Opportunity Information: Apply for ONRBAA09 036
Apply for ONRBAA09 036
- The Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Navy Counter Directed Energy Weapon Research" 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 Jun 28, 2010 and posted on Oct 29, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 23, 2010. (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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Navy Counter Directed Energy Weapon Research opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number ONRBAA09 036) was a discretionary Office of Naval Research (ONR) funding call focused on early-stage science and technology research aimed at helping the Navy anticipate and counter emerging directed energy weapon (DEW) threats. Structured as a grant opportunity (with procurement contract also referenced as an instrument type), it fell under CFDA 12.300 for Basic and Applied Scientific Research, and it did not require cost sharing or matching. The solicitation was posted on October 29, 2009, with an original closing date of June 20, 2010, later extended to July 23, 2010, and it was archived on August 22, 2010. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could come from essentially any type of organization, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement.
At its core, ONR was asking for proposals that explore what defensive technologies and concepts the Navy should pursue to protect current and future naval capabilities from DEW threats. The scope emphasized forward-looking research: building and testing theoretical constructs, comparing alternatives through trade-space analyses, and identifying promising technical directions that could mature into applied research later. The Navy’s interest was not limited to one platform type; it explicitly included naval ship platforms, underwater systems, aviation systems, and weapon systems, reflecting a broad concern that DEW threats could appear across domains and mission sets.
A distinctive part of the announcement was its openness to concept development and educational or workforce-building efforts that would help form a long-term foundation for Counter Directed Energy Weapons (CDEW) research. ONR invited ideas that could integrate civil and military educational institutions, suggesting interest in partnerships that blend academic innovation with defense-relevant problem solving. In practical terms, that implies proposals could include research programs that also build talent pipelines, curricula, laboratory experiences, or other structured development activities that strengthen future CDEW capacity alongside the technical work.
Another major theme was practicality and speed to fielding. ONR highlighted strong interest in potential "no cost" solutions, meaning approaches where theory and small-scale laboratory proof-of-concept could indicate a countermeasure might be implemented without launching an entirely new acquisition program. The underlying signal is that the Navy wanted proposals that not only identify novel defenses but also consider feasibility, integration burden, and how quickly a solution could transition to operational use, especially if it could be achieved through modifications, tactics, procedural changes, software/firmware updates, or other low-overhead adaptations rather than expensive new hardware programs.
For applicants seeking the full announcement, ONR pointed to the link for all ONR BAAs, and provided a contact for access issues: Pleshette Brown at 703-696-4126, with a note directing Grants.gov-related questions through the appropriate channel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Navy Counter Directed Energy Weapon Research opportunity?
It was a discretionary Office of Naval Research (ONR) funding opportunity focused on early-stage science and technology research to help the Navy anticipate and counter emerging directed energy weapon (DEW) threats. The opportunity name is commonly described as the Navy Counter Directed Energy Weapon Research opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is ONRBAA09 036.
Which government office released this opportunity?
The opportunity was released by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
What type of research was ONR looking for?
ONR was looking for forward-looking, early-stage research. The scope emphasized building and testing theoretical constructs, comparing alternatives through trade-space analyses, and identifying promising technical directions that could mature into applied research later.
What problem area did the solicitation focus on?
The focus was on defensive technologies and concepts the Navy should pursue to protect current and future naval capabilities from directed energy weapon (DEW) threats, often described in the announcement as Counter Directed Energy Weapons (CDEW) research.
Was the scope limited to a single Navy platform or domain?
No. The announcement explicitly included naval ship platforms, underwater systems, aviation systems, and weapon systems, reflecting a broad interest across domains and mission sets.
Did the opportunity encourage concept development (not just mature prototypes)?
Yes. A distinctive feature was openness to concept development, including research that builds and evaluates theories, explores alternatives, and maps technical pathways for future work.
Did ONR indicate interest in education or workforce development as part of proposals?
Yes. The announcement invited educational and workforce-building efforts intended to create a long-term foundation for CDEW research. It also suggested interest in ideas integrating civil and military educational institutions.
What kinds of workforce-building activities were implied as relevant?
Based on the description provided, this could include structured efforts such as talent pipelines, curricula, laboratory experiences, or other development activities that strengthen future CDEW capacity alongside the technical research.
Did ONR emphasize any particular transition or implementation considerations?
Yes. ONR emphasized practicality and speed to fielding, signaling interest in approaches that consider feasibility, integration burden, and how quickly a solution could transition to operational use.
What did ONR mean by interest in "no cost" solutions?
The announcement highlighted interest in potential "no cost" solutions, meaning concepts where theory and small-scale laboratory proof-of-concept suggest a countermeasure could be implemented without launching an entirely new acquisition program.
What kinds of "no cost" implementation pathways were suggested?
The description indicates interest in low-overhead adaptations such as modifications, tactics, procedural changes, software/firmware updates, or other approaches that do not require expensive new hardware programs.
What assistance listing / CFDA was associated with this opportunity?
It fell under CFDA 12.300, Basic and Applied Scientific Research.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching.
What was the instrument type for this opportunity?
It was structured as a grant opportunity, and a procurement contract was also referenced as an instrument type.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could come from essentially any type of organization, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement.
When was the solicitation posted?
The solicitation was posted on October 29, 2009.
What was the original closing date, and was it extended?
The original closing date was June 20, 2010. It was later extended to July 23, 2010.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was archived on August 22, 2010.
Where were applicants directed to find the full announcement?
ONR pointed applicants to the link for all ONR BAAs (Broad Agency Announcements) to access the full announcement.
Who should be contacted for access issues with the announcement?
The point of contact for access issues was Pleshette Brown at 703-696-4126.
Who should handle Grants.gov-related questions?
The announcement noted that Grants.gov-related questions should be directed through the appropriate Grants.gov channel.
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