewed or considered further at the discretion of DTRA.

Pre-application white papers may be evaluated any time after receipt. Invitations for full proposal submission may occur any time after the pre-application white paper evaluation and will be limited to available program funds.

Efforts may be proposed for up to five (5) years. Awards may be for a base period of one (1) year with four (4) additional years as possible options, a base period of two (2) years with three

(3) additional years as possible options, or a base period of three (3) years with two (2) additional years as possible options. Applicants should take care to propose the most logical mix of base and option years for the scope of work. Further, the base period should yield a logical completion point for the work. In cases where option years are proposed, decisions regarding exercising those options will be based on the evaluation of the work accomplished in the base period. Pre-application white papers and proposals that outline scope and effort for only the base period and do not propose options are also acceptable; however, the Government reserves the right to invite option years for awards that originally only included a base period.

Grants may range from small dollar value (e.g., $25K) up to $1M annually (total, including both direct and indirect costs) depending on the nature and the scope of work. Payments on grants will be made in advance, subject to the conditions described in 2 CFR 200.305. Funding amounts for CAs, and other assistance instruments will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Thirty 30 individual awards are anticipated each year.

Any assistance instrument awarded under this announcement will be governed by the award terms and conditions, which conform to DoD's implementation of OMB circulars applicable to financial assistance. This includes DoD implementation of OMB guidance in 2 CFR part 200, "Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards."

http://www.grants.gov/

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1. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1.1. DTRA safeguards America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and provides capabilities to reduce, eliminate, and counter the threat and effects from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives. DTRA seeks to identify, adopt, and adapt emerging, existing, and revolutionary sciences that may demonstrate high payoff potential to Counter-WMD (C-WMD) threats. This BAA is an extramural endeavor that combines the fundamental research, educational program, or other effort needs appropriate for basic or applied research funding of DTRA and other DoD interests.

This announcement solicits ideas and topic-based pre-application white papers for long-term challenges that offer a significant contribution: to the current body of knowledge, to the understanding of phenomena and observable facts, to significantly advance revolutionary technology, to new concepts for technology application, or that may have impact on future C- WMD threat reduction, expertise, or capabilities.

A portion of this effort is expected to be devoted to awards for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education programs with a C-WMD focus, such as, but not limited to postdoctoral fellowships, stipends, degrees, visiting scientist programs, student exchange programs, and development of accredited C-WMD curricula.

1.2. Fundamental research means basic and applied research in science and engineering, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the scientific community, as distinguished from proprietary research and from industrial development, design, production, and product utilization, the results of which ordinarily are restricted for proprietary or national security reasons.

Fundamental Research includes research performed under grants, CAs, or OTs that are (a) funded by budget Category 6.1 (Basic Research), whether performed by universities or industry or (b) funded by budget Category 6.2 (Applied Research) performed on-campus at a university.

Fundamental research provides for science and technology (S&T) research and early applied development. It seeks to lower performance risk to a manageable level and facilitate transition and funding to capability end-state programs.

1.3. Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) provide a systematic metric/measurement system that supports assessments of the maturity of a particular technology and the consistent comparison of maturity between different types of technology. Fundamental research may be defined within the first four (4) TRLs.

1.4. This BAA seeks optimum approaches to meet DTRA fundamental research objectives.

The Government encourages pre-application white papers and proposals that span a wide spectrum of research to expand fundamental scientific knowledge in response to specific topics and to the more general thrust area. The Government reserves the right to award any combination of approaches which offer the best overall value to the Government and to oversee any and all processes and approaches once ongoing.

1.5. Thrust Area 1 is described below. When a specific set of topics has been identified, these detailed needs will be described in Attachment 1 along with any topic-specific submission instructions, deadlines, anticipated award structure, and funding requirements. Otherwise, pre-application white papers and proposals may be written against one of the general thrust area descriptions.

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DTRA may not review any pre-application white papers without prior coordination of the idea with the appropriate thrust area- e-mail address (Section 7). Applicants should note that there is extremely limited funding available for no-topic submissions; Pre-application white papers will only be accepted from the coordinated abstracts under limited circumstances.

