Opportunity Information: Apply for BAA AFOSR 2011 04
Apply for BAA AFOSR 2011 04
- The Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2011 Materials and Processes far from Equilibrium" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800 Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 22, 2010 and posted on Nov 22, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- This competition is open only to, and full proposals are to be submitted only by, U.S. institutions of higher education (universities) including DoD institutions of higher education, with degree granting programs in science and/or engineering. Proposals are encouraged from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI). However, no funds are specifically allocated for HBCU/MI participation.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Fiscal Year 2011 "Materials and Processes far from Equilibrium" opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BAA-AFOSR-2011-04) is a basic research grant competition run by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), which is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The intent is to fund unclassified, fundamental university research that can ultimately transition into capabilities relevant to U.S. Air Force needs. AFOSR emphasizes that proposals should not include proprietary information, that multiple awards are expected, and that the government may choose to fund all, some, or none of the submissions. The announcement was posted November 22, 2010, with proposals due January 7, 2011, and it was later archived February 6, 2011. AFOSR also makes clear there is no reimbursement for proposal preparation, submissions will not be returned, and the solicitation is distributed electronically rather than via paper copies.
Technically, the program centers on understanding and controlling how materials behave "far from equilibrium" in highly stressed operating environments. In practical terms, that means situations where performance is limited by how materials evolve, degrade, erode, or chemically change when exposed to extreme combinations of stressors such as high chemical reactivity, intense thermal loading, strong electric or magnetic fields, radiation, and other high-energy-density conditions. A recurring theme is the need to understand plasma phenomenology and nonlinear material response under combined loads, since many Air Force-relevant systems operate in regimes where plasmas, energetic particle flows, and rapidly varying fields interact directly with surfaces and interfaces.
The research thrust is described as innovative and high-risk, with an emphasis on discoveries that could move the needle for high-temperature materials, space propulsion, and electro-energetic physics (for example, the physics relevant to directed energy and other high-field/high-power systems). Rather than focusing on incremental engineering improvements, the solicitation calls for foundational advances and integrated science that connects materials science with electric and chemical propulsion concepts and with the underlying electro-energetic physics needed for next-generation space power and propulsion. This includes discovering or characterizing new materials and potentially new propulsion system concepts that can maintain superior performance under the harsh conditions typical of space propulsion environments or directed-energy-relevant operating regimes.
A major component of the topic is multiscale understanding and prediction. Proposers are encouraged to develop or apply experimental methods that can measure and explain surface and near-surface phenomena across length scales, from atomic-level interactions up to macroscale behavior. The solicitation highlights the expectation that researchers will use modeling approaches spanning molecular dynamics, mesoscale methods, and microstructural or continuum-scale simulations to connect processes occurring at different time and length scales under nonequilibrium conditions. The goal is not just to observe degradation or modification, but to build predictive capability: models validated by diagnostics that can forecast how materials change and how those changes affect system performance.
The program also explicitly connects materials behavior to propulsion and plasma-material interaction challenges. One portion focuses on electrically conductive flowing propellants such as plasmas or charged particle streams that convert beamed energy or electrical power into thrust (kinetic energy). In that context, AFOSR is looking for research that links plasma activity to energy deposition at material surfaces through coupled radiation and mass-transfer modeling. The solicitation describes an interest in specifying and predicting flows of mass, momentum, and energy through the coupled plasma-material system, then using that understanding to forecast degradation mechanisms and identify scientific pathways to reduce degradation. The payoff AFOSR is pointing to is a "quantum leap" in energy savings or propulsion efficiency by improving how energy is coupled into the propellant and how surfaces survive prolonged exposure.
From a methods standpoint, the opportunity calls for both theoretical and experimental investigations of energy coupling and plasma flow transfer in electrode-based and electrodeless systems operating in dynamic environments. That includes environments with interacting loads such as thermal gradients, acoustic effects, chemically reactive species, plasma exposure, shear forces, and pressure transients. The program frames these research needs in terms of Air Force mission areas that would benefit from improved materials and plasma understanding: space propulsion systems, power sources, directed energy weapons, sensors and radar, electronic warfare, and communications. The common thread is that these technologies often fail or become performance-limited because of surface erosion, electrode wear, interface instabilities, contamination, or other degradation modes that are fundamentally tied to nonequilibrium physics and chemistry.
Overall, the solicitation supports transformative basic research in materials, plasma science, design, and processing aimed at radically reducing degradation and erosion, lowering system weight, and improving performance under extreme conditions. One specific route it encourages is the creation of hierarchical material architectures that deliberately combine different material classes, structural scales, and property sets to achieve synergistic, tailorable performance. In other words, the program is open to ideas where clever materials design across multiple scales (nano to macro) can produce durability and functionality that conventional single-scale materials cannot.
On the administrative side, the opportunity falls under CFDA 12.800 (Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program) and uses grants as the funding instrument. The award floor is listed at $300,000 and the ceiling at $5,000,000, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is restricted to U.S. institutions of higher education, including DoD universities, with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering. Proposals are encouraged from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI), though the announcement notes there are no set-aside funds specifically reserved for HBCU/MI participation. For access issues with the full announcement, the listed point of contact is a procurement analyst reachable by email for electronic access support.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name and funding opportunity number for this grant competition?
The opportunity is titled Fiscal Year 2011 "Materials and Processes far from Equilibrium" and the Funding Opportunity Number is BAA-AFOSR-2011-04.
Which government organization is running this opportunity?
This is a basic research grant competition run by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), which is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The intent is to fund unclassified, fundamental university research that can ultimately transition into capabilities relevant to U.S. Air Force needs.
