ARPA-H: Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

ARPA-H’s Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP) program is a new funding opportunity focused on detecting, understanding, and ultimately removing toxic microplastics from the human body. This is an early-stage, high-impact program targeting a major and unresolved public health challenge.

To apply, you must first submit a required Solution Summary by Monday, May 6, 2026, 5:00PM ET. Only those encouraged will proceed to a full proposal due Monday, June 22, 2026, 5:00PM ET. These deadlines are firm but noted as subject to change—waiting risks missing your window.

STOMP will fund efforts in measurement and biological understanding now, with removal technologies expected in a later phase.

How much funding would I receive?

Funding is expected to range from $500k - $10m.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports R&D aligned with two primary technical areas:

Phase 1:

• Develop lab-based measurement tools for nano-sized microplastics in biological tissue

• Image and characterize microplastics in organs and cells

• Study mechanisms of microplastic trafficking and toxicity

Phase 2:

• Translate measurement methods into scalable clinical systems

• Develop solutions to remove microplastics from the human body

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Access to a multidisciplinary ARPA-H program environment

• Opportunity to collaborate across technical domains

• Participation in a program aimed at major healthcare impact

No additional non-dilutive benefits (e.g., commercialization support, follow-on funding) are specified in the solicitation.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Key Dates:

• Solution Summary Due: Monday, May 6, 2026, 5:00PM ET

• Full Proposal Due: Monday, June 22, 2026, 5:00PM ET

Additional notes:

• A Solution Summary is required to submit a full proposal

• Proposers will be encouraged or discouraged from submitting a full proposal after summary review

• Dates are stated as estimates and subject to change

Award timing:

• Not specified in the solicitation

Where does this funding come from?

• Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)

• Notice ID: ARPA-H-SOL-26-152

Who is eligible to apply?

• Eligibility criteria are not specified in the provided materials

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Based on stated program goals, competitive proposals will likely:

• Focus on microplastics measurement technologies or biological mechanism understanding

• Address challenges in detecting nano-sized particles in complex biological systems

• Provide novel approaches to understanding toxicity and distribution in the body

• Demonstrate strong multidisciplinary teaming, as teaming is encouraged

• Align with future translation into clinical and scalable systems

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• A Solution Summary is required before submitting a full proposal

• Full proposals are recommended only for those encouraged to proceed

• Specific restrictions (e.g., cost share, IP terms, or use of funds) are not specified in the provided materials

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

• Not specified in the solicitation

However:

• The two-step process (Solution Summary → Full Proposal) requires staged preparation

• Teaming is encouraged, which may increase coordination time

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support:

• Interpreting ARPA-H program fit and positioning

• Drafting compelling Solution Summaries aligned to evaluation criteria

• Structuring full proposals for technical clarity and competitiveness

• Coordinating multi-partner teams and narrative cohesion

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

Engage SOF (eSOF) Capabilities of Interest – U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

USSOCOM’s Engage SOF (eSOF) program provides a rolling pathway for companies to submit technologies aligned with Special Operations Forces (SOF) capability needs. Selected solutions may receive funding through contracts, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, or other mechanisms. Submissions are open through December 31, 2026.

How much funding would I receive?

Estimated $500K to $5 Million - Funding is not fixed. Awards vary depending on the pathway and may include contracts, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, CRADAs, or prize competitions.

What could I use the funding for?

Projects must align with USSOCOM Capabilities of Interest (CoIs), including (full list here):

• Aviation Systems

• Biometrics and Forensics

• Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4)

• Cyberspace Operations

• Human Performance/Human Machine Interface

• Information Operations

• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)

• Irregular Warfare

• Medical Technology

• Canine Medicine

• Mobility

• Power and Energy

• Soldier Systems

• Weapons and Electronic Attack

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond direct funding, there are significant indirect benefits:

Government Validation and Credibility: Selection by USSOCOM signals strong alignment with real-world defense needs and increases trust with DoD stakeholders, primes, and investors.

Direct Access to End Users: eSOF connects companies directly with Program Executive Offices, Directorates, and operators for real-world feedback and validation.

Multiple Contracting Pathways: Companies can transition into OTAs, FAR contracts, CRADAs, or prototype programs without starting from scratch.

Follow-on Opportunities: Successful technologies may progress into experimentation, prototyping, and eventual procurement pathways.

Stronger Exit Potential: Government-backed validation and nondilutive funding can significantly increase company valuation and acquisition interest.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis from March 26, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

Funding timing varies depending on the pathway and evaluation process after submission.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding comes from U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is executed through various federal acquisition and research mechanisms including OTAs, FAR contracts, SBIR/STTR, and others.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any organization capable of providing relevant commercial technologies may apply. Submissions must present unclassified information and align with published Capabilities of Interest.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

• Clearly match one or more published Capabilities of Interest

• Demonstrate strong technical maturity and real-world applicability

• Show measurable impact on SOF mission effectiveness

• Meet security and compliance requirements

• Provide evidence supporting performance and readiness

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Submissions must be UNCLASSIFIED

• Solutions must align with current Capabilities of Interest to be prioritized

• May require CMMC compliance and security vetting

• Some pathways may involve classified applications and facility clearance requirements

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

1. Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

2. Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

3. Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available (Only $4,000 for preliminary application).

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here (Requires Login).

Product Development Funding Programs – Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

CPRIT provides flexible, non-dilutive funding to support the development and commercialization of innovative cancer technologies. Through four distinct programs—SEED, TDDC, TTC, and TNTC—CPRIT funds companies across the full lifecycle, from early-stage discovery to late-stage clinical development. Preliminary applications are due April 16, 2026, with full applications due July 9, 2026.

How much funding would I receive?

Funding varies by program:

• SEED Awards: Up to ~$3 million (early-stage)

• TDDC, TTC, TNTC: No fixed cap; funding is flexible and negotiated based on project scope

CPRIT allocates approximately $70 million annually for company investments and distributes funding through milestone-based contracts tied to project progress

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports research and development of technologies for the prevention, detection, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of cancer.

Common use cases include:

• Artificial intelligence and bioinformatics

• Therapeutics (drugs, biologics, cell therapies)

• Diagnostics and medical devices

• Manufacturing and biomanufacturing

• Clinical validation and trials

• Sample quality improvement and research tools

Which CPRIT Program is right for me?

CPRIT offers four programs designed for different stages and technology types:

SEED Awards (Earliest Stage)

• Focus: Preclinical and company formation

• Stage: Discovery → proof-of-concept

• Goal: De-risk early science and make the company investable

• Funding: Up to ~$3M

TDDC (Texas Diagnostic & Device Company Awards)

• Focus: Diagnostics and medical devices

• Stage: Late-stage development (near regulatory submission)

• Goal: Advance toward commercialization and market entry

TTC (Texas Therapeutics Company Awards)

• Focus: Therapeutics (drugs, biologics, cell therapies)

• Stage: IND-enabling through clinical development

• Goal: Advance clinical programs and regulatory approval

TNTC (Texas New Technologies Company Awards)

• Focus: Emerging and non-traditional technologies

• Stage: Varies

• Examples: AI, platforms, research tools, enabling technologies

• Goal: Support innovations that do not fit neatly into therapeutics or devices

What is the application process?

All CPRIT programs follow the same two-stage, competitive process:

Stage 1: Preliminary Application (Initial Screening)
Applicants submit:

• Abstract

• Executive summary (≤2 pages)

• Slide deck (≤16 slides)

• Project aims and budget

Applications are reviewed for scientific merit and alignment with CPRIT priorities. Only top applicants are invited to proceed.

Stage 2: Full Application (Deep Diligence)
Invited companies submit:

• Integrated product development plan (technical, clinical, regulatory)

• Full business plan (market, competition, commercialization, financials, IP)

• Timeline and milestones

• Management team and execution plan

Applicants present to an expert panel and undergo due diligence before final selection.

Final Decision Process

• Scientific and product review

• Due diligence

• Program Integration Committee review

• Final approval by CPRIT Oversight Committee

Funding is awarded via milestone-based contracts tied to performance.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• Preliminary Application Opens: April 7, 2026

• Preliminary Application Deadline: April 16, 2026

• Full Application Invitation: June 2026

• Full Application Deadline: July 9, 2026

• Award Period: September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027

Funding is deployed over multiple years based on milestone completion.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding is provided by CPRIT through $6 billion in Texas taxpayer-backed general obligation bonds dedicated to cancer research and commercialization.

Who is eligible to apply?

Applicants must be:

• Texas-based, for-profit companies (or willing to relocate)

• Able to meet Texas presence requirements (e.g., HQ, personnel, manufacturing, or clinical activity in Texas)

• Compliant with CPRIT eligibility rules

What companies and projects are likely to win?

• Address a significant unmet medical need

• Demonstrate strong technical validation

• Show a clear path to commercialization

• Have an experienced management team

• Present a credible regulatory and development strategy

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Must maintain a business presence in Texas or be willing to relocate to Texas upon selection for award

• Matching funds are required

• Indirect costs capped at ~5%

• Travel expenses are not reimbursable (can count as matching funds)

• Funding is milestone-based with reporting requirements

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

1. Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

2. Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

3. Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($20,000 + 5%) available (Only $5,000 for preliminary application).

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

NRL Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Basic and Applied Research - Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is seeking innovative basic and applied research proposals across a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines. Organizations can submit White Papers through September 30, 2026, with potential follow-on contracts, grants, or other agreements awarded based on technical merit.

How much funding would I receive?

Est. $500k to $5 million.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports basic and applied research aligned with Navy priorities, including (verbatim/high-level categories from the BAA):

• Systems Directorate (e.g., radar, antennas, computational electromagnetics, information systems, AI/ML, human systems integration)

• Materials Science and Component Technology (e.g., energy storage, corrosion, materials processing, bio/chemical detection)

• Ocean and Atmospheric Science (e.g., ocean acoustics, remote sensing, environmental modeling)

• Space Technology (e.g., spacecraft systems, sensors, propulsion, hypersonics)

Specific topic areas include (selected verbatim examples):

• “Virtual simulations and mixed reality systems… situational awareness, and training”

• “Data management and exploitation technologies that apply emerging mathematics and machine learning techniques”

• “Multi-agent and multi-robot systems, reinforcement learning, game theory”

• “Electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems such as batteries and fuel cells”

• “Optical sciences… lasers, sensors, and photonic technologies”

• “Cyber security, cryptographic technologies, and high assurance computing”

• “Spacecraft payloads; spacecraft propulsion systems; advanced materials for spaceflight use”

Many More Topics are listed in the Solicitation (See below).

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits:

Government Validation and Credibility:
Being selected by the Naval Research Laboratory signals strong technical credibility and alignment with U.S. Navy and DoD priorities.

Access to Defense Ecosystem:
Awardees gain exposure to Navy researchers, program managers, and potential transition partners across defense and aerospace.

Flexible Contracting Pathways:
The BAA allows for multiple award mechanisms (contracts, grants, OTAs), enabling faster and more flexible engagement than traditional procurement.

Follow-On Funding Opportunities:
Successful projects may lead to additional funding phases or expanded research programs based on performance.

Increased Strategic Positioning:
Participation positions companies for future DoD funding, partnerships, and potential acquisition interest.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• White Papers Due: September 30, 2026 (4:00 PM EDT)

• Rolling evaluation and invitation for full proposals after White Paper review

• Funding timing varies based on evaluation and award negotiations

Where does this funding come from?

Department of Defense (DoD) → Department of the Navy → Office of Naval Research (ONR) → Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

Who is eligible to apply?

• Educational institutions

• Small businesses

• Small disadvantaged businesses

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

• Minority institutions

• Other qualified organizations

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Selections are based on:

• Technical merit and scientific quality of the proposed approach

• Relevance to NRL research priorities

• Potential benefit to the Government relative to cost

• Feasibility and innovation of the solution

• Cost realism and overall value

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Must submit a White Paper first before a full proposal

• Some topics may require security clearances or classified work

• Awards depend on availability of funding

• Government may select all, some, or none of proposals

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

1. Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

2. Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

3. Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

Army DEVCOM: BAA for CBRNE Defense Efforts Under Procurement Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, and Prototypes under OTAs.

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

This is a continuously open Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the U.S. Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center (CBC) seeking innovative R&D in CBRNE defense. There is no fixed deadline—submissions are accepted on a rolling basis for up to five (5) years.

Founders should act quickly: while submissions are always open, funding availability is uncertain and awards are made competitively as needs arise. Early engagement via preproposals is strongly encouraged.

How much funding would I receive?

Not specified in the solicitation, but typically will lead to awards between $500k - $5m.

• Budgets must be commensurate with the scope and complexity of the proposed work

• At the time of publication, no funds are specifically allocated, and awards depend on availability of funds

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports basic research, applied research, and advanced development in CBRNE defense.

