FBODaily.com | FedBizOpps: MOD | A | Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence - Form

FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF MARCH 26, 2016 FBO #5237
MODIFICATION

A -- Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence - Form

Notice Date: 3/24/2016
Notice Type: Modification/Amendment
NAICS: 541712 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
Contracting Office: Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - RSA (W91215) FT EUSTIS - (SPS), LEE BLVD BLDG 401, Fort Eustis, Virginia, 23604-5577, United States
ZIP Code: 23604-5577
Solicitation Number: W911W6-16-R-0002
Archive Date: 4/30/2016
Point of Contact: Hope A. McClain, Phone: 7578782993
E-Mail Address: hope.a.mcclain.civ@mail.mil
(hope.a.mcclain.civ@mail.mil)
Small Business Set-Aside: N/A
Description: Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using Funds Under Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements The following changes are made by this amendment: Under Section 3. Program Schedule: The first sentence of the second paragraph is revised and replaced with "A cooperative agreement awarded as a result of this BAA will have a term anticipated to start on 1 October 2016 and provide for a basic performance period of 5 years." Under Subsection 4.1. Management Section: Paragraph 4.1.2 is revised to add the Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using Funds under Grants and Cooperative Agreement with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements to the list of requisite certifications as follows: By submitting the proposal, the Authorizing Official of the proposing institution: (1) certifies that the statements made in this proposal are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge, (2) agrees to accept the obligations to comply with the sponsoring agency award terms and conditions, and (3) confirms compliance with all provisions, rules, and stipulations set forth in the following certifications, (a) Certification of Compliance with the DoD Regulations Pursuant to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs, (b) Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters, (c) Certification Regarding Lobbying, (d) Certification Regarding Drug Free Workplace, and (e) Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using Funds Under Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements. The representation is added as an attachment to the BAA. Under Appendix B: BAA Proposal Format, Program/budget years will be corrected to begin with Government Fiscal Year (GFY) 2017 and end with GFY 2021. BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT W911W6-16-R-0002 A Broad Agency Announcement for the Aviation Development Directorate For VERTICAL LIFT RESEARCH CENTER OF EXCELLENCE INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this BAA is to solicit proposals for a cooperative agreement from U.S. higher education institutions to conduct basic research focused on scientific barriers in technologies relevant to vertical lift capabilities and to provide a scientific foundation for enabling technologies for future force capabilities. This research is best conducted in a concentrated interdisciplinary center, the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE), which will couple state-of-the-art research programs at academic institutions with broad-based graduate education programs to strengthen the academia's contribution to vertical lift research and technology. This VLRCOE Program is funded by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is managed by the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate - Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD) located at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. It is intended to support the long-term basic research objectives of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and NASA, to establish a significant dual-use technology base from which the military aviation community and the rotorcraft industry can draw substantial knowledge and capability, and to provide a source of highly qualified rotorcraft research professionals for future DoD program needs. The VLRCOE program extends and updates the U.S. Army's continuing support of a Rotorcraft Centers of Excellence Program initiated in 1982. This announcement covers the VLRCOE program for five (5) program years, initiating in the Government Fiscal Year (GFY) 2017 through 2021. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The goal of the VLRCOE program is to create a highly collaborative environment that fosters synergetic relations between academic/research partners, both domestic and international, with expertise-driven teams focused on vertical lift basic research. It is desired that the proposing U.S. higher education institution must offer a wide range of faculty capabilities and course work in multiple disciplines relevant to vertical lift research to establish a cohesive ‘Center.' A Center may be composed of a lead university and partner universities collaborating to expand the scope of the program to address the widest range of technical fields. In addition, collaborative research tasks with individual investigators from other universities are also encouraged to enhance the Center's program content with complementary capabilities. VLRCOE proposals submitted under this BAA should include research tasks in at least four of the following fields: (1) Aeromechanics, (2) Structures and Materials, (3) Flight Dynamics and Control, (4) Advanced Vertical Take-Off and Landing Design and Concepts, (5) Vibration and Noise Control, (6) Propulsion, (7) Affordability, (8) Safety and Survivability, and (9) Human Factors Engineering. In addition, each proposal should include at least one task relevant to specialized Naval Science & Technology areas of interest. Tasks in additional fields not explicitly mentioned will also be considered provided they directly address the objectives of the BAA. Research tasks should be focused on fundamental scientific issues that are of importance to vertical lift, and that have the potential for making significant contributions towards U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps research thrusts, and are aligned with DoD and NASA goals and missions. Technology transfer and the partnering of this research endeavor with the U.S. rotorcraft industry, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, NASA, and other Government organizations (e.g., FAA) and other academic institutions are encouraged. DELIVERABLES: Each year the VLRCOE shall present an annual program review highlighting the progress and research accomplished during each program year. The VLRCOE shall provide a written summary status report for each research task, as well as the presentation and supporting materials for the annual review. At the end of the five-year program, a final program report is required for the entire five-year program. The final report shall include the VLRCOE's overall accomplishments, research paper publications, degree recipients along with subsequent career paths, patents filed, technical accomplishments of each task, and technology transfer initiatives. The VLRCOE shall submit Federal Financial Reports (SF 425) on a quarterly basis and a final within 90 days after the Agreement expiration date. ANTICIPATED FUNDING LEVEL AND PERFORMANCE PERIOD: The anticipated total Government funding for the program is approximately $4,200,000 per year over the five-year program duration. However, the total proposed budget for each proposal shall not exceed $2,500,000 per year. It is intended that a Center will be a competitive environment, both within each individual Center and between the Centers, in which the annual program review will provide opportunities for evaluating progress on technical tasks and making changes to the program as needed. Although a five-year program with specific tasks will be negotiated for each Center prior to award, the Government reserves the right, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement governing modifications and additional research, to limit the period of performance for certain tasks to a shorter duration, to add new tasks or make changes to existing tasks as additional Government funding becomes available and/or funding is redirected from tasks that are not productive. TYPE OF FUNDING INSTRUMENT: The Government anticipates an award of a Cooperative Agreement under 10 U.S.C 2358, as the Government desires to be substantially involved in the performance of the VLRCOE Program. The Government is seeking at least 50% cost share to the maximum extent practicable. The purpose of the cost share is to ensure the recipients have a vested interest in the program's success, and the Offerors are encouraged to include cost share to the maximum extent practicable. Cost share