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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - FAA Biodynamics Grant Opportunity

1) What is the Biodynamics Grant Opportunity?

The Biodynamics Grant Opportunity is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) research grant that supports studies aimed at improving aircraft occupant safety. The focus is on injury mechanisms that can turn otherwise survivable crashes into fatal events by delaying or preventing passengers from escaping the aircraft.

2) What safety problem is the FAA trying to solve with this grant?

The FAA is targeting injuries that interfere with rapid egress (evacuation) after a crash. In post-crash conditions such as smoke, fire, structural damage, or disorientation, quick evacuation can be the difference between life and death. The agency wants research that links crash impact biomechanics to whether a person remains functional enough to get out.

3) Why is evacuation ability emphasized instead of only injury severity?

The FAA notes that existing occupant protection requirements have reduced fatalities, but investigations and studies show that certain injury mechanisms still disrupt a passenger's ability to escape. The grant emphasizes outcomes directly tied to survivability: being conscious, oriented, and physically able to evacuate.

4) What regulation is referenced in the opportunity, and why?

The opportunity references FAR 25.562, which contains occupant protection requirements for aircraft seat certification. The FAA indicates these requirements have helped reduce fatalities but also highlights that some injury mechanisms relevant to egress are not fully captured by current approaches.

5) What specific injury mechanism is highlighted as a central issue?

A central issue is head injury that leads to loss of consciousness (LOC) or to impaired ability to navigate an unfamiliar environment after an impact. The concern is that even impacts that meet existing certification metrics may still produce unconsciousness or impairment that prevents self-evacuation.

6) What is HIC, and how is it used today in seat certification?

Head Injury Criterion (HIC) is commonly used to assess head injury risk in aircraft seat certification. In this context, the FAA describes current practice as using HIC with an unlimited duration post-contact calculation and a regulatory limit of 1000.

7) What gap is the FAA identifying in the current HIC-based approach?

The FAA points out that meeting the HIC requirement (and avoiding what is traditionally categorized as severe head injury) may still result in a meaningful period of unconsciousness or impairment. Passing the current metric does not necessarily mean the occupant can self-evacuate.

8) What is the main purpose of the funded research?

The main purpose is to develop a practical, evidence-based method that uses measurable data from impact tests or simulations to predict whether a real human would be rendered unconscious under the same conditions. The FAA is looking for injury criteria that better reflect survivability-relevant outcomes, especially the ability to evacuate.

9) Is the grant only about predicting loss of consciousness (LOC)?

The initial emphasis is explicitly on predicting loss of consciousness. However, the FAA is also interested in proposals that explore functional impacts beyond LOC, such as how head impacts or significant head rotational events might impair a person's ability to function in an unfamiliar, confusing cabin environment after a crash.

10) What is meant by "functional deficit" in this announcement?

Functional deficit refers to outcomes beyond simple consciousness, such as a reduced ability to perform tasks needed for egress. The announcement frames this as the ability to remain oriented and physically capable of evacuating in post-crash conditions.

11) How long is the expected period of performance for the core deliverables?

Applicants are expected to propose a research plan that can produce the required deliverables within two years.

12) What if a proposal includes work beyond LOC (for example, functional deficit)?

If a proposal goes beyond LOC and aims to establish a higher-threshold outcome such as functional deficit, the applicant should include an additional timeline explaining what longer period would be needed to complete the expanded scope.

13) What are the key required deliverables?

The deliverables center on producing a method to predict unconsciousness (and potentially functional deficit) from objective, measurable parameters collected during tests or simulations.

14) How must the prediction method be substantiated?

The method must be substantiated in two main ways: (1) by producing human injury risk curves with uncertainty bands (quantifying risk relationships along with uncertainty characterization), and (2) by demonstrating relevance or mapping to anthropomorphic test device (ATD)-based measures such as IARV (a reference value concept used in injury assessment).

15) Does the FAA expect experimental test grounding, simulations, or both?

The announcement emphasizes measurable parameters collected during tests or simulations, and it offers optional sled testing services through the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). This suggests the FAA expects work grounded in objective data and testable metrics, whether derived experimentally, computationally, or both.

16) Is any government testing support available to awardees?

Yes. The FAA offers a collaboration option: sled testing services at CAMI using anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) only, subject to track availability.

17) Are human subjects included in the CAMI sled testing support?

No. The CAMI sled testing services described in the opportunity are limited to ATDs only.

18) What is CAMI in the context of this opportunity?

CAMI refers to the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, which may provide sled testing services as a collaboration option for awardees, subject to availability.

19) What are the reporting and dissemination requirements?

The opportunity requires semiannual reports, a presentation at the Seventh Triennial International Fire and Cabin Safety Research Conference (scheduled for December 2013 in the announcement), and a final project presentation at a U.S. continental venue to be determined.

20) What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument is a grant.

21) What federal program and CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

This is a discretionary grant issued under the Department of Transportation (DOT) FAA Aviation Research Grants program, CFDA 20.108.

22) How much funding is available per award?

The award floor is $200,000 and the award ceiling is $750,000.

23) What is the estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity?

The opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $750,000.

24) How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated up to 15 awards.

25) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that cost sharing or matching is not required.

26) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).

27) What are the key dates listed in the posting record?

The posting date is January 16, 2013. The closing date is shown as February 27, 2013 and then extended to March 7, 2013. The archive date is March 29, 2013.

28) Who is the listed contact person for access issues?

The contact person provided for access issues is Cynthia Hische, Contract Specialist, at 609-485-6288. The email address is not fully shown in the provided text.

29) What kind of outputs is the FAA likely looking for from this research?

Based on the stated deliverables, the FAA is looking for a practical prediction method tied to measurable test or simulation parameters, supported by human injury risk curves with uncertainty bands and mapped to ATD-based measures (such as IARV). The announcement also indicates an interest in outputs that could eventually inform certification methods or standards.

30) What is the core outcome the FAA wants to predict from crash impact data?

The core outcome is whether a human would be rendered unconscious (loss of consciousness) under the impact conditions represented by tests or simulations, because unconsciousness can prevent self-evacuation after a crash.