Thrust Area 1— Fundamental Science for Chemical and Biological Defense:

Fundamental science for chemical and biological (CB) defense includes science and technology research that advances knowledge in physical and life sciences to defend and counter chemical and biological WMD that could be used against our Nation’s warfighters. Fundamental research efforts enable capabilities such as development of improved detection devices for traditional and nontraditional chemical agents; development of diagnostics for existing and emerging infectious disease threats; increasing knowledge and improved capabilities for development of new or improved medical and material countermeasures to CB threats for both pre- and post-exposure scenarios; enhanced personal protection against, modeling of, prevention of, or decontamination of CB threats; and providing effective elimination strategies via non-kinetic approaches for threat agent destruction, neutralization and/or sequestration.

1.6. This BAA, in addition to any amendments issued in conjunction with this BAA, will be posted to the Grant Opportunities Website (https://www.grants.gov) and the System for Award Management website (https://sam.gov/).Applicants are responsible for monitoring both sam.gov and www.grants.gov. Posted amendments supersede all previous versions of the BAA. Note that topics will be listed in Attachment 1 and will be added/closed with Amendments to this BAA.

1.7. All coordination and communication between applicants and the Government will be conducted using the e-mail address associated with this BAA, specified in Section 7. Applicants should include both the administrative email and the relevant thrust area email address. DTRA will not release employee personal contact information.

2. AWARD INFORMATION

2.1. Award Types. The full range of flexible assistance instruments available to DTRA are possible results from this announcement, including but not limited to grants, CAs, and OTs;

however, grants will likely be the predominant procurement instrument. Each of the applicable assistance instruments offer different advantages, liabilities and responsibilities for applicants and the Government.

Applicants must specify in their submittal their recommended approach (e.g. grant, CA, or OT);

however, the Government reserves the right to negotiate and award the types of assistance instruments determined most appropriate under the circumstances. If warranted, portions of resulting awards may be segregated into pre-priced options.

Except for OTs, the Government actions under this BAA shall adhere to the requirements of the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations (DoDGARS), as appropriate for the type of instrument.

DoDGARs can be accessed online at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e5d686f6760f3274b3368f36723fbb7e&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title32/32CIsubcha pC.tpl . See also 32 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 22, which can be accessed online at http://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e5d686f6760f3274b3368f36723fbb7e&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title32/32CIsubchapC.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e5d686f6760f3274b3368f36723fbb7e&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title32/32CIsubchapC.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e5d686f6760f3274b3368f36723fbb7e&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title32/32CIsubchapC.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e5d686f6760f3274b3368f36723fbb7e&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title32/32CIsubchapC.tpl

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 7 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5;node=32%3A1.1.1.3.16 . Any assistance instrument awarded under this announcement will be governed by the award terms and conditions, which conform to DoD's implementation of OMB circulars applicable to financial assistance.

2.2. Scope of Awards. Awards may range from focused, exploratory projects with a high risk approach in innovative research in subjects with potential for high impact to C-WMD science to comprehensive programs of innovative research in an interdisciplinary area with potential for high impact.

Awards may have multiple Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) and subawards. Authors of pre-application white papers and proposals should detail the contribution of all Co-PIs and any subawards to the C-WMD scientific impact.

Preference will be given to projects where undergraduate and/or graduate students, and/or postgraduate students are supported by the awards. Details regarding the participation of the students and the value of the research to the students as part of the pre-application white paper and full proposal are expected. Additional guidance regarding student and/or postgraduate student participation may be provided in the published topics or in communications with the applicant to include the coordination of the abstract or in the debrief summary of the pre-application white paper. Any specific guidance provided in a topic or to an applicant supersedes the information provided herein.

2.3. Subawards. Subawards (subgrants) are permitted. Subawards may be used to carry out a portion of the research or efforts. Awards may have multiple subawards. Awards will be made by a single award, e.g., grant to the lead organization. All subawards are the responsibility of the award recipient; exceptions will not be made.

DTRA will review and consider the proposed subawards for all pre-application white papers and proposals on a case-by-case basis. The prime awardee will be responsible for transferring funds to the subawardee. Applicants are reminded that priority is given to projects with the main locus of activity in the region-of-interest, so budgets should be allocated accordingly. Preference will be given to proposals where the subaward component to the region-of-interest partner(s) represents more than half of the award value (as measured in U.S. dollars).