may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, where cash is considered of significantly higher quality in demonstrating commitment to the project. Cost participation will be considered in accordance with the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations, 32 CFR 32.23 (Cost Share Matching) (Cooperative Agreement) (accessible at the following link: http://www.ecfr.gov/. Proposals are due by 4:00 pm EDT, April 15, 2016. Please use the solicitation number, W911W6-16-R-0002, in any inquiries or correspondence regarding this announcement. An objective Government panel with appropriate expertise will evaluate the proposals. Selection of proposals for negotiation is planned to be completed by June 6, 2016. Awards under this announcement are anticipated to be made by July 31, 2016. However, unless the Offeror specifies a different expiration time, proposals will be considered valid for Government acceptance through September 30, 2016. The Government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part or none of the proposals received. Further, the Government reserves the right to select for award only a portion of an Offeror's proposal. Appendices: The appendices to this announcement include complete details relevant to this program. Appendix A contains the Program Information Package, which provides further instructions for responding to this BAA, including the proposal evaluation criteria. Appendix B describes the proposal format. Appendix C sets forth required representations and certifications, which are to be completed and returned with the proposal. Appendix D provides example research topics for each of the fields of research listed above. These example topics are intended to help illustrate the scope of the fields and do not comprise a comprehensive list of all possible research topics nor do they indicate DoD requirements. Research tasks that lie outside of the fields and example topics provided here may be proposed provided they directly address the objectives of the BAA. Attachments: There are two Attachments to this announcement. The first is the Academia Day Registration Form. Academia Day will be on Friday, January 22, 2016. Parties interested in attending Academia Day must submit a completed registration by Thursday, January 14, 2016. The second attachment is a Draft Cooperative Agreement that reflects the anticipated award document Vertical Lift Research Centers of Excellence TABLE OF CONTENTS Appendix A: Program Information Package Page 1. Introduction 6 2. BAA Objectives and Proposal Guidelines 6 3. Program Schedule 8 4. Proposal Contents 8 5. Proposal Submission and Delivery Instructions 13 6. Evaluation Criteria 14 7. Intellectual Property Rights 16 8. Resource Sharing 16 9. Profit and Fees 17 10. Foreign Participation 17 11. Required Reports and Annual Review 17 12. Cancellation of BAA 18 13. Additional Information 18 Appendix B: BAA Proposal Format Appendix C: Representations and Certifications Appendix D: Research Fields and Example Research Topics Attachments Attachment 1: Academia Day Registration Form Attachment 2: Draft Cooperative Agreement VERTICAL LIFT RESEARCH CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE Appendix A: PROGRAM INFORMATION PACKAGE 1. Introduction The purpose of this BAA is to solicit proposals for a cooperative agreement from U.S. higher education institutions to conduct basic research focused on scientific barriers in technologies relevant to vertical lift capabilities and to provide a scientific foundation for enabling technologies for future force capabilities. This VLRCOE Program is funded by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is managed by the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate - AFDD located at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. It is intended to support the long-term basic research objectives of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and NASA, to establish a significant dual-use technology base from which the military aviation community and the rotorcraft industry can draw substantial knowledge and capability, and to provide a source of highly qualified rotorcraft research professionals for future DoD program needs. Since 1982, the U.S. Army has continuously supported a successful Vertical Lift Research Centers of Excellence Program, formerly called the Rotorcraft Centers of Excellence Program. The current five-year program concludes in September 2016. Consequently, the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to support basic vertical lift technology research. This program information package is part of a supplemental package prospective Offerors must review to propose successfully under the BAA. 1.2 Conformance to Guidance Proposals should conform to the procedural and submission guidelines covered in these instructions. Proposals should be as complete as possible and be submitted on the Offerors' most favorable terms. In order to be considered responsive to the solicitation, a submission must, at a minimum, describe the range of faculty capabilities and appropriate vertical lift-related course work in a number of disciplines to establish a Center; present research projects (tasks) to be conducted by the Center within at least four areas of interest identified in this BAA; contain sufficient technical, management and cost information to perform a meaningful evaluation; be signed by an official authorized to legally bind the proposing organization; not merely offer to perform standard services or to just provide services; and not significantly duplicate a more specific, current, or pending DoD or NASA solicitation. The U.S. Army reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received in response to this BAA when such action is considered in the best interest of the Government. The Government further reserves the right to award only a part of any proposal submitted pursuant to this BAA. 2. BAA Objectives & Proposal Guidelines The purpose of this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is to solicit proposals for cooperative agreements from U.S. higher education institutes to maintain graduate education courses, and conduct basic research focused on technical issues relevant to progress in vertical lift technology in a concentrated interdisciplinary center. This program is intended to support the long-term basic research needs of the DoD and NASA, and the civil and military rotary-wing aviation. Proposals should follow the formats defined in Appendix B. VLRCOE proposals submitted under this BAA should include research tasks from at least four of the following fields: (1) Aeromechanics, (2) Structures and Materials, (3) Flight Dynamics and Control, (4) Advanced Vertical Take-Off and Landing Design and Concepts, (5) Vibration and Noise Control, (6) Propulsion, (7) Affordability, (8) Safety and Survivability (9) Human Factors Engineering In addition, all proposals should include at least one task specifically relevant to Naval Science & Technology areas of interest. Tasks in additional fields not listed may also be proposed provided they directly address the objectives of the BAA. Research should be focused on basic scientific issues that are of importance to vertical lift and that have the potential for making significant contributions towards U.S. Army and U.S. Navy research thrusts and are aligned with DoD and NASA goals and missions. Interdisciplinary research efforts should be emphasized, but should be focused on fundamental physical phenomena or understandings. Technical proposals should clearly describe the background and objectives of the proposed research, the approaches to be considered, the level of effort to be employed, the anticipated results, and the manner in which the work will contribute to the U.S. industry and military aviation. Plans should be discussed for proactively transferring the technology and partnering of these research endeavors to the rotorcraft industry and military aviation communities. Proposals should describe plans for attracting the highest caliber graduate students into the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence Program. The purpose of VLRCOE is to provide a critical mass of multi-disciplinary research capability focused on vertical lift research. A broad range of faculty expertise and appropriate rotorcraft related course work in several disciplines is required to establish a center. In order to achieve adequate program balance, subcontracts with other universities may be proposed. Leadership of teams proposing to this program must reside with U.S. higher education institutions. Supporting or subcontracting participation is open to all U.S. organizations, including Federal Laboratories. In general, U.S. Federal Government Agencies that participate as team members are expected to supply their own funding. Inclusion of Historically Black College or University