Opportunity Information: Apply for W911NF 08 R 0012
Apply for W911NF 08 R 0012
- The Dept of the Army Materiel Command in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630 Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 3, 2009 and posted on Feb 2, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 12, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $209,700,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $209,700,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- See Program Announcement
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Opportunity Summary:
The Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA) opportunity (Program Announcement W911NF 08 R 0012) is a U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) research and development initiative issued through the U.S. Army RDECOM Acquisition Center, RTP Contracting Division. Its central aim is to build the scientific and technical foundation needed for the next generation of autonomous unmanned systems, with a clear emphasis on unmanned ground vehicles that could range from small, man-portable platforms up to full-sized ground combat vehicles. In practical terms, the Army is looking for a coordinated, multi-organization research effort that pushes core robotics capabilities forward while also creating a pipeline that can move promising results out of the lab and into military-relevant technology demonstrations and applications.
The research scope is broad but focused on a set of foundational autonomy problems. The CTA seeks advances that help unmanned systems better perceive and interpret their surroundings, not just recognizing physical features but also understanding activities and what is happening in the environment. It also targets intelligent interaction with the environment, including the ability for a robot to perform meaningful tasks alone or as part of a team. Adaptation and learning are key themes: systems should be able to adjust to changing situations and improve based on prior experience rather than relying only on pre-programmed behaviors. Another priority is safe and effective integration into human activity, which implies work on human-robot interaction, safety, and operational compatibility with soldiers and other personnel. The announcement also highlights dexterous manipulation, meaning human-like object handling, and robust mobility in cluttered, complex terrain where real-world obstacles and uncertainty make navigation difficult.
A defining feature of this opportunity is its collaborative structure. The Army intends to form a single Robotics CTA consortium that brings together government, industry, and academia. To keep the program coherent and manageable, the core consortium is expected to be relatively small, ideally around six member organizations. Even though the core group is small, the CTA is designed to stay flexible by bringing in additional researchers and organizations over time as subawardees, selected jointly by the consortium and the government to fill gaps or add emerging expertise. These additional contributors can be included in annual program plans without becoming full consortium members, which lets the alliance evolve as the research matures.
The award approach is split into two connected instruments that reflect the full lifecycle from basic research to transition. First, ARL plans to issue a cooperative agreement (under 31 U.S.C. 6305) to support the Fundamental Research Component, and that cooperative agreement will be awarded to the consortium of academic and industrial organizations. Second, ARL will issue a procurement contract (under 31 U.S.C. 6303) for the Technology Transition Component, and that contract will be awarded to the Integration Lead Organization (ILO) for the consortium. The ILO is the organization responsible for leading integration and transition efforts and is expected to subcontract as needed to other consortium members and outside entities to carry out transition tasks. Individual transition tasks are anticipated to be issued under the contract as research outcomes mature and specific transition opportunities are identified.
The ILO role comes with specific expectations and constraints. The ILOs CTA activities must be conducted in the United States, reflecting the defense relevance of the work and the need for effective coordination with Army stakeholders. Other consortium participants are not restricted to a U.S. place of performance, but the announcement notes that Technology Transition activities tied directly to military applications may be subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). That means if foreign entities are involved, the consortium must have appropriate compliance and control mechanisms in place, especially when work crosses into controlled technical data, defense articles, or transition activities with direct military application.
The opportunity also embeds inclusion requirements tied to capacity-building. The consortium must include at least one HBCU/MI (Historically Black Colleges and Universities / Minority Institutions) member that participates substantially in the research, and that HBCU/MI participation must account for at least 10 percent of the funding for the Fundamental Research Component. Beyond simply naming a partner, proposals are expected to describe how the program will strengthen the research and educational programs of the HBCU/MI participants and how those institutions will be integrated into meaningful technical work.
