Signal and Information Processing for Decentralized Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

Document Type: Special Notice Posted Date: Category: Research and Development Set Aside: N/A Contracting Office Address Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - APG (W911NF) Research Triangle Park Division, 800 Park Office Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Description This modification references the ARL BAA, which can be found at Grants.gov or https://beta.sam.gov/ : W911NF-17-S-0003. Synopsis: The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC), Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is looking for proposed research and development solutions under the ARL Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W911NF-17-S-0003 for Basic and Applied Scientific Research topic Network Sciences, - Sensing and Information Fusion for Advanced Indications and Warnings (KCI-IS-4)[1], under the Information Sciences Campaign (section II.A.4.d). The Topic for this Special Notice is - Signal and Information Processing for Decentralized Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, and funding for the award will be provided by both the U.S. Army and the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD), hereafter - Governments. Upon receipt, the Governments will evaluate compliant proposals through a scientific review process in accordance with the evaluation criteria referenced in the ARL BAA to determine which proposal may be awarded a Cooperative Agreement under this topic. The Governments reserve the right to cancel this special notice without award for any reason or for no reason. Issuance of this notice does not commit the Governments to pay for any preparation costs incurred in compiling a response. As a general matter, all requirements referenced in BAA W911NF-17-S-0003 apply to this effort. The Governments intend to award one Cooperative Agreement in the area of Signal and Information Processing for Decentralized Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance outlined in the project description below. Proposals should offer the development of mathematical analysis and algorithms, rather than hardware. Evidence is sought for robustness of the computational schemes to the operation in a contested environment. Development of algorithms of general applicability is particularly encouraged. Proposals with relevance only to specific sensor types will be considered less favorably. The successful project will form a new - Application Theme under the University Defence Research Collaboration (UDRC) in signal processing (Phase 3)[2]. PROJECT DESCRIPTION - Background - Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance - (ISR) is a military term for the functions of deriving information about potential or actual adversaries, their activities, their capabilities and their environment, relevant to the preparation of a defense or an attack. In a decentralized network of sensors, data is processed at some nodes in the network, and nodes may pass on the results of these efforts for further processing or decision-making. The processing may be aimed at producing, for example, detection, classification, identification or tracking of objects (such as vehicles or people ), or more general states, such as whether a weapons factory is active or dormant. In a military context, ISR sensor networks must be able to operate in a contested environment. Sensing may be disrupted by jamming, spoofing, or destructive attacks. Therefore, the processing of data and information must be sustained by adaptive and resilient computation. This research aligns with the main objectives and complements the research in the U.S. /U.K. Project Arrangement concerning Distributed Analytics and Information Sciences - International Technology Alliance[3], and the U.S.CCDC Army Research Laboratory's - Internet of Battlefield Things Collaborative Research Alliance[4]. The project will form a new - Application Theme under the University Defence Research Collaboration (UDRC) in signal processing (Phase 3). Scope of the Call This Special Notice invites proposals on the topic of - Signal and Information Processing for Decentralized Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, as part of the ARL BAA Information Sciences Campaign, for up to $1.2M total in U.S. Army and U.K. MOD funding and up to three years in duration. There is an increasing prospect for future sensor networks to include many sensors, of diverse type, of differing degrees of autonomy, and covering overlapping and non-overlapping regions. Management and exploitation of such a network of disparate sensors poses a number of technical challenges, including discovery of available sensor assets, communications bandwidth, data correlation and association, and matching available assets to mission needs. This call invites applications on the topic of quantifying ISR obtained through decentralized networks of sensors, and optimizing these networks to achieve their mission objective. Proposals should offer the development of mathematical analysis and algorithms, rather than hardware. Evidence is sought for robustness of the computational schemes to the operation in a contested environment. Development of algorithms of general applicability is particularly encouraged. Proposals with relevance only to