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COMMERCE BUSINESS DAILY ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 29,1998 PSA#2190Defense Supply Service-Washington, 5200 Army Pentagon, Rm. 1D245,
Washington, DC 20310-5200 B -- FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE SOL Broad Agency
Announcement DUE 111798 POC Dr. Michael Drillings, Chief, RACO, ARI,
(703) 617-8641; Ms. Frances J. Meckel, Contracting Officer, DSS-W,
(703) 614-4577. On behalf of the U.S. Army Research Institute, the
Defense Supply-Service Washington is publishing the following BROAD
AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR BEHAVIORAL AND
SOCIAL SCIENCES'S BASIC RESEARCH PROGRAM. I. The Research and Advanced
Concepts Office (RACO) of the U.S. Army Research Institute for the
Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) solicits new proposals for its
Fiscal Year 1999 contract program of fundamental research in behavioral
science under this Broad Agency Announcement issued per FAR 35.016. The
purpose of the research is to add new, fundamental knowledge to
behavioral science subdisciplines and discover generalizable
principles. Novel and state-of-the-art approaches to difficult problems
are especially welcome, as are integrated programmatic efforts to
develop and test theory. A portion of available funding may be made
available for meritorious proposals from minority institutions and
historically Black colleges and universities and these entities are
encouraged to participate. Investigations which focus on purely
physiological mechanisms or psychopathology cannot be considered by
this agency; however, neuroscience approaches to memory, cognition, and
personality are not excluded. Similarly, no consideration can be given
to applied research projects. However, support for basic science does
depend on the judgment that its research findings will have the
potential to stimulate new behavioral technologies -- those capable of
improving the effectiveness of Army personnel and their units. II.
Scientific Problems for Basic Research. The areas listed below are of
high relevance to the Army: 1. Leadership. ARI is interested in
assessing the impact of leadership on crew, team, and unit performance
and unit cohesion; developing measures of leadership; understanding
leaders' adaptation to change, better understanding the development of
leadership; and creating a theoretical framework for understanding the
implications for leadership of new communication technologies. Proposed
research should contribute to an analysis of leadership and
organizational dynamics within a military context. We are particularly
interested in research addressing the nature and assessment of
knowledge representations and higher order skills possessed by
effective leaders. 2. Foundations of training in distributed virtual
environments. The Army increasingly uses distributed virtual
environments in training. Research is sought that will provide a
theoretical basis for the use of simulation and virtual reality in
individual and team training. This research should address issues such
as cognitive and perceptual processes, the conditions that promote
transfer from simulated to real tasks, the use of feedback in training,
and the effects of spatial abilities. (Because of limitations in funds,
ARI will not be able to support fully the building of virtual reality
environments.) 3. Individual Performance and Information Comprehension.
The smaller size of the Army, new missions such as peacekeeping and
counter-terrorism, and new equipment and processes may require that
soldiers do more and perform at higher levels than before. We seek
research to provide the foundations for developing high levels of
individual performance through more rapid learning, learning that
provides more skill flexibility, learning at a distance, improved job
design and personnel selection, and learning that is more resistant to
forgetting and the effects of stress, fatigue, and distractions. Of
particular interest are skills that involve the effective processing
understanding, and communication of large amounts of information. 4.
Social Structures Affecting Army Performance. Creative ideas are sought
for: understanding elements of the Army culture in terms of social
science concepts and their influence on morale, recruitment,
reenlistment, performance and discipline; developing a model of the
Army culture, relating it to other armies and to civilian society; and
understanding how major societal issues influence the Army. III. Time,
Personnel, and Other Features of the Research. Normally, research
programs can range from 1 to 3 years. However, short-term efforts with
modest budgets are particularly encouraged this year. These proposals
may include an option for further research that will be exercised by
ARI if early results are promising. Short-term, small-scale efforts in
high-risk/high-gain areas are also welcome. Finally, investigators are
encouraged to conduct their basic research in realistic contexts, where
appropriate. Both single-investigator and collaborative research
efforts are acceptable, as are multidisciplinary approaches to a
central problem. Collaborative efforts may involve researchers at a
single institution or in cooperating institutions. Offerors with
questions about the appropriateness of their planned research, may send
e-mail or call the relevant program manager. However, use of e-mail is
optional and not a secure method of communication. The government is
not responsible for technical difficulties or disclosures resulting
from e-mail communications. IV. Application Procedures. Proposals
should include an abstract and be sufficiently detailed to be
responsive to the criteria, described below, for evaluation. The formal
proposal must include institutional endorsement, signature of the
proposed principal investigator, time frames for all phases of the
project, and detailed accounts of proposed work and budget. The
technical section of the formal proposal must be no greater than 25
pages in length, single spaced. Additional materials may include
budget, vitae, references, and institutional information. Five copies
must be submitted. They will be reviewed by scientific peers according
to the following criteria (in order of importance): (1) Importance of
the research to ARI's mission and Army concerns. (2) Scientific
significance of the issue and originality. (3) Technical merit,
appropriateness, and feasibility of the proposed approach. (4) The
qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal
investigator and key personnel; and institutional resources and
facilities. Moreover, successful proposals must have proposed costs
that are both affordable and realistic for the proposed effort. The
evaluation of proposed cost is subordinate to the technical evaluation.
The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be
technical merit, importance or relevance to Army programs, and funds
availability. Also, past performance and prior research and research
and development contracts to include timely completion and cost
effectiveness will be considered. V. Concept papers. ARI invites
potential Offerors who are unsure of the relevance of their topics to
submit concept papers. Concept papers are optional, but if submitted
must be less than 5 pages, concisely address the proposed research, and
should contain only an approximate total budget projection. Please
enclose an e-mail address and a telephone number where you can be
reached. Because of the short duration before the first deadline for
formal proposals, concept papers should only be used by those Offerors
who are seeking to meet the second deadline for formal proposals. Two
copies of each concept paper must be submitted by 11 December 1998.
VI. Deadlines. To be considered for early funding, formal proposals
must be received no later than 3:30 P.M., 17 November 1998. For
consideration for later funding, proposals must be received no later
than 3:30 P.M., 9 February 1999. The lag between proposal deadline
dates and actual contract award cannot be expected to be less than six
months. Investigators should take this into consideration when
projecting start dates and budgets. Where to Mail: Inquiries, concept
papers, and formal proposals should be addressed to: U.S. ARI, ATTN:
TAPC-ARI-BR (6.1) 5001 Eisenhower Ave, Rm. 6S06 Alexandria, VA
22333-5600. For hand deliveries between 8:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M., call
617-8721, 617-8641 or 617-5572 from the lobby. Faxed proposals will not
be accepted. VII. Program Managers. Chief, RACO: Dr. Michael Drillings
(703) 617-8641; International Research Programs (all applicants from
outside U.S.): Contact Dr. Michael Strub, Chief, European Science
Coordination Office, 44-171-514-4903, London, UK. E-mail addresses:
drillings@ari.army.mil Mstrub@army.ehis.navy.mil; ARI maintains a web
page at http://www-ari.army.mil This announcement may be accessed
directly at http://198.97.199.12/baa99.html Posted 09/25/98
(W-SN254352). (0268) Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0004 19980929\B-0001.SOL)
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