MISSION AREAS:

1.  SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES AND BIOMATERIALS: DEVCOM CBC is exploring biotechnology concepts in the areas of detection and decontamination of chemical biological (CB) agents, environmental biodegradation and bioremediation, and novel biotic materials. Areas of interest are:

a.  Enzymatic systems for the degradation of chemical nerve agents, mustard and toxins, biological warfare agents and related materials, and investigation of self-decontaminating coatings that have enzymatic or biochemical components. Emphasis is on enzymology, protein chemistry, and molecular biology.  

b.  Investigation of microbial systems, biosurfactants and other natural products for the bioremediation of hazardous wastes including chemical agents, their precursors or products, obsolete decontaminants, and other chemical weapons/warfare (CW) related materials. Emphasis is on bioengineering and fermentation.

c.  Nanobiotechnology, principally the rational biomolecular and nano-system design of functional abiotic structures; reconfigurable self-organizing systems; novel nanoparticles; or supramolecular self-assembly; including but not limited to, materials for nanoparticles, nano and meso scale materials fabrication and assembly, and miniaturized devices. Focus is on supporting the Army's zero maintenance efforts and minimizing weight, size, power, and energy requirements.

d.  Next generation reagents including, but not limited to, aptamers, polymers, and peptides with novel binding, catalytic or structural properties. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, gene libraries, tissue based biosensors, molecular signaling and novel transduction techniques.  

e.  Studies on metabolic engineering, optimizing and modeling bioreactor conditions for the scale-up biomanufacture of recombinant and other proteins in bacterial and insect cell systems. The products include, but are not limited to, recombinant antibodies, enzymes, and simulants. Studies may include optimizing feeding strategies, sterilization kinetics, and other bioreactor parameters to increase yield and decrease cost, as well as cryopreservation.

f.  Molecular toxicology with emphasis on gene arrays, specifically the exploitation of recent advances in “panomics"; which refers to genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, bioinformatics and in vitro approaches such as, but not limited to, cytosensor microphysiometer studies.  

g.  NOTE: The following in‑house equipment is available for possible use:

(i).  Large-scale fermentors and hollow fiber bioreactors.

(ii).  Gene array printer.

(iii).  Analytical (capillary electrophoresis, gas chromatographs, high pressure liquid chromatographs, UV/visible spectrophotometer, microplate reader, total organic carbon analyzer).

(iv).  Protein purification (high‑speed centrifuges, gel electrophoresis, low pressure chromatograph, high pressure liquid chromatographs, cell disruption systems).

(v).  Molecular biology (automated DNA sequencing and synthesis, polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis).

(vi).  Bacterial culture (autoclaves, incubators, incubator shakers, 1 to 1500 liter fermentation systems, centrifuges, cell disruption systems).

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2.  AEROSOL TECHNOLOGY: The objective of the aerosol technology program is to develop advanced aerosol sampling devices needed for detection systems, and to provide the necessary experimental facilities, capabilities (instrumentation and personnel), and methodology to support experimentation with aerosol devices for all DEVCOM CBC mission and customer programs, emphasizing bioaerosols in the near term. A major effort under this program involves developing the capability to provide quantitative capability to experiment with biosimulant aerosols including controlled generation (size, low concentrations, high rates for high speed wind tunnel studies), quantification, and characterization of laboratory instruments, field experiments, and military devices. The DEVCOM CBC is interested in innovative concepts to address the following areas of study:

a.  Effective, Efficient Aerosol Collectors. Theoretical studies of the design and employment of highly biased aerosol collectors intended to collect particles in the 1 to 10 micrometer diameter size range. Fabrication and delivery of such devices which will collect into a small volume of liquid (1 milliliter), or concentrate into a small volume air stream, aerosol particles from 100 to 10,000 liters per minute using little power (nominally 10 to 20 watts) with collection efficiencies exceeding 80% in the 1 to 10 micrometer particle size range. A goal is to minimize the size and weight of the device.  

b.  Method of generating narrowly dispersed aerosols (log standard deviation = 1.5) from slurries or bulk powders. Aerosol mass median diameter selectable over the range of 0.2 microns to 45 microns.  

c.  Investigation of collection efficiency and effects on the viability of biological materials, e.g., Bacillus atrophaeus (BG) and Erwinia herbicola, when collected from the aerosol state by various collection means to include impaction, vortex scrubbing, electrostatic precipitation, and filtration. Research and investigations to develop technologies for sampling viable microbes from the atmosphere to include processes which consider such factors as relative humidity, repair mechanisms, and other environmental considerations which influence the survival of microbes in the open air. A new device that considers these factors will be expected to have a higher survival rate for microbes and a greater efficiency. These investigations will lead towards a new device for sampling environmental air samples.  

d.  Low energy methods and devices for concentrating suspensions of 1 - 10 micron particles in liquids such as water or phosphate buffered saline from milliliters to microliters with high efficiency for retaining the particles in suspension in the reduced volume.  

e.  Dissemination of bulk powders into the inherent particle sizes found in the feedstock. Dissemination rates of 10 to 250 grams per minute.

f.  Methods for near real-time field sizing of large polydisperse aerosols (20-500 micron operational range) that are disseminated from high volume aerosol generators such as crop dusters or "leaf blower" type devices.  

g.  Aerosol wind tunnel methodologies for creating well-mixed, spatially and temporally uniform challenges of monodisperse inert aerosols and polydisperse biological simulant aerosols for wind speeds up to 80 miles per hour. Aerosol wind tunnel methodologies for creating temporally uniform challenges of monodisperse liquid droplets that can convey inert and biological simulant aerosols for feed rates up to 50 grams/minute.  

h.  Design, and/or fabrication, and/or testing of omnidirectional aerosol inlets with aspiration efficiencies greater than 80% for aerosol particles over the aerodynamic diameter size ranges 1 to 10 micrometers (with strong rejection of particles > 10 micrometers) and 1 to 25 micrometers from air flows at wind speeds from 2 to 50 miles per hour. A family of inlets are required covering the internal (aspirated) flow rates from 1 liter per minute to 10,000 liters per minute.  

i.  New optical methods for characterizing aerosols for CB detection, smoke development, and field test programs. In particular, the use of Mueller matrix scattering and optical spectroscopic signatures from bacterial cells to correlate changes in biological parameters with changes in scattering pattern and optical methods which can be used as aerosol detectors, such as particle scattering, fluorescence, etc.  

j.  Innovative approaches using computational fluid dynamics to describe the external and internal flow around and through vehicles, detectors, sampling ports, buildings, etc., in the open and in wind tunnels (to include analysis of wall effects). The approach or method can use the finite difference or finite element techniques. The description of the flow field should include streamlines, velocity fields, and pressure distributions and allow for modeling of (size‑dependent) aerosol particle trajectories.  

k.  Methods for laboratory handling, examination, and analysis of single aerosol particles, including spectroscopic methods, and the study of chemical reactions in single particles.  

NOTE:  Extensive in-house laboratory facilities and equipment are available for possible use, including state-of-the-art aerosol generators, aerosol analyzers, aerosol chambers, and aerosol wind tunnels.

3.  BIOLOGICAL POINT DETECTION:  The DEVCOM CBC has initiated an effort to investigate commercially available and developmental technologies for the detection and identification of agents of biological origin. This effort will result in automated sensors capable of detecting and identifying these agents in air, food, water or surface samples. Research areas of interest are:

a.  Adaptation of existing commercial macroscale, mesoscale, and microscale biosensor platforms or development of such biosensors to detect and/or identify agents of biological origin in the field. Emphasis is placed on sensors with simple, rapid, reliable assay formats that utilize immunological or DNA/RNA based assay approaches as well as non-immunological or non-DNA/RNA based biosensors using novel/alternative assay approaches.

b.  Assessment, adaptation, or development of immunological based biosensor technologies that provide rapid and simultaneous multiplex and/or multiagent array based detection and identification for agents of biological origin. The main focus is the interrogation and/or development of technologies that meet biodetection requirements for higher throughput, faster immunodetection, and simultaneous analysis of multiple agents with good assay sensitivity while preserving specificity. Candidate systems must be small, lightweight, and user friendly. Assay chemistries should be robust and evaluated for eventual dry down into a simple, single-use reagent format.  

c.  Development and evaluation of sample preparation methods for subsequent immunological based analysis, and identification, modification, and assessment of commercial and developmental hardware that is capable of front-end sample clean up and sample concentration from sample matrices compromised by environmental, animal, or plant substances. Emphasis is to identify and perform separation of bacteria, spores, and toxins from compromising sample matrices using Immunomagnetic Separation (IMS), affinity, and other capture methods. Identify automated approaches and hardware for higher throughput. The methods must be capable of concentrating milliliter to liter volumes down to sub-milliliter to low milliliter amounts, respectively.

d.  Integration, implementation, and validation of analytical instrumentation and procedures for development of robotic based, high-throughput, portable, and automated total analysis biodetection systems (i.e. sample preparation, biodetection, subsystem reset, and decontamination) for use in deployable mobile laboratories or expanded bioanalysis programs. Emphasis is to design the process for sample analysis using immunoassay or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based analysis systems.

e.  Development of rapid, automated, lightweight, and portable sensor technologies to be used in the identification of bioagents based on both protein and nucleic acid targets with emphasis on the use of labless detection and identification approaches, reusable capture substrates and transduction surfaces, and minimal footprint and power.

f.  Development of rapid and automated RNA/DNA detection and identification technologies and assay methods that will allow for both the production of a library of amplified targets from a single set volume of an environmental sample, and the probing of that library for identification of all targets of interest, all in a single analytical method. Current methods using methods such as random hexamers, PCR/RT-PCR, or multiplex assays may be inadequate due to reagent exhaustion prior to completion of the library and its analysis. Standard PCR and RT-PCR would deplete sample volume long before the analysis is complete for all targets of interest.  

g.  Development of rapid, automated, and portable technologies to rapidly concentrate and remove interfering substances from liquid environmental bioagent samples, and prepare the targets of interest for nucleic acid analysis. The methods must be capable of concentrating milliliter to liter volumes down to sub-milliliter to low milliliter amounts, respectively; delivering a concentrated amount of nucleic acid material for analysis. Emphasis is on minimizing nucleic acid sheering.  

h.  Development and testing of rapid, lightweight, automated, user friendly, and portable biosensor platforms that are capable of performing both nucleic acid and immunoassay based detection and identification of bioagents (i.e. both operations taking place on one sensor). Emphasis is given to approaches that provide simultaneous detection and identification of multiple bioagents (e.g. array based), and simultaneous immunological and nucleic acid based analysis. However, consideration will also be given to systems that perform the two types of assays sequentially as well as sequential detection and identification.  

i.  Formulation of either established or new and innovative protocols of bacterial biochemical marker extraction into simple and convenient recipe driven procedures. Limitations on the length of time, number of manipulation steps, use of nonhazardous compounds and solvents, low salt concentration, and the potential for automation must be considered in the proposed approaches.  

j.  Development of automated bacterial biomarker extraction devices. The output stream should be amenable to being delivered by analytical sample transfer or introduction systems into analytical detection systems. Weight, size, power and amount of consumable(s) of the proposed microorganism biomarker extraction system(s) should be geared to a minimum. The offeror should also address the fabrication of a system in a number of generations, from first prototype to advanced prototype systems.  

k.  Mass spectrometry methods are sought that will allow laboratory and field determinations of the feasibility of mass spectrometry concepts for biological organism detection.

l.  Development of databases to facilitate detection and identification of bacteria, viruses and toxins.  

m.  Integration of automated bacterial biomarker extraction with electrospray and/or matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometers.  

n.  Downsizing mass spectrometry hardware, reducing power requirements, increasing processing speed for rapid detection and identification of biological organisms.

o.  Conceptualization and validation of alternative means of vaporizing or ionizing biological aerosols without collection on a substrate or probe.  

p.  Development of a database of Raman spectra of biological materials.  

q.  Enhanced concepts of using lasers in CB defense, including, but not limited to,  laser desorption, surface catalyzed laser decomposition, surface enhanced laser ionization, and single particle UV fluorescence and mass spectrometric techniques (primarily for the detection of biological materials). Specific interests include enhancement of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry through improvements in mass resolution, sensitivity and on‑line incorporation of analytical separation techniques.  

r.  The use of small, powerful lasers for use in flow cytometry.  

s.  The development of new dyes, immunoassay reagents, nucleic acid probe reagents, etc., for the enumeration of bacterial properties. Ideally these materials should be excitable with red diode lasers, although dyes excited with argon ion or other lasers are also of interest.  

t.  Simple bioluminescence/chemiluminescence equipment.  

u.  Development of improved data processing techniques in flow cytometry, such as neural nets, expert systems, etc.  

v.  Investigations into the mechanisms of biological aerosols, such as factors affecting viability and culturability; preservation of activity; and effects of particle sizes on viability.  

w.  Fusion of generic detection capabilities, such as particle size analyzers, elemental analysis, or organic composition with computer algorithms to affect a smarter detection capability.

x.  Investigations into virus detection techniques.  

y.  Simple, rapid tests for the determination of sugars, proteins, nucleic acids, etc.  

