B -- BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Notice Date

May 11, 2001

Contracting Office

Defense Supply Service-Washington, 5200 Army Pentagon, Rm. 1D245, Washington, DC 20310-5200

ZIP Code

20310-5200

Solicitation Number

DASW01-02-K

Response Due

October 10, 2001

Point of Contact

Dr. Michael Drillings (703) 617-8641; Dr. Jonathan Kaplan (703) 617-8828

E-Mail Address

BAA -- Research in Behavioral Science (drillings@ari.army.mil; kaplan@ari.army.mil)

Description

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 2002 contract program of fundamental research in behavioral science. This Broad Agency Announcement is issued per FAR 35.016. The purpose of the research is to add new, fundamental knowledge to behavioral science sub-disciplines 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 special interest to ARI: A. Basic Research Cognitive Performance & Training. We seek research leading to a valid understanding of cognitive functioning. We are particularly interested in cognitive research that can be shown to play a significant role in improving training. Some of the specific areas we are interested are: (1) Developing models of individual and team cognitive task difficulty based on objective measurement. Complexity may be one element of difficulty, but it should not be substituted for difficulty. (2) Determine the individual processes that characterize more effective team performance. (3) Identify those elements of training that enhance the acquisition and transfer of training and understand their effects on subsequent performance. (4) Determine which training approach modes such as (but not necessarily limited to): classrooms, intelligent tutors, live exercises, and simulations) match best with what type of task and how best to sequence various appropriate training approaches to maximize learning and retention. (5) Understand how individuals assign meaning and relevance to large amounts of ambiguous data being rapidly received, and determine how to improve this ability through training; (6) Investigate the cognitive processes that describe "adaptivity," leading to an understanding of how it might be trained. (7) Understand the role of the human instructor that will lead to improved instructor models for use in intelligent web-based instruction. (8) Understand the role of self-management skills in self-directed learning. (9) Improve the understanding of the mechanisms of problem-based learning and skill retention in collaborative learning. B. Basic Research Social structures, Recruitment, Retention, and Aptitudes. The Army does not exist in a vacuum. It is a component of the overall societal system and is affected by changes in that system. We wish to support research leading to (1) A better understanding how major societal conditions and trends, changing Army missions, and Army culture influence recruitment, personnel retention, morale, cohesion, discipline, and military performance. (2) An understanding of the key issues that influence different segments of society in deciding on whether to join the Army. (3) An understanding of how processes such as adaptivity, persistence, or dependability develop and contribute to effective performance, and how individual differences in such processes can be measured and utilized to improve overall organizational performance. (4) Determining the extent to which practical intelligence or tacit knowledge for specific domains predicts performance in other domains. (Develop a method for measuring the ability to acquire knowledge from experience.) C. Basic Research Leadership. The skills necessary for successful leadership change during a career as people move from one organizational level to another. The ability of someone to change is a function of several underlying attributes including (but not limited to) self-awareness, ability to learn from experience, ability to learn from formal sources, ability to integrate learned material, and skill in interpersonal relationships. We seek research to understand these attributes so that they can be measured and enhanced through training. We also seek research that will investigate how leaders can develop and enhance shared understanding of team tasks and objectives to result in improved performance. III. Time, Personnel, and Other Features of the Research. Normally, research programs can range from 1 to 3 years. 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 (less preferred method) 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. Please include an e-mail address and telephone number where technical questions can be addressed. 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 background and technical sections 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) Technical merit, appropriateness, and feasibility of the proposed approach. (3) Scientific significance of the issue and originality. (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, prior research, and research and development contracts to include timely completion and cost effectiveness will be considered. A research proposal should contain the following sections: Abstract, Background, Technical Approach, References, Resumes of proposed researchers, and Budget. Abstract. The abstract should be one page or less. It should describe the problem underlying the research, the hypothesis being tested, explain the objective of the proposal, and provide a condensed, but meaningful description of the technical approach. Background. The background should include a description of the problem as the proposal author understands it. It is helpful if the author shows an understanding of the Army and ARI contexts that apply to the proposed research. The description of the problem should be tied to a an account of significant previous and current research which is applicable. Clearly, there will not be enough space to write a critical, annotated bibliography, but the author should demonstrate meaningful knowledge of the background of the research that is being proposed. Technical Approach. This is a critical part of the proposal and it should be responsive to the listed criteria. It should include a description of the hypothesis upon which the research is to be based, the goal of that research, and a detailed account of how the research is to be done. This account should be much like the methods section of a research paper. It should include a description of the data to be collected, the methods for collecting the data, the number and source of subjects and how they will be acquired, and the proposed research design and likely analysis methods. It is possible that an intermediate or final product of research might include training packages, simulation models, or other software-based devices. In this case, the author should show how such a product relates to the hypothesis being tested and should provide sufficient detail to permit understanding and evaluation. The technical approach should include a statement that includes the major tasks to be performed and products to be produced. In the case of a one year proposal, the statement should be divided by quarters of the year. In the case of multi-year proposals, it should be divided by year. References. This should be a list of all the references called out in the body of the proposal. It should not include publications that are not referred to in the body. It should be in American Psychological Association format. Resumes. Resumes or vitae should be included for all proposed researchers with special emphasis on the Principal Investigator(s). It is particularly important that the resumes include those publications that bear on the research being proposed. Budget. This should be a typical budget section as is required by other federal agencies. However, it should also include a description of total dollars required overall, per government fiscal year (the government fiscal years run from October 1 through the following September 30), and the number of person hours/months per government fiscal year broken out by personnel type (senior scientist, graduate student, research associate, clerk, etc.). Proposers who are not in the Washington, DC area should budget at least one trip per year to ARI in Alexandria, VA to present the progress of their research. Proposers who are in the Washington, DC area should budget this trip to Kansas City, Missouri. In addition, to the paper version of the proposal, an electronic version must be sent as an e-mail attachment. This must include the complete technical and financial sections of the proposal. Different sections of the proposal may be attached in separate files. Electronic versions must either be in Microsoft Office formats, or in a format that can be decoded by Microsoft Office applications. V. Concept papers. ARI invites potential offerors who are unsure of the relevance of their topics to submit concept papers, preferably by e-mail. 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. Please submit concept papers at least 6 weeks before the deadline for proposals. Concept papers submitted late may not receive a timely response. VI. Deadlines. To be considered for funding, formal proposals (both signed paper and e-mail attachment versions) must be received no later than 3:30 P.M. 10 October 2001. The lag between proposal deadline dates and actual contract award can be lengthy, but for planning purposes, investigators may assume that awards will be made prior to Summer, 2002. Where to Mail: Inquiries, concept papers, and formal proposals should be sent to: U.S. ARI, ATTN: TAPC-ARI-BR (6.1) 5001 Eisenhower Ave., Rm. 6S58 Alexandria, VA 22333-5600. For hand deliveries between 8:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M., call 617-8721, 617-8641 or 617-8828 from the lobby. Faxed proposals will not be accepted.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010515/BSOL003.HTM (W-131 SN50L8H6)