From a proposal standpoint, the Army is signaling that submissions need to look more like an executable program plan than a high-level concept paper. The technical proposal is expected to be detailed down to the task level, with clear research goals, milestones, and timelines for each task, along with the specific personnel who will do the work and their qualifications. Proposers are also expected to explain how collaboration will function, both within the consortium and across the broader alliance structure, and to include educational opportunities for government researchers. The initial proposal becomes the foundation for the Initial Program Plan and sets direction for the subsequent annual program plans, so the Army is effectively asking teams to show they can manage a multi-year, multi-party research portfolio with measurable progress and transition pathways.
In terms of funding and duration, the announcement lists an estimated total funding level of about $209.7 million, with an award ceiling matching that figure and no cost-sharing requirement. The Army anticipates supporting the robotics consortium for five years, with an option for an additional five years depending on funds and program performance. Only one award is expected overall, which aligns with the idea of creating a single, cohesive alliance rather than multiple competing centers.
Key administrative details include the posting timeframe and close dates from the original notice: the opportunity was posted February 2, 2009, with a current closing date listed as March 12, 2009, and it was later archived in 2011. The activity aligns with CFDA 12.630 (Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering). The full program announcement was made available through the ARL Robotics CTA website, and a contracting point of contact was provided for access issues through the RTP Contracting Division procurement analyst listed in the notice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA)
What is the Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA) opportunity?
The Robotics CTA (Program Announcement W911NF 08 R 0012) is a U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) research and development initiative intended to build the scientific and technical foundation for next-generation autonomous unmanned systems, with a strong emphasis on unmanned ground vehicles.
Who is issuing this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued through the U.S. Army RDECOM Acquisition Center, RTP Contracting Division, on behalf of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
What is the central goal of the Robotics CTA?
The central aim is to create a coordinated, multi-organization research effort that advances core robotics and autonomy capabilities and supports a pipeline for transitioning promising research into military-relevant demonstrations and applications.
What kinds of unmanned systems are emphasized?
The program emphasizes unmanned ground vehicles, ranging from small, man-portable platforms to full-sized ground combat vehicle-scale platforms.
What are the main research themes or technical focus areas?
The scope is broad but centers on foundational autonomy problems, including improved perception and interpretation of the environment, activity understanding, intelligent interaction with the environment, autonomy for meaningful task execution (solo and team-based), adaptation and learning, safe integration into human activity, human-robot interaction, dexterous manipulation, and robust mobility in cluttered and complex terrain.
What does the program mean by perception and interpretation?
It refers to enabling unmanned systems to better sense their surroundings and understand what is happening, including recognizing physical features and interpreting activities and environmental context.
What does "intelligent interaction with the environment" include?
It includes capabilities that allow robots to perform meaningful tasks by interacting with the world, either independently or as part of a team, rather than only navigating or observing.
How important are learning and adaptation in this CTA?
They are core priorities. The program seeks systems that can adjust to changing situations and improve from prior experience, instead of relying solely on pre-programmed behaviors.
Does the CTA include human-robot interaction (HRI) and safety topics?
Yes. The announcement explicitly prioritizes safe and effective integration into human activity, implying work on human-robot interaction, safety, and operational compatibility with soldiers and other personnel.
What is meant by "dexterous manipulation" in this opportunity?
Dexterous manipulation refers to human-like object handling, meaning robotics research that improves fine motor control and practical handling of objects in real-world conditions.
What is meant by "robust mobility in cluttered terrain"?
It refers to navigation and movement performance in complex, obstacle-filled environments where uncertainty and real-world hazards make mobility difficult.
How is the Robotics CTA organized structurally?
The Army intends to form a single Robotics CTA consortium that includes government, industry, and academia, structured to support coordinated research and technology transition.
How many organizations are expected in the core consortium?
The core consortium is expected to be relatively small for coherence and manageability, ideally around six member organizations.
Can additional organizations participate beyond the core consortium?
Yes. The CTA is designed to add additional researchers and organizations over time as subawardees, selected jointly by the consortium and the government to fill capability gaps or add emerging expertise.
Do added subawardees become full consortium members?
Not necessarily. The opportunity notes that additional contributors can be included in annual program plans without becoming full consortium members, allowing the alliance to evolve.