or Minority Institution (HBCU/MI) as subcontractors is highly encouraged. International collaborations with non-U.S. organizations are also encouraged to complement the center program by bringing in unique technical expertise. However, non-U.S. organizations, as well as work performed by non-U.S. organizations as a part of the proposal submitted by a U.S. organization, are not eligible for funding under this BAA. 3. Program Schedule The schedule for the review and selection of proposals for the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence Program is as follows: December 31, 2015 Release of the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) January 22, 2016 Pre-proposal Conference (Academia Day) April 15, 2016 Proposals due July 31, 2016 Agreement Awards A pre-proposal "Academia Day" will be held on Friday, January 22, 2016 from 1:30-5:00pm at Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA. At "Academia Day" the Technical Leads from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and NASA will describe their technical plans. "Academia Day" Registration information form is attached as Appendix E. All forms shall be submitted via email by Thursday, January 14, 2016 as directed on the registration form. A cooperative agreement awarded as a result of this BAA will have a term anticipated to start on 1 October and provide for a basic performance period of 5 years. The Government will assess the overall performance of the program at the end of each year. It is intended that the center will be a competitive environment in which the annual program review will provide opportunities for evaluating progress on technical tasks and making changes to the program as needed. Although a five-year program with specific tasks will be negotiated for each center prior to award, the Government reserves the right, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement governing modifications and additional research, to make changes to existing research tasks, to add new tasks as additional Government funding becomes available and/or to redirect funding from tasks that are not deemed productive or aligned with the program intent. 4. Proposal Contents Offerors must submit a proposal for a five-year research program based on research fields discussed in the Technical Description section Appendix D in this BAA. The proposal should include the following three sections: Management Section, Budget Section and Technical Section. Responses should be provided in Microsoft Word or as a portable document format (*.pdf) file. The Management and Budget Sections (Sections B.1 and B.2) are limited to a total of 25 pages inclusive of both sections. The Technical section (Section B.3) is restricted to 100 pages, while each proposed task is limited to 5 pages each. Page limitations are inclusive of any drawings, charts, etc., and exclusive of section dividers, table of contents, list of figures/tables, glossary of terms, and cross-referencing indices (which are not considered content pages). The evaluators will read only up to the maximum number of pages specified. Pages shall be standard 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and main body type shall be not less than a 10-point minimum font size, not less than single spacing (a maximum of 6 lines per inch) with margins at least 1 inch. Types smaller than 10-point are permitted only for captions, sub/super-scripts and labeling of figures and graphs. 4.1 Management Section The management section of the proposal should contain at a minimum: 4.1.1 Institutional Commitments: All proposals shall be endorsed by their sponsoring institution. Only properly endorsed proposals are acceptable. Proposals that are not endorsed will be returned without being evaluated. The cover page contains space for this endorsement by an institutional representative authorized to legally bind the institution to perform the proposed effort. 4.1.2 Certifications: By submitting the proposal, the Authorizing Official of the proposing institution: (1) certifies that the statements made in this proposal are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge, (2) agrees to accept the obligations to comply with the sponsoring agency award terms and conditions, and (3) confirms compliance with all provisions, rules, and stipulations set forth in the following certifications, (a) Certification of Compliance with the DoD Regulations Pursuant to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs, (b) Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters, (c) Certification Regarding Lobbying, (d) Certification Regarding Drug Free Workplace., and (e) Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using Funds under Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Entities that Require Certain Confidentiality Agreements. 4.1.3 Proposals shall describe the methods by which the project will be directed, coordinated and executed. Plans for dissemination of responsibilities and any necessary arrangement for ensuring a coordinated effort shall be described for efforts involving interactions among individuals from more than one department or organization. 4.1.4 The proposal shall describe the internal structure of the VLRCOE Center and its expected effectiveness in attracting and retaining first-rate students. 4.1.5 The proposal shall give a description of the Offeror's plan to involve the outside community in the activities of the Center. In particular, the Offeror should outline plans for technology transfer and for generating cooperative activities with government research laboratories, industry, or other academic institutions. 4.1.6 The proposal shall describe how the Center will efficiently and effectively plan the research effort, focusing on programmatic, reporting, financial, and administrative matters. 4.1.7 Small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned small business concerns, are encouraged to participate in the execution of the research as sub-recipients. The involvement of HBCU's and/or MI's in the execution of research is also strongly encouraged. Participation of international higher education institutions as collaborators or international technical leaders as consultants is also encouraged, provided it allows the program to bring in unique technical capabilities that complement the faculty expertise of the primary U.S. institution. However, all non-U.S. organizations, as well as work performed by non-U.S. organizations as a part of a proposal submitted by a U.S. organization, are not eligible for funding under this BAA. The proposal must include certification that the non-U.S. organizations or other funding agencies will bear the cost of the proposed work. Non-U.S. citizen students or researchers working under a task at a U.S. proposing institution are not impacted by this restriction. 4.1.8 Supporting Facilities and Equipment: Offerors should include a brief description of the facilities and equipment available for the proposed tasks, and identify any government-owned facilities or equipment that are proposed for use on the task. It is important to recognize that the DoD operates its facilities based on a full-cost accounting system. Before requesting purchase of a major item of capital equipment, the Offeror shall determine if sharing or loan of equipment already within the organization is a feasible alternative to purchase. Where such arrangements cannot be made, the proposal shall so state. 4.1.9 Biographical Sketches: Proposals shall provide brief biographical sketches, including research areas of interest for each principal investigator and key personnel directly associated with the proposal. 