A -- Missile Defense Science, Technology & Research Program

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is charged with developing and fielding a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) to protect the United States, US allies and friends from ballistic missile attack. The Ballistic Missile Defense layered approach includes sensors, kinetic energy systems, directed energy systems, battle management, and command control elements that will engage threat missiles in all phases of flight, from Boost Phase through Midcourse and into Terminal Phase. MDA efforts are focused on making the BMDS more robust against the widening threats, and better able to handle a broad range of unknown missiles, warheads, trajectories, and adversaries. In addition, the BMDS must function without extensive detailed a-priori knowledge of our adversary's systems. Wherever adversaries launch, to whatever target they choose, MDA must be able to detect, track, identify and kill the ballistic missile. In support of these efforts, MDA programs are geared towards advancing technological thresholds in hardware and software, through fundamental scientific breakthroughs in areas such as mathematics, physics, and engineering. This push is essential to the strategy of spiral development with Block improvements in the BMDS every two years. MDA advances technology that enables near-term, evolutionary growth in current systems while adding revolutionary systems to substantially improve the BMDS in the far term. The MDA Advanced Technology Deputate (DV) is responsible for developing advanced capabilities for the BMDS. This includes planning and executing a broad range of enabling and advanced technology development efforts, developing the technology base for advanced BMDS Blocks, assessing emerging technologies, innovative concepts, and leading the effort to develop advanced algorithms for improving BMDS capability. MDA/DV has instituted the Missile Defense Science, Technology And Research (MSTAR) Program in order to sponsor fundamental, BMDS relevant research and development at accredited United States universities and academic institutions as well as to support training of future scientists and engineers in the field of missile defense. The MSTAR Program, administered by MDA/DV, is designed to identify and develop new and innovative concepts, stimulate technology innovation, and exploit breakthroughs in science to offer robust technology improvements to all elements of the BMDS. MSTAR is a competitive, science and technology university research program, which consists of forefront research and development technology, concepts, and approaches acquired through scientific and technological investigation. MSTAR Research Topic Areas Specific research areas for each missile defense phase encompass the entire engagement sequence to include Surveillance, Acquisition and Tracking, Discrimination, Communications, Engagement Planning, Threat Engagement, Evolving Threats and Countermeasures, and Kill Assessment. The following eight MSTAR research topic areas pertain to the BMDS in all phases of the missile defense threat scenario: (1) Radar Systems: including Integrated System Concepts, Cross Sections and Signatures, Measurements (waveforms, data extraction), Advanced Measurement Capabilities for Range and Velocity which are Robust against Countermeasures, Ultra Wideband Frequency Capabilities, Low Power and Low Cost Transmit/Receive modules, Signal Processing, Data Visualization, Data Compression, RF Imaging Capabilities, low cost radar concepts, passive RF Systems, and Ultra-high frequency Space-based radar for tracking threat missiles at 30 km altitude and higher. (2) Lasers and Electro-Optical Systems: including High Energy Lasers, Light Weight/Scalable Fiber, Solid State, Gas and Liquid Phase Lasers, Improved Diode Laser Arrays, Chemical Laser Improvements, High Energy Laser Power Supplies and Thermal Control Systems, Optical Beam Control and Stabilization Technologies, Large Light-weight, Space Qualifiable Optical Telescopes, Optical Beam Combining and Phased Array Concepts, Fast Beam Steering Concepts, Innovation Multi-Spectral and Hyper-Spectral Concepts, Laser Target Acquisition, Pointing and Tracking Concepts, Light-weight LADAR Transmit/receive Subsystems including Light-weight, Efficient Laser Transmitters, Integrated LADAR Optical Systems, High Bandwidth Photon Counting Receiver Arrays and novel LADAR Signal Processing Concepts/algorithms. (3) Integrated Active/Passive IR Sensor Systems: LADAR Transmit/Receive Systems, Optical Signal Processing, Passive EO/IR Systems including ideas and concepts for IR materials and Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) having the following desired features: large format size, multicolor capability, manufacturable, affordable, capable of extending to VLWIR detection at temperatures higher than 35K, Read-Out electronics; Lightweight EO/IR kill vehicle sensors and seekers with high frame rate capability, Fast Readout Large Format FPAs for Hyperspectral imaging, Non-E/O sensors for post impact warhead typing (in-situ or standoff); Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing of Multi-/Hyper-Spectral Sensors, HWIL testing of LADAR systems in a Thermally Controlled Vacuum Environment, test of ground, air, space, sea-based sensor system operations (all wavelengths considered). (4) Computer Science, Signal and Data Processing: including Digital Electronics and Signal Processing, Novel signal and guidance