Air Force Medical Support Agency(AFMSA/SG9) Modernization Directorate Research/Development and Innovations | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Air Force Medical Support Agency (AFMSA/SG9) Modernization Directorate Research/Development and Innovations Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). It is designed to collect and fund research ideas that modernize Air Force medical capabilities, including science and technology efforts, clinical research, and applied development that can transition into Air Force medical operations, equipment, and decision-support processes.

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is BAA 11 03 HPW. The CFDA number is 12.800, identified as the Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.

3) Which government organization is associated with this opportunity?

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is listed as the agency for this opportunity, while the effort is described as an AFMSA/SG9 Modernization Directorate research/development and innovations BAA focused on Air Force medical modernization needs.

4) What is the overall purpose of the BAA?

The intent is to stimulate medical modernization research and development that can be transitioned into operational use. This includes improving medical capabilities, equipment, and decision-support processes used by the Air Force, with emphasis on solutions that are operationally relevant and can be integrated into real-world workflows.

5) How does the submission process work?

This BAA is described as an open-ended, two-step process over a five-year window. Step one is submission of a short white paper to help the government gauge relevance and promise. Step two is submission of a full proposal, but only if the respondent is invited by the government after review of the white paper.

6) Where do we submit the white paper?

White papers are not submitted through Grants.gov. They must be emailed directly to det1.afrl.pkhb@wpafb.af.mil.

7) Are full proposals submitted the same way as white papers?

No. The information provided indicates that only the second-step full proposals, when requested by the government, may be submitted through Grants.gov.

8) What are the main topic areas (modernization areas) under this BAA?

The solicitation is organized around five medical modernization areas: (1) Force Health Protection, (2) Enroute Care, (3) Operational Medicine/In Garrison, (4) Expeditionary Medicine, and (5) Human Performance.

9) What kinds of projects fit under Force Health Protection?

Force Health Protection focuses on preventing injury and illness and improving early recognition of emerging threats. The Air Force is looking for research and technology that can be integrated into existing risk assessment and risk reduction workflows while reducing manpower, time, and logistical burden. A major theme is improved ability to characterize exposures and deliver near real-time risk information to commanders.

10) What specific focus topics are highlighted within Force Health Protection?

The main focus topics listed are Directed Energy (DE) issues, Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) hazards, and Personalized Medicine initiatives. The announcement notes that Directed Energy and OEH needs are expected to dominate demand in this thrust.

11) What does Enroute Care cover?

Enroute Care targets the medical continuum from point of injury to definitive care, with special emphasis on patient transport and staging. The goal is to advance transport medicine so it more closely matches the standard of care found in fixed medical facilities, even under operational constraints.

12) What types of Enroute Care needs are prioritized?

The Air Force highlights gaps in knowledge during patient movement and staging and seeks technology development and clinical research to close those gaps. Priority themes include non-invasive, highly specific ways to assess trauma resuscitation status, determine optimal timing for interventions, and inform transport decisions.

13) What specific Enroute Care areas are called out?

The Enroute Care portfolio specifically calls out Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) patient staging and Critical Care Air Transport equipment and treatment research.

14) How is Enroute Care research organized in the BAA?

Enroute Care is organized across three broad research categories: physiological effects of aeromedical evacuation, enroute trauma and resuscitative care, and enroute patient safety.

15) What does Operational Medicine/In Garrison focus on?

This area is aimed at improving the quality and safety of care delivered to active duty members and their families in non-deployed (in-garrison) settings.

16) What priority topics are listed under Operational Medicine/In Garrison?

The listed research and technology development priorities include clinical patient safety, psychological health and resilience, obesity, and autism.

17) Where did the Operational Medicine/In Garrison topics come from?

The topic areas were informed by Military Health System priorities, gaps identified in the AFMS 2009 Capabilities Review and Risk Assessment (CRRA), and needs identified by major commands (MAJCOMs).

18) What does Expeditionary Medicine focus on?

Expeditionary Medicine concentrates on improving medical care during contingency operations and other deployed or austere missions. It emphasizes enhancing expeditionary equipment capability and sustainability, including challenges tied to energy, supplies, and materials, and also highlights miniaturization to reduce logistics footprint.

19) What specific Expeditionary Medicine needs are mentioned?

The Air Force seeks identification, development, and validation of next-generation humanitarian assistance and disaster relief equipment and material sets, along with deployed casualty care optimization. A specific stated need is improving field identification, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries from emerging threat Directed Energy Weapons (DEW).

20) What does the Human Performance modernization area include?

Human Performance covers research and development intended to enhance, optimize, and sustain performance of personnel executing Air Force missions, with potential spillover benefits across the Department of Defense.

21) What are the interest lines within Human Performance?

The BAA breaks Human Performance into several interest lines: cognitive performance and fatigue management; physiological performance and targeted conditioning; operational and environmental challenges to performance; training for optimal performance of Air Force medical personnel; and personnel selection for performance.

22) What types of funding instruments might be used?

The funding mechanisms may include cooperative agreements, grants, procurement contracts, and other instruments depending on the project and government intent.

23) How much funding is estimated for this opportunity?

The estimated total funding reported is $49,500,000.

24) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications contained in the full announcement.

25) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated in the information provided.

26) What is the time window for the BAA?

The opportunity was posted July 18, 2011, created November 9, 2011, and remained open through a closing date of July 17, 2016, with an archive date of August 16, 2016. This reflects the open, rolling nature of BAAs that can remain open for concept intake over multiple years while invitations to propose are issued on a rolling basis.

27) Who is the point of contact for questions?

The point of contact listed is Kimberly Rhoads, Contract Negotiator, at 937-255-0908.

28) Where should applicants look for detailed requirements and formats?

The full BAA is referenced as the authoritative source for detailed requirements, evaluation factors, and white paper content/format expectations.

29) What is a key administrative detail applicants should not miss?

A key operational detail is that white papers must be emailed (not submitted via Grants.gov). Grants.gov is associated with second-step full proposals only when requested.

30) What types of outcomes is the Air Force trying to achieve through this BAA?

Across the five modernization areas, the common outcome is modernization that can transition into operational use, including improved medical workflows, reduced manpower/time/logistical burdens where applicable, better decision-support, improved patient movement and safety, improved care quality in garrison, stronger capability in austere environments, and improved readiness and performance of Air Force personnel.