specific sensor types will be considered less favorably. Research Themes Proposals are invited that relate to one or more of the following themes. Quantification of uncertainty. Efficiency and scalability of computation. Autonomous sensor management. Quantification of uncertainty Network sensing is often used in military applications to provide ISR information about the battlespace to support military decision-making. Poor or inaccurate decision-making may be costly in lives and materiel. Therefore, it is important to quantify the uncertainty in information derived from the individual sensors and the sensor networks. For networks of homogeneous sensors, uncertainty can be calculated by well-understood methods. However, when sensors are of different modalities, or operate independently, fusion of results with quantified uncertainty is more challenging. This may be especially the case in the context of a decentralized network. Therefore, we seek proposals for quantifying uncertainty in estimates derived from decentralized networks of heterogeneous sensors. Efficiency and scalability of computation It is anticipated that future intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions may be undertaken using decentralized networks of many low-cost sensors, each of limited capabilities (such as battery capacity). These sensor nodes may be capable of gathering much data, but be limited in processing power or communication abilities. Moreover, the sensors may be deployed to estimate in real time the state of a complex battlespace, potentially involving many simultaneous targets. Therefore, proposals are invited to research efficient, scalable resource-constrained methods of inference. We ask that proposals quantify the performance of the sensor network (in terms such as accuracy, precision, probability of detection, or information loss) against scalability and efficiency. Autonomous sensor management Adaptive management and allocation of sensor assets will be critical to meet ISR sensing mission needs in complex environments. Proposals are invited for research on the theme of autonomous sensor management, with particular interest given to autonomous management of heterogeneous sensors in decentralized networks. - Management includes the cycle of task definition, matching sensor assets to ISR tasks, resource allocation, sensor coordination, and processing of heterogeneous sensor observations. For example, the UK SAPIENT[5] project developed a protocol for a centralized network of heterogeneous sensors, based around a central High Level Decision Making Module (HLDMM). Any sensor made compatible with the protocol could be introduced in a plug and play fashion. The HLDMM could make tasking requests to sensors, and fuse the incoming reports. Of particular interest, would be proposals that generalize this centralized concept to a decentralized paradigm. Approach The Governments are looking for a well-rounded, coherent program of work that consists of a good balance of innovative, challenging research and demonstration of potential applications of this research in defense and security applications. To this end, active collaboration and work with subject matter experts at UK MOD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), U.S. CCDC Army Research Laboratory, industry partners, and the UDRC is strongly encouraged. Cross-disciplinary research is also encouraged. Collaboration between universities is welcomed as part of a single proposal submission. The successful project will become a new Application Theme of the UDRC and the awardees will become members of the broader UDRC community who will be expected to participate in (e.g., attend and present at progress meetings as required, annual knowledge transfer meetings and relevant themed meetings, which occur twice per year) and benefit from that research community. More detail on the UDRC, its structure and subject matter, can be found at https://mod-udrc.org. The Governments will collaborate throughout the cooperative agreement in the form of direction, critique, community connection, and/or performance metrics. Proposals should not be critically dependent on Government-supplied data. The Governments will also endeavor to provide review of publishable material (required if using any Government data), links to related work strands elsewhere, identification of opportunities for wider dissemination of results and collaboration. Proposals should be primarily scoped to carry out cutting-edge research. Those that include a large proportion of time or budget on data collection or equipment procurement will be penalized in review. Application Process Eligibility: Funding for the award will be provided by the U.S. Army CCDC Forward Element Command - ATLANTIC, Army Research Lab, and the U.K. MOD Dstl. Due to the international funding organizations, applicants are encouraged to be supported by a U.K. host University or eligible Research Institute. However, for this call we will follow the eligibility requirements of the U.S. CCDC ARL BAA[6]. Should you require clarity regarding the eligibility of a particular institute, please send a request to one of the contacts detailed in Section 8. Number of Awards: 1 Duration of Award: Awards are for up to three years (one base year with two one-year options). Funding: Total funding not to exceed $1.2M. There is no