2.4. Award Values. Grants resulting from submissions to Thrust Area 1, including topics associated with the thrust area, may range from small dollar value (e.g., $25K) up to $1M annually (total, including both direct and indirect costs) depending on the nature and the scope of work. CAs, and OTs will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All awards are subject to the availability of funds. Additional guidance regarding award values may be provided in the published topics or in communications with the applicant to include the coordination of the abstract or in the debrief summary of the pre-application white paper. Any specific guidance provided in a topic or to an applicant supersedes the information provided herein. Funding for participation in this program is highly competitive and the cost of proposed research should strictly be maintained as detailed herein or as indicated in the invitation instructions.

2.5. Period of Performance and Award Structure. Efforts for Thrust Area 1, including topics associated with the thrust area, may be proposed for up to five (5) years. Awards may be for a base period of one (1) year with four (4) additional years as possible options, a base period of two (2) years with three (3) additional years as possible options, or a base period of three (3) http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5%3Bnode%3D32%3A1.1.1.3.16

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 8 years with two (2) additional years as possible options. Additional guidance regarding award structure may be provided in the published topics or in communications with the applicant to include the coordination of the abstract or in the debrief summary of the pre-application white paper. Any specific guidance provided in a topic or to an applicant supersedes the information provided herein.

Applicants should take care to propose the most logical mix of base and option years for the scope of work. Further, the base period should yield a logical completion point for the work. In cases where option years are proposed, decisions regarding exercising those options will be based on the evaluation of the work accomplished in the base period.

DTRA is flexible on the award structure unless otherwise specified in the published topics or in communications with the applicant to include the coordination of the abstract or in the debrief summary of the pre-application white paper. Applicants should take care to clearly label the tasks and anticipated outcomes for the base and option years in the pre-application white papers and the proposals. Pre-application white papers and proposals that outline scope and effort for only the base period and do not propose options are also acceptable; however, the Government reserves the right to invite option years for awards that were originally awarded with only a base period.

2.6. The Government Accountability Office, in its report GAO-16-14, WOMEN IN STEM RESEARCH: Better Data and Information Sharing Could Improve Oversight of Federal Grant-making and Title IX Compliance, December 3, 2015, recommended that the DoD collect certain demographic and career information to be able to assess the success rates of women who are proposed for key roles in applications in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines. To enable this assessment, DTRA will include with each Phase II application package the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form and the Research and Related Personal Data form.

2.7. The Government does not anticipate the need to provide any hardware or software to execute the proposed research. However, DTRA will review and consider any hardware/software requests for all pre-application white papers and proposals on a case-by-case basis.

2.8. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the proposals submitted;

may elect to fund only part of any or all proposals; and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this BAA. The Government also reserves the right to request applicants make any changes necessary to submitted full proposals to increase the feasibility of making the proposal fundable.

Applicants may decline to participate in any revisions to application packages requested by

DTRA.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

3.1. Pre-application white papers and proposals submitted for this BAA will be considered from the following U.S. and Foreign Institutions as follows:

• Accredited degree-granting colleges, universities, and academic institutions.

• Industrial and commercial entities, including small businesses.

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• Not-for-profit entities with a portfolio predominantly in research. For foreign-based establishments entirely based outside the U.S. and/or its territories, proof of not-for-profit status may be required.

• Foreign government laboratories. Foreign based government laboratory equivalents include those residing in the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education and Science and Food Safety Agencies.

DTRA strongly encourages and may give preference to pre-application white papers and proposals that demonstrate a significant contribution (significant is defined as a minimum of 30% of total value) by one (1) or more universities. Applicants should note that university participation may be mandatory for some published topics. Additional guidance regarding university participation may be provided in the published topics or in communications with the applicant to include the coordination of the abstract or in the debrief summary of the pre-application white paper. Any specific guidance provided in a topic or to an applicant supersedes the information provided herein.