4.2 Budget Portion The budget shall be presented with the Budget Forms enclosed in Appendix B.2 Budget Format. The cost portion of the proposal shall contain cost estimates sufficient for a meaningful evaluation. Budgets must be presented by cost elements as detailed below: 4.2.1 The total budget for each proposal shall not exceed $2,500,000 per year. 4.2.2 The estimated costs must be broken down for each of the five years of the program to show the following: a. Direct labor and labor hours: The percentage of research time and salaries to be charged should be identified by academic year and summer effort for principal investigators. b. If proposals involve collaborations with institutions different from that of the Center lead and they require funding support, the budget of each participating institution shall be listed under category "3a Subcontracts". Details of the budgets of such participating institutions shall be provided separately. c. A description of services or materials to be acquired by sub-awards/contract must be included in the proposal. Sub-awards/contract proposals exceeding $100,000 must provide the following information. (1) If known, the identification of the proposed sub-awards/contract awards and an explanation of why and how the subcontractor was selected or will be selected. (2) Whether or not the award will be competitive and, if noncompetitive, rationale to justify the absence of competition. (3) The proposed sub-award/contract awards in sufficient detail to allow for meaningful evaluation. d. If there is a requirement for consulting services, a justification must be provided. Payments to individuals for consultant services under a U.S. Army cooperative agreement shall be consistent with Title 32 CFR, Subtitle A, Chapter I, Subchapter C and OMB Circular A-21, "Cost Principles for Educational Institutions". e. An itemized list of permanent equipment to be acquired showing the cost of each item. Permanent equipment is any article of non-expendable tangible personal property having a useful life of more than two years and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. f. A general description and total estimated cost of expendable equipment and supplies. g. Contemplated expenditures for travel with brief explanation, including the number of travelers, duration, destination, per diem, air transportation, and the name of meetings. h. Direct costs - Please refer to OMB Circular, A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, or other cost principles applicable to the proposing entity. i. Facility and Administrative Costs - The Institutions' negotiated indirect cost rate agreement. j. Proposed Cost Sharing should include the list of sponsors and the amount of cost sharing. Offerors are advised that the combined Management and Budget sections of the proposal shall not exceed 25 pages. Information in excess of the page limitation will not be evaluated. 4.3 Technical Section The technical description shall be prepared in a manner that addresses the selection criteria in these instructions. The technical section of the proposal shall detail the proposed research. The format is given in Appendix B.3 Technical Narrative Format. This section is the most important for selection. Each section should describe a single proposed research task including research objectives in terms of specific physical phenomena and basic innovative research, current technical barriers or challenges, and the uniqueness of the proposed research. Please describe physical phenomena of interest as specifically as possible and avoid general statements. The proposed work should emphasize innovative, creative basic research that increases our knowledge and understanding physics and phenomena unique to vertical lift concepts and configurations. Research tasks should not be uniquely tied to specific aircraft or systems, and need not offer immediate or specifically identifiable improvements in vertical lift technology. Projects that merely apply engineering methods to develop or evaluate unusual vehicle configurations or components are not of interest under this Announcement. However, projects aimed at novel vehicle configurations or components may be considered if they are especially innovative, improve fundamental knowledge and/or offer novel experimental, analytical, or computational methods. Although software development per se is not a goal of this Announcement, projects demonstrating new analytical methods via their software implementation may be considered. Offerors are advised that the total technical section of the proposal shall not exceed 100 pages. The technical description of each task shall start on a new page and should be limited to 3 to 5 pages for each task. Any information for each task or the total technical section in excess of the 5-page limitation will not be evaluated consistent with the proposal length limitations discussed above. 4.4 Format All proposals shall be arranged according to the format specified in Appendix B. Proposals should be written concisely, in English. 4.5 Transmittal Letters A transmittal letter may be sent with the proposal to facilitate delivery to the correct recipient, but this letter will not be provided to the members of the review team. Therefore, the transmittal letter should not contain any relevant information for proposal evaluation. 4.6 Restrictions on Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information It is U.S. Army policy to use information contained in proposals for evaluation purposes only. While this policy does not require that the proposal bear a restrictive notice, the Offeror should, in order to maximize protection of trade secrets or other information that is commercial or financial, and confidential or privileged, place the following notice on the title page of the proposal and specify the information subject to the notice by inserting appropriate identification, such as page numbers, in the notice. In any event, the information (data) contained in the proposals will be protected to the extent permitted by law; however, the U.S. Army assumes no liability for use and/or disclosure of information not made subject to this notice. NOTICE Restriction on Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information The information (data) contained in [insert page numbers or other identification] of this proposal constitutes a trade secret and/or information that is commercial or financial, and confidential or privileged. It is furnished to the Government in confidence with the understanding that it will not, without permission of the Offeror, be used or disclosed other than for evaluation purposes; however, in the event a cooperative agreement is awarded on the basis of this proposal, the government shall have the right to use and disclose this information (data) to the extent provided in the cooperative agreement. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use or disclose this information (data) if obtained from another source without restriction. 4.7 Classified Information Proposals shall not contain national-security sensitive or classified material. If the proposed work requires access to or may generate such information, the Offeror will be required to comply with applicable Government security regulations. 4.8 Special Matters Include any required statements of environmental impact of the work, human subject or animal care provisions, conflict of interest, or on such other topics as may be required by the nature of the effort and current statutes, executive orders, or other current government-wide guidelines. The preponderance of research performed is anticipated to be basic or fundamental research exempt from export controls. However, it is possible that one or more project tasks may require access to and/or generate technical data the export of which may be restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U. S. C., Sec. 2751 et. Seq.) or Executive Order 12470. Prior to award, the successful offeror may be required to provide an ‘Export-Controlled DoD Data Agreement' certification number issued in accordance with DoD Directive 5230.25 if any proposed task is determined to be subject to export controls. 5. Proposal Submission and Delivery Instructions This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs. Proposals will be considered valid for 210 days from the date that this announcement closes unless specifically stated otherwise. The appendices include complete details relevant to this program. Appendix A contains the Program Information Package, which provides further instructions for responding to the BAA, including the proposal evaluation criteria. Appendix B describes the proposal format. Appendix C sets forth the required representations and certifications. Technical and Cost Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 15 April 2016 and shall be unclassified. Classified responses will not be accepted. Unclassified responses should be submitted electronically via the AMRDEC Safe Access and File Exchange website (https://safe.amrdec.army.mil/SAFE/). Responses should be provided in Microsoft Word or as a portable document format (*.pdf) file. Use the following email address as prompted by the site: hope.a.mcclain.civ@mail.mil. If proprietary or copyrighted information is submitted, please include a statement authorizing the Government to copy and use it within the Government for evaluation purposes. Appropriately marked proprietary information will be properly protected by the U.S. Government. The contracting point of contact is Ms. Hope McClain, Bldg 401 Lee Blvd, Fort Eustis, VA 23604-5577, 757-878-2993, hope.a.mcclain.civ@mail.mil. Only materials within page limitations will be evaluated. Proposals must be received by the time and date stated above. For purposes of this announcement, late proposals will be treated in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. A copy of any cited reference/clause is available via link http://farsite.hill.af.mil/. Late proposals will not be reviewed. 