Information Integration and Automated Image Understanding Applied Research Programs | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title and funding opportunity number for this ONR grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Information Integration and Automated Image Understanding Applied Research Programs" and lists Funding Opportunity Number ONRBAA09-019.

Who is the sponsoring organization?

The sponsoring organization is the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

What problem is ONR trying to solve with this opportunity?

ONR highlights modern military data overload: future naval and joint operations will depend on sea, land, and air forces working together while processing massive amounts of information from many sources. Sensors, networks, and human reporting can produce data faster than analysts and operators can reasonably interpret it, so ONR emphasized automating parts of the data-to-decision pipeline to reduce operator workload and surface only what is relevant for situational awareness and timely action.

What type of work was ONR seeking: basic research or applied research?

The announcement sought applied research proposals focused on practical, defensible methods that can perform reliably in real mission settings where speed, robustness, and clarity matter.

What are the main technical focus areas described in the announcement?

The opportunity focused on (1) information integration and high-dimensional data organization/integration/fusion, and (2) automated image understanding. ONR emphasized efficient, theoretically sound, and consistent algorithms that can turn multiple complex inputs into coherent, usable understanding rather than disconnected streams of raw information.

What does ONR mean by "information integration" and "data fusion" in this context?

In plain terms, ONR described methods that take many complicated inputs (for example, multiple sensor modalities, reports, and archived records) and combine them into coherent, usable understanding. The emphasis is on algorithms that are efficient, mathematically grounded, and consistent.

What does "automated image understanding" refer to in this opportunity?

It refers to algorithms that can interpret imagery without requiring constant human review, supporting faster and more reliable situational understanding under operational constraints.

What mission setting or application area was specifically called out?

A major application area was adaptive, persistent surveillance in the maritime domain.

How does the announcement define the "maritime domain" for this work?

The maritime domain was defined broadly as extending from roughly 250 miles offshore to 200 miles inland, spanning open ocean, coastal and littoral regions, riverine settings, deserts, and urban terrain.

What kinds of capabilities did ONR envision for adaptive, persistent surveillance?

The announcement described surveillance assets and supporting software that operate with minimal high-level human supervision, continuously monitor areas of interest, and intelligently manage what they collect and retain.

What specific system behaviors or functions were called out as desirable?

Examples listed include recognizing and tracking objects or agents of interest, dwelling longer on relevant scenes, discarding irrelevant data to avoid swamping storage and analysts, indexing and storing important data for later forensic use and after-action analysis, and issuing timely alerts with concise, actionable information for warfighters.

What does ONR mean by reducing "operator workload" in this announcement?

ONR emphasized automating portions of the pipeline from incoming data to operational decisions, so operators and analysts are not forced to manually sift through raw, high-volume multi-source inputs and can instead focus on relevant, actionable outputs.

What funding category and CFDA number are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity was in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category and listed CFDA 12.300 (Basic and Applied Scientific Research).

What award mechanisms were mentioned?

The announcement was described as a discretionary funding announcement using grant and procurement contract mechanisms.

Is cost sharing required?

No. The opportunity stated that cost sharing was not required.

When was the opportunity posted?

The posted date was March 6, 2009.

Was a white paper required, and when was it due?

A white paper due date was listed as March 31, 2009.

What was the final proposal deadline?

The final proposal deadline was revised and extended to June 11, 2009.

What archive date is listed for the opportunity?

The archive date was listed as June 30, 2009.

Who was eligible to apply?

The solicitation was open to a wide range of applicants from academia and industry, subject to the specific eligibility restrictions described in the announcement.

Were HBCUs and Minority Institutions encouraged to participate?

Yes. The announcement explicitly encouraged participation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs), while also stating that there was no set-aside reserved specifically for them.

Are Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) eligible to receive awards directly?

No. FFRDCs (including Department of Energy national laboratories) were not eligible to receive awards directly under this opportunity.

Can Navy laboratories, warfare centers, or other federal government laboratories submit white papers or full proposals directly?

No. Navy laboratories, warfare centers, and other federal government labs were not eligible to submit white papers or full proposals directly.

If certain federal labs cannot be prime applicants, can they still participate in some way?

Yes. The announcement allowed teaming arrangements where these organizations could participate alongside eligible prime bidders, as long as such collaboration was permitted under the relevant sponsoring agreements.

What collaboration expectations did ONR state for offerors?

ONR emphasized that offerors needed to be willing to cooperate within an integrated program and exchange software, data, and other information with other contractors and ONR-selected system integrators.

Does the opportunity include any export control considerations?

Yes. Some topics were described as export controlled, meaning certain research areas could be limited to U.S. persons under ITAR rules, which could affect staffing and participation on affected efforts.

What is the overall objective of the opportunity in plain language?

The objective was to fund applied R&D that helps the Navy and joint forces turn overwhelming, multi-source data and imagery into reliable, automated situational understanding, with an emphasis on efficient, theoretically grounded algorithms and tools suitable for autonomous or semi-autonomous surveillance across diverse maritime and near-maritime environments.

Who is the listed point of contact for access issues, and what contact details are provided?

The contact for access issues was listed as Jennifer Williams, Contract Specialist, at 703-588-2432, with a note directing grants.gov questions there.