The following entities may not participate as prime awardees nor furnish Principal Investigators (PIs) in awards made under this BAA but may act as collaborators, including as Co-PIs, and/or subawardees:

• Federal Academic organizations (e.g., Naval Postgraduate School).

• Federal laboratories (including DoD and Department of Energy (DOE)).

• U.S. Government agencies.

• DoD-sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) specified in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 235.017-1 (https://www.acquisition.gov/dfars/235.017-1-sponsoring-agreements) and click on ‘DFARS Part 35’.

• DOE-sponsored FFRDCs.

Note: Federal laboratories (including DoD and DOE) and FFRDCs are eligible to submit abstracts (when required), pre-application white papers, and proposals in response to the Government Call (HDTRA1-25-34-FRCWMD-Call). However, a FFRDC (other than the DoD FFRDCs specified in DFARS 235.017-1) must have authorization from its sponsoring agency in accordance with FAR 35.017-1. Eligibility requirements under the Call are subject to change.

See http://www.dtrasubmission.net and after logging in, follow the link to the ‘FY25-34 Fundamental Research to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (C-WMD) Government Call’.

3.2. Cost Sharing or Matching. In general, cost sharing or matching is not required for applications to this announcement. However, DTRA reserves the right to require cost sharing or matching on a case-by-case basis. Such instances will be specifically detailed in the published topics or in communications with the applicant to include the coordination of the abstract or in the debrief summary of the pre-application white paper.

3.3. Other. DTRA uses the System for Award Management (SAM) to exclude recipients ineligible to receive Federal awards. SAM can be accessed online at http://sam.gov (Reference 2

CFR 1125).

https://www.acquisition.gov/dfars/235.017-1-sponsoring-agreements http://www.dtrasubmission.net/ http://sam.gov/

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4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

4.1. Address to Request Application Package. This announcement contains all information required to submit a pre-application white paper and invited proposal.

The required application packages for the pre-application white papers and for the invited proposals are posted with this announcement. Note that each thrust area (as outlined in Section 1.6) and each topic (as outlined in Attachment 1) has a unique application package posted with this BAA. The application package corresponding to both: a.) the thrust area or topic of interest and b.) the phase, should be used for submission of pre-application white papers and invited full proposals.

The application packages posted to www.grants.gov consist of the forms as detailed in Table 1.

Form Name Phase I Pre-Application White Paper

Phase II Invited Proposal

SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance Form

Required Required

RR Budget Form N/A Required

R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form(s)

N/A If Applicable

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form (Expanded)

N/A Required

RR Personal Data N/A Required

Research & Related Other Project Information

N/A Required

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) N/A If Applicable

Attachments Form N/A Required

Table 1: Forms. The instructions for completing each of these forms may be found online at the following web link: h t t p s : / / w w w . g r a n t s . g o v / f o r m s / f o r m s - r e p o s i t o r y / s f - 4 2 4 - f a m i l y

4.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. Submissions for this BAA will be conducted in two phases. Phase I is for receipt of pre-application white papers. Phase II is for receipt of invited proposal applications. Invitation to the Phase II proposal submission will be based on the evaluation results of the Phase I pre-application white paper.

The predominance of efforts, including all submissions to the thrust area and some submissions to topics posted in Attachment 1, as noted within the topic, must be coordinated with the relevant technical point of contact (POC) for the appropriate thrust area prior to submission of a pre-application white paper; an e-mail for the DTRA technical POCs for Thrust Area 1 are provided in Section 7. Coordination of research ideas and efforts must be accomplished via these email addresses, except in cases where a topic specifically states that pre-coordination is not required, and includes submission of an abstract (recommend less than 250 words) of the proposed project/effort or a paragraph description of the proposed project/effort to the email address in Section 7 and a reply email from the relevant email address in Section 7 https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 11 with the disposition to the applicant. Pre-coordination may not be accomplished with email addresses other than those listed in Section 7. DTRA will not review white papers without prior coordination. Please note that attachments to e-mails may not be reviewed.

Applicants should note that there is extremely limited funding available for the general thrust area. Pre-application white papers will only be accepted from the coordinated abstracts under very limited circumstances.

Topics may be posted in Attachment 1 of this announcement that may not require pre-coordination of an abstract. Please review the topics carefully.