NOTE:  Use of DEVCOM CBC instrumentation (on an availability basis) and flow cytometers may be granted.

z.  Collection and organization of current and historical biological reports and other literature for inclusion in the Biological Defense Encyclopedia. This effort will include the location of literature and reports and the electronic processing of these papers and images for addition to an existing database. This effort will be wide reaching in scope and will seek to include all available information on the historical, physical, and detailed microbiological information regarding microbes considered of use in biological warfare (BW). One use of this database is assistance to defensive models and research governing the detection of microbes in the environment.  

aa.  Remote, stand‑alone systems are needed that are capable of triggering for the presence of biological compounds and microorganisms. Pyrolysis gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (Py-GC-IMS) and Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-small mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) are candidate systems because of their relatively small size and logistics. The system can also provide information for specific pyrolyzate compounds from biological material. Technologies must demonstrate short duty cycle times; a logistically efficient, low power burden aerosol collector; efficient transfer of pyrolysis products to the ion mobility spectrometry detector; and distinct gas chromatography/ion mobility spectrometry dataspace domains corresponding to established compounds found in microorganism and protein biological compounds.  

NOTE: The following in-house equipment is available for possible use for the remote, stand-alone systems:-  Py-GC-IMS briefcase platform- 200 C/min and 6000 C/min Thermogravimetry (TGA)-GC-MS systems.-  Py-GC-parallel IMS- time of flight MS.

bb.  Algorithm for generating mass spectrometric libraries for protein toxins, bacterial and viral particles; search routines for automated comparison of sample and standard mass spectrometry spectra and automated identification of biological agents.  

cc.  Studies to expand and analyze data bases of ambient biological aerosol background, to include particle counting and sizing, enumeration of major microbial constituents, quantification of biological loading in the ambient atmosphere, and correlation of these characteristics with meteorological conditions, season, diurnal period, etc.  

dd.  Optical Trigger Technology. Spectroscopic interrogation and analysis of aerosol particles for peculiar signatures "fingerprints" that facilitate rapid screening and continuous monitoring of ambient air for the likelihood of a BW agent event. The purpose of the trigger is to provide adequate early warning to friendly forces and cue a collection and assay system for confirmation and identification of the biological threat.

4.  CHEMICAL POINT DETECTION:

a.  Lightweight Detection: The DEVCOM CBC has initiated an effort to investigate technologies with potential for detection and identification of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) hazards using small, lightweight, modular devices. This effort will result in development of devices capable of detection of less than incapacitating levels of agents in real-time where real-time is defined as a few seconds. Devices must also be able to recover from an exposure in a similar amount of time. Technologies must demonstrate potential for development into devices with the following desirable characteristics: fit into shirt pockets of battle dress uniforms, weigh less than two pounds, and consume less than two watts of electrical power. Technologies must also demonstrate potential for exhibiting ultra-sensitivity properties, defined as miosis levels of CW agent poisoning, within a few minutes using minimal electrical power. It is also desirable that ultra-sensitivity properties result from addition of a small, lightweight modular form of sensitivity enhancement onto the real-time detection device.

b.  Mass Spectrometry: The DEVCOM CBC is interested in innovative concepts in the following areas, all related to the potential use of mass spectrometry to detect, identify and quantify chemical and explosive hazards:

(i).  Design of a mass analyzer and efficient algorithms for rapid analysis of mass spectra of CB agents.  

(ii).  Incorporation of artificial intelligence techniques for optimization of spectrometers for the detection of CBRNE hazards.

NOTE: In‑house development environments available for possible use include Matlab, Mathmatica, PC‑Based Expert Systems technology, as well as conventional non-artificial intelligence computer languages. Extensive laboratory computing facilities, including multiprocessor mini-supercomputers, are also available.

c.  Investigation of the application of fluorescence, Raman, infrared, and terahertz spectroscopy for the detection of chemicals on natural and man-made surfaces.  

d.  There is a need for a remote stand‑ alone detector to trigger and/or detect CB species. Candidate components of ion mobility spectrometry‑based methods include:

(i).  Hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvent extraction techniques for relatively large biological substances from bacteria.

(ii).  On‑line filtration so as to remove salts and signal suppression compounds.

(iii).  Liquid‑based techniques for the separation of biological compounds within a molecular weight range.

(iv).  Electrospray ionization in order to efficiently transfer the biological compounds into an ion mobility spectrometer.

(v).  Data analysis techniques and ion mobility spectrometer tandem mass spectrometry to correlate the observed signal with known biomarkers.

(vi).  The system shall also produce information from chemical agents in aqueous solution at concentrations less than parts-per-million levels. The sensitivity goal is low parts-per-billion. Both BW and CW information production from the electrospray ionization ion mobility spectrometer system shall display high sensitivity, low liquid expendable logistics and efficient clearing of the ion mobility spectrometer detector.  

e.  Development and/or modification of new or existing methodologies for the detection and identification of low levels of both chemical and biological hazards in water sources.

5.  EARLY WARNING AND DETECTION:  The DEVCOM CBC has initiated an effort to investigate commercially available and developmental technologies for early warning, detection and identification of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive hazards. This effort will result in automated sensors capable of detecting and identifying these agents in air, food and water or surface samples. This effort will focus on standoff technologies where a sensor is physically separated from the CBRNE hazards by some distance. Research areas of interest are:

a.  Adaptation of existing standoff sensors or development of novel standoff sensors to detect, identify, and/or quantify chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) hazards in the field. Emphasis is placed on optical sensors that provide sensing at a distance and provide detection and reconnaissance over a wide area of a possible battlefield. However, other techniques such as acoustical sensing will be examined also.  

b.  Investigation of new and novel spectroscopic techniques for proximal and/or standoff detection, identification, and/or quantification of CBRNE hazards. All regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to g-rays, will be explored. New spectral methods for the discrimination of CBRNE hazards from possible interferents, i.e. methods that increase detection sensitivity while reducing false alarms, are sought. Both active and passive technologies will be explored.

c.  New methods for wide area detection are sought. Wide area detection requires the simultaneous monitoring of large areas of a battlefield for CBRNE hazards.  

d.  New and novel signal processing for standoff CBRNE detection is being sought. Sensor integration will also be examined.  

e.  New excitation sources for standoff detection will be examined. New laser sources for CBRNE detection are being sought. Better sources in other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as the deep ultra-violet, far infrared and millimeter wave regions, are also being sought.  

f.  New methods for detection-on-the-move are sought. Placing a standoff sensor of a moving platform requires care. This effort will focus on developing sensors that are rugged and can operate rapidly such that movement of the vehicle does not blur the signal from the sensor.  

g.  New methods are sought for standoff detection of aerosols.    

h.  New methods are sought for standoff detection of contaminants on surfaces, both natural and manmade.

6.  SMOKE AND OBSCURANTS:  The objective of the smoke program is to develop materials and demonstrate weaponization feasibility to provide full spectrum screening (as required) to defeat or degrade threat target acquisition, ranging and marking, tracking, anti‑tank guided missiles, and directed energy weapon systems. A major effort under this program involves developing the capability to provide effective obscuration in the UV, visible, IR, and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Combinations of these four regions (multi-spectral) are also of interest. The DEVCOM CBC is interested in innovative concepts to address the following areas of study:

a.  High yield visual, IR and microwave obscurants on the battlefield.

b.  Dispersion technology for nanoparticles (conductive flakes and fibers).

c.  Improved screening material packaging, compaction, feed, and deagglomeration technologies.

d.  Visual, IR and microwave obscurants that are environmentally safer and/or less toxic than current materials.

e.  Identification of candidate multiband screening material.

f.  Improved dissemination of materials.

g.  Improved ballistic stability of non-solid payloads.

h.  Techniques to measure screening effectiveness and obscurant generating equipment effectiveness.

i.  Aerosolization of obscurant materials.

j.  Effects of smokes and obscurants on the battlefield.

k.  Vulnerability analysis of threat sensor systems versus obscurants.

l.  Additional Requirements. Innovative concepts are requested to address requirements for the following future obscurant systems:

(i).  Nanoparticle obscurant candidates (ultrathin conductive flakes or submicron-diameter conductive fibers that can be aerosolized)

(ii).  Degradable smokes, i.e., a limited life obscurant that does not interfere with future battlefield operations.

(iii).  Robotic delivered smokes.

(iv).  Smoke clearing concepts.

(v).  JP‑8, the single fuel to be used in future battlefield operations, does not produce an effective smoke screen in the Vehicle Engine Exhaust Smoke System. Improved duration and persistence of JP‑8 smoke is needed.

(vi).  Spectrally-selective obscurants.

NOTE: Facilities at DEVCOM CBC that are available for possible use include: A 190 cubic meter aerosol chamber for analyzing small obscurant samples (10 to 100 grams). It is equipped with instrumentation for measuring transmission for the range 200 nanometers to 15 centimeters (UV to microwave). Concentration of the aerosol can be measured for calculating extinction coefficient. Various dissemination devices are available.

A breeze tunnel for testing particulate disseminators up to full‑ scale generators. It has a 14-foot by 14-foot cross-section, a 100,000 cubic feet per minute flow rate and a 5-mile per hour wind speed. It has laser and background action required radar transmissometers (.63 microns, 10.6 microns, 35 gigahertz, 94 gigahertz) for evaluating dissemination efficiency. It has the capability to take samples of the obscurant.

7.  MODELING, SIMULATION, AND ANALYSIS FOR CB, SMOKE, AND OBSCURANTS:  The objective of this program is to design, develop, validate and utilize analytical and computer modeling and simulation tools to analyze CB agent and smoke/ obscurant cloud transport and diffusion; agent deposition; performance of CB defense equipment; and performance degradation effects on personnel and equipment due to CB agents and smoke/obscurants. The program is oriented to constructive and virtual implementations in the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) and High Level Architecture (HLA) environments. The program is supported by the following tasks:

a.  Characterize the CB/smoke warfare environment for support of CB defensive equipment research, development and acquisition including test and evaluation. Of special interest is constructive and virtual DIS/HLA environments as relates to effects on performance of personnel and CB defense equipment.

b.  Characterize the performance of CB/smoke defensive equipment in a contaminated environment. Of special interest are point and standoff detectors, individual and collective protective gear, decontamination processes, warning and reporting systems, and command and control processes in a DIS/HLA environment.

c.  Characterize the fate of CB agents deposited on surfaces such as soil, water, foliage, metal, roadways, runways, ships, buildings, military equipment, and electronic devices.

d.  Characterize and validate CB and smoke/ obscurant cloud transport and diffusion under conditions of variable meteorological conditions, terrain formations, around and within various types of buildings and structures in urban and military locations. Work should be specifically oriented toward the DIS/HLA environment and be interoperable with existing DEVCOM CBC DIS simulations and simulators like the Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Simulator.

e.  Characterize the effectiveness of smoke and obscurants for development, training and operations as well as for countermeasures to smart weapons with emphasis on DIS/HLA.  

f.  For all of the above areas of research, assist in the archiving, retrieval and analysis of historical data for the generation of model algorithms and determination of improved model input parameters. Key aspect is the publishing of the historical data in formats or databases that are widely accessible both within DEVCOM CBC and external organizations.

8.  COLLECTIVE PROTECTION:  The objective of the collective protection program is to develop new and improved concepts, methods and materials for collective protective systems to guard against all potential threat agents. Future collective protection will be modular in design with lower power, weight and size requirements and longer operational life. Future systems will be integrated with the host's environmental control unit and/or auxiliary power unit. Current efforts involve developing new concepts and improved materials and processes for enhancing and/or providing an alternative to present impregnated activated carbon based collective protection systems. Emphasis will be on greatly extended operational life and reduced logistics burden. Current concepts being considered include, but are not limited to: regenerative filtration using pressure swing adsorption; temperature swing adsorption; a new improved sorbent technology; membrane technology; and, new and improved canisters and filtration media. With this in mind, the DEVCOM CBC is interested in the following innovations:

a.  Concepts for studying the vapor adsorption properties of standard ASZM‑TEDA (chromium free) carbon and of developmental fixed‑bed adsorptive reactive media and processes such as pressure and temperature swing adsorption, membrane separation, and catalytic oxidation.

NOTE: The following equipment is available for use under this area of interest:

(i).  Surface analysis instrumentation.

