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This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is soliciting applications to develop Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology in order to support fuel cells system manufacturers in addressing issues related to cost and reliability of fuel cells systems. Applications are sought in two areas of interest (AOI) that include AOI 1 - Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) Core Technology Research and AOI 2 - Core Technology Research and Development (R&D) in Support of Near-Term SOFC Power Systems Prototype Tests. AOI 1 is supporting transformational technologies that are focused on early-stage laboratory-scale R&D. Successful projects will result in validation of concepts at a laboratory-scale. Collaboration with a fuel cell system manufacturer is encouraged. AOI 2 will seek projects that address reliability issues facing 2nd Generation SOFC power systems in an operational environment. This AOI will require a team approach where the participation of at least one fuel cell system manufacturer as a prime or a sub-recipient in the team is required. Teams should be able to take the technology developed during the award to the point that it can be validated in an operational system. Fuel cell technology other than SOFC will be considered non-responsive to both AOIs.

The NRL's Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) issued under the provisions of paragraphs 35.016 and 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Proposals may range from theoretical studies to proof-of-concept to include fabrication and delivery of a prototype. However, this is limited to research procurements for which it would be impossible to draft an adequate RFP in sufficient detail without restraining the technical response and thus hindering competition rather than expanding it. BAA topics include all NRL sites located in the Washington, DC area, the Stennis Space Center, MS, and Monterey, CA. Proposals submitted in response to a BAA announcement that are selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and are in full compliance with the provisions of Public Law 98-369, "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984." NRL is interested in receiving proposals for the research efforts described under this BAA. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to make any award or to pay for any proposal preparation costs. The cost of proposal preparation for response to a BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resultant contract or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18.

OBJECTIVE: This is an AF Special Topic partnership, please see the above AF Special Topic instructions for further details. A Phase I award will be completed over 3 months with a maximum award of $25K and a Phase II may be awarded for a maximum period of 12 months DESCRIPTION: Academia is producing disruptive science and technology innovations at an increasingly rapid pace. Hence, rather than utilizing a pre-defined requirements approach, this topic is intended to be an open call for ideas and technologies that may not be currently listed (i.e. the unknown-unknown) under STTR topics, but nonetheless still fit within broad interest areas of the Air Force basic research level. These broad areas (Engineering and Complex Systems, Information and Networks, Physical Sciences, and Chemistry/Biological Sciences) are covered in greater detail at wpafb.af.mil/Welcome/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/842026. To be eligible, offeror(s) must be teams that have formed companies and partnered with a university (e.g. university entrepreneurship centers, university technology transfer offices). The offeror should demonstrate their technical capability by demonstrating a credible and high-potential minimum viable product (MVP) along with a credible plan for developing the prototype to a commercially available solution. This topic is not looking for fully formed products, and it is acceptable if the solutions are earlier stage.

The NSF Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program within the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) offers researchers the opportunity to transform new knowledge into societal benefits through translational research and technology development efforts which catalyze partnerships to accelerate innovations that address significant societal needs. PFI has six broad goals: (1) identifying and supporting Foundation-sponsored research and technologies that have the potential for accelerated commercialization; (2) supporting prior or current Foundation-sponsored researchers, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations that partner with an institution of higher education to undertake proof-of-concept work, including the development of technology prototypes that are derived from NSF-funded research and have potential market value; (3) promoting sustainable partnerships between Foundation-funded institutions, industry, and other organizations within academia and the private sector with the purpose of accelerating the transfer of technology; (4) developing multi-disciplinary innovation ecosystems which involve and are responsive to the specific needs of academia and industry; (5) catalyzing professional development activities, mentoring, and best practices in entrepreneurship and technology translation for faculty, students and researchers; and (6) expanding the participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups in innovation, technology translation, and entrepreneurship. T

NSWC Crane is interested in funding research of advanced 3D scene reconstruction techniques using imagery taken from currently fielded dynamic (moving) platforms. This proposed research is to assess and prototype methods currently utilized in commercial and academic systems to determine how to utilize several moving platforms in several different wavebands to reconstruct a 3D visualization of a scene.

