Power and Thermal Management Technology Development 2 (PATH 2) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

Power and Thermal Management Technology Development 2 (PATH 2) is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) funding opportunity focused on advancing power and thermal management technologies that the government has not previously funded or fully explored. The program is designed to pull in genuinely new ideas from both industry and academia, with an emphasis on technology that is either evolutionary (meaning it meaningfully improves current approaches) or revolutionary (meaning it could change how power or thermal problems are solved). In practical terms, AFRL is looking for proposals that push the state of the art and expand the range of technical options available to AFRL/RZ, rather than repeating well-worn research directions.

The scope is organized into three broad application areas. The first is Integrated Power and Thermal Subsystems, which generally refers to technologies that treat electrical power delivery, energy storage, heat generation, and heat rejection as an interconnected system rather than separate components. Work in this area often targets higher efficiency, improved power density, better thermal packaging, integrated architectures, and smarter control strategies that can manage both power and heat together under demanding operational conditions. The second area is Special Purpose Power and Thermal, which is a catchment for mission-specific or non-standard power and thermal solutions, including concepts aimed at unusual environments, unique operational profiles, or specialized platforms and payloads that cannot be supported well by conventional designs. The third area is Battlespace Fuels, covering innovations related to fuels used in operational environments, such as improvements in performance, logistics, handling, storage, safety, compatibility, or other fuel-related capabilities that can provide an advantage in contested or austere settings.

PATH 2 is released as a discretionary funding opportunity under a broad agency announcement (Funding Opportunity Number BAA 12 02 PKPA) within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. The Air Force indicates that awards may be made using multiple instrument types depending on what best fits the work, including grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts. This flexibility usually signals that the agency anticipates a mix of performers and project structures, ranging from more independent research efforts (often aligned with grants) to more tightly coordinated projects with substantial government involvement (often aligned with cooperative agreements) or deliverable-driven development efforts (often aligned with contracts). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for applicants.

In terms of scale and competitiveness, the opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $23,000,000 and an expected 30 awards. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the program is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may have appeared in the full announcement text. The funding is tied to CFDA (now often referenced under assistance listings) number 12.800, Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program, which is consistent with early-stage to applied research and development efforts supporting defense needs.

The opportunity was originally posted on December 14, 2011, with a closing date of December 15, 2016, and it was archived on January 14, 2017. For help accessing the full announcement or for assistance, the listed point of contact is Patrick Walsh, Contract Negotiator, at 937-255-5389. Overall, PATH 2 is best understood as a mechanism AFRL used to capture novel, high-impact power, thermal, and fuel concepts from a wide range of performers, emphasizing uniqueness and technological advancement across integrated subsystems, specialized solutions, and fuels relevant to battlespace operations.

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