(ii).  CATOX reactor/data acquisition systems.

(iii).  Lab‑scale pressure swing adsorption (PSA) reactor/data acquisition systems.

(iv).  Adsorption equilibrium measurement systems.

b.  New air purification technologies that provide enhanced CB removal capability with low power requirements while also offering the advantages of small size and low weight.

c.  New aerosol filtration technologies that provide improvements in the following areas over that provided by filters based on high efficiency particulate air grade media:

(i).  Increased filtration efficiency

(ii).  Lower pressure drop

(iii).  Reduced clogging

d.  New adsorbent technology applicable as a substrate for impregnation for use in current reactive adsorber systems or as an adsorbent for use in pressure swing adsorption or temperature swing adsorption systems.

e.  New reactive impregnant technology that provides increased chemical warfare agent removal for application on an adsorbent substrate (either carbonaceous or non-carbonaceous).

f.  Improvements to current filter and ancillary equipment designs (both for collective protection and for use on respirators) to provide benefits in performance, physical characteristics and/or costs (item and operational).

g.  Improvements to equipment that permits safe and rapid entry and exit to or from collective protection shelters.

9.  RESPIRATORY PROTECTION:  The main objective of the respiratory protection program is to develop new and improved concepts, test methods, and materials for respiratory protective systems to guard against all potential CBRN threat agents while minimizing the impact on mission performance. Future respiratory protection will be modular in design with lower profile and weight requirements to improve equipment compatibility and reduce the physiological burden and discomfort often associated with respirator wear. Current efforts involve developing novel integrated CBRN-protective mask and headgear (i.e., helmet) concepts that provide enhanced respiratory protection, comfort, and compatibility with heads-up displays, communication equipment, weapon sighting systems, and other individual protective clothing and equipment worn by the warfighter. Innovative air-management systems, real-time mask fit indicators, seal designs, and other technologies are being sought that offer significant advances in the protection, fit, operational performance, and comfort of the mask system. In addition, the DEVCOM CBC is interested in enhancing its facilities and methodologies needed to support experimentation with next generation respiratory protective devices for all mission and customer programs. Research areas of interest include:

a.  Development and demonstration of closed-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus concepts and test bed systems, including hybrid systems consisting of powered air purification. Investigation of associated technology for weight and heat reduction and improvements in efficiency.

b.  Design and fabrication of integrated respiratory protection headgear concepts and test bed systems. Development of new and innovative integration approaches, attachment systems, and sealing systems.

c.  Fabrication of respiratory protection prototypes for operational demonstration. Application of rapid prototype and manufacturing technology to fabricate robust and functional prototype models.

d.  Investigation of nano-scale material solutions for respiratory protection. Exploration of material and coating technology to enhance CBRN protection, lens fogging resistance and seal performance.

e.  Investigation of microelectromechanical solutions (i.e., MEMS technology) for respiratory protection. Exploration of novel MEMS and other smart technology solutions for breathing assist, cooling, sealing systems, and other respirator operational parameters of interest.

f.  Assessment of concurrent CBRN PPE wear on ballistic PPE effectiveness. This effort will initially assess the applicability of current ballistic helmet standards to evaluate concurrent CBRN PPE usage. Develop new or improve existing test methodologies and obtain data to assess the effect of concurrent wear on all parameters of ballistic helmet performance (e.g. stability, shock, and surface coverage).

g.  Develop new or improve existing unmanned test systems, test equipment, test methods and procedures for human factors assessment of respiratory protective masks including, but not limited to, field of vision, eye relief, fogging, breathing resistance, speech, hearing, and sweating.

h.  Scale metal-organic frameworks to kilogram and above quantities. Develop flow-through and/or solvent recycle systems to increase yield and drastically reduce cost compared to current methods. Reduce the need for organic solvents. Develop techniques for supramolecular engineering of large mesh metal-organic frameworks through strategies such as binding and polymerization. Focus should be on metal-organic frameworks with military utility. These materials can be used for applications such respiratory protection, filtration, suits, decontamination, etc.

10. DECONTAMINATION: An objective of this program is to understand, develop, mature, or otherwise advance decontaminant technologies and approaches through the characterization of contaminant-material-decontaminant-environmental interactions.

a.  Development and demonstration of novel decontaminant formulations for chemical and biological decontamination.

b.  Modeling and Simulation tools and techniques as applied to Decontamination Sciences: design, develop, validate and utilize analytical and computer modeling and simulation tools to analyze/characterize contaminant, material, decontaminant, environmental interactions.

c.  Demonstration of dual use technology with application to chemical/biological agent decontamination and routine cleaning/maintenance activities.

d.  Analytical tools and techniques to advance the characterization of contaminant, material, decontaminant, environmental interactions.

e.  Development and demonstration of coatings/surfaces with enhanced resistance and/or inherent reactivity toward chemical contamination.

f.  Application and optimization of novel solids for sorbent/surface decontamination.  

g.  Application and optimization of vapor/gaseous decontaminants for chemical and biological agents.

h.  Innovative technologies are sought to support development for the sensitive equipment decontamination (SED) program. Technologies are needed to decontaminate (safe removal and/or destruction) chemical and biological warfare agents from sensitive equipment and vehicle interiors without adversely affecting the function of the equipment and/or interior components. The SED program is currently seeking technologies/processes for two capability segments. The first is the decontamination of vehicle, ship and aircraft interiors. The second capability is to decontaminate vehicle, ship, aircraft interiors and associated cargo during operation. These technologies or systems are needed to meet one or both capability segments.

11.  CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR, AND EXPLOSIVES COUNTERMEASURES TO TERRORISM: The DEVCOM CBC is seeking proposals for novel research to assist in the war against terrorism. This is a broad research area, and proposals topics include (but are not limited to): biological and chemical countermeasures, CBRNE sensor and detector development, rapid methods of CBRNE detection, new and advanced decontamination techniques, new physical and protective countermeasures, technology enhancements for first responders, advances in hospital response, chemical and biochemical agonists and blocking agents, advanced biotechnological methods, rapid diagnostic methods, new CB training and communication procedures and CB modeling and simulation methods.  

12.  FLAME AND INCENDIARY TECHNOLOGY: The DEVCOM CBC is seeking proposals for novel research in flame and incendiary technology. This is a broad research area, and proposal topics include (and are not limited to) enhanced reactive materials, thermally enhanced hydrocarbons, pyrophorics, hypergolics, intermetallics, thermobarics and thermite/thermates. The applications of these and other technologies may be uniquely delivered to enhance lethality of personnel and materiel targets. Such targets and situations include (and are not limited to) military operations in urban terrain, operations other than war, enhanced lethality to traditional materiel (e.g. vehicles) and fuel targets. Such delivery concepts include (and are not limited to) shoulder-launched systems, projectiles and grenades.

Non-traditional thermites are a class of reactions characterized by the incorporation of metal oxides that are unlikely to generate vapor phase products, such as titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide. However, such reactions can be sluggish in nature and risk quenching in many applications. Thus, their reactivity must be increased. Ball-milling and incorporating micron-sized refractive metals such as Zr, Ti, and Hf as well as adding boron to increase the heat of reaction. Al-Zr composites leverages the combination of zirconium's lower ignition temperature and aluminum's higher ignition temperature. This combination decreases the sensitivity of Zr only based reactions and lowers possible microexplosions found with Al based chemistries. The government is looking to characterize various refractive metal compacts of the metal oxide composites with a variety of analytic techniques that include, but are not limited to particle size analysis, pycnometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), hyperspectral imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The objective is to determine basic information about these compacts. Formulations for the preparation of refractive metals samples will be identified and developed by the government. The government may also provide some samples for confirmation of production methodology.

13. EXPLOSIVES POINT, PROXIMAL, AND STANDOFF DETECTION:

a.  The development and understanding of signatures and algorithms required to provide improved point, proximity, and standoff detection of explosives, homemade explosives and precursor materials to enable the warfighter to integrate chemical and explosive hazard detection equipment.

b.  The collection and analysis of alternative chemical signatures and algorithms that will improve the probability of detection of an explosive hazard or homemade explosives (HME) manufacturing/assembly location. Additionally, signatures based phenomenology to improve point and stand-off detection of explosives and precursor materials.

c.  Development of and integration into existing point, proximal and stand-off detection systems for explosives and homemade explosive precursor materials.

d.  Forensics analytical methods for military explosives, HME, HME precursors, and residue analysis for attribution. (See Paragraph 7.16)

14.  CHEMICAL FORENSICS:  Forensic science is a multidisciplinary subject used for examining crime scenes and gathering evidence to be used in prosecution of offenders in a court of law. Forensic science techniques are also used to examine compliance with international agreements regarding weapons of mass destruction and counter-improvised explosive device (IED) operations.

a.  Chemical Forensics for WMD attribution. DEVCOM CBC is interested in a growing area of forensic analysis for monitoring non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, analysis of possible terrorist attacks or breaches of security. The nature of samples analyzed is wide, but slightly different to a criminal investigation. Novel and new methods of sample collection and forensic analysis from objects, water, and plant material to test for the presence of radioactive isotopes, toxins, poisons, biological agents, and chemicals that can be used in the production of chemical weapons or homemade explosives.

b.  Instrumentation. A number of orthogonal analytical methods are needed for forensic laboratories to analyze evidence. These methods vary and may not be appropriate for use in a combat environment by soldiers not performing a law enforcement mission. Many of these forward deployed teams rely on portable instruments. While these can perform rapid forensic analysis in the field, they are often limited in their capabilities, and have elevated false positive rates when compared to results from a fixed forensic laboratory. Instruments are needed for chemical analysis in austere laboratory or field conditions that provide reliable and complete chemical composition information. Additionally, new laboratory instruments are needed to identify nearly every element present in a sample.

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15.  CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL ADVANCED MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING SCIENCE:

a.  The characterization of chemical, biological, physical, and fundamental properties related to surfaces, interfacial dynamics, thin film materials, chemical-biological catalysis, and opto-electronic/sensory technologies.

b.  Modeling and analysis to provide an understanding of the characterization and behavior of chemical and biological phenomena occurring at or near solid surfaces and material interfaces to include transport, binding energy, deposition, chemical reactivity, and interactions between these processes as well as studies of surface structure, morphology, and surface group properties.

c.  Characterization of chemical and biological interactions on solid surfaces including interfaces between materials and the surface. Areas of interest include transport, deposition, reactivity, and removal of biological and chemical compounds of interest, material interactions and properties arising from physical or biological synthetic processes, and enabling models and theory of interfacial interactions or processes that may relate to bulk properties.

d.  Modeling for advanced materials processes as it relates to chemical-biological materials and sensors including processing parameters, structure property relationships, surface interactions and performance of materials and sensors with respect to chemical/biological exposure, decontamination, aging and use in extreme temperatures.

e.  Utilization of novel manufacturing processes such as 3-dimensional bio-printing, integrated heterogeneous materials (i.e. Metal-Organic Frameworks) and in-situ polymerization and/or component integration during processing; advance fundamental scientific understanding of particle dispersion for novel utilization of next generation obscurants with novel pyrotechnics in areas such as disrupting command, control, and communications; investigate advanced/multispectral obscurant payload or concealment/camouflage/deception/false targets resulting in overall signature management or sensor defeat.

16.  ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY:

a.  Biomarker Discovery; determination of novel biomarkers of CW agent exposure.

b.  Funding Category C: Tissue Imaging; development of mass spectrometry based tissue imaging techniques for CW agent exposure studies.

c.  Antibody Production; development and production of butyrylcholinesterase antibodies for animal species that can be used for immunoprecipitation.

d.  Materials Toxicity Assessment; development of assays that will examine the toxicity of materials both pre and post contamination with CW agent.

e.  Synthesis; the synthesis and characterization of standards for the analysis of amino acids or short chain peptide fragments with a CW agent moiety.

17.  TARGET DEFEAT TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS: The target defeat technology program represents a class of military capabilities that leverages chemical and material science based phenomena to adversely impact military equipment and personnel. Non-kinetic vehicle/vessel stopping represents a significant technical area under the target Defeat Technology program. Areas of interest are:

a.  Perform vehicle/vessel stopping technology investigations involving combustion chemistry which encompass research and development (R&D) and test and evaluation (T&E).

b.  Perform vehicle/vessel defeat studies through other chemical means and vehicle/vessel defeat support technology development.

c.  Model various antimateriel processes to include combustion process in various engines.

d.  Conduct R&D and production of various chemically based antimateriel and non-lethal technologies such as: anti-traction materials, foams, microencapsulation, adhesives, malodorants, tagging tracking and locating technologies (to include biometrics-based technologies), riot control agents and abrasives.

e.  Provide munition system design to deliver a variety of non-lethal payloads.

f.  Perform modeling and simulation for transport and diffusion phenomena associated with non-lethal riot control agent and smoke disseminations to determine area coverage, concentration, and dosage for system effectiveness evaluation.

g.  Perform antimateriel studies designed to decompose, degrade and/or destroy selected military materiel and/or industrial production support equipment. Note: antimateriel studies can include theoretical review of potential technologies, feasibility determinations at the laboratory bench level, and/or field testing to include the possibility of employing fully operational identified equipment.

h.  Conduct studies and investigations to identify or develop non-lethal antipersonnel effects.

i.  Conduct Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to support system and subsystem evaluations to examine how selected target defeat technologies and system requirements are met and to determine the need for new ideas and alternatives to fill gaps discovered or analyzed. Note: Knowledge and experience are required with MBSE software tools such as Vitech CORE Spectrum and IBM Rational System Architect.

