Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22217-5660

A -- MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE (FY 1998 SUPPLEMENT) SOL BAA 97-028 DUE 102897 POC Ms. Debra Hughes, ONR 353, (703)696-4111 BAA 97-028 The Department of Defense announces a supplement to the FY 1998 competition for the Multidisciplinary Research Program, one element of the University Research Initiative (URI). The Multidisciplinary Research Program of the URI (MURI) supports research teams whose efforts intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline. Multidisciplinary team effort can accelerate research progress in areas particularly suited to this approach and also can help to hasten the transition of research findings to practical application and to train students in science and/or engineering. The DOD expects that MURI programs will promote application of defense research, primarily for defense purposes but also for commercial purposes. Proposals may be submitted only by U.S. institutions of higher education (other than federal government) with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering (''universities''), or by consortia led by such institutions. This MURI competition is specifically for the supplemental topic "Automatic Target Recognition Theory". This notice constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6:102(d)(2). Any award will be: (1) for a period not to exceed three years (funded incrementally or as options) subject to the availability of appropriations, and (2) for no more than $500,000 per year. More than one award may be made. A full description of the program is accessible on the World-Wide Web at http://www.onr.navy.mil, select "Education/URI Programs" or (via FEDIX of the Federal Information Exchange) http://web.rams-fie.com/fedix/onr.html (the last character is alpha "el" not numeric "one"), select "Ongoing Program Descriptions", then "Education/URI Programs". A FEDIX computer help-line is available at 301-975-0103. DOD will issue no other version of this program description; no paper copy will be available from DOD. The program description provides general information, eligibility criteria, directions for submitting proposals, relevant dates, detailed description of the research topic (including technical point of contact) and evaluation criteria. Proposals are due at the address shown by 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday, 28 October 1997. The primary evaluation criteria, of equal weight, are: (1) Scientific and technical merits of the proposed research; (2) Relevance and potential contributions of the research to defense missions; and (3) Impact of plans to enhance the institution's ability to perform defense-relevant research and to train, through the proposed research, students in science and/or engineering (for example, by acquiring or refurbishing equipment that can support DoD research and research-related educational objectives). Other evaluation criteria, of lesser importance than (l), (2), and (3) but equal to each other, are: (4) The qualifications of the principal investigator and other key research personnel; (5) The adequacy of current or planned facilities and equipment to accomplish the research objectives; (6) The impact of interactions with other organizations engaged in related research and development, in particular industrial organizations, DoD laboratories and other organizations that perform research and development for defense applications; and (7) The realism and reasonableness of cost, including proposed cost sharing. Sponsor: Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22217-5660. (0237)

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