A -- Historically Black Colleges and Universities & Minority Institutions Broad Agency Announcement

Modification02:The Purpose of this modification is to extend the deadline submission date from June 25, 2007 to July 2, 2007. The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Small Business Directorate (DAS), in cooperation with the Advanced Technology Deputate (DV), announces an interest in receiving research proposals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI). The objective of this program is to promote HBCU/MI participation and prepare HBCU/MIs for the mainstream research program of MDA/DV. This program does not replace the main MDA/DV research program that is available to all universities. The goal of this effort is to attract researchers at HBCU/MIs toward technical endeavors that will improve their competitiveness in winning regular support from mainstream MDA research programs. EIGHT HBCU/MI RESEARCH TOPIC AREAS HBCU/MI proposals will be accepted in the eight general technology research areas listed below: (1) Radar Systems: including Integrated System Concepts, Cross Sections and Signatures, Measurements (waveforms, data extraction), Advanced Measurement Capabilities for Range and Velocity which are Robust against Countermeasures, Transmit/Receive Modules, Radar Signal Processing, Data Visualization, Data Compression, Image Interpretation, and passive RF Systems. (2) Lasers and Electro-Optical Systems: including High Energy Lasers, Light Weight/Scalable Fiber, Solid State, Gas and Liquid Phase Lasers, Improved Diode Laser Arrays, Chemical Laser Improvements, High Energy Laser Power Supplies and Thermal Control Systems, Optical Beam Control and Stabilization Technologies, Large Light-weight, Space Qualifiable Optical Telescopes, Optical Beam Combining and Phased Array Concepts, Fast Beam Steering Concepts, Innovation Multi-Spectral and Hyper-Spectral Concepts, Laser Target Acquisition, Pointing and Tracking Concepts, Light-weight LADAR Transmit/receive Subsystems including Light-weight, Efficient Laser Transmitters, Integrated LADAR Optical Systems, High Bandwidth Photon Counting Receiver Arrays and novel LADAR Signal Processing Concepts/algorithms. (3) Integrated Active/Passive IR Sensor Systems: LADAR Transmit/Receive Systems, Optical Signal Processing, Passive EO/IR Systems including ideas and concepts for IR materials and Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) having the following desired features: large format size, multicolor capability, manufacturable, affordable, capable of extending to VLWIR detection at temperatures higher than 35K, Read-Out electronics; Lightweight EO/IR kill vehicle sensors and seekers with high frame rate capability, Fast Readout Large Format FPAs for Hyperspectral imaging, Non-E/O sensors for post impact warhead typing (in-situ or standoff); Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing of Multi-/Hyper-Spectral Sensors, HWIL testing of LADAR systems in a Thermally Controlled Vacuum Environment, test of ground, air, space, sea-based sensor system operations (all wavelengths considered). (4) Computer Science, Signal and Data Processing: including Digital Electronics and Signal Processing, Novel signal and guidance processing architectures for high frame rate seekers, Machine Implementation of Algorithms, Analog Circuits and Communications, Computer Vision, Distributed Computing. (5) Mathematics, Probability, and Decision Theory: including Algorithms, Decision Systems, Decision Theory and Modeling, Estimation, Prediction, Pattern Recognition, Identification, Discrimination, Classification, Data Fusion, and Sensor Fusion. (6) Physics, Chemistry, and Materials: including the study of phenomenology associated with missile Detection, Tracking, and Discrimination, Infrared and Optical Signatures, Energy Conversion, Fuel Cells and Battery Technology, Kinetic Impact and Post-impact Phenomenology and associated Signatures, Rocket Plume Analysis, Spectral Imaging for Threat/Decoy Discrimination, and integration of conventional silicon technology with new nanostructures (i.e., carbon nanotubes or nano-materials) for next generation interceptor sensors. (7) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: including Space Systems, Micro satellites to include: bus and payload designs, precision guidance, Homing Navigation, Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC); Target Tracking and Prediction; Subsystems, and components-such as Precision Propulsion and Constellation Networking, Missile System Aerodynamics, high maneuverability Divert/Axial Propulsion, liquid and solid Divert and Attitude Control Systems (DACS), Reentry Physics, Guidance and Control, Kill vehicle Lethality Enhancement; Materials Science to include Lightweight, Thermo-Resistant Materials for Boosters and Kill Vehicles, Lightweight Structures with Embedded Radiation Shielding, also of interest are the Prediction, Quantification, and Compensation of Aero-Optic effects of turbulence on Imaging Sensors. (8) Battle Management/Command and Control: including Engagement Planning, Sensor and Weapon Resource Management, Tactics, Intelligence Exploitation, Evolving Threats and Countermeasures, Target Tracking; Human in the Loop (MDA Operations) Intelligence Processing and Decision Making in Near Real Time, Information Processing and Computing Technologies, Launch platform-Interceptor communications, Interceptor-Interceptor