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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NGA Academic Research Program (NARP)

1) What is the NGA Academic Research Program (NARP)?

The NGA Academic Research Program (NARP) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) intended to fund innovative academic research that could significantly advance the U.S. geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) mission.

2) What does GEOINT mean in this opportunity?

GEOINT (geospatial intelligence) is broadly described as the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on Earth. In practice, it spans imagery and imagery intelligence as well as geospatial data and analysis used to support national security priorities and, at times, federal disaster relief.

3) What is the main purpose of NARP funding?

The core purpose is to support high-payoff, forward-leaning basic and applied research in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The emphasis is on seeding foundational advances that could enable major leaps in GEOINT-related science and technology rather than incremental improvements.

4) What kinds of outcomes is NGA looking for from NARP-funded research?

NGA indicates the research should have the potential to improve analytical methods, expand or enhance system capabilities, and better leverage shared resources aligned with common goals across the broader National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG).

5) What is the National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG)?

The NSG is described as the combined set of technologies, systems, and organizations that collect, produce, distribute, and use geospatial data and intelligence across the defense and intelligence communities.

6) Is this opportunity solicited as a standard grant competition or something else?

The opportunity is solicited under a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), with an explicit focus on fundamental research.

7) What does NGA mean by "fundamental research" for NARP?

NGA describes fundamental research as basic and applied research in science and engineering whose results are ordinarily published and widely shared within the scientific community, consistent with National Security Decision Directive 189 (NSDD-189) regarding the transfer of scientific and technical information.

8) Does the "fundamental research" focus imply the results can be openly published?

Based on the program description, the fundamental research framing signals an intent to support open academic inquiry and dissemination, where results are ordinarily published and widely shared within the scientific community (consistent with NSDD-189).

9) What types of work does this opportunity appear to be less focused on?

The description distinguishes this program from proprietary development, restricted industrial R&D, or productization efforts whose results are typically limited due to proprietary or national security reasons.

10) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to U.S. institutions of higher education, including public/state-controlled universities and private universities.

11) What is the funding instrument for NARP?

The funding instrument is a grant.

12) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is listed as science and technology and other research and development.

13) How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated making approximately 24 awards.

14) What was the estimated total funding level?

The estimated total funding level was $7.2 million.

15) What were the stated minimum and maximum award sizes?

Individual award sizes were listed with a floor of $300,000 and a ceiling up to $7.2 million.

16) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated for applicants.

17) Which CFDA numbers were referenced for this opportunity?

The opportunity referenced CFDA 12.560 (STEM Education Outreach Implementation) and CFDA 12.630 (Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering).

18) What do the referenced CFDA numbers suggest about the program emphasis?

The referenced CFDA numbers reflect a dual emphasis on advancing GEOINT-relevant research and strengthening the STEM education and skills pipeline that supports those capabilities.

19) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on April 22, 2014.

20) What was the closing date listed in the opportunity?

The original and current closing date listed was September 30, 2017.

21) Is this grant opportunity still active?

No. The listing shows an archive date of October 30, 2017, indicating the overall announcement is no longer active.

22) Were all submissions due on the same date?

Not necessarily. The source notes that specific research topics under the BAA could open and close on their own schedules.

23) Can you give an example of a specific BAA topic mentioned?

One example cited was a topic labeled "Object Based Imagery Analysis Using Convolutional Neural Networks," which had a specific submission deadline and was marked as closed.

24) What GEOINT products or information types does NGA highlight as part of its mission?

NGA highlights delivering timely, relevant, and accurate GEOINT products, including aeronautical, geodetic, hydrographic, imagery, geospatial, and topographic information.

25) Who was listed as the point of contact in the opportunity?

The listing provided a point of contact: Andrew J. Karl, Grants Officer, with phone number 571-557-2382, using an unclassified email channel.

26) Is there any indication that individual topics might be closed even if the broader BAA existed?

Yes. The description indicates that individual research topics could have their own submission deadlines and closure status, and it gives an example of a topic that was marked closed.