FY2025-2034 DTRA Chemical and Biological Technologies Fundamental Research Broad Agency Announcement

***Amendment 4 updates Attchment 1, Topic Area B5.

***Amendment 3 updates Attachment 1, Topic Area B4.

***Amendment 2 incorporates an updated Attachment 1 - Specific Topics to include Topic Areas B1-B6.  This amendment also establishes a deadline for pre-application white papers for Topic Areas B1-B6 of March 2, 2026 at 11:59PM EST.  

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity. This BAA is in effect from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2034.  It is anticipated that a majority of the actions funded from this announcement will be in the form of grants; however, other instruments such as cooperative agreements (CAs) or other transactions (OTs) for research may also be awarded from this announcement.  No contracts will be awarded from this announcement.  Submissions for this BAA may occur in two ways:  1) in response to the published topics detailed in Attachment 1 or 2) to a general thrust area as described in Section 1.5. 

In general, all topic-specific and general thrust area submissions require pre-coordination in accordance with the guidelines in Section 1.5 and Section 4.2.1.  DTRA reserves the right to waive the pre-coordination requirement for topics on a case-by-case basis; and will state the waiver applies within the individual topic description.  If a pre-application white paper is received without prior coordination, DTRA may not review it.  From the date of the disposition email the applicant has 63 days to submit the pre-application white paper.  If the submission is not feasible within this 63-day window, the abstract must be coordinated again to ensure the interest in the white paper remains.

The evaluation of all submissions will be conducted in two phases.  Phase I is for receipt and evaluation of pre-application white papers in direct response to a published topic or by invitation based on the assessment of the idea by the Technical POC.  Phase II is for receipt and evaluation of invited proposal applications.  Invitation to the Phase II, invited proposal submission, will be based on the evaluation results of the Phase I pre-application white paper. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:  12.351

This BAA is open continuously from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2034.  Published topics will include instructions on any topic-specific opening and closing dates as well as any topic-specific limitations on award types, dollar values, and eligibility.  Submissions to a general thrust area may occur at any time this BAA is in effect.  Applicants should take care to note requirements for pre-coordination of an abstract.

DTRA safeguards America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and provides capabilities to reduce, eliminate, and counter the threat and effects from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives.  DTRA seeks to identify, adopt, and adapt emerging, existing, and revolutionary sciences that may demonstrate high payoff potential to Counter-WMD (C-WMD) threats.  This BAA is an extramural endeavor that combines the fundamental research, educational program, or other effort needs appropriate for basic or applied research funding of DTRA and other DoD interests. 

This announcement solicits ideas and topic-based pre-application white papers for long-term challenges that offer a significant contribution:  to the current body of knowledge, to the understanding of phenomena and observable facts, to significantly advance revolutionary technology, to new concepts for technology application, or that may have impact on future C-WMD threat reduction, expertise, or capabilities. 

A portion of this effort is expected to be devoted to awards for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education programs with a C-WMD focus, such as, but not limited to postdoctoral fellowships, stipends, degrees, visiting scientist programs, student exchange programs, and development of accredited C-WMD curricula.

Fundamental research means basic and applied research in science and engineering, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the scientific community, as distinguished from proprietary research and from industrial development, design, production, and product utilization, the results of which ordinarily are restricted for proprietary or national security reasons.

Fundamental Research includes research performed under grants, CAs, or OTs that are (a) funded by budget Category 6.1 (Basic Research), whether performed by universities or industry or (b) funded by budget Category 6.2 (Applied Research) performed on-campus at a university.  Fundamental research provides for science and technology (S&T) research and early applied development.  It seeks to lower performance risk to a manageable level and facilitate transition and funding to capability end-state programs.

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) provide a systematic metric/measurement system that supports assessments of the maturity of a particular technology and the consistent comparison of maturity between different types of technology.  Fundamental research may be defined within the first four (4) TRLs.   

This BAA seeks optimum approaches to meet DTRA fundamental research objectives.  The Government encourages pre-application white papers and proposals that span a wide spectrum of research to expand fundamental scientific knowledge in response to specific topics and to the more general thrust area.  The Government reserves the right to award any combination of approaches which offer the best overall value to the Government and to oversee any and all processes and approaches once ongoing.

Thrust Area 1 is described below.  When a specific set of topics has been identified, these detailed needs will be described in Attachment 1 along with any topic-specific submission instructions, deadlines, anticipated award structure, and funding requirements.  Otherwise, pre-application white papers and proposals may be written against one of the general thrust area descriptions.

Thrust Area 1— Fundamental Science for Chemical and Biological Defense:  Fundamental science for chemical and biological (CB) defense includes science and technology research that advances knowledge in physical and life sciences to defend and counter chemical and biological WMD that could be used against our Nation’s warfighters.  Fundamental research efforts enable capabilities such as development of improved detection devices for  traditional and nontraditional chemical agents; development of  diagnostics for existing and emerging infectious disease threats; increasing knowledge and improved capabilities for development of new or improved medical and material countermeasures to CB threats for both pre- and post-exposure scenarios; enhanced personal protection against, modeling of, prevention of, or decontamination of CB threats; and providing effective elimination strategies via non-kinetic  approaches for threat agent destruction, neutralization and/or sequestration.