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FAQs: Nano Bio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) / Nano Bio Manufacturing Institute (NBMI) Grant Opportunity

1) What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is aimed at standing up an organized Nano Bio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) to create a Nano Bio Manufacturing Institute (NBMI). The emphasis is on building a structured consortium model (a public-private partnership), not on funding a single stand-alone manufacturing project. The institute is intended to reduce uncertainty around emerging nano-bio materials and fabrication innovations and help move them more reliably from research into usable products and defense-relevant applications.

2) Is this funding meant for one specific manufacturing project?

No. The solicitation is explicitly oriented toward creating and operating an organized consortium/institute. While prototype-level and manufacturing-relevant activities are part of the vision, the core purpose is the institute itself: shared platforms, tools, risk assessment and mitigation approaches, and collaborative infrastructure that multiple stakeholders can use.

3) What is the Nano Bio Manufacturing Institute (NBMI) expected to do?

The NBMI is envisioned as a technical center of excellence that builds common technology and manufacturing platforms, develops verified and validated open-architecture tools, supports prototype-level manufacturing relevant and scalable to DoD needs, and creates a coordinated environment where government, academia, and industry align priorities and collaborate to accelerate manufacturable nano-bio technologies.

4) Why does the solicitation emphasize risk assessment and risk mitigation?

A major objective is to speed up both risk assessment and practical risk-mitigation strategies for emerging nano-bio materials and fabrication innovations. In practical terms, the government wanted clearer understanding and fewer surprises when transitioning nano-bio technologies toward manufacturing, including performance, reliability, safety, and transition risks.

5) Who is expected to participate in the consortium?

The institute is described as a coordinated community that includes large and small companies, universities, federal laboratories, DoD acquisition centers, and participation from state-level stakeholders. The intent is to avoid isolated efforts and instead align priorities, share knowledge, and invest in manufacturing-relevant capabilities together.

6) What does it mean that the institute has both virtual and physical components?

The solicitation describes a mature institute as having:

• Virtual components: shared standards, data, models, and collaborative tools partners can use across locations.
• Physical components: access to facilities, equipment, and shared capabilities that are specialized or too costly for many organizations to maintain independently.

7) What kinds of tools and deliverables are specifically highlighted?

A key deliverable focus is the development of verified and validated open-architecture tools supporting processing, design, performance evaluation, forecasting, and risk assessment. These tools are intended to help integrate new nano-bio materials and new process technologies into manufacturing lines with clearer expectations around outcomes and risks.

8) What does "open-architecture tools" imply in this solicitation?

Based on the language provided, the solicitation calls for tools that are open-architecture and also verified and validated. The intent is that tools support broad use across the consortium for manufacturing-related functions such as design, processing, evaluation, forecasting, and risk assessment, rather than being isolated to one organization or a closed, one-off solution.

9) How is manufacturing transition addressed in the opportunity?

The consortium is positioned as a bridge between basic research and product transition. The institute is expected to focus on manufacturability, repeatability, and scalability, and to support prototype-level manufacturing efforts that are relevant and scalable, helping make capabilities credible for transition, acquisition, or industrial adoption.

10) What is the defense relevance described in the solicitation?

From a defense perspective, the institute should function as a technical center of excellence and provide infrastructure supporting prototype-level manufacturing that is relevant and scalable. The goal is to ensure that capabilities critical to DoD needs remain available and can be matured toward credible transition and deployment pathways.

11) Does the opportunity include workforce development?

Yes. Workforce development is built into the institute concept. The NBMI is expected to support education and training of students and workers in advanced manufacturing skills related to nano-bio fabrication, recognizing that successful transition depends on both technology and a skilled workforce able to run and scale processes.

12) What is the funding type and instrument used?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically signals substantial involvement or collaboration with the government during performance, rather than a fully hands-off award model.

13) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

14) How many awards were expected under this solicitation?

The opportunity lists one expected award.

15) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 12.800, identified as the Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.

16) How much funding was estimated and what was the award ceiling?

The total estimated funding is listed as $2.2 million, and the award ceiling is $4.4 million.

17) Is cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. The solicitation requires cost sharing or matching, meaning the recipient and/or consortium partners were expected to contribute resources in addition to federal funds.

18) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted. The solicitation is limited to a nonprofit organization with a 501(c) designation, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.

19) What are the key dates listed for the opportunity?

• Posted date: Oct 12, 2012
• Closing date: Nov 13, 2012
• Archive date: Dec 13, 2012

20) What solicitation identifiers are referenced?

The opportunity is issued by the Air Force Research Laboratory under BAA 13-01 RQKD and references Solicitation 12-01 RQKD originally posted to FedBizOps on 7/17/2012.

21) Who is the agency contact listed for access issues?

The contact provided for access issues is Randall Wallace, Contract Negotiator, at 937-255-0816.

22) How should the opportunity be understood at a high level?

Overall, it is best understood as seed funding and formal authorization to organize and operate a national-style consortium model. The institute is meant to align government, academic, and industry stakeholders around manufacturable nano-bio technologies, shared platforms, validated tools, shared assets, and workforce training, with a strong emphasis on de-risking transition for defense-relevant needs.