18.  ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE/ MACHINE LEARNING: Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology program represents the possibility for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human like tasks. AI refers to computer systems capable of performing complex tasks that historically only a human could do, such as reasoning, making decisions, or solving problems. Areas of interest are:

a.  Potential use of reactive machines, i.e. AI systems that have no memory and are task specific.

b.  Use of limited memory machines.

c.  Theory of mind.

d.  Development of algorithms for decision making based on input from multiple sources.

e.  Advanced model development and validation.

19.  MICROSENSORS: Size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) are the key primary driving factors during sensor development. Current system and component (i.e. batteries, communications, sensors, etc.) technologies offer poor performance and are large, heavy, with high power demands, and high cost, which limits the application/deployment of hazardous material (solid, liquid, and/or gas) sensing solutions. Interested in an integrated, easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain, high accuracy platform agnostic sensing capability that collects and detects hazards in solid, liquid, and/or gas phases over complex operational areas.

20.  ADVANCED MANUFACTURING/ MATERIAL SCIENCE: Advanced manufacturing is the use of innovative technology to improve products or processes with modern technology. Advanced manufacturing industries increasingly integrate new innovative technologies in both products and processes. Use of a potential combination of traditional manufacturing and additive manufacturing. Materials science and engineering seeks to understand the fundamental physical origins of material behavior to optimize properties of existing materials through structure modification and processing, design and invent new and better materials, and understand why some materials unexpectedly fail.

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Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Access to multiple award pathways, including:

  • Procurement Contracts

  • Cooperative Agreements

  • Other Transactions (OTs) for prototypes

• Potential for follow-on production awards after successful prototype development (for OT awards)

• Opportunity to work directly with DEVCOM CBC technical teams and facilities

• Exposure to DoD mission-critical problem sets and future funding pathways

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• Deadline: Not specified — this BAA is continuously open for up to five (5) years

• Preproposal decisions: Typically within 60–90 days of submission

• Full proposal timing: Submitted only after invitation (timeline specified in RFP)

• Award timing: Not specified; depends on evaluation, priorities, and funding availability

Where does this funding come from?

• U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological Center (CBC)

• Managed by Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (Edgewood Contracting Division)

• Authorized under:

  • Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

  • 10 U.S.C. §4021 and §4022 (Other Transactions)

  • 41 U.S.C. §6305 (Cooperative Agreements)

Who is eligible to apply?

• Educational institutions

• Nonprofit organizations

• Private industry (including small businesses)

Additional notes:

• Non-traditional defense contractors and small businesses are especially relevant for OT awards

• Foreign organizations may apply, subject to compliance requirements

• Awards are made to organizations, not individuals

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Projects are evaluated primarily on:

• Technical merit (highest priority)

• Military and program relevance to CBRNE defense

• Innovation and scientific rigor

• Alignment with DEVCOM CBC mission areas

• Feasibility and clarity of approach

• Availability of funds

Strong proposals will:

• Address clear defense needs

• Demonstrate novel, innovative approaches

• Reduce programmatic risk for the Army

• Align directly with listed mission areas

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Key restrictions include:

• No funding for proposal preparation costs

• Projects must not focus on specific system/hardware development (except concept demonstration)

• Foreign influence and security risks are assessed through Army Research Risk Assessment (ARRP)

• Disclosure requirements for funding sources and affiliations (NSPM-33 compliance)

• Compliance required for:

  • Human subjects research

  • Animal research

  • Environmental regulations

• Awards depend on availability of funds

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

• Preproposal (required first step):

  • Maximum 3 pages

  • Includes concept, scope, qualifications, and estimated cost

• Full proposal (if invited):

  • Substantial effort with multiple sections (technical, management, cost, etc.)

  • Timeline for submission provided in RFP

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support you to:

• Identify the highest-probability mission areas for your technology

• Develop a competitive preproposal strategy aligned to DEVCOM priorities

• Translate your innovation into DoD-relevant language and positioning

• Prepare a full proposal package (technical, management, cost)

• Navigate OT vs contract vs cooperative agreement pathways

• Ensure compliance with ARRP, NSPM-33, and DoD requirements

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

CDMRP: FY26 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program (TBIPHRP)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The FY26 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program (TBIPHRP), managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) under the Defense Health Agency Research and Development – Medical Research and Development Command, will support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance focused on improving the prevention, assessment, and treatment of psychological health conditions and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The program has released a pre-announcement to allow investigators time to begin preparing research concepts. Funding opportunity announcements will be released later on Grants.gov, and those announcements will include the official submission deadlines.

Application deadlines are not specified in the pre-announcement.

Researchers developing clinical trials, translational research, or health services research related to psychological health and TBI in military populations should begin preparing now so they can move quickly once the official solicitations are released.

How much funding would I receive?

Funding depends on the award mechanism and research level selected.

Clinical Trial Award

• Research Level 1

  • Maximum funding: $2.1 million total costs

  • Period of performance: up to 4 years

• Research Level 2

  • Maximum funding: $4.1 million total costs

  • Period of performance: up to 4 years

Health Services Research Award

• Maximum funding: $4.0 million total costs

• Period of performance: up to 4 years

Translational Research Award

• Research Level 1

  • Maximum funding: $1.0 million total costs

  • Period of performance: up to 4 years

• Research Level 2

  • Maximum funding: $2.0 million total costs

  • Period of performance: up to 4 years

Total costs include both direct and indirect costs.

The pre-announcement does not specify the number of awards expected.

What could I use the funding for?

Projects must address psychological health conditions and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI) and fall within one of the program’s focus areas.

1. Understand

Research addressing knowledge gaps in epidemiology and etiology, including:

• Risk, protective, and biological factors affecting vulnerability, response, and long-term outcomes

• Sex as a biological variable

• Psychological health factors related to sexual harassment or assault perpetration, victimization, and barriers to reporting

2. Prevent and Assess

Research focused on prevention, screening, diagnosis, or prognosis, including:

• Identification and validation of biomarkers or objective assessment methods

• Tools supporting return-to-activity or return-to-duty decisions

• Prevention approaches for psychological health conditions and/or TBI

• Cross-cutting prevention strategies addressing outcomes such as:

  • Suicide

  • Interpersonal violence

  • Sexual assault

  • Psychological health conditions

  • TBI

• Solutions supporting military and family readiness and resilience

3. Treat

Research on novel or repurposed interventions, including:

• Treatments and rehabilitation approaches that promote sustained functional recovery

• Interventions across acute, post-acute, or chronic phases

• Postvention strategies following events such as suicide or sexual assault

• Health services research improving access to care, adoption of evidence-based practices, or treatment engagement

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Being part of a CDMRP-managed research portfolio with a history of high-impact biomedical awards.

• Two-tier review that evaluates both scientific quality and programmatic relevance (once FOA is published).

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

This announcement is a pre-announcement only intended to give researchers time to prepare proposals.

Key points:

• Funding opportunity announcements will be released on Grants.gov.

• Those announcements will include pre-application and application deadlines.

• Application deadlines are not specified in the pre-announcement.

Submission process:

• Pre-applications must be submitted through eBRAP (Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal).

• Some mechanisms require preproposals or Letters of Intent before full applications.

• Full application submission may be by invitation only depending on the mechanism.

The pre-announcement does not specify when awards will be made.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding is provided under the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act and administered by the Defense Health Agency Research and Development – Medical Research and Development Command (DHA R&D-MRDC) through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility varies slightly by mechanism but generally includes:

• Independent investigators at any career level

Additional details:

• Postdoctoral fellows are not considered independent investigators

• Some mechanisms include an Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option that allows two principal investigators, where:

  • One PI must be within 10 years of completing their terminal degree at the application submission deadline

  • If funded, each PI receives an individual award within their recipient organization(s)

The solicitation does not specify eligible organization types in the pre-announcement.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Projects likely to be competitive will:

• Address psychological health conditions and/or traumatic brain injury

• Demonstrate high clinical relevance to military populations

• Provide innovative, high-impact research approaches

• Advance solutions for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or health system implementation

• Lead to health care products, technologies, or clinical practice guidelines

Specific program priorities include:

• Biomarkers and objective diagnostic methods

• Cross-cutting prevention approaches addressing multiple adverse outcomes

• Interventions that support sustained functional recovery

• Research improving access to care or adoption of evidence-based practices

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Restrictions vary by award mechanism.

Key limitations include:

Clinical Trial Award

• Must support clinical trials

• Preproposal required

• Full application submission by invitation only

Health Services Research Award

• Clinical research and clinical trials allowed

• Trials for new treatments are prohibited

• Requires Letter of Intent prior to full application

Translational Research Award

• Supports high-risk, high-reward translational research

• Basic research prohibited

• Clinical trials prohibited

• Requires preproposal submission

• Full application submission by invitation only

All submissions must comply with the final funding opportunity announcements released on Grants.gov.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Preparation time will depend on the mechanism and project complexity.

Applicants should expect to prepare:

• A preproposal or Letter of Intent

• A full application if invited

The pre-announcement does not specify application preparation timelines.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO supports teams applying to CDMRP and Department of Defense research programs by:

• Determining program fit and mechanism selection

• Structuring projects to align with TBIPHRP focus areas and evaluation criteria

• Developing a competitive preproposal or Letter of Intent

• Preparing the full application package if invited

• Managing compliance with eBRAP and Grants.gov submission requirements

Because full applications may be invitation-only, strong early positioning during the preproposal stage is critical.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($13,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

Low Power Seawater Converter for Aircrew Survival - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV014

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a lightweight, compact, rugged, and reliable device that can convert seawater into safe, drinkable water. The device should minimize bulk and human energy expenditure, while maximizing output.

Description:

Survival in a life raft on the open ocean depends greatly on the availability of potable water. Naval aircrew currently carry prepackaged water in soft packets placed within the ejection seat survival kit and aircrew survival vest sufficient to sustain life for less than one day. Reverse osmosis desalinators and forward osmosis nutrient packs are commercially available to the recreational seafarer. However, neither of these approaches are designed to maximize the amount of drinkable water while minimizing the amount of human energy expended, while constrained by limited space within a survival kit. Manual Reverse Osmosis Desalinator (MROD) devices are labor intensive, requiring more than 2500 pumps to produce one liter of water in one hour. Such human powered devices may require more energy expenditure than the calories available to stranded aircrew. Forward osmosis products available for the recreational sailor can produce potable beverages with little manual effort, but the total output capacity for aircrew is limited by the storage volume of the ejection seat survival kit. Current options for supplying sufficient drinking water to sustain life throughout extended rescue durations are inadequate.

Innovative solutions will minimize or eliminate aircrew physical activity/exertion, while producing at least one gallon of drinkable water per day, with a minimum salt rejection of 95%. Concepts utilizing novel chemical processes or nanotechnology are preferred over simple refinements of current osmosis technology.

The device should:

a) fit within a Naval Aircraft Common Ejection Seat (NACES) survival kit (an envelope approximately 6½"x14½"x4½") along with an Emergency Oxygen System (EOS) and an LRU-38/P life raft, but not exceed 114 cubic inches.

b) operate in near freezing brine water/freshwater/saltwater.

c) operate in turbulent or calm water conditions.

d) operate reliably in cold and hot ambient air from -40° to +125°F (-40° to +51°C).

e) operate after exposure to temperature extremes from -65° to +160°F (-54° to +71°C).

f) operate after exposure to mold, mildew, flame, and salt fog.

g) not create hazards (i.e., burn, injury, Foreign Object Debris (FOD), snag/trip, and static discharge) in any mission or survival operations.

h) operate following a 600-knot seat ejection.

i) operate after repeated exposure to altitudes up to 70,000 ft (0.65 psi).

j) operate after exposure to typical fixed-wing ejection seat aircraft vibration levels, at frequencies from 5 Hz-2000 Hz).

k) provide resistance to environmental contaminants (i.e., sand, petroleum, oil, lubricants, and solar radiation).

l) not interfere with survival vest or mounted gear, armor/armor release, seat harnesses, helmets or head mounted gear.

m) be capable of operating after 15 months in a packed state (360-day inspection cycle plus 90 day shelf life) while exposed to temperature ranges of -65° to 160°F (-54° to +71°C).

n) weigh less than 2 lbs.

o) use Berry Amendment-compliant materials and manufacturing techniques.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Flexible Printed Thermoelectric Cooling Film - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV013

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a low-cost and lightweight thermoelectric cooling film that could be used to cool the warfighter (small scale) or surfaces on military platforms (larger scale) using printed organic semiconductors. The flexible cooling films should have a bending radius of less than one inch to easily wrap around pipes, wrists, and ankles, and be able to conform to complex curvatures on larger surfaces.

