Opportunity Information: Apply for ONRBAA09 015
Apply for ONRBAA09 015
- The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Infra red Detection of Marine Mammals From Ship Based Platforms" 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 Apr 21, 2009 and posted on Mar 12, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 27, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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. Teams are encouraged to submit proposals in any and all areas. However, Offerors must be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data and other information in an integrated program with other contractors, as well as with system integrators, selected by ONR.
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Opportunity Summary:
This Office of Naval Research (ONR) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), titled "Infra red Detection of Marine Mammals From Ship Based Platforms" (Funding Opportunity Number ONRBAA09-015), sought applied research proposals to evaluate whether infrared (IR) imaging can reliably detect marine mammals from ships in near real time. The core motivation is mitigation: naval sonar and other human-generated ocean noise sources (including seismic exploration, construction, and shipping) can affect marine mammals, and operators need practical ways to spot animals near sound sources so activities can be adjusted or paused when needed. The opportunity frames IR as a potential complementary method to existing approaches that each have clear limitations: visual observers are constrained by daylight, weather, and sea state; passive acoustics only works when animals vocalize; and active acoustics introduces additional energy into the environment and requires careful evaluation for unintended impacts.
ONR's specific goal was not to jump immediately to expensive airborne autonomous systems, even though higher viewing angles (such as from unmanned aerial vehicles) could improve IR detection performance by increasing the incident angle and improving coverage of the sea surface. Instead, ONR emphasized cost-conscious testing from ship-based platforms using more oblique viewing geometries, paired directly with human visual observations so that detections in IR imagery could be validated against known sightings. Proposers were allowed to get creative in modest ways to improve vantage point from a ship, such as mounting the sensor on tall masts or using tethered balloons or kites, and ONR also suggested that preliminary land-based trials (for example, from cliffs overlooking the ocean) could be a cost-effective step to refine the technology and methods before moving to at-sea testing.
A key technical constraint was the preference for small, lightweight, low-power IR imaging systems that could be adapted to different platforms in the future. Because of that portability and power focus, ONR steered proposers toward uncooled microbolometer-based IR cameras (still and/or video) rather than cooled IR systems. Proposals were expected to justify the selected sensor and imaging configuration, describe how the system would be deployed and stabilized (since ship motion and platform vibration can directly affect image quality and detection reliability), and lay out an operational sampling and scanning protocol for detecting animals. ONR also wanted clarity on practical, operational factors such as the expected responsiveness of the system, whether it would need continuous human control or could run with some level of automation, and what detection performance targets were being pursued, including detection range and spatial resolution goals.
Field testing was a required element, not an optional add-on. Applicants had to present a plan for conducting trials with the proposed IR system and, importantly, a validation approach that tied IR detections to concurrent visual observer data. Budget requests needed to include all costs necessary to complete the work, explicitly including ship time and the use of trained visual observers, reflecting ONR's intent to evaluate IR performance under real operational conditions rather than only in lab settings.
From a funding and program structure standpoint, ONR indicated the work funded under this BAA could span basic research, applied research, and some advanced technology development in general, but this particular effort was identified as applied research supported with Budget Activity 2 funds (RDT&E BA-2). The announcement also discussed how ONR would handle fundamental research and publication restrictions consistent with Department of Defense guidance and NSDD-189, noting that unclassified fundamental research is generally not restricted, while advanced technology development can carry restrictions and pre-publication review depending on sensitivity. For this opportunity, however, ONR emphasized the applied-research nature of the effort.
Eligibility was broadly open to responsible sources in academia and industry, with encouragement for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) to participate, although no portion was set aside specifically for them. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), Navy labs, warfare centers, and other government labs were not eligible to receive awards directly, but could participate through teaming arrangements with eligible prime offerors if permitted under their sponsoring agreements. ONR also signaled an expectation of collaboration: teams were encouraged, and offerors needed to be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data, and related information within an integrated program environment alongside other contractors and system integrators selected by ONR.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted March 12, 2009, with an original closing date of April 23, 2009 that was extended to April 27, 2009, and it was later archived May 23, 2009. The funding instrument types listed included grants and procurement contracts, and the CFDA number associated with the program area was 12.300 (Basic and Applied Scientific Research). Cost sharing was not required. The contracting point of contact listed was Jennifer Williams, Contract Specialist, reachable by phone for access issues related to the full announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this ONR opportunity?
The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is titled "Infra red Detection of Marine Mammals From Ship Based Platforms."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is ONRBAA09-015.
What is the main purpose of the research ONR was seeking?
The opportunity sought applied research proposals to evaluate whether infrared (IR) imaging can reliably detect marine mammals from ships in near real time. The intent is to support mitigation by helping operators spot animals near human-generated ocean noise sources so activities can be adjusted or paused when needed.
Why was ONR interested in detecting marine mammals near sound sources?