5.1 Contact Information: All questions or comments concerning this Announcement shall be forwarded to the Point of Contact (POC) identified below. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments or questions via electronic mail to the e-mail address listed below. Comments or questions submitted should be concise. In addition, the relevant part and paragraph of the program announcement should be referenced. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as early as possible. Questions received less than two weeks before the due date for proposals may not be received in time to receive an answer. The POC is as follows: Hope McClain, Contract Specialist (757) 878-2993 hope.a.mcclain.civ@mail.mil 5.2 Acquisition Schedule: Proposals are due by April 15, 2016. Include the solicitation number, BAA W911W6-16-R-0002, in any inquiries or correspondence regarding this notice. An objective Government evaluation panel with appropriate expertise will evaluate the proposals. Selection of the proposal(s) for negotiation is planned to be completed by June 6, 2016. Negotiation(s) and award(s) are planned to be completed by July 31, 2016. 5.3 Withdrawal: The Offeror may withdraw its proposal at any time. Please notify the POC if the proposal is funded by another organization, or if other changed circumstances occur which dictate termination of evaluation. 6. EVALUATION CRITERIA/BASIS FOR AWARD The selection of primary sources (i.e., Centers or VLRCOEs) for award will be based on an evaluation of proposals in accordance with the criteria set forth below and in the Supplemental Package. To be selected, proposing U.S. higher education institutions must offer a range of faculty capabilities and appropriate vertical lift-related course work in a number of disciplines to establish a ‘Center.' A Center may be composed of a lead university and partner universities collaborating to provide the scope of program necessary to address the widest range of technical fields relevant to vertical lift technology. Intra-university and inter-university research teams are encouraged. The tasks performed by the partner universities and individual investigators are encouraged to be collaborative with the lead university rather than standalone tasks. There are no fixed percentages, for personnel or funding, for the lead university, partner university/universities, or individual investigator(s). Research tasks will be competitively selected based on technical merit, relevance, and program balance. The distribution of funding will be based on the technical selection of the tasks. The five-year program research tasks will be subjected to a scientific peer review by a team of knowledgeable scientists/engineers. The research tasks will be evaluated on their own merit without regard to research proposed by other Offerors under this announcement. These evaluations will result in narrative ratings, which will be used to develop an order of merit ranking for proposals and technical programs submitted under this announcement. Proposed cost will be evaluated as appropriate, for realism and reasonableness, concurrently with the scientific peer review. Note that it is possible for a proposal to be excluded from the competition if it is deemed to lack the established merits to establish a "Center" based upon the following criteria. These criteria are equally weighted as part of the overall assessment of the viability of the Offeror to become a VLRCOE: 6.1 Center Criteria: The following primary criteria will be used to determine the establishment of a "Center": (1) Critical mass of technical expertise within the Center and the balance of technical tasks; (2) Vertical lift technology courses offered to graduate students within the Center or easily available through electronic, remote access; (3) Partner universities and individual investigators from other universities to strengthen the Center's program; (4) Access to test facilities and equipment to build a cohesive experimental program; (5) Cost sharing and university support as stated in this announcement; Partnerships with other universities that complement both the experimental facilities as well as technical expertise of the Center are strongly encouraged, and could result in greater evaluation credit. The proposed cost share will be evaluated for its benefit in reducing program risk, achieving program objectives, and furthering the state-of-the-art and thus the amount of cost-sharing percentage could result in greater evaluation credit. Additional factors that enhance the establishment of a "Center" and may result in greater evaluation credit are: Participation of Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU) or Minority Institutions (MI); participation of other small or minority-owned businesses; international collaboration; and technology transition plans such as internship programs for graduate students to be mentored at Government labs. 6.2 Technical Task Criteria: The technical tasks will be evaluated using the following criteria: (1) Scientific merits and quality of the technical approaches of the proposed research tasks; (2) Uniqueness of the proposed task, how it complements the government science and technology portfolio, and its relevance to the advancement of U.S. military vertical lift technologies and the competitive position of the U.S. rotorcraft industry; (3) Qualifications and past contributions of the principal investigators and other key research personnel in the proposed research area; (4) Collaborations with other academic/research partners to complement the Center areas of expertise, and the quality of the technology transfer plan including partnering with the industry, military and federal aviation communities; and (5) Reasonableness and consistency of proposed budget for accomplishing the proposed research. Criteria (1), (2) and (3) are equal and substantially more important than (4) which is more important than (5). The Technical content of the proposed Tasks is the key part of the proposals. The proposals will be evaluated by a team of knowledgeable scientists/ engineers from the DoD, and NASA. The evaluation criteria applicable to the technical tasks in the proposals will be applied to determine which of the proposed tasks will be funded in any VLRCOE agreement(s). 7. Intellectual Property Rights 7.1 Rights in Other Intellectual Property (i.e., rights in technical data, computer software, computer databases, computer software documentation): 7.1.1 Will, in general, be negotiated on the basis of the definitions contained in the Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS), Part 252.227-7013 and 252.227-7014. 7.1.2 The Government desires Government Purpose Rights in delivered Technical Data, Computer Software, Computer Databases and Computer Software Documentation. 7.1.3 In the event that Technical Data, Computer Software, Computer Databases and/or Computer Software Documentation were produced by Recipient at private expense prior to performance of or outside the scope of any resulting Agreement and is considered by Recipient to embody trade secrets or to comprise commercial or financial information which is privileged or confidential, such information must be identified in the proposal and, if delivered to the Government may be delivered subject to Limited or Restricted Rights. 7.1.4 Marking instructions for any protected materials will generally conform to the requirements of DFARS Part 227. 7.2 Patent Rights For any award made as a result of this BAA, the disposition of rights to inventions made by any participant shall be governed by Title 35 of the United States Code. 8. Resource Sharing The Government is seeking at least 50% cost share to the maximum extent practicable. The purpose of the cost share is to ensure the recipients have a vested interest in the program's success, and the Offerors are encouraged to include cost share to the maximum extent practicable. Cost share may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, where cash is considered of significantly higher quality in demonstrating commitment to the project. Cost participation will be considered in accordance with the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations, 32 CFR 32.23 (Cost Share Matching) (Cooperative Agreement) (accessible at the following link: http://www.ecfr.gov/. The value of the Offeror's contribution to the program shall be clearly documented in the proposal and follow guidelines contained in OMB Circular A-110. Note that, in general, licensing of intellectual property (or other, similar transfers) between team members will not represent a legitimate in-kind resource sharing contribution. U.S. Government resources may not be considered as resource sharing. Contributions listed below will be regarded as "neutral" with regard to resource sharing goals, and they will not count as either a government or a private company contribution to resource sharing goals. These include: (a) cash or in-kind contributions provided by state or local governments (specifically for the BAA project proposal, and not generally provided for some other purpose) where the cash or in-kind resource is funded by the U.S. Government; (b) in-kind contributions by federal laboratories that are members of a proposing team (e.g., as in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement), or (c) tangible products of past government funding that are legally owned by a member of a BAA proposal team (e.g. equipment developed as part of previous VLRCOE efforts and/or a Small Business Innovation Research contract). Federal laboratories that are participants in a BAA proposal team may use resources from non-BAA sources to support the BAA proposal team (for example, a commitment of research time, paid separately) if that use is consistent with other regulatory and statutory requirements. Any planned reliance on non-BAA government resources for project implementation must be clearly documented and a commitment to provide the resources documented in the proposal. 