A -- RESEARCH AND SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (RS&T) IN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV) AUTONOMY

Notice Date

May 11, 2001

Contracting Office

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

ZIP Code

22217-5660

Solicitation Number

01-017

Response Due

August 10, 2001

Point of Contact

Technical Point of Contact: Gerald Mersten, Office of Naval Research, Code 351, (703) 588-0071, E-Mail: Gerald_Mersten@onr.navy.mil; Contaracting Officer: Vera M. Duberry, Office of Naval Research, Code 253, (703) 696-2610, E-Mail: duberrv@onr.navy.mil

Description

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is soliciting white papers and proposals from the Academic, Industrial, and Government research communities for new and innovative research, applied research, and pilot projects, which will advance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Autonomy systems technology required by future UAV missions. In particular, this Research and Science & Technology (RS&T) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicits truly novel approaches to enable future UAV Autonomy capabilities in support of the Autonomous Operations (AO) Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) UAV Autonomy Program. This RS&T BAA also solicits refinements for existing techniques, technologies, components, and systems associated with UAV Autonomy while supporting the acquisition community needs. In the last several years ONR and the Naval forces have developed a bold vision for UAV Autonomy with a focus on situation awareness (SA)/sensor data processing (SDP), multi-vehicle (MV) communications (Comms)/networking/operations (Ops), and intelligent autonomy for UAVs, and their safe and cost effective operation. What the elements of this vision have in common is the need for a set of advanced autonomy software and information technology capabilities that do not exist today. The UAV Autonomy Program was created to address the need for advanced autonomous systems technologies in future Naval UAV platforms. The AO FNC intends to develop advanced UAV Autonomy technologies by leveraging existing government, industry and university research, and by feeding maturing technologies to ongoing Naval programs and activities (including industrial contractors developing UAV platforms), to industry activities, and to other government agencies. The UAV Autonomy Program focuses on activities that provide advancements in fundamental technologies, methods, and processes in areas such as: Automated Reasoning, Situation Awareness, Multi-vehicle Communications/ Networking /Operations, and Intelligent Autonomy. REQUIREMENTS: Developments of technologies relevant to this RS&T BAA can be based in all domains (air, sea, and land) and information about them is encouraged. The RS&T BAA response should include a discussion of the applicability of the technology to each of these domains, but with emphasis on the air domain. Specifically excluded are platforms, such as airframes, as opposed to technologies that drive autonomous behavior. UAV Autonomy is interested in information on advanced sensors and network communications that would enable the above-mentioned autonomous capabilities. Offerors should note that advanced sensors and network communications hardware will not be developed under the UAV Autonomy Program, but may be utilized to demonstrate the UAV Autonomy technology products. Consideration must be given to identifying appropriate sensors to collect the SA information while satisfying the UAV Autonomy needs in this area. Likewise, consideration must be given to identifying appropriate communications links and networks while satisfying the UAV Autonomy needs in this area. Sensor and communications requirements/capabilities must be supportable by the transition platforms. GENERAL INFORMATION: Participation in this RS&T BAA is open to industry, educational institutions, non-profit organizations (includes not-for-profit organizations), and U.S. Government agencies (acting independently or as part of a team). The BAA Proposal Information Package (PIP), Technology Interest Areas and Demonstrations, and Description of Program Opportunity information are located on the AO FNC web page at http://www.onr.navy.mil/auto-ops/. These documents provide further information on the UAV Autonomy RS&T Program. INDUSTRY BRIEFING DAY: Interested offerors are encouraged to attend an industry briefing to be held on Monday, 21 May, 2001. Offerors desiring to attend industry day must send an e-mail message to uav_autonomy@onr.navy.mil and keithm@aic.nrl.navy.mil no later than 4:00PM on Thursday, 17 May 2001. The e-mail message should state your interest and the names of up to four (4) representatives who will attend the briefing on your behalf. The briefing will be held at the Office of Naval Research (NRL), Building 28 Auditorium, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20375. Personnel attending the briefing will be required to meet security requirements for visitation of a government installation, which includes providing picture identification and being subject to a physical search. DUE DATE: White papers are due on or before 2:00PM Eastern Standard Time, on Monday, 11 June 2001. An AO FNC UAV Autonomy review for program relevance, technical and logistical feasibility, and cost will be conducted. Following the review, white papers will be placed in one of four groups: high priority, medium priority, low priority, and non-responsive. Offerors submitting the most promising white papers will be encouraged to submit full technical and cost proposals on all or part of their white paper submission. However, any such encouragement does not assure a subsequent award. Any offeror may submit a full proposal even if its white paper was not identified as promising. Offerors will be notified as soon as possible, on or about Friday, 13 July 2001, of the categorization of their white paper. Offerors will receive specific recommendations concerning the submission of full proposals based on the categorization of their white papers. Technical and cost proposals will be due 2:00 PM, EST, thirty (30) days following notification from the AO FNC UAV Autonomy Program Office on or about Friday, 10 August 2001). Early submittal of white papers and full proposals are encouraged to help facilitate the evaluation and response process. Offerors must sumbit an original and five (5) signed copies, along with an electronic copy on a Zip disk, CDROM, or floppy to the Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22217-5660, Attention: Ms. Dawn Burnett, Code 253 Room 720. The label should also contain the BAA number and title. AWARD: It is anticipated that there will be multiple awards. The range of awards is expected to be from $100K per year for individual or small team research/S&T activities to $1M (or more) per year for larger team or collaborative efforts. Offerors are encouraged to use appropriate funding profiles, which will enable them to participate in collaborative activities with other UAV Autonomy Program participants. Awards may be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions as appropriate. This acquisition does not meet the requirements for use of a Section 845 other transaction. For proposals submitted by consortia or teams, Articles of Collaboration, which define the interaction and commitment of the proposal partners, must be developed prior to award but are not required to be delivered with the technical and cost proposals. The Government reserves the right to select for award, all, some, or none of the submissions received and intends to incrementally fund any resultant award(s). Offerors must state in their white papers and proposals that they are submitted in response to this BAA. This notice, in conjunction with the Proposal Information Package, Description of Program Opportunity, and Technology Interest Areas and Demonstrations, located on the Web, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Request for the same will be disregarded. Small Business Subcontracting Plans should be prepared in accordance with FAR Clause 52.219-9 entitled "Small Business Subcontracting Plan". Each plan will be evaluated to determine whether it meets or exceed the Congressionally mandated goals of twenty-three percent (23%) for small business concerns (including HUBZone small business concerns), five percent (5%) for women-owned small business concerns, and three percent (3%) for veteran-owned small business. If these goals are not expected to be met, a detailed explanation should be included. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this solicitation is 54171(which corresponds with the standard industrial classification code of 3721) with the small business size standard of 500 employees. No portion of this BAA has been set aside for small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small business concerns, and historically black colleges and universities or minority institutions; however, their participation is encouraged. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, proposals may be handled by a support contractor. The support contractor will not be involved in the technical evaluation or selection of proposals for award. Each support contractor's employee having access to the white papers and technical and cost proposals will be required to sign a non-disclosure statement prior to the closing date of this BAA. This BAA provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. All proposals will be acknowledged. Proposals will not be returned after evaluation. Funds are not currently available for awards and the Government's obligation to make award is contingent upon the availability of funds.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010515/ASOL007.HTM (W-131 SN50L951)