Special Program Announcement for Office of Naval Research Research Opportunity: FY27 Communications and Networking Applied Research

The proposed topic will develop and mature Communications and Networking technologies for Naval operations. Background: A Design for Maritime Superiority (2018) describes an operational architecture for distributed maritime operations (DMO) that "... will provide accurate, timely, and analyzed information to units, warfighting groups, and fleets." A critical component of this architecture is the Naval Tactical Grid (NTG) to connect distributed units into groups and distributed groups into fleets. Communications and networking technologies that can provide seamless, robust, connectivity are key enablers for the NTG. These technologies will be deployed on a variety of platforms, both manned and unmanned, operating under challenging environmental and operational warfare conditions (lack of infrastructure, mobility, spectrum limitations, interference, multipath, atmospherics, jamming, electronic intercept, size/weight/power constraint, etc.) in different domains (land, maritime [includes both surface and undersea], cyber, and space). Successful Command and Control (C2) and decision making, at all levels of command, for DMO is critically dependent on these communications and networking technologies

All responsible sources from academia, industry and the research community

worldwide may submit proposals under this BAA. Historically Black Colleges and

Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit

proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA

will be set aside for HBCUs/MIs, small businesses or other socio-economic

participation. All businesses, both small and large, are encouraged to submit proposals

and compete for funding consideration.

Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA.

However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal Offerors are

allowed so long as such arrangements are permitted under the sponsoring agreement

between the Government and the specific FFRDC.

Navy laboratories, military universities and warfare centers as well as other

Department of Defense and civilian agency laboratories are also not eligible to receive

awards under this BAA and should not directly submit either white papers or full

proposals in response to this BAA. If any such organization is interested in one or

more of the programs described herein, the organization should contact an appropriate

ONR Technical POC to discuss its area of interest.

University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are eligible to submit proposals under this BAA unless precluded from doing so by their Department of Defense UARC contract.

Teams are also encouraged and may submit proposals in any areas; however, Offerors

must be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data and other information in an

integrated program with other contractors, as well as with system integrators, selected by ONR.

Disclosures of current and pending support made in this application may render an

applicant ineligible for funding. Prior to award and throughout the period of

performance, DoD may continue to request updated continuing and pending support

information, which will be reviewed and may result in discontinuation of funding.