Description:

Thermoelectric cooling devices based on narrow bandgap semiconductors such as bismuth telluride are commercially available. They are solid state devices and thus do not have the large footprint and moving parts associated with vapor compression refrigeration systems; however, they operate with lower efficiency. They are well-suited for cooling small flat surfaces where one is more concerned with the form factor than efficiency. For many practical applications, these square ceramic tile thermoelectric devices are heavy and too rigid, and do not offer conformal contact to curved surfaces.

Over the past fifteen years, a lot of progress has been made on organic thermoelectric materials. Though the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) has not caught up to that of bismuth telluride and other inorganic materials, the potential to make low-cost, lightweight, and flexible devices has opened a new application space for thermoelectric cooling where flexibility and large-area conformal contact are prioritized over efficiency. For instance, lightweight headbands and wristbands only need to remove a small amount of heat to provide significant cooling sensation to the user. Likewise, there are diffuse, large surface area applications with similar cooling needs. Prior research was summarized in a recent review article by Segalman [Ref 1].

The conducting polymer Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) [PEDOT] was identified as a strong candidate for the p-type leg in the p-n device, but device performance has been limited by the lack of suitable n-type materials. The organic electronics community has long wrestled with n-type materials due to potential oxidation of the electron carriers. A number of inherently stable and high performing n-type polymers have recently been developed [Ref 2] that should complement the available p-type materials and enable significantly improved thermoelectric cooling device performance. New device designs obtainable with simple fabrication must be developed to take advantage of the anisotropic thermal conductance and charge transport in these materials, which is typically maximized in-plane and along the polymer molecular backbones, such that measured thin film behaviors successfully translate into device performance. A number of design and fabrication strategies have been demonstrated but much more innovation is possible [Ref 1]. It is an appropriate time to develop lightweight, flexible thermoelectric cooling devices for these niche applications.

This STTR topic is for low-cost, lightweight, and flexible thermoelectrics for personal cooling as well as for large area applications.

The flexible cooling films should have a bending radius of less than one inch to easily wrap around pipes, wrists, and ankles, and be able to conform to complex curvatures on larger surfaces. The stated applications are near-ambient temperatures though the conjugated polymers should be able to handle temperatures up to 200°C. Composite approaches that are appropriate are welcome. This topic is not soliciting a fabric-based solution.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Broadening Availability of Regimens for K-9s (BARK) - Open Topic - SBIR Topic DPA26BZ01-NP001

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $250,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop medical products that are interoperable and compatible across humans and dogs to meet the health needs of both human warfighters and military working dogs.

Description:

Military working dogs (MWDs) are critical to national security, serving as force multipliers by enhancing the lethality and survivability of their teams through their unique senses, agility, and autonomy. Providing effective medical care for MWDs is critical but imposes significant challenges. Not all human medical products work for canines (K-9s), who sometimes require separate, specialized veterinary products. MWD handlers must therefore carry extra medical equipment to provide emergency care for their K-9 partner, exacerbating equipment loads and impeding operational capacity. Specialized equipment also expands medical materiel requirements and dependence on the less-resourced veterinary market, encumbering acquisition and sustainment activities.

Medical technologies that are interoperable and compatible across humans and dogs can address unmet needs of valuable MWDs while lessening the burden on medics, logisticians, and other contributors to force health protection. Species-interoperable medical technologies, particularly those supporting acute and tactical care, will improve lifesaving medical care for these MWDs while mitigating logistical and operational burdens of treating both human and K-9 warfighters.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting medical technologies that are interoperable and compatible across humans and dogs. Technologies of greatest interest allow for the replacement of existing products in medical sets with interoperable products, reducing the total amount of medical supplies—expanding capability without expanding the kits. Examples of specific technologies of interest include, but are not limited to:

Filters for donor plasma capable of removing cross-reactive antigens that impede compatibility across species;

Universal synthetic plasma designed with all necessary functional components for transfusion;

Sensors and form-factors that enable physiological monitoring (e.g., core body temperature and blood pressure) or triage in both humans and dogs;

Medical devices (e.g., splints, backboards, tourniquets, mechanical ventilators) designed to be rapidly adjustable at point of care for flexible use across anatomies;

Interoperable medical countermeasures (MCMs) and form-agnostic personal protective equipment to mitigate or protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats; and

Delivery mechanisms that can modulate dosing, including through excipients or combination devices (e.g., autoinjectors), to enable universal use of pharmaceuticals and MCMs.

The aim of the solicitation is to create a demonstrative prototype that can quickly progress to pre-clinical or clinical testing during a contracted SBIR Phase II period of performance (PoP). Research that merely tests existing products, including collection of data to titrate dosages or support label expansion of a marketed product to an additional species, is unlikely to achieve the degree of technical innovation a successful proposal should demonstrate. New drug discovery is discouraged but may be considered in particularly compelling cases. Products enabled by proposed research should feasibly be safe and effective in both humans and canines—to be verified in future trials—for use cases where no single existing product serves both patient sets. Technologies of interest should be capable of achieving substantially equivalent or superior performance in humans compared to currently approved options.

An initial white paper describing the technical approach is required and will be evaluated. If DARPA selects a white paper for further evaluation, the Government will issue an invitation to submit a full proposal. The technical white paper should include an overview of the proposed concept with details to support feasibility. The overview should address the bullets below, which are listed in order of importance:

Proposed concept: Describe the proposed research and medical product. Outline the design and operation of the main components that are being proposed for development and mode(s) of action. Use clear calculations, preliminary data, or mechanistic justifications to support feasibility of the proposed concept.

Concept of employment: Identify how the proposed product could be employed. Provide details on the intended use, indication, and effect, and the prevalence and impact of the addressed medical condition. What benefits, including new capabilities or improved metrics, does the proposed solution provide compared to current commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) options (e.g., commercially available human- or canine-specific products)?

Path to market: Identify relevant predicate or otherwise established products that have been approved, licensed, authorized, or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or other relevant regulatory authority. Provide a general plan or strategy for securing market access and ensuring regulatory compliance for both humans and canines if the proposed technology is successful and shown to be safe and effective. For any special FDA programs noted (e.g., Breakthrough Device designation, 513(g)), ensure that the white paper describes how the medical product meets the program requirements.

Scalability: Provide a brief analysis of the feasibility of scaling the technology across both the DoW and industry. Are the achievable production costs low enough to merit widespread adoption, especially if alternative human- or canine-specific products are available? Is the system sufficiently familiar or intuitive to medics, handlers, and clinicians that large-scale deployment and administration wouldn’t require significant training or modification of protocols? What are the projected maintenance and storage requirements, operational availabilities, and service lifetimes, and, if applicable, how do they compare with COTS alternatives?

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Advanced Damage Criticality Analysis - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-DV005

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $2 Million.

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a passive Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system to identify, locate, and characterize the severity of defects and cracks due to fatigue loading or impacts based on novel or advanced technologies with a basis in physics and avoiding qualitative assumptions.

Description:

The Navy seeks an effective passive Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for Navy ship hulls and other structures that can monitor defects, such as crack growth from fatigue or impacts, and provide actionable information about the severity of the defect in an automated manner, i.e., in real time. Such fatigue cracks develop and grow in Navy ship hull welds and plating from cyclical life-cycle stresses and event-driven forces from severe sea states, collisions, and groundings.

The U.S. Navy and other navies around the world have installed SHM systems to monitor hull structural health but almost all are based on using strain gauges to monitor stresses on the hull and inferring crack growth based on fatigue life calculations. For example, the Military Sealift Command (MSC) has worked with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and installed SHM systems consisting of strain gauges and accelerometers on several ships in the T-EPF class, which monitor hull deflection and dynamic movement due to the ship’s loading and the sea states encountered. The data from these sensors is being fed into a digital twin model developed to calculate structural stresses for managing vessel survivability and to minimize operating risk.

There have been some attempts to develop fiber optics sensors to measure strain or Acoustic Emission (AE) sensors to monitor fatigue cracks directly. These approaches have seen varying levels of success, yet, better systems are needed. There may even be some applications for LiDAR use to improve success probability. The Navy is particularly interested in locating and characterizing the severity or criticality of a defect if one is detected. Currently there is not a system available on the commercial market.

The Navy’s need for such hull monitoring capability has become more important with the introduction of high-speed and catamaran vessels, which are more prone to hull cracking due to the designs of the ships, materials of the hull, and stresses experienced in high seas. An ideal system would be capable of monitoring large areas of the ship’s hull with sensing devices that provide cost effective coverage with the following capabilities:

Detect and identify the location of crack growth signals in the hull if they exist in the presence of ship’s background noise without producing false positives or negatives.

Produce results in an automated manner, i.e., real time, so they are immediately available to the operating crew.

Provide insight as to the severity of the crack growth considering the complex geometries found in hull structures with varying thicknesses and stiffeners.

The Navy would benefit from understanding structural risks in real time with the goal of minimizing the possibility of incurring structural damage at sea. The SHM system the Navy needs should provide meaningful information on ship structural health and reduce inspection and maintenance costs during repair availabilities by identifying areas of concern or damage in advance.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Applied Neuroanalytics for Optimization of Naval Training and Operational Readiness - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV033

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop and demonstrate a neuro-enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) system that captures, analyzes, and operationalizes neurophysiological and behavioral data to provide near real-time, adaptive feedback for improved training efficiency, performance, and operational readiness of U.S. Navy personnel.

Description:

The U.S. Navy Force Design 2045 (CNO NavPlan 2024) highlights the importance of the warfighter and human-machine teaming in the future fight, emphasizing the criticality of developing high-performing teams and leaders that are resilient, adaptable, and warrior tough while supporting an increasingly hybrid Fleet of manned assets augmented with thousands of unmanned assets. The future fight will likely require operators to 1) digest and synthesize large amounts of data from an extensive network of humans and machines, 2) make decisions more rapidly due to advances in AI, enhanced connectivity, and autonomous weaponry and 3) oversee a greater number and types of robotics, including swarms (RAND, 2024).

Critical features of this paradigm shift towards manned-unmanned teaming and emphasis on improving warfighter performance are how we train operators. Training is at the forefront of the modernization of Naval operations to enhance readiness and lethality, and this will depend heavily on the cognitive resilience and decision-making capacity of warfighters in these novel, high-stress environments. Traditional training paradigms typically neglect real-time measurement and integration of cognitive and physiological performance states (e.g., mental effort, task engagement, lapses and slips of attention, complacency, mental fatigue, and stress). Emerging technologies for advanced data analytics grounded in neuroscience provide new capability that can enhance warfighter development and mission success by embedding neurofeedback into live and synthetic Naval training environments, providing novel analytical features and data to adapt training in near-real time and accelerate learning at the point of need.

The U.S. Navy seeks to identify a major step forward in neuro-enhanced AI systems to reduce time-to-proficiency and predict Sailor readiness within the unique maritime military environment. This envisioned capability will leverage and further develop Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) neurotechnologies along with complimentary biosensors (e.g., electrocardiography [ECG], electromyography [EMG], eye tracking) and behavioral monitoring tools for Navy-specific use cases to interface with personnel, enabling adaptive and responsive system interaction based on near real-time human state data.

This SBIR topic will prioritize two key demonstrated factors in support of its objective: (1) the ability to collect neural, physiological, and behavioral data in parallel with operators using a desktop or higher fidelity simulator; and (2) the ability to analyze and interact with that data, both in near real-time and post-hoc, using an advanced language-understanding system coupled with an extensive foundational model of the human psychophysiology and/or behavior to provide feedback. This effort will complement existing Navy initiatives, such as those led by NAVAIR, NAWCAD, and NAWCTSD, enhancing existing learning environments through the addition of a brain-based performance layer.