Pre-application white papers and invited proposals must be submitted electronically using www.grants.gov and the corresponding application packages linked with this BAA on www.grants.gov (under the “Packages” tab). All applications, including all supporting documents, must be submitted in the English language.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring compliant and final submission of their Phase I pre-application white paper and Phase II invited proposal application. Note that this also applies to applicants using third party systems to submit application packages and attachments. Any submission that does not conform to the requirements outlined in the BAA and in the invitation for proposal may not be reviewed or considered further at the discretion of DTRA.

DTRA will not review any of the following:

• Pre-application white papers that are not pre-coordinated as required

• Pre-application white papers and proposals that are not submitted in the English language.

• Pre-application white papers that are submitted to topics that have been previously closed via an amendment to the BAA.

• Application packages and proposals for Phase II submissions that were not invited.

Exceptions WILL NOT be made under any circumstances.

Phase I Pre-Application White Paper Submission and Content. Each pre-application white paper must address only one thrust area or topic. Each pre-application white paper must use the corresponding thrust area or topic application package.

Each Phase I application package contains the following forms:

Form Attachment Action

SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance Form

Up to four (4) page white paper

Enter the appropriate information in data fields

Table 2: Phase I Pre-Application White Paper Package Chart.

Each Phase I application resubmission package contains the SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance. To be considered a complete package, an up to four (4) page white paper is required to be uploaded as an attachment to the SF 424 (R&R).

DTRA-specific instructions for completing the SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance are below, general application instructions can be found on www.grants.gov:

• Block 1 – Type of Submission. Applicants should indicate the Phase I submission is a “Pre- Application.”

http://www.grants.gov/

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• Block 2.1 – Applicant Identifier. Not applicable.

• Block 3 – Date Received by State. Not applicable.

• Block 3.1 – State Application Identifier. Not applicable.

• Block 5 – Applicant Information. You must provide a Business Office Point of Contact (BPOC) with an e-mail address.

• Block 19 – Authorized Representative. The “signature of AOR” is not an actual signature and is automatically completed upon submission of the electronic application package. Hard copies or email attachments of applications will not be accepted.

• Block 20 – Pre-application. Must be used to attach an up to four (4) page white paper. The white paper itself should provide sufficient information on the research being proposed (e.g., the hypothesis, theories, concepts, approaches, data measurements and analysis, etc.) to allow for an assessment by a technical expert.

Any pages submitted for the white paper that exceed the limit of four pages will not be read or evaluated. A page is defined as 8 ½ x 11 inches, single-spaced, with one-inch margins in type not smaller than 12 point Times New Roman font. The white paper must be provided in portrait layout.

At minimum, the white paper should address the following:

• A project abstract, which should be concise (less than 250 words), provide a summary of the proposed work, and demonstrate relevance to the topic being addressed. The abstract should not contain any proprietary data or markings.

• Potential scientific impact to provide greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts, including how the research contributes to the C-WMD science needs outlined in the thrust area or topic.

• The impact of the research on C-WMD science must be clearly delineated.

• Cost estimate by year and total dollars required to accomplish the research as presented in the white paper (no details or breakout of costs is required).

• Potential team and management plan, including details on student involvement.

• Multidisciplinary white papers should carefully detail each of the institutions/departments involved and the contribution that will be made by each of the investigators.

• Do NOT include corporate or personnel qualifications, past experience, or any supplemental information with the white paper. References may be included within the 4-page limit at the discretion of the applicant; however, extensive references are not required.

• The thrust area or the topic should be included as a header on the white paper attachment and referenced in the text of the white paper.

Phase I Pre-Application White Paper Re-Submission and Content. On a limited basis a second pre-application white paper may be submitted without pre-coordination of an abstract.

These re-submissions will be based on the review of the original pre-application white paper and will be allowed when changes to the project scope, technical approach, and/or cost are envisioned for any potential full proposals. Revised pre-application white papers must conform

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 13 to the standards for the pre-application white papers detailed in Section 4.2.4.

