Center of Excellence (CoE) in Laser Based Remote Sensing and Communications | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), specifically the Sensors Directorate (AFRL/RY) and the Directed Energy Directorate (AFRL/RD), together with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), offered a competitive grant opportunity to stand up a Center of Excellence (CoE) focused on laser-based remote sensing and free-space communications that support Air Force needs. The intent was to fund a single organization (or team led by a single applicant) that could serve as a long-term hub for research, technical leadership, and workforce development in advanced optical/laser sensing and communications, with a clear emphasis on pushing performance beyond the traditional diffraction-limited constraints of practical optical apertures.

Technically, the program sought proposals that span both basic and applied research. On the basic side, this implies fundamental advances in the physics, algorithms, and system concepts that enable laser remote sensing and optical communications to operate at longer ranges, higher fidelity, or under more challenging environmental conditions than conventional designs allow. On the applied side, it points to translating those ideas into demonstrable approaches relevant to Air Force missions, such as remote sensing modalities and free-space optical communication links that remain effective through turbulence, scattering, pointing and tracking errors, or other real-world constraints. The announcement highlights interest in work that addresses "free space communication beyond the diffraction limited range of a real optical aperture," which broadly signals interest in techniques like advanced beam control, wavefront sensing and correction, computational imaging or detection strategies, adaptive optics concepts, nontraditional aperture synthesis approaches, and other methods intended to extract better performance than straightforward optics would predict.

The opportunity was deliberately broad regarding wavelength, stating that the wavelength regimes of interest are those consistent with remote sensing and communications for Air Force applications. In practice, that leaves room for proposers to justify their choice of spectral bands (for example, bands commonly used for atmospheric transmission windows, eye-safe operation, or compatibility with detector and laser technologies) as long as the selection supports realistic Air Force sensing and communications scenarios. The Center of Excellence concept also implies a coherent, coordinated research plan rather than isolated projects, meaning the awardee would be expected to propose a portfolio of complementary tasks that collectively build capability, mature key technologies, and generate a steady stream of publishable and transition-relevant results.

Beyond the research itself, AFRL and AFOSR clearly signaled that education and community engagement were major evaluation themes. The desired Center was expected to have a strong track record of training students in the technical areas tied to the program, implying sustained involvement of graduate and potentially undergraduate researchers, structured mentoring, and a pipeline that helps develop future scientists and engineers in laser sensing and optical communications. The awardee was also expected to actively disseminate results to the wider technical community, not only through publications and conference presentations but also through frequent workshops and similar activities that convene researchers and accelerate knowledge sharing. This emphasis suggests AFRL wanted the Center to function as a focal point for a broader community of practice, improving coordination and progress across government, academia, and industry where appropriate.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary science and technology research and development opportunity funded through a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates an expectation of substantial government involvement during execution (for example, collaboration with AFRL/AFOSR personnel, coordination on research direction, and regular technical interchange). The Funding Opportunity Number was BAA 11 01 PKS, and the CFDA number listed was 12.800 (Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program). The Air Force anticipated making one award, with an estimated total funding level of $5,000,000 and no cost-sharing requirement. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning any entity type could apply (subject to any clarifications in the full announcement). The opportunity was posted on April 6, 2011, with a closing date of June 7, 2011, and an archive date of July 7, 2011. A point of contact was provided for access issues: Erika Lindsey at (937) 255-0702.

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