The BAA notes that naval sonar and other human-generated ocean noise sources (including seismic exploration, construction, and shipping) can affect marine mammals. Practical detection methods help operators identify animals near sound sources and enable mitigation actions.
How does IR imaging fit with other marine mammal detection methods?
ONR framed IR as a potential complementary method to existing approaches that have limitations: visual observers are constrained by daylight, weather, and sea state; passive acoustics only works when animals vocalize; and active acoustics adds energy to the environment and requires careful evaluation for unintended impacts.
Was ONR primarily interested in airborne or autonomous airborne systems?
No. The BAA explicitly emphasized cost-conscious testing from ship-based platforms rather than moving immediately to expensive airborne autonomous systems, even though higher viewing angles (for example, from unmanned aerial vehicles) could improve IR detection performance.
What platform and viewing geometry did ONR emphasize?
ONR emphasized ship-based platforms using more oblique viewing geometries, paired directly with human visual observations so that IR detections could be validated against known sightings.
Were modest approaches allowed to improve the sensor vantage point from a ship?
Yes. Proposers were allowed to propose modest ways to improve viewing height or geometry from a ship, such as mounting the sensor on tall masts or using tethered balloons or kites.
Were land-based trials acceptable as part of the approach?
Yes. ONR suggested preliminary land-based trials (for example, from cliffs overlooking the ocean) as a potentially cost-effective step to refine technology and methods before moving to at-sea testing.
What type of IR sensors did ONR prefer?
ONR preferred small, lightweight, low-power IR imaging systems that could be adapted to different platforms in the future, and steered proposers toward uncooled microbolometer-based IR cameras (still and/or video) rather than cooled IR systems.
Could applicants propose cooled IR systems?
The BAA indicates a preference for uncooled microbolometer-based systems due to portability and power considerations, and notes ONR steered proposers away from cooled systems. Proposals were expected to justify the selected sensor and configuration.
What did proposals need to include regarding the sensor and imaging configuration?
Proposals were expected to justify the selected sensor and imaging configuration and explain how the system would be deployed for ship-based use.
Why did ONR emphasize stabilization and ship-motion considerations?
The BAA notes that ship motion and platform vibration can directly affect image quality and detection reliability, so proposals were expected to describe how the system would be deployed and stabilized.
What operational procedures did ONR expect offerors to describe?
Offerors were expected to lay out an operational sampling and scanning protocol for detecting animals and to address practical operational factors like system responsiveness and whether continuous human control would be needed or whether some level of automation was possible.
What detection performance targets did ONR want to see addressed?
ONR wanted proposers to describe the detection performance targets being pursued, including detection range and spatial resolution goals.
Was field testing required?
Yes. Field testing was a required element of the effort, not an optional add-on.
How were IR detections supposed to be validated?
Applicants were required to include a validation approach that tied IR detections to concurrent visual observer data, with IR imagery detections validated against known visual sightings.
Did the budget need to include costs for real-world operational testing?
Yes. Budget requests needed to include all costs necessary to complete the work, explicitly including ship time and the use of trained visual observers.
What type of research funding (Budget Activity) supported this effort?
This particular effort was identified as applied research supported with Budget Activity 2 funds (RDT&E BA-2).
Did ONR indicate the broader BAA could cover other research categories?
Yes. ONR indicated that work funded under the broader BAA could span basic research, applied research, and some advanced technology development in general, while emphasizing that this specific effort was applied research.
What did the announcement say about publication restrictions and fundamental research?
The BAA discussed Department of Defense guidance and NSDD-189, noting that unclassified fundamental research is generally not restricted, while advanced technology development can carry restrictions and pre-publication review depending on sensitivity. For this opportunity, ONR emphasized the applied-research nature of the effort.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broadly open to responsible sources in academia and industry.
Were HBCUs and Minority Institutions encouraged to participate?
Yes. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) were encouraged to participate, but no portion of funding was set aside specifically for them.
Were government labs eligible to receive awards directly?
No. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), Navy labs, warfare centers, and other government labs were not eligible to receive awards directly under this opportunity.
Could government labs participate at all?
Yes. The BAA noted they could participate through teaming arrangements with eligible prime offerors if permitted under their sponsoring agreements.
Did ONR encourage collaboration among teams?
Yes. ONR encouraged teaming and stated that offerors needed to be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data, and related information within an integrated program environment with other contractors and system integrators selected by ONR.
What award instruments were listed for this opportunity?
The listed funding instrument types included grants and procurement contracts.
What was the CFDA number associated with this program area?
The CFDA number associated with the program area was 12.300 (Basic and Applied Scientific Research).
Was cost sharing required?
No. Cost sharing was not required.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted March 12, 2009. The original closing date was April 23, 2009, and it was extended to April 27, 2009.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was later archived on May 23, 2009.
Who was the contracting point of contact listed?
The contracting point of contact listed was Jennifer Williams, Contract Specialist.
What was the point of contact's role for this opportunity?
The contact information was provided for access issues related to the full announcement.
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