All submissions should be made with the appropriate Phase I application package which contains the following form:

Form Attachment Action

SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance Form

Up to four (4) page white paper

Enter the appropriate information in data fields

Table 3: Phase I Pre-Application White Paper Package Chart.

Each Phase I application package contains the SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance.

To be considered a complete package, an up to four (4) page white paper is required to be uploaded as an attachment to the SF 424 (R&R).

The DTRA-specific instructions for completing the SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance are the same as for the original pre-application white paper submission except for the following:

• Block 1 – Type of Submission. Applicants should indicate the Phase I re-submission is a “Changed/Corrected Application.”

• Block 4c – Previous Grants.gov Tracking ID. Enter the Phase I Grant ID for the original submission.

At minimum, the revised white paper should address the issues and questions detailed in the debrief summary.

Phase II - Invited Proposal Submission and Content. Each proposal must address only the thrust area or topic for which it was invited. The application package corresponding to the thrust area or topic of interest should be used for submission of invited full proposals.

Each Phase II application package contains the following forms and attachments:

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Form Attachment Action

SF-424 (R&R)

Application for Federal Assistance Form

N/A Enter the appropriate information in data fields

RR Budget Form Budget Justification for entire performance period

Attach to Section K in budget period one

RR Sub-award Budget Attachment(s) Form (if applicable)

Individual sub-award budgets Attach a separate budget with justification for each sub-award

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form

PI Biographical Sketch Attach to Biographical Sketch field

PI Current/Pending Support Attach to Current & Pending Support field

Key Personnel Biographical Sketches

Attach to Biographical Sketch field for each senior/key person

Key Personnel Current/Pending Support

Attach to Current & Pending Support field for each senior/key person

RR Personal Data Form N/A Enter the appropriate information in data fields

Research & Related Other Project Information Form

Publically Releasable Proposal Summary/ Abstract

Attach to Block 7 Project Summary/ Abstract

Project Narrative/Technical Proposal

Attach to Block 8 Project Narrative

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (if applicable)

N/A Enter the appropriate information

Attachments Form

Attachment 1 – SOW Upload as Attachment 1

Attachment 2 – Quad Chart Upload as Attachment 2

Table 4: Phase II Proposal Package Forms and Attachments.

DTRA reserves the right to consider incomplete application packages and required attachments and to request any missing information via email. Should the applicant fail to provide all the requested information either as part of the www.grants.gov submission or in response to email requests from DTRA, at their discretion, DTRA may not consider the proposal further.

SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance: DTRA-specific instructions for completing the SF 424 (R&R) are below. General application instructions can be found on www.grants.gov:

Block 1 – Type of Submission. Applicants should indicate the Phase II submission is an “Application.”

Block 2.1 – Applicant Identifier. Not applicable.

Block 3 – Date Received by State. Not applicable.

Block 3.1 – State Application Identifier. Not applicable.

Block 4b – Agency Routing Identifier. Enter the corresponding Phase I Grant ID. If resubmissions were involved, enter the Grant ID for the last submission.

Block 5 – Applicant Information. You must provide a Business Office Point of Contact (BPOC) with an e-mail address.

Block 17 – Regarding Disclosure of Funding Sources. By checking "I Agree" you agree to abide

HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Page 15 by the following statement: "By signing this application, I certify the proposing entity is in compliance with Section 223(a) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 which requires that: (a) the PI and other key personnel certify that the current and pending support provided on the proposal is current, accurate and complete; (B) agree to update such disclosure at the request of the agency prior to the award of support and at any subsequent time the agency determines appropriate during the term of the award; and (c) the PI and other key personnel have been made aware of the requirements under Section 223(a)(1) of this Act. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (U.S. code, Title 18, Section 1001).”

Block 19 – Authorized Representative. The “signature of AOR” is not an actual signature and is automatically completed upon submission of the electronic application package.

RR Budget Form: The Research and Related Budget Form provided as part of the application package for the Phase II submission should be filled out in its entirety for each project year proposed. Applicants are responsible for ensuring appropriate, approved rates are used in their budget forms. When notified of selection applicants will be requested to provide their current rate agreement and the rate agreement of their subcontractor(s), if applicable. Applicants should note that in accordance with 32 CFR 22.205(b), grants shall not provide for the payment of fee or profit to the recipient. Applicants should also carefully review Section 4.5.4 to appropriately evaluate inclusion of Value Added Tax (VAT) or other taxes for assistance awards.

