Research and Development (RAD) Directed Energy (RD) University Assistance Instruments

The Research and Development Directed Energy University Assistance Instruments Funding Opportunity Announcement is administered by the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico under funding opportunity number RDK-RAD-FOA-2024. The program is issued through the Department of the Air Force and supports grants and cooperative agreements for research aligned with directed energy technologies and optical systems relevant to Department of Defense missions. The announcement operates as a five-year open funding opportunity with an overall ceiling of $49 million and accepts mandatory Letters of Intent from July 18, 2024 through July 18, 2029. The Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate serves as the Department of the Air Force Center of Expertise for directed energy and optical technologies and conducts research across laser systems, electro-optics, high power electromagnetics, and weapons modeling and simulation. The opportunity supports basic research, applied research, and advanced research activities associated with directed energy technologies. The program specifically seeks unclassified and non-proprietary fundamental research projects from accredited U.S. institutions of higher education. Research areas include laser systems such as solid-state and fiber lasers, advanced beam control technologies, optical and electro-optical systems for space superiority, free-space quantum communication, high-power microwave systems, pulsed power, plasma physics, and computational modeling related to directed energy weapons concepts. The Air Force Research Laboratory intends to support projects that stimulate or support a public purpose rather than procure products or services for direct government acquisition. Awards may support periods of performance ranging from one to five years depending on project scope and funding availability. The funding opportunity is limited to accredited U.S. colleges and universities with degree-granting programs in science, mathematics, or engineering. For-profit educational institutions are specifically excluded from eligibility. Applicants may submit multiple Letters of Intent during the life of the announcement, and there is no stated limit to the number of applications permitted. The announcement emphasizes that all submissions must comply with public purpose requirements under Department of Defense grant regulations. Applications must remain unclassified and may not contain proprietary information. The Air Force Research Laboratory also reserves the right to make multiple awards, partial awards, or no awards depending on the availability of funds and the quality of applications received. The application process uses a mandatory two-step submission structure. Applicants must first submit a mandatory Letter of Intent through the Valid Eval portal before any full application may be submitted. The Letter of Intent may not exceed two pages and must include the relevant Core Technical Competency topic area, rough order of magnitude budget estimate, technical effort summary, proposed period of performance, public purpose statement, university contacts, and Cage Code. Only applicants who receive written notification from the Grants and Agreements Officer through the Valid Eval system may proceed to submit a full application. Premature full applications submitted without invitation are not evaluated. Letters of Intent are reviewed within approximately thirty working days after receipt. Full applications require submission through the Valid Eval portal and must conform to extensive formatting and documentation requirements. Required application materials include the SF-424 Research and Related forms, Senior and Key Personnel Profile forms, personal demographic forms for STEM reporting compliance, detailed project narratives, statements of work, budget narratives, facilities descriptions, environmental compliance information, and detailed descriptions of research objectives and methods. Technical proposals are limited to twenty pages including references and supporting figures. Applicants must also address principal investigator commitments, existing research support, equipment needs, and proposed conference or workshop activities where applicable. Budget submissions must comply with federal cost principles under 2 CFR Part 200 and may not include fee or profit. Applications are evaluated using merit-based competitive procedures under federal grant regulations. Letters of Intent are evaluated based on relevance to Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy core technical competency areas, available funding, and institutional eligibility. Full applications are evaluated according to technical merit, innovation, feasibility, qualifications of project personnel, relevance to Department of Defense missions, and cost realism. The Air Force Research Laboratory also conducts a mandatory security risk review process involving Senior and Key Personnel disclosures, Security Program Questionnaires, and evaluations related to foreign influence and national security protections. Covered individuals are required to disclose current and pending support and foreign affiliations consistent with federal research security requirements. Awards may be issued either as grants or cooperative agreements depending on the level of expected federal involvement in project execution. Cost sharing is not required under the program, although voluntary committed cost sharing may be included. Foreign travel costs are generally unallowable without prior approval, and all work funded under the announcement must be performed within the United States. Applicants are required to maintain active SAM registration and comply with federal award integrity and reporting systems. Questions regarding the announcement must be submitted in writing by email to the designated grants officials. Primary contacts include Grants Officer Ms. Mariah Salazar at mariah.salazar@us.af.mil, alternate Grants Officer Ms. Jennifer Jaramillo, and Grants Specialist Ms. Monique Esquibel-Sena. The opportunity is expected to remain active until July 18, 2029 unless the funding ceiling is reached earlier.

Align the proposed research directly to AFRL Directed Energy Core Technical Competencies. Emphasize technical innovation feasibility and mission relevance. Ensure all submissions remain unclassified and non-proprietary. Follow formatting instructions exactly and do not submit a full application before invitation.