HUMAN PERFORMANCE SENSING | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - HUMAN PERFORMANCE SENSING (AFRL BAA)

What is the HUMAN PERFORMANCE SENSING opportunity?

HUMAN PERFORMANCE SENSING is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) focused on accelerating research and development of sensing technologies that can detect, measure, and help interpret human performance in realistic operational settings relevant to Air Force missions.

What is the main goal of this BAA?

The main goal is to develop sensing and assessment approaches that move beyond basic laboratory demonstrations and can be transitioned into fieldable systems. The emphasis is on producing accurate, robust, and actionable outputs under operationally realistic conditions.

What does the "Sense, Assess, Augment" paradigm mean?

The program is organized around a "Sense, Assess, Augment" paradigm:

• Sense: collect raw data about human state (for example physiological or behavioral signals).
• Assess: turn sensed data into meaningful assessments of operator state and performance (for example workload, fatigue, stress, attention, readiness).
• Augment: use those assessments to support interventions and improvements, such as decision support, training enhancements, or other capability improvements.

What types of human states are of interest?

The BAA emphasizes assessment of physiological, cognitive, and psychological states of human operators, particularly as they relate to performance outcomes under stress, workload, fatigue, and other operationally relevant conditions.

What sensing modalities and measures are encouraged?

The opportunity encourages sensing approaches that capture:

• Physiological signals (for example cardiovascular or respiratory indicators)
• Biomarkers, including biochemical markers measurable through wearable or other non-invasive methods
• Behavioral metrics (for example movement, response timing, performance patterns, or other observable indicators)

Is the BAA focused only on collecting data, or also on interpreting it?

It is explicitly focused on both. The BAA is interested not only in sensing (collecting raw human-state data) but also in assessment methods that convert that data into meaningful, empirically grounded interpretations connected to measurable performance.

Does the BAA prioritize single sensors or integrated sensor suites?

A strong emphasis is placed on human-centric multi-sensor suites rather than standalone sensors. The BAA highlights integration across sensor types, miniaturization, and practical wearability/operational usability.

What engineering and integration challenges does the BAA highlight?

The BAA calls out challenges such as:

• Integrating multiple sensor types into a coherent suite
• Miniaturization to support wearable or operationally practical systems
• Early-stage operational test and evaluation

How important are verification and validation (V&V) in this program?

Verification and validation are explicitly important. Proposers are expected to demonstrate not only that a sensor works, but that it performs appropriately and consistently across both laboratory and operational-type environments, including conditions that are noisy, constrained, and mission-realistic.

What does the BAA mean by moving beyond basic lab demonstrations?

Based on the description, moving beyond lab demonstrations means progressing toward credible transition pathways into fieldable systems, including realistic testing plans, robust performance in operational-like settings, and outputs that are actionable for mission needs.

Is there interest in nano biomaterial sensors?

Yes. The BAA highlights particular interest in research tied to manufacturing nano biomaterial sensors, including advanced materials and fabrication methods that enable new biochemical or physiological sensing with improved sensitivity, smaller form factors, lower power, or improved durability.

Does the BAA care about manufacturability, or only scientific novelty?

The description indicates interest in moving from promising materials science into manufacturable, repeatable sensor components, aligning with the stated goal of operational implementation rather than one-off prototypes.

Are algorithms, models, and data fusion approaches within scope?

Yes. In addition to hardware and sensing modalities, the BAA supports empirically based models, frameworks, and novel evaluation capabilities that link sensed data to performance assessment. This includes algorithms, data fusion, state estimation, and validation frameworks, as long as they are grounded in empirical evidence and tied to measurable performance outcomes.

What kinds of operator assessments are relevant?

The BAA references assessments that support understanding and prediction of constructs such as operator readiness, workload, fatigue, stress, attention, and similar states, specifically in ways that connect to measurable performance.

What operational and mission areas are named as applications?

The announcement names the following Air Force application areas:

• Air operations
• Special Operations
• Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance (ISR)
• Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operations
• Cyber Operations
• Training applications supported by Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environments

Why does the BAA mention LVC (Live, Virtual, and Constructive) environments?

The reference to LVC training suggests interest in using human-state sensing to improve training realism, adaptation, feedback, and readiness assessment within training environments that blend live activity, virtual simulation, and constructive (computer-generated) elements.

Who is issuing this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is issued by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) as a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is BAA RQKHB 2015 0003.

What funding instruments are available under this opportunity?

The instruments available include cooperative agreements and procurement contracts.

What is the activity category and CFDA listing?

The activity category is science and technology and other research and development. The CFDA listing is 12.800, Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.

How many awards were anticipated, and what is the total estimated funding?

The opportunity anticipated around 8 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $39.8 million across the announcement period.

What is the expected award size range?

Individual awards were expected to range from $150,000 (floor) up to $2,000,000 (ceiling).

Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility details contained in the full announcement text.

When was the opportunity posted, and what were the closing dates?

The posting date was October 29, 2014. The original and current closing date is listed as October 29, 2018. The archive date is November 28, 2018.

Who is the point of contact for access issues with the full announcement?

For access issues related to the full announcement, the point of contact is M. Scott Beeler, Contract Specialist, at 937-713-9842.

What kinds of proposal evidence are implied to be important?

The description emphasizes credible testing plans, verification and validation, and evidence pathways demonstrating accurate and consistent performance in both laboratory and operational-type environments, especially when conditions are noisy or constrained.

Does the BAA encourage combined sensing and modeling efforts?

Yes. Proposals that combine sensing with modeling in a tightly integrated way, including clear evaluation plans, are described as a natural fit for the "sense and assess" portions of the paradigm.