Applicants should plan and budget for travel to accommodate the two meetings outlined below:

• National Conferences/Workshops/Symposia: Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a nationally recognized conference, workshop, or symposium in the field of research each calendar year (1 at minimum). Research should be presented as soon as adequate data are available to support posters and presentations. Conferences/workshops/symposia should be attended by the PI and students supporting the research, as appropriate.

• Annual Technical Review: Applicants should plan to attend an annual technical program review meeting. For planning purposes, the review may be from one to five days and will be held in Northern Virginia or, at DTRA’s discretion, held on an online platform that provides audio and video conferencing services.

Budget Justification: Applicants are required to submit a budget justification. The budget justification should be prepared as outlined in the instructions for the Research and Related Budget Form and uploaded as an attachment to Section K “Budget Justification” of the Research and Related Budget Form. The budget justification does not have a page limit but should include sufficiently detailed information for meaningful evaluation. In addition, the budget justification must specifically address subaward costs and type to include the portion of work to be subawarded with a supporting rationale. The budget justification should include a discussion of how the subawardee(s) cost was determined to be fair and reasonable. The budget justification must specifically address VAT and other taxes in accordance with Section 4.5.4.

RR Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form (if applicable): Detailed cost estimates are required for each proposed subaward. The cost estimate for the subawards should include sufficiently detailed information for meaningful evaluation, including labor rates and indirect cost rates.

Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form (Expanded): The Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form (Expanded) should be completed in its entirety for each of the

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PIs and Co-PIs on the project. The inclusion of additional personnel is at the discretion of the PI.

The Degree Type and Degree Year fields will be used by DoD as the source for career information to assess the success rates of women. In addition to the required fields on the form, applicants should complete these two fields for all individuals that are identified as senior or key persons.

A biographical sketch is required for each PI and Co-PI on the project. DTRA does not have a preference for the format of the biographical sketch; however, it should be limited to 1 page per person. The biographical sketch should be uploaded as an attachment to the corresponding field on the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form.

Additionally, a statement of current and pending support must be provided for each of the key personnel (e.g., PI and Co-PI) on the project. This statement must include the following items and requires disclosure of all grants through which each of the key personnel is currently receiving or may potentially receive financial support:

• A list of all current projects the individual is working on, in addition to any future support the individual has applied to receive, regardless of the source.

• Title and objectives of the other research projects.

• The percentage per year to be devoted to the other projects.

• The total amount of support the individual is receiving in connection to each of the other research projects or will receive if other proposals are awarded.

• Name and address of the agencies and/or other parties supporting the other research projects.

• Period of performance for the other research projects.

Applicants should note that in accordance with the instructions for completion of the SF 424, checking of Block 17 is required. Further, applicants should note that by checking block 17 and submitting an application package, you agree to abide by the following statement: "By signing this application, I certify the proposing entity is in compliance with Section 223(a) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 which requires that: (a) the PI and other key personnel certify that the current and pending support provided on the proposal is current, accurate and complete; (B) agree to update such disclosure at the request of the agency prior to the award of support and at any subsequent time the agency determines appropriate during the term of the award; and (c) the PI and other key personnel have been made aware of the requirements under Section 223(a)(1) of this Act. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (U.S. code, Title 18, Section 1001).”

RR Personal Data Form: This form will be used by DoD as the source of demographic information, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and disability information for the PI and Co-PI(s).

Each application must include this form with the name fields of the PI and any Co-PI(s) completed; however, provision of the demographic information in the form is voluntary. The demographic information, if provided, will be used for statistical purposes only and will not be made available to merit reviewers. Applicants who do not wish to provide some or all of the information should check or select the “Do not wish to provide” option.

Research and Related Other Project Information Form:

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Block 7 – Project Summary/Abstract. To fulfill the requirements of Section 8123 of the Defense Appropriations Act, which states: “The Secretary of Defense shall post grant awards on a public Web site in a searchable format,” DTRA will collect and post via the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) basic information about all awards made under this BAA. The information posted will include the abstract submitted to Block 7 of this form.