Is this solicitation focused on basic research or applied development?
It is framed as basic research, with an emphasis on foundational advances rather than incremental engineering improvements.
Is the research required to be unclassified?
Yes. The opportunity is described as funding unclassified, fundamental university research.
Should proposals include proprietary information?
No. AFOSR emphasizes that proposals should not include proprietary information.
Are multiple awards expected?
Yes. The announcement indicates that multiple awards are expected.
Is funding guaranteed if a proposal is submitted?
No. AFOSR states that the government may choose to fund all, some, or none of the submissions.
What are the key posting, due, and archive dates?
The announcement was posted on November 22, 2010, proposals were due January 7, 2011, and the opportunity was later archived on February 6, 2011.
Will proposal preparation costs be reimbursed?
No. AFOSR states there is no reimbursement for proposal preparation.
Will submissions be returned to the proposer?
No. AFOSR states submissions will not be returned.
How is the solicitation distributed?
The solicitation is distributed electronically rather than via paper copies.
What is the central technical theme of the program?
The program centers on understanding and controlling how materials behave "far from equilibrium" in highly stressed operating environments, particularly where performance is limited by how materials evolve, degrade, erode, or chemically change under extreme combinations of stressors.
What kinds of extreme stressors are relevant to this topic?
The solicitation highlights conditions such as high chemical reactivity, intense thermal loading, strong electric or magnetic fields, radiation, and other high-energy-density environments, including combined-load situations.
Why are plasmas and nonlinear material response emphasized?
A recurring theme is the need to understand plasma phenomenology and nonlinear material response under combined loads, because many Air Force-relevant systems operate where plasmas, energetic particle flows, and rapidly varying fields interact directly with surfaces and interfaces.
How does the opportunity characterize the research risk and novelty?
The research thrust is described as innovative and high-risk, aiming for discoveries that could be transformative for relevant technologies.
What application areas does AFOSR mention as potential beneficiaries?
The solicitation points to high-temperature materials, space propulsion, and electro-energetic physics, including physics relevant to directed energy and other high-field/high-power systems.
What does the solicitation mean by integrating materials science with propulsion and electro-energetic physics?
It calls for integrated science that connects materials science with electric and chemical propulsion concepts and with the electro-energetic physics needed for next-generation space power and propulsion.
Does the program encourage discovery of new materials or new system concepts?
Yes. It includes discovering or characterizing new materials and potentially new propulsion system concepts that can maintain superior performance under harsh operating conditions.
What is meant by a multiscale understanding and prediction requirement?
Proposers are encouraged to measure and explain surface and near-surface phenomena across length scales (from atomic interactions to macroscale behavior) and to connect processes across time and length scales under nonequilibrium conditions.
What modeling approaches are highlighted?
The solicitation highlights modeling spanning molecular dynamics, mesoscale methods, and microstructural or continuum-scale simulations, with an emphasis on linking scales and validating models with diagnostics.
Is the goal only to observe degradation, or to predict it?
The stated goal goes beyond observation: it emphasizes building predictive capability, using models validated by diagnostics that can forecast how materials change and how those changes affect system performance.
How does the program connect materials behavior to propulsion and plasma-material interaction challenges?
One portion focuses on electrically conductive flowing propellants (such as plasmas or charged particle streams) that convert beamed energy or electrical power into thrust, and it seeks research that links plasma activity to energy deposition at material surfaces.
What kinds of coupled modeling are of interest for plasma-material systems?
The solicitation notes interest in coupled radiation and mass-transfer modeling to describe energy deposition at surfaces, and in specifying and predicting flows of mass, momentum, and energy through the coupled plasma-material system.
What outcomes does AFOSR suggest this research could enable for propulsion?
AFOSR points to the possibility of a "quantum leap" in energy savings or propulsion efficiency by improving energy coupling into the propellant and improving surface survivability under prolonged exposure.
What kinds of systems are included (electrode-based vs. electrodeless)?
The opportunity calls for theoretical and experimental investigations of energy coupling and plasma flow transfer in both electrode-based and electrodeless systems operating in dynamic environments.
What combined or interacting loads are specifically mentioned?
Examples include thermal gradients, acoustic effects, chemically reactive species, plasma exposure, shear forces, and pressure transients, including scenarios where these loads interact.
What Air Force mission areas are explicitly listed as relevant?
The solicitation frames needs across space propulsion systems, power sources, directed energy weapons, sensors and radar, electronic warfare, and communications.
What degradation or failure modes motivate this topic?
The announcement highlights performance limits and failures tied to surface erosion, electrode wear, interface instabilities, contamination, and other degradation modes rooted in nonequilibrium physics and chemistry.
What kinds of material design strategies are encouraged?
The solicitation supports transformative research in materials design and processing aimed at reducing degradation and erosion, lowering system weight, and improving performance under extreme conditions, including the creation of hierarchical material architectures that combine different material classes and structural scales for synergistic, tailorable performance.
What CFDA program does this opportunity fall under?
It falls under CFDA 12.800, the Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.
What is the funding instrument for awards?
The funding instrument is grants.
What are the minimum and maximum award sizes listed?
The award floor is listed at $300,000 and the ceiling at $5,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to U.S. institutions of higher education, including DoD universities, with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering.
Are proposals encouraged from HBCUs and Minority Institutions?
Yes. Proposals are encouraged from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI).
Are there set-aside funds reserved for HBCU/MI participation?
No. The announcement notes there are no set-aside funds specifically reserved for HBCU/MI participation.
Who should applicants contact if they have trouble accessing the full announcement electronically?
For access issues with the full announcement, the listed point of contact is a procurement analyst reachable by email for electronic access support.
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