Opportunity Information: Apply for ONRBAA11 014
Apply for ONRBAA11 014
- The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human Social Cultural and Behavioral Sciences (HSBC) Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300 Basic and Applied Scientific Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 3, 2011 and posted on Jan 31, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 6, 2011 Refer to the BAA or application instructions for white paper due dates. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- All responsible sources from academia and industry may submit proposals under this BAA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals. However, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation. Federally Funded research Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal bidders are allowed so long as they are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC. Navy laboratories and warfare centers as well as other Department of Defense and civilian agency laboratories are also not eligible to receive awards under this BAA and should not directly submit either white papers or full proposals in response to this BAA. If any such organization is interested in one or more of the programs described herein, the organization should contact an appropriate ONR POC to discuss its area of interest. The various scientific divisions of ONR are identified at http://www.onr.navy.mil/. As with FFRDCs, these types of federal organizations may team with other responsible sources from academia and industry that are submitting proposals under this BAA.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Human Social Cultural and Behavioral Sciences (HSCB) Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development opportunity is a Department of Defense research and development solicitation managed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under the broader HSCB Modeling Program that began in 2008. The program was created to close a persistent gap in military planning and analysis: traditional models and decision tools often handle physical systems well, but they struggle to represent how people and groups behave in complex cultural, social, and political environments. The core aim of this funding is to produce research and technology that can help operations planners, intelligence analysts, operations analysts, and wargamers better represent, understand, and forecast socio-cultural behavior at strategic, operational, and tactical levels, then transition those capabilities into real-world use.
The program is organized around four interrelated objectives that map to the topic areas in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). First, it seeks to advance the scientific understanding of how socio-cultural factors influence behavior in military-relevant settings, with an emphasis on empirically validated theories that can actually be implemented in computational models rather than remaining purely conceptual. Second, it funds new methods, validated computational models, and software tools that let warfighters and analysts incorporate socio-cultural variables into planning, analysis, and operational decision-making. Third, it supports methods and tools for flexible training delivery, focused on socio-cultural knowledge, skills, and abilities that personnel need at tactical and operational levels, meaning the work is not only about prediction and modeling but also about improving how people learn and apply socio-cultural competence. Fourth, it invests in the data side of the problem: approaches for collecting, generating, standardizing, integrating, and transferring socio-cultural data so that models and decision-support systems have usable, consistent inputs. A key theme across all four areas is integration and transition, with ONR explicitly emphasizing that funded outputs should be engineered and packaged in ways that allow them to plug into existing systems and workflows, not sit on the shelf as standalone demonstrations.
The BAA encourages proposals that span multiple topic areas, noting that the categories are not mutually exclusive. In practice, that means a competitive effort could combine, for example, theory development with a computational implementation, tie that model to a data pipeline, and demonstrate how the resulting capability improves training or supports operational planning. The opportunity is positioned as both applied research and advanced technology development, signaling interest in work that is scientifically grounded but also mature enough to be validated, demonstrated, and transitioned.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number ONRBAA11-014) associated with CFDA 12.300, Basic and Applied Scientific Research. The announced award mechanisms include cooperative agreements, grants, other procurement contracts, and related instruments, reflecting flexibility in how ONR may structure awards depending on the nature and maturity of the proposed work and the level of government involvement anticipated. The announcement projected approximately 15 awards and specified no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Eligibility is broadly open to responsible sources in academia and industry, with explicit encouragement for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) to participate, even though no portion of the funding is set aside for them. Certain federal organizations cannot apply as prime recipients: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy national laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards directly; similarly, Navy laboratories and warfare centers and other DoD or civilian government labs are not eligible to submit white papers or proposals as direct applicants. However, those organizations can participate through teaming arrangements with eligible prime proposers, as long as the arrangements comply with the relevant sponsoring agreements and program rules. This setup is meant to keep the competition focused on non-federal performers while still allowing specialized federal labs and centers to contribute expertise when appropriate through partnerships.
Key dates listed in the public posting show the opportunity posted on January 31, 2011, with an original closing date of June 13, 2011, later updated to a current closing date of July 6, 2011, and an archive date of July 13, 2011. The notice also highlights that white paper due dates are governed by the BAA and its application instructions, which is typical for ONR BAAs that use an initial white paper step to screen concepts before inviting full proposals. The sponsoring agency is the Office of Naval Research, and the announcement provides a contracting point of contact for access issues and administrative questions.
Overall, the grant opportunity targets research-to-operations outcomes in socio-cultural behavior modeling: build empirically defensible behavioral theories, turn them into validated computational models and usable software, create training delivery tools that improve socio-cultural competence, and develop robust socio-cultural data methods so the tools can run on credible inputs. The through-line is practical impact for defense planning and analysis, with a strong preference for work that can be integrated into existing decision-support, analytic, and training ecosystems rather than remaining isolated prototypes.
FAQs: Human Social Cultural and Behavioral Sciences (HSCB) Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development (ONR)
What is the HSCB Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development opportunity?
It is a Department of Defense research and development solicitation managed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under the broader Human Social Cultural and Behavioral Sciences (HSCB) Modeling Program, which began in 2008. The opportunity supports applied research and advanced technology development focused on socio-cultural behavior in military-relevant contexts.