The platform will deliver an autonomous solution for near real-time feedback, improved after-action reporting, and guided adaptation of training scenarios via open data standards that can be used to improve understanding of Sailor state (static and dynamic), which will be imperative for improving warfighter performance and training towards an ever-evolving mission in the future fight.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

High Voltage and Current Silicon-Carbide (SiC) Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) for Fast Turn-On Current Applications - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV019

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop state-of-the-art silicon carbide (SiC) Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) packaged for improved size, weight, and power (SWaP) for applications where a high-blocking voltage of more than 10 kV, a high pulsed current density of greater than +/- 5 kA (10 kA ideal), and tens of nanoseconds turn-on time, with low-jitter, are needed for integration with high power microwave (HPM) systems.

Description:

The DOW needs SWaP-favorable solutions for fast turn-on and low-jitter SiC MOSFETs to generate high current densities from high voltage capacitors. Current methods of high-current/voltage switching from SiC MOSFETS rely on an array created from series and parallel combinations of commercial off the shelf (COTS) devices [Ref 1]. However, these device arrays are limited in the voltage and amplitude they can switch, have complicated gate driving circuits, and can become size limited. To improve current state-of-the-art capability, the DOW has a need for the development of MOSFETs that have a blocking voltage greater than 10 kV for a single wafer, such that a low-side gate driver can be used to turn on the MOSFET, and a high pulsed-current capability. The requirements for a 5 kA peak current (10 kA ideal) may require multiple parallel combinations of MOSFET wafers, and if so, packaging is to be minimized and vertically stacked packaged arrays should be utilized. It is understood that at higher blocking voltages and current densities an additional diode may be necessary to accommodate the desired pulse current [Ref 2]. Minimizing gate charge and gate resistance for an array of MOSFET is important to alleviate driver requirements, such that a turn on time of less than 30 nanoseconds (ns) is achievable with less than 30 V of gate voltage and 10’s of amps of gate current.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Bridge Environmental Light Pollution Mitigation and Control - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV017

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop and deploy a safe, sustainable technology suited for controlling light pollution, thereby reducing ambient light levels across a bridge environment and providing adequate situational task lighting at select workstations across the bridge.

Description:

The Navy seeks a light mitigation technology for adequate situational lighting compliant with the Bridge Light Pollution Mitigation and Control Program (BLPM & CP). A comprehensive review of collisions involving U.S. Navy ships cited bridge lighting conditions as a possible contributing factor, stating the need to adhere to military standards for light producing displays and equipment installed on the bridges of surface combatant ships. The principal BLPM & CP’s objective is to resolve non-compliance of current bridge equipment and hardware with Military Standard MIL-STD-1472H, DOW Design Criteria Standard for Human Engineering [Ref 2]. Existing hardware often fails to satisfy requirements as outlined in the referenced standard (MIL-STD-1472H).

Light pollution mitigation efforts are necessary for all light producing technology installed on surface ship bridges/pilot houses. Reducing the undesirable effects of excessive or poorly designed lighting (i.e., light pollution) on night vision and bridge-watch stander performance will create greater situational awareness for crew members in a darkened bridge environment, therefore enhancing ship safety at sea.

The Navy seeks light mitigation technology for the bridge environment that complies with MIL-STD-1472H and enhances the effectiveness of all lights (e.g., screens, indicator lights, LED) during dark operations. This solution must also include a ruggedized work light that complies with free translation in three-dimensional space and free rotation on all three axes of rotation. There is currently no commercial technology that can meet this need.

The light should comply with all surface ship environmental standards regarding Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3), shock, vibration, and power quality and be able to produce light at the levels described in MIL-STD-1772H. The work light shall allow bridge watch standers to observe printed material at nighttime while still preserving night vision. A shipboard bridge work light must provide a focused beam of light with minimal glare, must be adjustable to direct light precisely where needed, and must offer the ability to control brightness levels with a cool color temperature to minimize eye strain while performing detailed tasks like reading or writing notes especially for crew members in a darkened bridge environment.

This scope of this effort includes all light emitting devices on the bridge, and is not limited to the following bridge systems:

Navigation Radar

Surface Search Radar

Situational Awareness Radar

Electronic Charting System

Ship Control Consoles

Voyage Data Recorder

Bridge-to-bridge Radio

Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) Systems

Damage Control Equipment/Displays

Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) Systems

Desired light mitigation solution parameters include but are not limited to:

Overlay applications, easily applied to existing displays, requiring no special tools, equipment, hardware, fixtures, adhesives, tapes, or fasteners.

Collapsible, foldable, stackable, and/or portable solutions to allow effective and easy storage when not in use.

Various optical densities and sizes of Neutral Density filter material may be overlaid on displays.

Solutions shall allow operator adjustment during application or installation.

Temporary covers, fixtures, filters, shades, etcetera must not alter the original design characteristics nor interfere with normal operation of mitigated light emitting sources.

Technology should not require external electrical power nor include additional electronic control systems or require any form of computer network connections.

Solution shall not leave any adhesive residue behind on surfaces after removal.

Mitigations may also include other formed caps to cover various instrumentations to reduce or eliminate light pollution associated with installed bridge equipment and other environmental light polluters.

Solution must be able to withstand extreme environmental conditions (e.g., high humidity, persistent vibration, temperature below 40° degrees Fahrenheit, etc.).

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Nudging Behaviors for Better Sleep - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV016

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop software for personalized and adaptive behavioral interventions (i.e., nudges) using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) wearable hardware devices to promote and improve sleep outcomes and human performance in dynamic environments.

Description:

Despite extensive research on the mechanisms of sleep and behavioral modifications to improve sleep, relatively little is known about how context-sensitive behavioral nudging systems—those that dynamically suggest small, adaptive changes based on real-time data—can improve sleep quality and overall performance outcomes in complex, high-stakes settings. Fatigue caused by inadequate sleep negatively affects service members' performance and has contributed to accidents—resulting in deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to ships, vehicles, and aircraft [Ref 1]. “Nudging” refers to subtle interventions that steer behavior without restricting choices [Ref 2]. For example, non-obvious changes in how options are presented (e.g., ordering, timing, framing) have been shown to significantly affect sleep behaviors and dietary choices [Ref 3]. Recent advances in wearable sensor technology (e.g., smartwatches, rings, sleep trackers, etc.) allow for continuous collection of physiological and behavioral data. Many hardware devices are coupled with software that provide notifications, advice, and suggestions, but these are often canned, static statements that are simply pushed to the user (i.e., a one-way notification) and are not personalized to the user and/or their data.

Delivering adaptive behavioral nudges that learn and track the user’s state and responses, evolve over time, and promote sustained positive behavior change is also critical for mitigating the impact of sleep on operations. The objective of this STTR topic is to develop personalized and adaptive behavioral interventions (i.e., nudges) using COTS wearable devices to promote and improve sleep outcomes and human performance in dynamic environments. Achieving this objective requires: (1) research into integrated theoretical frameworks for personalized behavior change, grounded in cognitive, physiological, and contextual variables, and informed by mathematical tools such as dynamical systems modeling; (2) the development of adaptive algorithms that leverage Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to integrate with existing wearable and embedded sensors to identify optimal timing, modality, and content for real-time, minimally-intrusive, adherence-supporting behavioral nudges across diverse user states and operational contexts; (3) the exploration of human-centered communication strategies for delivering behavioral insights and recommendations, ensuring interventions are not only well-timed but also subtle and capable of supporting an ongoing user-system relationship built on trust and voluntary engagement; and (4) empirical testing in ecologically valid environments, including experiments that collect sleep and performance metrics to evaluate effectiveness, generalizability, and long-term behavioral impact.

Equal emphasis will be placed on (1) advancing theoretical models of behavior change, sleep regulation, and performance adaptation and (2) developing AI/ML systems and communication strategies for delivering behavioral nudges.

This topic focuses on sleep behavior due to its broad applicability to the general population, its foundational role in human performance, and the relative ease and reliability of measurement. Proposed efforts should aim to develop generalizable algorithms that integrate complex mathematical modeling and ML with cognitive-behavioral theory to drive adaptive behavioral interventions. These interventions must be compatible with existing wearable and embedded sensor ecosystems – this topic explicitly does not aim to develop new hardware, but instead to maximize the utility of currently available commercial sensors as inputs to a personalized, adaptive nudging system.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Advancing Human Modeling Tools for Enhanced Performance and Survivability in Austere Environments - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV015

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop an advanced suite of parametric human modeling tools incorporating USN/USMC aircrew anthropometric databases, empirical posture data, and 3D scans.

Description:

The goal of this STTR topic is to leverage newly available data and advances in digital human modeling to improve modeling fidelity for USN/USMC and other DOW aircrew to improve acquisition outcomes. Resulting improvements to operational and environmentally appropriate protective clothing and equipment size, design, and tariffing (i.e., determination of how much of each size needs to be procured and distributed) will yield significant benefits to Fleet readiness and sustainment, safety, performance, protection, and affordability.

Digital Human Modeling (DHM) applications and tools are used to design and assess items for the DOW including protective clothing, footwear, body armor, flight equipment (e.g., helmets, oxygen masks, survival vests, G-suits, torso harnesses, etc.), seating, restraint systems, workstations, cockpits, controls, ground vehicles, and much more. Using this technology early in the product lifecycle is essential to reducing development cost and schedule and informing design tradeoff decisions. Historically, use of DHM has been subject to a variety of limitations that affect model fidelity, which is how well the model represents reality. These limitations result in reduced utility of the technology when the limitations are understood, but more concerning are the potential adverse outcomes where the limitations have either not been understood or have been ignored. This is concerning for all types of design applications, but especially problematic in aviation where safety of flight is crucial. There is an abundance of feedback from aircrew regarding poor fit or lack of availability of the sizes of protective clothing and operational equipment they need. They experience pain and injury, reducing performance and impacting readiness. There is now the potential to exponentially improve DHM capabilities due to a variety of advances in 3D scanning, model development, and availability of aircrew population specific anthropometric data and empirical posture data representing real-world conditions for military aircrew.

Limitations to current DHM capabilities related to the users include issues with intuitiveness of the tools, the degree of expertise required for effective use, and the significant amount of time it takes to develop expertise. There is a shortage of expert users in both the DOW and industry. Manikins used in DHM analysis are commonly selected from built-in software libraries with inappropriate anthropometric measurements for the population and/or design being evaluated. DHM users with a poor understanding of anthropometry often fail to consider the multivariate nature of anthropometric accommodation ignoring the need to consider more than one measurement at a time and neglecting the critical interactions of the measurements. Users positioning/posturing manikins routinely use guesswork in the absence of empirical data to account for clothing and flight equipment, restraint systems, cushion compression, flesh compression, and postural variation. They often have a limited understanding of aircrew operations and/or environment leading to incorrect assumptions when setting up their models.

For some DHMs the anthropometric measurements that can be adjusted are not the ones that matter for design application and the underlying anthropometric data used in the application may not represent the target population. Multivariate use cases have been developed and in use on DOW aircraft acquisition programs since the mid-90s [Ref 1], but manikins representing the use cases are often not included in DHM manikin libraries causing users to default to inappropriate use of the manikins that are available. Until recently, the only USN/USMC aircrew anthropometric data available was from a 1960s database that did not include women. Currently, there are no DHM applications that include USN/USMC aircrew anthropometric data or associated multivariate use cases.

Another important consideration is that the commercially available DHM applications allow for analysis of one or more manikins, to include a family of multivariate use cases, but do not allow for parametric modeling of an entire population needed to accurately quantify the accommodation levels of a design.

The NAWCAD Human Systems Engineering Department has recently completed an aircrew/aviator anthropometric survey and is also collaborating with the USAF on the Seat Specific Posture Model (SSPM) Project to collect empirical posture data to improve modeling fidelity. This project was initially intended for the purpose of developing an aviation specific postural analysis tool in the RAMSIS DHM but will be useful for other applications as well. One example that this STTR topic proposes is that this aircrew data be used in in the development of aviation-specific parametric accommodation models. The US Army has successfully developed this type of modeling tool for ground vehicles with a great many advantages to their acquisition programs and alleviation of many of the limitations documented above [Refs 2,3,4].

There have also been significant advances to head, hand, and body models that can be leveraged to greatly improve DHM state of the art and acquisition outcomes [Refs 5-11]. Integration of aircrew-specific anthropometric and 3D scan databases would ensure modeling efforts reflect the intended population. Aviators are a distinctly different population and appropriate representation of them in modeling applications is essential. Model input parameters can be adjusted to represent the goals of the modeling effort (i.e., desired accommodation levels and target population or subpopulation) with adjustable demographic variables such as sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Modeling tools can incorporate the ability to consider not only traditional 2D anthropometric measurements, but 3D shape and/or non-traditional measurements with the goal of improving size design and fit prediction [Refs 12, 13]. Through new and affordable 3D body scanning technologies [Refs 14,15], it is possible for an individual’s specific anthropometry as well as their feedback on fit and preferred size to be run through an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to allow for ongoing improvements in size design, fit prediction, and tariffing. There have been advances in the development of head models that do not include hair artifacts [Ref 16], an important consideration in design. Improvements of head and hand models for dynamic or functional fit can improve the ability to digitally evaluate if masks maintain a seal when pilots talk or change facial expression and if gloves are designed appropriately for all pilot tasks, not just one static hand position. Posable manikins representing intended individuals or populations (multivariate use cases) can be easily customized and imported into any CAD environment or DHM software application for a variety of uses.