What are the two connected award instruments described in the announcement?
The award approach includes (1) a cooperative agreement for the Fundamental Research Component and (2) a procurement contract for the Technology Transition Component.
What is the legal basis referenced for the cooperative agreement and the contract?
The cooperative agreement is described under 31 U.S.C. 6305, and the procurement contract is described under 31 U.S.C. 6303.
Who receives the cooperative agreement?
ARL plans to award the cooperative agreement for the Fundamental Research Component to the consortium of academic and industrial organizations.
Who receives the procurement contract?
ARL plans to award the procurement contract for the Technology Transition Component to the Integration Lead Organization (ILO) for the consortium.
What is the Integration Lead Organization (ILO)?
The ILO is the organization responsible for leading integration and technology transition efforts for the consortium and is expected to subcontract as needed to consortium members and other entities to carry out transition tasks.
How are technology transition tasks expected to be issued?
Individual transition tasks are anticipated to be issued under the Technology Transition contract as research outcomes mature and as specific transition opportunities are identified.
Where must the ILO conduct its CTA activities?
The announcement states that the ILO's CTA activities must be conducted in the United States.
Are non-ILO consortium participants restricted to a U.S. place of performance?
No. Other consortium participants are not restricted to a U.S. place of performance, according to the announcement.
How does ITAR relate to this CTA?
The announcement notes that Technology Transition activities tied directly to military applications may be subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). If foreign entities are involved, the consortium is expected to have appropriate compliance and control mechanisms, especially when the work involves controlled technical data, defense articles, or direct military application transition activities.
Is there an inclusion requirement for HBCU/MI participation?
Yes. The consortium must include at least one HBCU/MI (Historically Black Colleges and Universities / Minority Institutions) member that participates substantially in the research.
Is there a minimum funding level required for HBCU/MI participation?
Yes. HBCU/MI participation must account for at least 10 percent of the funding for the Fundamental Research Component.
What does the Army expect regarding strengthening HBCU/MI programs?
Proposals are expected to describe how the program will strengthen the research and educational programs of the HBCU/MI participants and how those institutions will be integrated into meaningful technical work.
What level of detail is expected in the technical proposal?
The Army indicates proposals should resemble an executable program plan rather than a high-level concept. The technical proposal is expected to be detailed down to the task level, including goals, milestones, timelines, and identification of the personnel who will perform the work and their qualifications.
What collaboration details must proposers address?
Proposers are expected to explain how collaboration will function within the consortium and across the broader alliance structure.
Are educational opportunities for government researchers included in expectations?
Yes. The proposal is expected to include educational opportunities for government researchers.
How does the initial proposal relate to future program planning?
The initial proposal becomes the foundation for the Initial Program Plan and sets direction for subsequent annual program plans.
What does the Army appear to be evaluating through these planning requirements?
Based on the announcement language, the Army is signaling the need for teams to demonstrate they can manage a multi-year, multi-party research portfolio with measurable progress and clear transition pathways.
What is the estimated total funding level for this opportunity?
The announcement lists an estimated total funding level of about $209.7 million, and the award ceiling matches that figure.
Is cost sharing required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost-sharing requirement.
How long is the anticipated program period?
The Army anticipates supporting the robotics consortium for five years, with an option for an additional five years depending on available funds and program performance.
How many awards does the Army expect to make?
Only one award is expected overall, consistent with creating a single cohesive alliance rather than multiple competing centers.
What is the CFDA number associated with this activity?
The activity aligns with CFDA 12.630 (Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering).
When was the opportunity posted and when was it scheduled to close?
The notice indicates it was posted February 2, 2009, with a current closing date listed as March 12, 2009.
Is this opportunity still active?
The notice indicates the opportunity was later archived in 2011.
Where was the full program announcement made available?
The full program announcement was made available through the ARL Robotics CTA website.
Who was listed as a point of contact for access issues?
A contracting point of contact was provided for access issues through the RTP Contracting Division procurement analyst listed in the notice.
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