MULTI INT RESEARCH INTIATIVES AT THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this grant opportunity about?

This opportunity, issued by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) through its Center for Multi INT Studies (CMIS), funds research that advances the state of the art in "Multi INT" (multi-intelligence) sense-making for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) environments. The emphasis is on developing theoretical foundations, models, and algorithms that improve timely and resilient situation awareness and decision-making when information is incomplete and conditions are complex, dynamic, and uncertain.

2) What does "Multi INT" mean in the context of this solicitation?

"Multi INT" refers to multi-intelligence sense-making in ISR contexts, where insights are derived by integrating and interpreting information from multiple intelligence sources. The solicitation describes environments that may involve centralized and distributed sensors, human observers, and database systems, all operating under real-world constraints such as limited resources and urgent timelines.

3) What is the central technical aim of the funded research?

The central aim is to develop theory, models, and algorithms that enable timely and resilient situation awareness and decision-making despite incomplete information and uncertain, dynamic operating conditions.

4) What kinds of ISR systems or inputs should proposed approaches be able to work across?

CMIS is interested in approaches that can operate across ISR systems composed of a mix of centralized and distributed sensors, human observers, and database systems, and that explicitly account for practical constraints like limited resources and urgent timelines.

5) Are proposals expected to be multidisciplinary?

Yes. The solicitation explicitly indicates that proposed approaches are expected to be multidisciplinary rather than confined to a single academic lane.

6) What are the priority research areas?

The solicitation identifies three priority research areas:

• Inferencing and Reasoning: methods to draw reliable conclusions from messy, partial, and sometimes conflicting data streams.
• Orchestrated Resource Management: coordination and optimization of ISR resources (such as sensors, data feeds, analytic effort, and collection priorities) so the system can adapt to uncertainty and constraints while producing useful outcomes.
• Visualization: improving how fused intelligence and uncertainty are presented to humans to support understanding, trust, and decision quality as data volume and complexity increase.

7) What is included under the Inferencing and Reasoning priority area?

Inferencing and Reasoning focuses on methods that help analysts and automated systems reach reliable conclusions from data streams that may be incomplete, noisy, conflicting, or otherwise difficult to interpret.

8) What is included under the Orchestrated Resource Management priority area?

Orchestrated Resource Management is about coordinating and optimizing ISR resources (for example, sensors, data feeds, analytic effort, and collection priorities) so the overall system can adapt to uncertainty and operational constraints while still delivering useful outcomes.

9) What is included under the Visualization priority area?

Visualization is aimed at improving presentation of complex fused intelligence and uncertainty to human users, with the goal of improving understanding and trust and supporting better decision-making rather than overwhelming users as complexity grows.

10) How does this solicitation fit into CMIS program planning and goals?

This call is within CMIS's multi-year research program plan for FY14 to FY18 and is explicitly tied to Goal 2: expanding the number, breadth, and depth of researchers conducting high-value Multi INT work.

11) What are CMIS's broader strategic goals referenced in the opportunity?

The solicitation lists three CMIS strategic goals:

• Goal 1: provide national leadership in Multi INT research.
• Goal 2: expand and strengthen the research community.
• Goal 3: deliver high-value research outcomes.

12) Is dissemination of research results expected?

Yes. Investigators are expected to share results with a mixed community of academic, government, and industry stakeholders at the CMIS Annual Research Summit (scheduled for August 2014). Outcomes are also expected to be captured in the CMIS Annual Multi INT Research Report (planned for public release in November 2014).

13) What is the CMIS Annual Research Summit requirement?

Proposals must budget travel for at least one round trip to Monterey, California, for up to three members of the research team (including the Principal Investigator) to attend and present findings at the annual summit. The on-site portion is specified as three days (not counting travel days).

14) Can more than three team members travel to the summit?

Additional travel for more team members may be considered, but only with written justification.

15) Is this opportunity for grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts?

This is a grant-only opportunity. It is not seeking cooperative agreements or contracts, and proposals that would lead to those instruments are not appropriate for this call.

16) Are white papers accepted?

No. This is a full-proposal solicitation only; white papers are explicitly not accepted.

17) Is there a requirement to describe public benefit?

Yes. Each proposal must clearly describe an anticipated public benefit beyond any direct benefit to the U.S. Government, since the awards are research grants that must be justified in terms of public value.

18) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," with important clarifications. The program is targeted to:

• U.S. universities
• Accredited foreign universities (foreign institutions are only eligible if they are accredited universities)
• U.S. research institutions and laboratories outside the U.S. federal government

19) Are foreign institutions eligible?

Yes, but only if they are accredited universities.

20) Are U.S. federal government laboratories eligible?

The solicitation indicates the program is targeted to U.S. research institutions and laboratories outside the U.S. federal government, implying that entities within the U.S. federal government are not within the targeted applicant set described.

21) What is the CFDA number and program type listed?

The funding instrument is a discretionary grant under CFDA 12.300, titled "Basic and Applied Scientific Research."

22) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

23) What are the key dates mentioned for posting and closing?

The solicitation was posted in late September 2013. The dates shown indicate an original closing date of October 18, 2014, later reflected as a current closing date of September 15, 2014, and an archive date of October 15, 2014.

24) Who is the sponsoring organization associated with this opportunity?

The sponsoring organization is associated with the Naval Supply Systems Command.

25) Who is the point of contact listed for access issues?

The listed point of contact for access issues is Janet Norton, Contract and Grant Officer (Business POC).