The uploaded project abstract should be less than one page and provide a summary of the proposed work and demonstrate relevance to the topic being addressed. Most importantly, the abstract must be written such that the general public may easily understand the potential scientific contribution and the impact of the research. The header of this uploaded document must contain the following statement:

“This publicly releasable abstract is provided to DTRA for use in fulfillment of Section 8123 of the Defense Appropriations Act and future versions of the same.”

The abstract absolutely must not contain any proprietary data or markings.

Block 8 – Project Narrative (Technical Proposal). The uploaded technical proposal must not exceed 20 pages (including references). If the proposal exceeds 20 pages, only the first 20 pages will be reviewed. A page is defined as 8 ½ x 11 inches, single-spaced, with one-inch margins in type not smaller than 12-point Times New Roman font. The technical proposal must be provided in portrait layout.

The project narrative (technical proposal) must include the following components:

• Abstract. Should be a technical project abstract that is distinct from the Project Summary/Abstract that is attached to Block 7.

• Scope.

• Objective. A clear and concise objective of the proposed project.

• Background. Provide the necessary technical and scientific background to support the scientific and/or technical merit of the proposed project.

• Programmatics. Describe your organization’s management plan for the proposed project;

list supporting and collaborating centers, and the roles/responsibilities of each identified academic and/or industrial subcontractor supporting the project. Authors of multidisciplinary proposals must take great care to clearly outline the impact to C-WMD science that is to be gained from the investment and justify the scientific contribution from each investigator.

• Relevance. Describe the relevance of the proposed project in terms of advancing the state of the science and the anticipated scientific impact on capabilities to potentially reduce, eliminate, counter, provide greater knowledge or understanding of the threat, and mitigate the effects of WMD fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts.

• Credentials. Describe the PI’s qualifications and the organization’s qualifications to perform the proposed work. Summarize the credentials of the primary performing center and supporting academic and industrial partners to perform the work. Describe specific examples of equipment and/or facilities available to perform the proposed work. Focus on information directly relevant to the proposed work.

• Work to be Performed. Provide details of the work to be performed by task and subtask.

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Tasks must be grouped by project year; base and option years should be clearly labeled.

Additional details that are required include the following:

• Protection of Human Subjects. For full discussion, see Section 6.2.2. If the proposed work involves human subjects or the use of human anatomical substances (e.g., biospecimens, blood, tissue, cell lines), either living or post-mortem, applicants are required to: a) justify and b) outline the use, and c) include the source of the human subjects, human biospecimens and/or human data involved in the research. The DTRA Research Oversight Board (ROB) will provide ongoing oversight throughout the duration of the effort to ensure proper approvals are in place. Further information will be required if the proposal is selected for award.

• Animal Use. For full discussion, see Section 6.2.3. If the proposed work involves the use of animals, applicants are required to: a) justify and b) include detailed information on the use of animals, and c) include the location(s) of where the animal work is to be performed. The DTRA Research Oversight Board (ROB) will provide ongoing oversight throughout the duration of the effort to ensure proper approvals are in place. Further information will be required if the proposal is selected for award.

• Performance Schedule. Provide a table of tasks and sub-tasks and the duration of performance of each in a Gantt or other suitably formatted chart.

• References. List any relevant documents referenced.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) Form: The Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Standard Form-LLL, if applicable, should be completed.

Attachments Form: The attachments form should be used to include the following three items with the application:

Attachment 1 – SOW. The SOW does not have a page limit but should be approximately 3-5 pages in length for incorporation into an award document. The SOW should not contain any proprietary data or markings. Pages should be numbered, and the initial page should have a date (document date) shown under the title (the title of the SOW should match that of the proposal).

The proposed SOW must accurately describe the research to be performed. The proposed SOW must also contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task description, but not in so much detail as to make the SOW inflexible. The SOW format/guidance is as follows:

• Objective: Brief overview of the specialty area. Describe why the research is being pursued and what knowledge is being sought.

• Scope: Include a statement of what the SOW covers including the research area to be investigated, objectives/goals, and major milestones and schedule for the…