processing architectures for high frame rate seekers, Machine Implementation of Algorithms, Analog Circuits and Communications, Computer Vision, Distributed Computing. (5) Mathematics, Probability, and Decision Theory: including Algorithms, Decision Systems, Decision Theory and Modeling, Estimation, Prediction, Pattern Recognition, Identification, Discrimination, Classification, Data Fusion, and Sensor Fusion. (6) Physics, Chemistry, and Materials: including the study of phenomenology associated with missile Detection, Tracking, and Discrimination, Infrared and Optical Signatures, Energy Conversion, Fuel Cells and Battery Technology, Kinetic Impact and Post-impact Phenomenology and associated Signatures, Rocket Plume Analysis, Spectral Imaging for Threat/Decoy Discrimination, and integration of conventional silicon technology with new nanostructures (i.e., carbon nanotubes or nano-materials) for next generation interceptor sensors. (7) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: including Space Systems, Micro satellites to include: bus and payload designs, precision guidance, Homing Navigation, Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC); Target Tracking and Prediction; Subsystems, and components-such as Precision Propulsion and Constellation Networking, Missile System Aerodynamics, high maneuverability Divert/Axial Propulsion, liquid and solid Divert and Attitude Control Systems (DACS), Reentry Physics, Guidance and Control, Kill vehicle Lethality Enhancement; Materials Science to include Lightweight, Thermo-Resistant Materials for Boosters and Kill Vehicles, Lightweight Structures with Embedded Radiation Shielding, also of interest are the Prediction, Quantification, and Compensation of Aero-Optic effects of turbulence on Imaging Sensors. (8) Battle Management/Command and Control: including Engagement Planning, Sensor and Weapon Resource Management, Tactics, Intelligence Exploitation, Evolving Threats and Countermeasures, Target Tracking; Human in the Loop (MDA Operations) Intelligence Processing and Decision Making in Near Real Time, Information Processing and Computing Technologies, Launch platform-Interceptor communications, Interceptor-Interceptor communications, Interceptor-launch platform communications, Aircraft mountable High Bandwidth Communications (T1 minimum; T3 or greater preferred) for line of sight and over the horizon (OTH) data transfer; Lethality Assessment Technologies, non-real-time, non-tactical (not kill assessment) test applications; Fire Control; and, distributed real-time simulations using reconfigurable objects (all digital, hardware-in-loop or live). Although MDA is interested in proposals on any of the topics listed above, the current focus is on: miniaturization, lightweight thermo-resistant materials, high agility interceptors, and innovative radar technologies. If interested in this opportunity, please respond to MDA with the following: (1) A combined technical and management proposal limited to no more than ten pages, including a one-page executive summary of the technical and management proposal. The technical and management proposal shall include full discussion of the scope, nature, and objectives of the proposed research effort; rationale for the technical contribution to MDA goals to include: a) identification of the MSTAR Research Topic Area the proposal is submitted under; b)related research efforts performed in the past; c) a description of and statement of availability of facilities and instrumentation required for performance; d) a description of management planning and control systems; and e) identification of limited data rights or computer software, if any. In addition the offeror must provide the following (exclusive of the ten page limitation):- Resumes of key personnel, and a two-page Statement of Work (SOW) in WORD Format that would be suitable for contract incorporation. This SOW should include a schedule of milestones for each contract year. Offerors are reminded that MSTAR contracts are funded on an incremental basis for each year of performance. The continuity of incremental funding will depend on the then-current availability of funds, and the satisfactory progress with the Statement of Work. (2) A cost proposal limited to five pages. The cost proposal shall be submitted as a separate document together with supporting detailed cost data, including subcontractor data, if any. Offers shall include a summary of the cost proposal at the cost element level (i.e., total direct labor, overhead, general and administrative, etc). Summaries should also include a funding profile by contract year. Offeror's proposals shall be submitted in electronic format (MS Word for Windows or a clearly readable .PDF file), and should be marked appropriately if they contain proprietary or trade secret information. However, unclassified and limited proprietary content information is recommended, and preferred. All proposals shall remain valid for acceptance by the Government for a period of 180 days. Offerors are reminded that they are responsible for confirming that MDA/DACV is in receipt of their proposals. MDA Standard University MSTAR Contract Clauses Submission of an MSTAR proposal to MDA for the MSTAR BAA constitutes the offeror's and offeror's institution's acknowledgement and consent to fully accept and abide by MDA's standard university MSTAR contract, to include the clauses and sections listed below: 1. Section H Clause - Public Release of Information, MDA Public Release of