fixed amount awarded and the value of award will vary depending on proposal and associated budget. Proposals are expected to be bid at a cost commensurate with the level of effort. Awards cover allowable research expenses in accordance with US Title 2 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200 (2 CFR 200). Evaluators: Will be U.S. Army and U.K. MOD Government employees that are subject-matter experts in the topic area, jointly nominated by the Governments. Closing Date: The deadline for applications for award is 15 May, 2020. Proposals received after 11:59 PM GMT on 15 May will not be evaluated or considered for award. It is the responsibility of the submitting party to confirm receipt of submissions. How to Apply: Proposals for funding must be submitted by 15 May, 2020 by sending all application materials to usarmy.blenheimcrescent.ccdc.mbx.rfec-atlantic@mail.mil. The BAA lists several other options for submitting proposals; however, proposals not submitted via this email address will not be considered. Queries relating to the technical, managerial, contractual, and submission aspects of the call should be addressed to those individuals identified in section 8. Proposals should contain the following elements, and not exceed 30 pages: Detailed description of the approach(s) and how it addresses the Call Team structure and team roles Research plan and cost breakdown (to include institutional cost-share) Risks (technical and programmatic) CVs of each member of the team (outside 30 page limit) Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated under the evaluation criteria of the U.S. Army BAA. The proposal will be evaluated for the concept's scientific merit and potential contributions of the effort to the Army mission and the interests of the U.K. MOD. Required documentation is outlined in the BAA document. To facilitate rapid processing of the award, templates and instruction documents are included in Appendix A. Additional conditions Conditions for award, including intangible property and publication requirements will be included as terms in the award and in compliance with the Department of Defense R&D Terms and Conditions[7]. In addition to the conditions in the BAA, the authorities for this joint proposal can be found within the US/UK Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Cooperative Participation in Research and Development Projects[8]. For projects funded by this Award, the investigators are encouraged to publish the results of the research in accordance with the normal academic practice, but are required to allow the Governments to view material prior to submission to ensure there is no inadvertent release of sensitive material. There is a requirement for quarterly progress reports from the Award, covering the work and successes of the project, together with an annual report and a final report. Key Dates Activity Date Deadline for Proposals 15 May, 2020 Contract start date 30 Sept, 2020 Contacts Below is a list of contact information for additional information related to the call for proposals. Please copy Julia Wertley-Rotenberry on any correspondence with other parties. Submission questions: Jonathon Brame, U.S. Army (Jonathon.a.brame.civ@mail.mil, 01895 626528) Technical Questions: Tien Pham, U.S. Army (tien.pham1.civ@mail.mil, +1 (301) 394-4282) Alasdair Hunter, UDRC Application Theme Lead (ahunter@dstl.gov.uk, 01980 952938) Contracting Questions: Julia Wertley-Rotenberry, Army Contracting (Julia.b.wertleyrotenberry.civ@mail.mil, +1 (919) 541-4691) Appendix A Additional documentation as part of a complete proposal will include the following items (with templates for each provided as attachments):[i] 1. Cover page 2. Protection of Proprietary Information During Evaluation and After Award (For Educational Institutions / Non-Profit Organizations) (ARO Form 52a) 3. Publicly releasable abstract 4. Technical proposal - template is attached but does not have to be followed exactly 5. Budget and budget explanation 6. Current and pending support form 7. Active System for Awards Management (SAM) registration including assurance that - Financial Assistance Certification and Representation Report has been agreed to by the applying entity [1] https://beta.sam.gov/opp/0e4b87f74fccc52c810d2f3d16d91f1f/view?keywords=W911NF-17-S-0003&sort=-relevance&index=opp&is_active=true&page=1&opp_response_date_filter_model=%7B%22dateRange%22:%7B%22startDate%22:%22%22,%22endDate%22:%22%22%7D%7D&date_filter_index=0&inactive_filter_values=false Download ARL BAA W911NF-17-S-0003 Amendment 08 09-25-19 [2] https://mod-udrc.org [3] https://www.arl.army.mil/business/collaborative-alliances/dais-ita/ [4] https://www.arl.army.mil/business/collaborative-alliances/current-cras/iobt-cra/ [5] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autonomous-security-system-that-reduces-operator-workload [6] https://www.arl.army.mil/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/arl-baa-ARL-BAA-W911NF-17-S-0003-Amendment-07-2-6-19.pdf [7] https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions JULY 2018 R&D General Terms and Conditions, Property- Article VI - Intangible Property [8] https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/l/treaty/tias/2000/126269.htm [i] Forms listed can be found at: https://www.arl.army.mil/business/broad-agency-announcements/baa-forms/