It is important to note that the proposed tools are meant to be supplemental not duplicative of other modeling tools currently available or in development. Having these proposed modeling tools be interoperable or integrated with existing or emerging tools is highly desirable. What makes these tools unique from existing/emerging modeling tools:

Inclusion of USN/USMC aircrew anthropometric databases and 3D scans.

Inclusion of SSPM project aircrew posture and reach data.

Solution is not computationally and/or time prohibitive to use.

Fills a gap in providing a solution that does not require an artisan modeler to make use of the models (easy to learn, simple user interface).

Leveraging existing models/methods for expeditious transition.

Models to be exported in common file formats to be interoperable with a broad range of CAD/DHM applications. No specific software applications are required.

Not strictly PPE focused but also applicable to clothing design.

Includes accommodation modeling tool for aircraft cockpits and workstations.

Will represent digital twins of individuals like other modeling tools, but will also provide population virtual assessment of fit, size design, tariffing recommendations, and report population accommodation levels.

Will allow for principal component analysis on a population and representation of boundary cases customized for specific applications.

Includes ability to import anthropometric data for a group of participants and create bivariate plots for visual comparison to aircrew population data.

Models will be web-hosted and freely/easily available to DOW civilians and contractors.

Intention is to have web-hosted instructional materials, user forum, document library, and subject matter expert information to encourage best practices and collaboration.

Framework will be built in to allow import of other population databases so other military populations including foreign military partners can be represented.

The proposed suite of tools would need to be easy to use, affordable, and easily accessed (e.g., hosted webapps and/or downloadable standalone applications) to facilitate practitioner usage and standardization. Accompanying guidance in the form of teaching materials, a user forum, links to relevant papers and reports, and a registry for subject matter experts and facilities wishing to be listed would be beneficial inclusions. The ability to create visualizations should also be considered. Allowing the import of anthropometry in a .CSV file for overlay with existing anthropometric databases in the form of bivariate plots of key anthropometric measurements is extremely helpful for population comparisons as well as confirming that human participants used for physical assessments adequately represent the target population. This proposed effort also seeks to put a framework in place that will allow incorporation of data from other populations and use of the models for other applications and users to include the entire DOW, foreign military partners, NASA, industry, and academia.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Development of Wearable Device for Detecting Biomarkers and Treating Viral and Bacterial Infections - SBIR DHA26BZ01-NV004

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $250,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a non-invasive wearable device that can discretely detect biomarkers for and provide initial broad-spectrum treatment for pan-viral and pan-bacterial infections. If fielded for military use, it may require additional security measures.

Description:

The DHA Strategic Research Plan (SRP): Environmental Exposures (June 2024) lists two capability requirements under the “Assess” and “Treat” capability areas that align with this proposal: Environmental Detection and Health Risk Assessments under Assess and Environmental Exposures Treatment under Treat. In addition, the DHA SRP: Military Infectious Diseases (May 2024) lists three capability requirements under the “Prevent”, “Treat”, and “Enable” capability areas that align with this proposal: Prevention of Military Relevant Endemic and Emerging Infectious Diseases under Prevent, Treatment of Military Relevant Endemic and Emerging Infectious Diseases under Treat, and Core Competencies under Enable.

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is looking for an advanced, non-invasive (does not break the skin or physically enter the body) wearable device (i.e., flash/continuous glucose style monitoring) capable of qualitatively detecting all-viral and all-bacterial infections using discrete biomarkers for such infections: TRAIL, MxA, CD46, IP-10, PTX3, or other non-blood based biomarkers (saliva, sweat, etc.) for viral infections and CRP, PCT, IL-6, IL-8, CD35, CD55, CD64, pro-ADM, or other non-blood based biomarkers (saliva, sweat, etc.) for bacterial infections. The end goal is a wearable device that discretely detects viral and bacterial infections and renders initial, broad-spectrum anti-viral or anti-bacterial treatment(s) at austere operational environments where no immediate medical countermeasures and no other detection capabilities are available until casualties are evacuated to locations with more robust medical resources for additional and specific differentiation and treatment. At a higher echelon of care, medical personnel must be able to receive data from the device to find out what category of threats (viral or bacterial) has triggered a biomarker detection and what corresponding treatments have been rendered to the affected force before providing more advanced care.

By continuously monitoring validated biomarkers, this device will empower warfighters to detect and respond to biological threats early, enhancing their survivability and operational effectiveness in high-threat theaters and mitigating risks to mission and force. This Air Force Medical Command initiative improves force health protection and ensures mission success. Dual-use functionality of this technology will focus on civilian healthcare systems.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Detection and Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury in Military Working Dogs - SBIR DHA26BZ01-NV002

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $250,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Evaluate previously developed traumatic brain injury (TBI) detection and treatments methods that can be repurposed for use in military working dogs (MWDs) after suffering from battlefield injuries.

Description:

This topic is in support of the DoD Working Dog Strategic Research Plan concerning mitigation, strategies, and treatments for the detection and treatment of TBI.1 Due to the high-risk nature of MWD operations, TBI is a common injury. TBI in the MWD carries an extremely high mortality rate with a prehospital mortality of over 40% for severe TBI cases. It is estimated that 25-40% of all MWD trauma cases are accompanied by TBI, but there is limited data concerning the short- and long-term effects of TBI on the performance and health of the MWD. Current clinical detection methods for TBI in the MWD are by the observation of altered mentation (coma, stupor, depression, lethargy, inappropriate behavior or responses) of the MWD and by use of the modified veterinary Glasgow coma scale or with physical evidence of head trauma (e.g., lacerations, abrasions, bruising, swelling, pain, bleeding from the nose or ears). Current treatment guidelines for TBI in MWDs are largely based on treatment recommendations for humans and are primarily supportive measures to maintain blood pressure, oxygen levels, proper ventilation, and body temperature to mitigate secondary injuries2,3,4. There have been many TBI detection methods and treatment strategies developed for humans that have shown promising results in rodent and large animal models5. The objective of this SBIR is to review research that was performed in rodents, canines, or other large animal models that could be repurposed for the detection and treatment of TBI specifically in MWDs. This research topic does not support the use of canines for testing purposes. Any animal testing would require use of suitable animal model that would approximate the response of a canine.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Military Working Dog Whole Blood Product or Substitute - SBIR DHA26BZ01-NV001

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $250,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a whole blood product or substitute to aid in hemorrhage control for Military Working Dogs (MWD) after battlefield injury that can be used near the point of injury (POI) and throughout the continuum of care to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Description:

This topic is in support of the DoD Working Dog Strategic Research Plan concerning solutions for bleeding control and coagulopathy support.1 The Military Working Dog (MWD) provides a unique and important service to the warfighter. MWDs serve as sentries, perform tracking and patrol, and are used for the detection of explosives. These activities come with a high risk of injury. Uncontrolled hemorrhage following traumatic injury accounts for over 45% of all MWD battlefield deaths2. The current standard of care for hemorrhage in the MWD is to provide immediate fluid therapy through the delivery of crystalloid fluids as the first-line treatment, which is then followed by a synthetic colloid or hypertonic saline. These treatments also require the administration of supplemental oxygen to maintain appropriate oxygen levels and for the survival of the MWD3. To improve their survival rates, the development of a shelf stable canine whole blood product or substitute is a critical priority

The goal of this topic is to develop a stable canine whole blood product and/or substitute (i.e. hemoglobin or polymer oxygen carriers), intended for canine use at both POI and throughout the continuum of care. The product should have a shelf-life of greater than 3 years and be thermal stable (-9℃ to 60℃) to ensure accessibility in operational environments. The product must primarily replicate the oxygen carrier characteristics of whole blood and demonstrate the ability to be used safely and effectively to treat blood loss following traumatic injury. This research topic does not support the use of canines for testing purposes. Any animal testing would require use of suitable animal models that would approximate the response of a canine.

Blood products derived from canine donors must be negative for canine red blood cell antigens DEA 1.1 and DEA 1.2. Donor animals must also be tested for blood borne diseases including canine brucellosis, hemobartonellosis, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm disease), Ehrlichia canis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Coccidioides immitis, Babesia canis, Babesia gibsoni, Mycoplasma haemocanis and plasma levels of von Willebrand factor. All donor animals must be current on immunizations for canine distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, parvovirus, Bordatella, coronavirus and rabies virus as applicable.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Development of Small Molecules with Antifungal Properties for Safe Use in Human Patients (Direct to Phase II) - SBIR DHA26BZ01-DV005

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $1.3 Million

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

This topic is intended for technology proven ready to move directly into Phase II and accepts Direct to Phase II proposals only. The proposed research will focus on identifying compounds with broad-spectrum activity against clinically relevant fungal pathogens while minimizing toxicity to humans. The primary objective is to identify a small molecule with fungicidal properties that are safe for human use, with FDA clearance.

Description:

Fungal infections represent a growing global health challenge, particularly among immuno-compromised individuals. Invasive fungal infections caused by pathogens such as Candida species, Aspergillus species, Fusarium species, and Mucor species are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Fungal infections are associated with 130k hospitalizations, 13 million outpatient visits, and result in a financial burden of $19 billion on the civilian health care sector. Fungal wound infections in particular are also growing challenge for the military. Despite the availability of antifungal agents, current treatments are often limited by toxicity, drug resistance, and narrow-spectrum activity. The emergence of multidrug-resistant fungal strains, such as Candida auris, has further exacerbated the need for novel antifungal therapies. Small molecules with antifungal properties offer a promising avenue for addressing these challenges. Their ability to target specific fungal pathways, combined with the potential for oral bioavailability and low manufacturing costs, makes them ideal candidates for therapeutic development. However, significant scientific and technical hurdles remain with the discovery and optimization of small molecules that are both effective against fungal pathogens and safe for human use. Qualified proposals should identify small molecules with antifungal properties from an existing library. These small molecules should be active against all of the following fungi: Fusarium species, Aspergillus species, Candida auris, or Mucorales species. Qualified molecules will have antifungal activity at nanomolar concentrations. Further, these small molecules must have a cytotoxicity profile similar, or better than Amphotericin B.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

CDMRP: Hearing Restoration Research Program (HRRP)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The CDMRP Hearing Restoration Research Program (HRRP) FY26 funding opportunity is now anticipated under the FY26 Defense Appropriations Act. This is your chance to secure funding to advance innovative, high-impact research that reduces the burden of hearing loss for Service Members, Veterans, and the general public. Investigators should begin planning now — the official funding opportunity announcements, including pre-application and full application deadlines, will be released soon on Grants.gov.

How much funding would I receive?

The pre-announcement does not specify total program funding. However, individual award mechanisms include funding limits:

• Focused Research Award Level 1: up to $400,000 total costs over a maximum of 2 years.

• Focused Research Award Level 2: up to $1.2 million total costs over a maximum of 3 years.

What could I use the funding for?

HRRP awards can support research that:

• Improves and accelerates translation of auditory regeneration or repair mechanisms.

• Develops diagnostics differentiating sensory, neural, synaptic, or central processing disorders.

• Creates reliable in vitro human models to understand auditory cell mechanisms or evaluate therapies.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Being part of a CDMRP-managed research portfolio with a history of high-impact biomedical awards.

• Two-tier review that evaluates both scientific quality and programmatic relevance (once FOA is published).

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• Pre-announcement release: February 20, 2026.

• Pre-application and application deadlines: Not yet specified. Formal deadlines will be in the forthcoming FOAs on Grants.gov.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding is provided under the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act and administered by the Defense Health Agency Research and Development – Medical Research and Development Command (DHA R&D-MRDC) through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

Who is eligible to apply?

• Independent investigators affiliated with an eligible organization are eligible for the HRRP Focused Research Award mechanisms.

• Full eligibility details will be defined in the forthcoming FOAs on Grants.gov.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Not specified in the pre-announcement. Detailed selection criteria and program priorities will be in the formal FOAs.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Applications must conform to the requirements in the official funding opportunity announcements once posted.

• Investigators should not interpret this pre-announcement as a promise of funding.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Not specified in the pre-announcement. However, investigators should begin planning now to align with the anticipated FOA release and competitive review timeline.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can assist with:

• Interpreting eligibility and program priorities once the FOA is released.

• Drafting compelling pre-applications and full applications that align with CDMRP review criteria.

• Developing budgets and milestones that fit award mechanisms and funding levels.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($13,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.