Information Policy. The MDA MSTAR Contract text associated with this Clause is stated as follows: Clause H -- PUBLIC RELEASE OF INFORMATION This provision implements DFARS 252.204-7000, Disclosure of Information: a. The policies and procedures outlined herein apply to information submitted by the Contractor and its subcontractors for public release of any information resulting from performance of this contract. Prior to public release, all information shall be cleared as directed by the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual? (NISPOM) (DoD 5220.22-M). At a minimum, these materials may be technical papers, presentations, articles for publication and speeches or mass media material, such as press releases, photographs, fact sheets, advertising, posters, compact discs, videos, etc. b. All materials which relate to the work performed by the contractor under this contract shall be submitted to MDA for review and cleared for public release, (hereafter referred to as cleared or clearance). Subcontractor public information materials shall be submitted for clearance through the prime contractor to MDA. c. The MDA review and clearance process for contractors working under an MDA contract shall be as follows: (1) Coordination through the contracting officer's representative (COR) when the COR is located in the MDA National Capital Region (NCR); or, if the COR is not located in the NCR, coordination through the cognizant contracting officer for all other contracts. (2) The contractor shall request a copy of MDA form Security and Policy Review Worksheet (hereafter referred to as review form) or any superseding form from the MDA COR or contracting officer (when COR is external to MDA NCR). (3) The contractor shall complete Sections A through I of the review form (or comply with the instructions of any superseding form) and submit the form to the COR along with the materials to be cleared (see paragraph J. below). If the information has been previously cleared, provide the Public Release Case Number if available as well as a copy of the previous document, highlighting the updated information. (4) The COR may affirm public releasability by signing Section J.1, as Technical Reviewer of the review form. (5) The COR will forward the review form, including the materials to be cleared, to the MDA designated point of contact for Section J.2. coordination and submission of the package to MDA/PA. (6) The MDA COR or contracting officer (when COR is external to MDA NCR)will notify the contractor of the agency's final decision regarding the status of the request. (d). The contractor shall submit the following to the COR at least 90 days in advance of the proposed release date. (1) One (1) electronic copy of each item. (2) Written statement, including: (a) To whom the material is intended to be released; (b) Desired date for public release; (c) Statement that the material has been reviewed and cleared by officials of the contractor or subcontractor(s), for public release; (d) Contract number.Items submitted must be complete. Photographs shall have captions. (e) Outlines, rough drafts, marked-up copy (with handwritten notes), incorrect distribution statements, FOUO information, export controlled or ITAR information will not be accepted or cleared. (f). Abstracts or abbreviated materials may be submitted if the intent is to determine the feasibility of going further in preparing a complete paper for clearance. However, clearance of abstracts or abbreviated materials does not satisfy the requirement for clearance of the entire paper. (g) The MDA Director of Public Affairs (MDA/PA) is responsible for coordinating the public release review. MDA/PA will work directly with the COR if there are questions or concerns regarding submissions. MDA/PA will not work with contractors who have not gone through their COR. (h). Once information has been cleared for public release, it is in the public domain and shall always be used in its originally cleared context and format. Information previously cleared for public release, but containing new, modified or further developed information, must be submitted again for public release following the steps outlined in items c. and d. above. (i). MDA will have ninety (90) calendar days to review the proposed release of information, which may be extended by written mutual agreement. (j). Due to time and screening constraints, it is recommended that all public release packages submitted to MDA be forwarded by e-mail to the Contract COR. 2. Sections K-23 (Security Classification clause); and K-24 (Foreign Persons Disclosure clause). The MDA MSTAR Contract text associated with these clauses is stated as follows: K-23 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION The contract resulting from this solicitation will be unclassified and will not contain security requirements or a Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254. (Should the government determine that the technology has developed to a point where the information warrants protection under Executive Order 12958, Classified National Security Information, a DD Form 254 and an approved classification guide will be issued to the contractor and appropriate steps will be taken under the contract to protect the material.) K-24 FOREIGN PERSONS In accordance with restrictions required by Executive Order 12470, the Arms Export Control Act (22 USC 2751 et seq.), the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), or DoD Directive 5230.25, Withholding of Unclassified Technical Data from Public Disclosure, no foreign persons will be permitted to work on a contract without notifying the Contracting Officer. Provide the following information for all foreign persons who will be working on the contract or subcontracts (or X here if there are no such individuals: ___): 1. Full Name: 2. Date of Birth: 3. Place of Birth: 4. Nationality: 5. Social Security Number: 6. Visa Status: 7. Current Address: 8. If a Subcontractor, Subcontractor Name and Address: 9. Biographic data and/or resume. The above representation shall be updated by the contractor if during contract performance other foreign persons are proposed to work on the contract or subcontracts. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS: MDA will evaluate the responses based on the following criteria: (1) Scientific and technical excellence of the research and its relevance to MDA goals (to include anticipated benefits to basic or applied/exploratory research effort to the MDA mission), with special emphasis on innovation, originality, and uniqueness; (2) The offeror's capabilities, related experience, adequacy of available or obtainable instrumentation and facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; (3) Qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader, and/or key personnel that are critical in achieving the proposal objectives; (4) Ability of the proposed effort to make progress toward demonstrating the feasibility of the concept in accordance with MDA programmatic needs; (5) Adequacy of management planning and controls; demonstrated ability to deliver results from research projects, on schedule, on or under cost; and (6) Cost will be evaluated as follows: the proposals will be evaluated against the government's estimate of the cost of completing the contract using the technical and management approaches proposed; total evaluated probable cost consists of the government's estimate of the realistic cost of completing the offerors proposals, to include the government's assessment of program risk, and additional costs to the government such as government-furnished property, government-furnished information, transportation, and other cost related factors. Additional Information Offerors are reminded that this BAA is for the acquisition of basic and applied research - that is, development not related to a specific system or hardware procurement (FAR 35. 016). Concepts submitted related to the development of a specific system will be returned as non-responsive. This BAA will remain open until March 31, 2008. Offerors may submit separate proposals on any or all the specified topic areas of research. Proposals will not be evaluated until the close of this announcement. Proposal evaluations will be completed not earlier than 60 days after the close of the announcement. Offerors may be contacted by the reviewers as necessary for additional information/clarifications. The Government may use selected FFRDC, support contractor, and other non-governmental personnel to assist in the evaluation and administrative handling of proposals submitted in response to this announcement. These persons are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source selection information. Submission of white papers under this BAA constitutes the offeror's acknowledgement and consent to the use of contractors and other non-governmental personnel to assist the Government during the evaluation process. Award announcements are expected to be made no later than July 31, 2008. Contracts are expected to be awarded during the third or fourth quarter of Calendar year 2008. The period of performance for the resultant awards will range from twelve months to thirty-six months with a funding level of $150,000 to $200,000 per contract year. The contract document, upon award, will include details of the contract deliverables. MDA may award contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions as a result of this announcement. Issuance of this BAA does not obligate the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs or to award any contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions. The Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none of the proposals submitted, or to select only part of an effort described in a proposal for award. MDA requires offering institutions submitting a proposal under the MSTAR Program to have the lead Principal Investigator(s) (PIs) hold United States (US) citizenship. MDA desires participating students conducting research for or sponsored under an MSTAR Program award hold US citizenship. The government reserves the right to request special justification in the circumstance for considering one or more legal non-US citizen students, who hold valid green cards, participation in research for, or for sponsorship through, an MSTAR Program award. At the conclusion of the MSTAR program, MDA intends to establish positions for successful and selected graduates who participated in and positively contributed to research and development funded through the MSTAR Program. Individuals selected for such positions will be required to obtain the necessary security clearances. The funding and billets for the future positions have not been confirmed to date. Once approval to establish the positions is granted, MDA will make a separate announcement. Sponsor: Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Advanced Technology Deputate (MDA/DV), 7100 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-7100.