Human Centered Intelligence, Surveillance | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Human Centered Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), tied to the Human Centered ISR Division, 711 HPW/RHX. The Funding Opportunity Number is BAA HPW RHX 2014 0001.

2) What does it mean that this is an "open-ended" BAA?

It means the government is using a Broad Agency Announcement structure that can stay open for an extended period to attract a range of innovative research ideas. In this case, the announcement remained open for several years, consistent with an open-ended BAA approach.

3) What is the main intent of the BAA?

The intent is to attract innovative science and technology (S&T) research ideas that are not already defined in RHX's existing core portfolio. The emphasis is on novel concepts rather than proposals that simply extend a pre-planned internal roadmap.

4) Who is sponsoring and managing the research focus area?

The research focus is associated with the Air Force Research Laboratory and specifically the Human Centered ISR Division, 711 HPW/RHX.

5) What kinds of awards or funding instruments might be used?

Awards may be made using multiple funding instruments, including grants, cooperative agreements, procurement contracts, or a combination of these, depending on the nature of the work and the level of government involvement anticipated.

6) What determines whether the award is a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract?

The choice depends on the nature of the work and the level of government involvement anticipated. More involvement may align with certain instruments, while other efforts may fit better under different mechanisms.

7) What is the core mission focus of the program?

The program focuses on human-centered S&T that strengthens the Air Force ISR mission in two practical ways: (1) improving the ability to identify, locate, and track humans in ISR environments, and (2) improving the performance and effectiveness of ISR analysts who must interpret large volumes of complex data under operational constraints.

8) Is the program focused only on technology for sensing, or also on the human analyst side?

Both. It includes sensing and understanding humans in operational environments (as targets or actors), and also improving the human decision-making pipeline that turns ISR data into actionable intelligence, including analyst performance and effectiveness.

9) What are the primary research areas within the RHX portfolio?

The RHX research portfolio is organized into three primary areas: Human Signatures, Human Trust and Interaction, and Human Analyst Augmentation.

10) What is included under the "Human Signatures" research area?

Human Signatures focuses on developing technologies that can sense and exploit human biosignatures across a spectrum of scales, including molecular-level indicators and macro-level anthropometric signals, to support improved detection, identification, and tracking of individuals.

11) What is included under the "Human Trust and Interaction" research area?

Human Trust and Interaction targets technologies that improve human-to-human interaction and human-to-machine interaction. This can include methods and tools that increase trust, usability, and teaming effectiveness, especially where analysts and operators rely on automated systems, decision aids, or machine learning outputs.

12) What is included under the "Human Analyst Augmentation" research area?

Human Analyst Augmentation focuses on boosting ISR analyst performance and on building ways to evaluate newly developed ISR technologies within simulated operational environments. This reflects an interest in both developing tools and measuring whether they improve outcomes under conditions resembling real missions.

13) Does this BAA include any work beyond core ISR analyst and sensing topics?

Yes. RHX also carries forward research associated with the Airman Biosciences and Performance Program, highlighting capabilities to address Air Force operational and sustainment challenges related to chemical and biological hazards.

14) What chemical and biological hazard topics are mentioned?

Topics mentioned include contamination detection, hazard assessment and management, individual and collective protection, and restoration and reconstitution of operational capability.

15) How is the opportunity categorized administratively?

The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

16) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA is 12.800, listed as the Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.

17) How much funding is estimated to be available?

The estimated total funding is $46.4 million.

18) How many awards are expected?

The opportunity states an expectation of 15 awards.

19) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated.

20) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many entity types, as long as any requirements in the full announcement are met.

21) What are the key dates for this opportunity?

The posting date is February 11, 2014. The original closing date and the current closing date are both listed as February 12, 2018. The archive date is December 31, 2018.

22) Why does the closing date span multiple years after the posting date?

The announcement is described as open-ended, and the multi-year open period aligns with how some BAAs are kept open to receive innovative ideas over time.

23) Who should be contacted for access or administrative difficulties with the full announcement?

The listed point of contact is Elizabeth Fink, Contracting Officer, reachable at 937-713-9832.

24) What should I do if my idea overlaps with an existing RHX portfolio effort?

Based on the stated intent, the BAA is looking for ideas not already defined in RHX's existing core portfolio, and it emphasizes novel concepts rather than extensions of a pre-planned internal roadmap.

25) What is the practical outcome the government seems to want from proposed research?

The described focus suggests an interest in research that improves ISR mission effectiveness by enabling better human identification/location/tracking and by improving analyst performance under real operational constraints, including evaluation of new ISR technologies within simulated operational environments.