9. Profit and Fees Fee or profit is not allowed on this cooperative agreement. 10. Foreign Participation Participation as prime recipient is limited to U.S. institutions of higher education. The intention of this BAA is to stimulate research to strengthen U.S. research and development, with the primary benefit directed to the U.S. government and rotorcraft industry base. Companies or business entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign institution or government are ineligible for funding under this BAA. Research proposals involving collaboration with foreign institution(s) by a U.S. prime recipient will be considered provided that the work performed by the foreign institution(s) is funded independently outside of the VLRCOE program, and that the international collaborations complement the VLRCOE program by bringing in unique talent/capabilities. Institutions engaging non-US persons in research activities shall accept responsibility for and bear costs incurred in their own compliance with technology export regulations, as applicable. 11. Required Reports and Annual Review 11.1 Technical A VLRCOE shall present an annual program review supported by presentation materials that will document the progress and research accomplished during each program year. A short narrative write-up documenting the progress of each research task is required along with the material presented at the review. A collection of research reports and papers published during the year should also be included with the review material. At the end of the five-year program, a final program report is required for the total five-year accomplishments, and will be due 90 days after the Agreement expiration date. The final program report should include the center's overall accomplishments, paper publications, degree recipients along with subsequent career paths, and technical accomplishments of each task. Annual program reviews will be conducted by a Government team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and management at a mutually convenient time each year for the purpose of providing program guidance and to help facilitate technology transfer. 11.2 Financial The recipient shall submit Federal Financial Report (SF 425) within 15 days following the end of each Federal fiscal quarter (January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15), containing the actual costs incurred for the last three months and the estimated costs for the following four months. The Final SF 425 shall be submitted within 90 days after the Agreement expiration date. 12. Cancellation of BAA The U.S. Army reserves the right to make no awards under this BAA and, in the absence of program funding or for any other reason, to cancel this BAA by publishing such cancellation notice in FedBizOpps. The U.S. Army assumes no liability for canceling the BAA. 13. Additional Information. 13.1 The term ''institution of higher education'' means an educational institution in any State that (1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate; (2) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; (3) provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree; (4) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and (5) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted preaccreditation status by such an agency or association that has been recognized by the Government or the granting of preaccreditation status, has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time. 13.2 Historically Black Colleges and Universities are those institutions determined by the Secretary of Education to meet the requirements of 34 CFR Section 608.2 (available at: http://www.ecfr.gov)). Minority Institutions are those institutions meeting the criteria contained in 10 U.S.C. Section 2323(a)(1)(C), which reads in part: "...minority institutions {as defined in section 365(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k));}, which, for the purposes of this section, shall include Hispanic-serving institutions [as defined in section 316(b)(1) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(1)]." 13.3 MILITARY RECRUITING: This is to notify potential Offerors that any cooperative agreement awarded under this announcement to an institution of higher education must include the following term and condition: "As a condition for receipt of funds available to the Department of Defense (DoD) under this award, the recipient agrees that it is not an institution of higher education (as defined in 32 CFR part 216) that has a policy of denying, and that it is not an institution of higher education that effectively prevents, the Secretary of Defense from obtaining for military recruiting purposes: (A) entry to campuses or access to students on campuses or (B) access to directory information pertaining to students. If the recipient is determined, using the procedures in 32 CFR part 216, to be such an institution of higher education during the period of performance of this agreement, and therefore to be in breach of this clause, the Government will cease all payments of DoD funds under this agreement and all other DoD grants and cooperative agreements to the recipient, and it may suspend or terminate such grants and agreements unilaterally for material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of award." If your institution has been identified under the procedures established by the Secretary of Defense to implement Section 558 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 [Public Law 103-337(1994)], then: (1) no funds available to DoD may be provided to your institution through any grant, including any existing grant, (2) as a matter of policy, this restriction also applies to any cooperative agreement, and (3) your institution is not eligible to receive a grant or cooperative agreement in response to this solicitation. 13.4 Cooperative Agreement - A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6305, is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law or the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the DoD's direct benefit or use. Substantial involvement is expected between the DoD and the recipient when carrying out the activity under the cooperative agreement. The term does not include "cooperative research and development agreements" as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a. No fee or profit is allowed. Cooperative agreements are governed by the following regulations: a. OMB Circular A-21, "Cost Principles for Educational Institutions" b. OMB Circular A-87, "Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments" c. OMB Circular A-110, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations" d. OMB Circular A-122, "Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations" e. OMB Circular A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations" f. DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations Title 32, Subtitle A, Chapter 1, Subchapter C (Educational Institutions see especially Part 32) g. DoD Directive 3210.6-R Electronic copies of OMB regulations may be obtained from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default/ An electronic copy of the DoDGARs may be found at http://www.ecfr.gov. 13.5 U.S. persons, as used herein, has the meaning defined in the ITAR at 120.15. The applicable definitions are viewable at this link: http://epic.org/crypto/export_controls/itar.html. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence Appendix B: BAA Proposal Format Table of Contents Content Page B.1 Management Format 1. Cover a. Proposer Identification b. Endorsement and Certifications 2. Proposal Table of Contents 3. Proposal Summary Form 4. Supporting Facilities and Equipment 5. Personnel (Biographical Sketches) 6. List of Task Titles and Principal Investigators B.2 Budget Format 1. Budget Summaries Cumulative budget for 5 years Annual budgets 2. Cost Breakdown 3. List of Task Titles and Funding 30 B.3 Technical Narrative Format 1. Technical Narratives 31 2. Supporting Information 32 &emsp; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence Submitted by Name of University: Mailing Address: Team Director: Name: Title: Department: Telephone Number: Fax Number: Email Address: Date: FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (This page is not included in the page limitation) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence ___________________________________________________ Proposal Title signature____________________________________ Name of Team Director Date signature______________________________________ Name of Team Co-Director, if applicable Date signature_______________________________________ Name of Department's Head Date signature______________________________________ Name of Other Department's Head, if applicable Date __________________________________________________ Name of Institution ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Mailing Address signature____________________________________ Authorizing Institutional Official's Typed Name and Title Date ___________________________________________________ Authorizing Institutional Official's Telephone Number and E-Mail Address By submitting the proposal, the Authorizing Official of the institution: (1) certifies that the statements made in this proposal are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge, (2) agrees to accept the obligations to comply with the sponsoring agency award terms and conditions, and (3) confirms compliance with all provisions, rules, and stipulations set forth in the Four Certifications, namely, (a) Certification of Compliance with U.S. Army Regulations Pursuant to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Program, (b) Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters, (c) Certification Regarding Lobbying, and (d) Certification Regarding Drug Free Workplace. (The 25 page limitation starts from this page) (Please use the page number from 1 to N, starting from this page) &emsp; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents I. Management Items page II. Budget Items page III. Technical Narratives Task number title page --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------&emsp; Vertical Lift Research Centers of Excellence Proposal Summary Form • Proposal Title: • Team Director's Name and Institution, Telephone Number, Fax Number, and E-Mail Address: • Co-Director's Full Name(s), Institution(s)(if different), Telephone Number, Fax Number, and E-Mail Address: • Abstract: (200 to 300 words) • Total Budget Summary (Government Funding/Cost Share) by Government Fiscal Year (GFY): 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ _____/______ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------&emsp; Task Titles and PIs Task number Task Titles PIs names Phone number Fax number E-Mail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Budget Summary by GFY 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Proposed Gov Proposed Gov Proposed Gov Proposed Gov Proposed Gov 1 Direct Labor (salaries, wages,fringe benefits) 2 Total Direct Labor Hours 3 Other Direct Costs: a. Subcontractors b. Consultants c. Equipment d. Supplies e. Travel f. Other 4 Indirect Costs, including percent 5 Other Applicable Costs 6 Subtotal (1 through 5) 7 Proposed Cost Sharing (All Sources) 8 Total (subtract 7 from 6) 9 APPROVED BUDGET Note: Shaded areas are for government use only --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost Breakdown by GFY 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Direct Cost Salaries (Category I) Man-year (During school year and summer) Prof. A Prof. B Prof. N Subtotal Salaries (Category II) Graduate Assistants Salaries (Category III) Grad Students on Wage Payroll Fringe Benefits Total Direct Labor Other Direct Costs List Subcontractors Hourly Rate Consultants name Equipment List Supplies List Travel No. of travelers Name of meetings Duration, Destination Others list Indirect Cost explain Other Costs explain Subtotal Proposed Cost Sharing list Subtotal of Cost Sharing Total Cost (Less Cost Sharing from Subtotal) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------&emsp; Task Titles and Funding Levels by GFY 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Task number Task Titles Total Note: Each block is required to have two numbers as follows: Government funding/ Cost sharing, example: 65,000/19,500 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B.3 Technical Narrative Format Each task should start on a new page and the information (from items 1 through 13) should be a maximum of 5 pages (information beyond five pages will not be considered for evaluation). The supporting information (items 14 through 15) does not count toward the page limit. 1. Task number: 2. Funding requested: Government funding/Cost Sharing 3. Title of Task: 4. PIs name(s): 5. Field(s) Addressed: 6. Background and Technical Barriers (Challenges) to Solve Current state-of-the-art in the task area What are technical problems to solve, describe specific physical phenomena 7. Proposed Objectives: Basic research objectives, basic physics Innovative, creative ideas Describe objectives in terms of specific scientific knowledge and physical understanding, Describe the novel, creative aspects of the approach and/or anticipated outcomes Tasks that develop material solutions to rotorcraft engineering problems based on existing technologies and scientific knowledge are discouraged 8. Technical Approach: 9. Expected Results: 10. Schedule (Planned Accomplishments) by GFY: 2017: 2018: 2019: 2020: 2021: 11. External Interactions: 12. Relevant Publications by PIs for this Task: Please don't list the publications not directly related to the task 13. List of Students under PIs graduated (or pending) over the last five years in rotorcraft areas Student name, PIs' name, year of (expected) graduation, research area/topic --- End of five (5) pages: NO EXCEPTION ---- --- Any information beyond five (5) pages will not be reviewed --- Supporting Information 14. Current and Pending Federal Support Relevant to this Task: Project Name Source ofSupport Total Amount, Period Covered Person % of Effort 15. Summary of breakdown of funding requested for this task in the same format as the Center proposal (Required) Breakdown into student salary, tuition, PI salary, equipment/facilities, travel, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------&emsp; (This certification is exempt from the page limitations) Appendix C: Representations and Certifications Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Alternate I - Grantees Other Than Individuals) The grantee certifies that it will or will continue to provide a drug-free workplace by: a. Publishing a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the grantee's workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violation of such prohibition; b. Establishing an ongoing drug-free awareness program to inform employees about-- (1) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace; (2) The grantee's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace; (3) Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs; and (4) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace. c. Making it a requirement that each employee to be engaged in the performance of the grant be given a copy of the statement required by paragraph (a); d. Notifying the employee in the statement required by paragraph (a) that, as a condition of employment under the grant, the employee will-- (1) Abide by the terms of the statement; and (2) Notify the employer in writing of his or her conviction for a violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace no later than five calendar days after such conviction; e. Notifying the agency in writing, within ten calendar days after receiving notice under paragraph (d)(2) from an employee or otherwise receiving actual notice of such conviction. Employers of convicted employees must provide notice, including position title, to every grants officer or other designee on whose grant activity the convicted employee was working, unless the Federal agency has designated a central point for the receipt of such notices. Notice shall include the identification number(s) of each affected grant; f. Taking one of the following actions, within 30 calendar days of receiving notice under paragraph (d)(2), with respect to any employee who is so convicted- (1) Taking appropriate personnel action against such employee, up to and including termination, consistent with the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or (2) Requiring such employee to participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency; g. Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f). The grantee may insert in the space provided below the site(s) for the performance of work done in connection with the specific grant: Place of Performance (street address, city, county, state, zip code) ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Check ( ) if there are workplaces on file that are not identified here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (This certification is exempt from the page limitations) Appendix C: Representations and Certifications Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that: (1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. (2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions. (3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly. This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31,U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure. __________________________________________ Signature/Title (Date) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- &emsp; (This certification is exempt from the page limitations) Appendix C: Representations and Certifications Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters--Primary Covered Transactions (1) The prospective primary participant certifies to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its principals: (a) Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal department or agency; (b) Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; (c) Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and (d) Have not within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State or local) terminated for cause or default. (2) Where the prospective primary participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal. _____________________________________ Signature/Title (Date) The following certification is applicable to lower tier awards: Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (1) The prospective lower tier participant certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency. (2) Where the prospective lower tier participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal. &emsp; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Appendix D: Research Fields and Example Research Topics This appendix provides example research topics for the fields of research identified in the BAA. These example topics are intended to help illustrate the scope of the fields and do not comprise a comprehensive list of all possible research topics nor do they indicate DoD requirements. Other research tasks may be proposed for the BAA fields of research or for additional fields provided they directly address the objectives of the BAA. 1. Aeromechanics: Low-drag, high-speed hub design, low-drag edgewise rotors for high-speed rotorcraft Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods including transition/turbulence modeling, high-order accuracy unstructured-grid CFD methods High-fidelity Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD) methods for modeling complex geometries (e.g., as hub, swashplate) including parametric discretization Multi-point, multi-objective multidisciplinary optimization methods New algorithms and interdisciplinary methods, such as coupled CFD/CSD, for improved speed and accuracy of performance, blade loads, vibration and aeroelastic stability Interactional aerodynamics of rotors with wings, fuselage and other rotors/propulsors including long-age wake interactions, vortex phenomena, vibrations, buffet and other performance and flight control issues Aeroelastic stability analysis for high speed rotors CFD modeling and simulation of adverse environment (icing, etc.) Fuselage structural dynamics, component modeling, e.g., swash plate, drive train Improved accuracy empirical airloads models for use in traditional lifting-line methods to address high advance ratio, reverse flow, yawed flow, radial drag, and airfoil stall 2. Structures & Materials: High-strain-capable structural materials and designs Understanding of strain rate effects on aerospace materials Probabilistic damage initiation and growth in thin laminate composites Methods to substantiate integrity of bonded composite structures Adaptive structural concepts that include morphing, self-sensing, or self-healing capabilities, as well as biomimetic or nastic features. Analysis techniques to substantiate structural integrity of adaptive structural concepts Multifunctional composites using nanomaterials Novel structural analysis techniques such as iso-geometric analysis or multi-scale modeling Integration of process and structure modeling through approaches such as integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) Smart structures concepts for lower power anti/de-icing Rotorcraft-specific corrosion issues 3. Flight Dynamics and Control: Flight dynamics modeling, simulation, and validation for advanced rotorcraft configurations Flight dynamics model extraction/validation from high fidelity models (e.g., dynamic inflow model extraction from high fidelity CFD/free-wake simulation) Advanced flight control for advanced rotorcraft configurations with control effector redundancy (advanced compound and tiltrotor configurations) including control allocation, full-flight envelope control, and failure reconfiguration. Handling quality research to support update of ADS-33, especially as related to new requirements needed for high speed and advanced configurations Development of rotorcraft Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) autonomous guidance behaviors including multi-vehicle guidance, multiple-lift, aggressive autonomous maneuvering, and swarm control Interdisciplinary research topics: integrated rotor/flight control; pilot cueing and control limiting Advanced controls for aerial refueling 4. Advanced Vertical Take-Off and Landing Design and Concepts: Advanced design methods (e.g., multidisciplinary design and optimization, stochastic design methods, parametric rotor hub characterization) Advanced concepts (e.g., variable geometry, morphing, variable RPM, stopped and folded/stowed, low drag hub) Novel flight systems (e.g., ornithopter, cycloidal rotor, distributed electric propulsion, hybrid propulsion) Parametric vehicle geometry (inner and outer mold line, multi-fidelity, digital thread) 5. Vibration and Noise Control: Improved thermal management, reduced size/weight, and increased authority rotor system based electro-mechanical actuators Automated rotor track and balance technologies and algorithms Active gearbox noise canceling (noise directed in gearbox housing) On-blade/hub-based passive and active control Optimization of vibration/noise reduction and performance for high-speed rotorcraft 6. Propulsion: Engine sand-tolerant/filtration technologies Physics-based modeling and simulation of sand filtration devices Hybrid propulsion Innovative engine concepts and light-weight advanced configurations Alternatives to "safe-life" design approach for drivetrain system Alternative fuels and energy storage Drivetrain oil-off performance improvements 7. Affordability: Multi-scale damage initiation and growth modeling, detection Reduced variability in additive manufacturing Affordable, optimized/tailored component manufacturing Adaptive processes with integrated analysis & feedback Bio-inspired, sustainable self-healing materials and designs 8. Safety and Survivability: Force protection modeling in crash or ballistic events Advanced, scalable concepts for crashworthy, ballistic-tolerant fuel containment Design and analysis of crash energy-attenuating concepts Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) protection for the aircraft and crew Inflight icing hazard mitigation technology 9. Human Factors Engineering: Intuitive human-systems interfaces to enhance system safety and mission focus Human-machine teaming (manned-unmanned teaming) - intuitive interaction, trust in automation, human-computer interaction Human cognitive process modeling - decision-making models, cognitive systems engineering, applied neuroscience Intelligent, adaptive aiding - human state modeling, cognitive decision aiding Multi-modal interfaces and displays - tactile (force feedback; body-worn tactors), visual (symbology; holographic), aural (3D spatial) 10. Naval Science & Technology Areas of Interest: High-fidelity and/or reduced-order Modeling and Simulation of rotorcraft launch and recovery to ships, including • Coupled aircraft-ship aerodynamics and flight mechanics • Non-linear deck contact mechanics including effects of ship motion Flight controls for shipboard operations Predictive control laws for recovery to moving platforms Autonomous rotorcraft operations in shipboard environment Improved external load operations Rotorcraft ditching and seakeeping characteristics
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A -- Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence - Form