The mobile or wireless solution must have the potential to solve a problem in the areas of access to education, health, access to communication, economic development, and the environment/disaster relief. The project must be at a stage of research where an advanced prototype or field/market test can occur during the award period, and the technology should have the potential for replication and large-scale impact. Applicants also should have a business plan or basic framework for financial sustainability and rollout.

NSWC Crane is interested in funding research of advanced 3D scene reconstruction techniques using imagery taken from currently fielded dynamic (moving) platforms. This proposed research is to assess and prototype methods currently utilized in commercial and academic systems to determine how to utilize several moving platforms in several different wavebands to reconstruct a 3D visualization of a scene.

1. Lithium-ion Battery Safety. Safety concerns continue to hamper full adoption of lithium-ion batteries for defense systems, despite significant research investments by the government and the private sector. This Defense initiative will advance promising lithium-ion battery safety technologies at university research laboratories into early laboratory prototypes and potentially minimum viable products for adoption by the defense and commercial sectors via early startups, small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors. Specific technical areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: improved electrolytes; stable high-energy anodes and cathodes; cell components and structures that enhance safety and reliability (e.g. use of electrode coatings and electrolyte additives); safety optimization through battery and battery module design and packaging; and battery management and state of health techniques that prevent and/or mitigate catastrophic failure. 2. Electrical Grid Reliability, Resiliency and Security. Both the defense and commercial sectors recognize the ever-growing criticality to enhance electrical grid reliability, resiliency and security through innovation at the component and system levels.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites exploratory/developmental applications that propose transformative engineering solutions to technical challenges associated with meaningful development, substantial optimization of existing technologies and clinical translation of intraoral biodevices. Proposed technologies are expected to advance development of oral biodevices to clinical use, including but not limited to: precision medicine-based detection, diagnosis and treatment of oral and overall health conditions, and measurement of patient functional status and clinical outcome assessment. Areas of interest in this FOA include engineering approaches that allow integration of electronic, physical, and biological systems essential to the development of functional biodevices that are safe and effective for detection, diagnosis and treatment of oral and systemic disease. Products of this research will be proof-of-concept prototype biodevices, dedicated biosensors and associated core technologies that enable development of safe and effective intra-oral biodevices intended for specific clinical applications. To streamline the development of oral biodevices that advance precision medicine-based approaches in clinical practice, this FOA encourages interdisciplinary collaborations across engineering, multifunctional sensors, pharmacology, chemistry, medicine, and dentistry, as well as between academia and industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for improved environmental sensing of pathogens. Sensing SARS-CoV-2 virus in the air with high sensitivity and specificity could provide a new mechanism for public health monitoring, enabling safer conditions for a wide range of basic activities including work, travel, and school. SenSARS aims to identify SARS-CoV-2 signatures suitable for rapid indoor air monitoring and use these signatures to develop and demonstrate a technology readiness level (TRL) 4 prototype sensor.

The focus of this BAA is primarily on projects that continue to advance the systems engineering approach needed for the design, fabrication, and manufacture of structural components to address challenges in system weight, performance, affordability, and/or survivability. The foundation of this approach should include the integration of materials information, captured in computational tools, with engineering product performance analysis and manufacturing-process simulation termed commonly as Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME). From this foundation it is expected the integration of manufacturing process information and product performance information utilizing the full range of engineering and analytical tools, processes, and principles to improve efficiency and effectiveness of their integrated approach. The intent is to bring together materials designers, materials suppliers, product designers, and manufacturers to collaborate on the design, production, and commercialization of novel affordable, manufacturable systems. Projects may include basic and applied research, technology and component development, and prototyping; but may also focus on manufacturing supply-chain technical support and integration, workforce development, and manufacturing education.