What problem is this program trying to solve?
The program was created to address a persistent gap in military planning and analysis: traditional models and decision-support tools often represent physical systems well, but they tend to struggle with how people and groups behave in complex cultural, social, and political environments. The goal is to improve the ability to represent, understand, and forecast socio-cultural behavior for defense planning and analysis.
Who is the sponsoring agency?
The sponsoring agency is the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
What is the main purpose of the funding?
The core aim is to produce research and technology that helps operations planners, intelligence analysts, operations analysts, and wargamers better represent, understand, and forecast socio-cultural behavior at strategic, operational, and tactical levels, and to transition those capabilities into real-world use.
What are the main topic areas or objectives supported by the program?
The opportunity is organized around four interrelated objectives (which map to topic areas in the BAA):
- Advancing scientific understanding of how socio-cultural factors influence behavior in military-relevant settings, emphasizing empirically validated theories that can be implemented in computational models.
- Developing new methods, validated computational models, and software tools to incorporate socio-cultural variables into planning, analysis, and operational decision-making.
- Supporting methods and tools for flexible training delivery focused on socio-cultural knowledge, skills, and abilities at tactical and operational levels.
- Improving socio-cultural data approaches, including collecting, generating, standardizing, integrating, and transferring data for consistent model and decision-support inputs.
Does the program require that research be implemented as computational models?
The emphasis is on empirically validated theories that can actually be implemented in computational models, rather than remaining purely conceptual. The solicitation highlights implementable, usable outcomes.
Is this opportunity focused only on modeling and prediction?
No. While modeling and forecasting socio-cultural behavior is a major focus, the program also supports training delivery tools aimed at improving socio-cultural knowledge, skills, and abilities for personnel at tactical and operational levels.
How important is data to this program?
Data is a major investment area. The program explicitly includes approaches for collecting, generating, standardizing, integrating, and transferring socio-cultural data so models and decision-support systems have usable and consistent inputs.
Does ONR encourage projects that combine multiple topic areas?
Yes. The BAA encourages proposals that span multiple topic areas and notes that the categories are not mutually exclusive. A single project may combine theory development, computational implementation, a data pipeline, and a demonstration of improved training or operational planning support.
What does "applied research and advanced technology development" mean in this context?
It signals interest in work that is scientifically grounded but also mature enough to be validated, demonstrated, and transitioned. The opportunity is positioned to support research-to-operations outcomes rather than isolated proofs of concept.
What does ONR mean by "integration and transition"?
A key theme is that funded outputs should be engineered and packaged so they can plug into existing systems and workflows, rather than remaining standalone demonstrations. The solicitation emphasizes practical transition into real-world use.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA listing for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is ONRBAA11-014, and it is associated with CFDA 12.300 (Basic and Applied Scientific Research).
What award mechanisms may be used under this opportunity?
The announcement indicates ONR may use cooperative agreements, grants, other procurement contracts, and related instruments. This reflects flexibility in award structure based on the work and the expected level of government involvement.
About how many awards were projected?
The announcement projected approximately 15 awards.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation specified no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply as a prime recipient?
Eligibility is broadly open to responsible sources in academia and industry. The solicitation explicitly encourages participation by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs), although no funding is set aside specifically for them.
Are HBCUs and Minority Institutions given a reserved funding allocation?
No. The opportunity encourages HBCU/MI participation, but it states that no portion of the funding is set aside for them.
Which organizations are not eligible to apply directly as prime recipients?
Certain federal organizations cannot apply as prime recipients. The announcement states that Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy national laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards directly. It also states that Navy laboratories and warfare centers and other DoD or civilian government labs are not eligible to submit white papers or proposals as direct applicants.
Can ineligible federal labs or FFRDCs participate in any way?
Yes. The notice indicates those organizations may participate through teaming arrangements with eligible prime proposers, as long as the arrangements comply with relevant sponsoring agreements and program rules.
Why does the solicitation allow teaming with federal labs but restrict them from being prime applicants?
The setup is described as a way to keep competition focused on non-federal performers while still allowing specialized federal labs and centers to contribute expertise through partnerships when appropriate.
What were the key dates for this opportunity?
The public posting lists the opportunity as posted on January 31, 2011. The original closing date was June 13, 2011, later updated to a current closing date of July 6, 2011. The archive date was July 13, 2011.
Are there white paper requirements or a white paper step?
The notice highlights that white paper due dates are governed by the BAA and its application instructions, which is typical for ONR BAAs that use an initial white paper step to screen concepts before inviting full proposals.
Who are the intended end users of the work funded under this program?
The solicitation identifies operations planners, intelligence analysts, operations analysts, and wargamers as key users who would benefit from improved socio-cultural behavior representation and forecasting capabilities.
At what levels of military decision-making is this work intended to apply?
The program targets strategic, operational, and tactical levels.
What kinds of deliverables does ONR appear to be seeking?
Based on the stated objectives, ONR is seeking empirically validated and implementable socio-cultural theories, validated computational models, usable software tools, training delivery methods/tools, and robust socio-cultural data approaches, with an emphasis on integration into existing systems and workflows.
Where should administrative or access questions be directed?
The announcement notes that it provides a contracting point of contact for access issues and administrative questions.
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