communications, Interceptor-launch platform communications, Aircraft mountable High Bandwidth Communications (T1 minimum; T3 or greater preferred) for line of sight and over the horizon (OTH) data transfer; Lethality Assessment Technologies, non-real-time, non-tactical (not kill assessment) test applications; Fire Control; and, distributed real-time simulations using reconfigurable objects (all digital, hardware-in-loop or live). SELECTION CRITERIA FOR POTENTIAL CONTRACT AWARDS Selection for contract award will be based on a competitive evaluation using the following criteria: Technical Factor: Subfactor (a) Anticipated benefits of the basic research or applied/exploratory research effort to the MDA mission, Subfactor (b) The scientific/technical quality of the basic research or applied/exploratory research proposal and its relevance to the topic description, with special emphasis on its innovation and originality, and with consideration for the potential of the successful completion leading to further support by mainstream MDA/DV research programs, and Subfactor (c) Qualifications of the Principal Investigator, other key staff and consultants, if any, and adequacy of available or obtainable instrumentation and facilities; Management Factor: Adequacy of management planning and controls; and Cost Factor: Cost will be evaluated as follows: - The proposals will be evaluated against the government's estimate of the cost of completing the contract using the technical and management approaches proposed. - Total evaluated probable cost consists of the government's estimate of the realistic cost of completing the offerors proposals, to include the government's assessment of program risk, and additional costs to the government such as government-furnished property, government-furnished information, transportation, and other cost related factors. EVALUATION FACTORS Technical is the most important Factor (all Technical Subfactors are weighted equally). The Management and Cost Factors are equal in weight, but are less important than Technical. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS If interested in this opportunity, please respond to MDA with the following: (1) A combined technical and management proposal limited to no more than ten pages, including a one-page executive summary of the technical and management proposal. The technical and management proposal shall include full discussion of the scope, nature, and objectives of the proposed research effort; rationale for the technical contribution to MDA goals to include: a)identification of the HBCU/MI topic area the proposal is submitted under; b)related research efforts performed in the past; c)a description and statement of availability of facilities and instrumentation required for performance; d)schedule of milestones and related research efforts performed in the past; e)a description of management, planning, and control systems; and f)identification of limited data rights or computer software, if any. The ten page count includes all substantive material necessary for comprehensive discussion of the topic proposal such as tables, pictorial representations, formulas and the like, but is not limited to these items, all in accordance with the description of full discussion as detailed in paragraph (1) under the heading SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS, above. Pages that do not count toward the ten-page count limit include title cover pages, footnotes and endnotes. All other page or pages beyond the ten-page count limit will be removed without review and evaluation. ADDITIONAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS In addition the offeror must provide the following, exclusive of the ten-page limitation: a Statement of Work (SOW) suitable for contract incorporation, and resumes of key personnel; (2) A cost proposal limited to five pages. The cost proposal shall be submitted as a separate document together with supporting detailed cost data, including subcontractor data, if any. Offers shall include a summary of the cost proposal at the cost element level (i.e., total direct labor, overhead, general and administrative, etc). Summaries should also include a funding profile by Government fiscal year. Offerors proposals shall be submitted in electronic format (MS Word for Windows or a clearly readable .PDF file) via e-mail to Millie.abdi@mda.mil and should be marked appropriately if they contain proprietary or trade secret information. However, unclassified and limited proprietary content information is recommended, and preferred. All proposals shall remain valid for acceptance by the Government for a period of 180 days. All proposal submissions are to be submitted electronically as specified above. No proposal submissions will be accepted if submitted by other means that includes U.S. Mail, Overnight Delivery, Hand-carry/Hand-delivery, and Fax. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED ON FEDBIZOPPS. PLEASE GO TO MODIFICATION 01 TO VIEW THE REMAINDER OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. MODIFICATION 01 INCLUDES A LIST OF STANDARD HBCU/MI CLAUSES THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE RESULTANT HBCU/MI CONTRACT. SUBMISSION OF AN HBCU/MI PROPOSAL TO MDA CONSTITUTES THE OFFEROR AND OFFEROR'S INSTITUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CONSENT TO FULLY ACCEPT AND ABIDE BY THE CLAUSES CONTAINED IN MODIFICATION 01.