Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22217-5660

A -- MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE DUE 061297 POC Ms. Debra Hughes, ONR (703)696-4111 A -- MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE Point of Contact: Ms. Debra Hughes, ONR 353, (703) 696-4111. The Department of Defense announces the FY 1998 competition for the Multidisciplinary Research Program, one element of the University Research Initiative (URI). The Multidisciplinary Research Program of the URI (MURI) supports research teams whose efforts intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline. Multidisciplinary team effort can accelerate research progress in areas particularly suited to this approach and also can help to hasten the transition of research findings to practical application and to train students in science and/or engineering. The DOD expects that MURI programs will promote application of defense research, primarily for defense purposes but also for commercial purposes. Proposals may be submitted only by U.S. institutions of higher education (other than federal government) with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering (''universities''), or by consortia led by such institutions. This MURI competition is specifically for the thirteen research topics listed as follows: (1) Engineering of Nanostructures and Devices (2) Computational Tools for Design, Analysis and Optimization of Nanometer Scale Devices and Operation (3) Nanoscience: Size and Distribution Control of Self-Assembled Semiconductor Nanostructures for Multispectral Detector Arrays (4) Nanoelectronics: Low Power, High Performance Components and Circuits (5) Carbon Clusters and Nanotubes (6) Olfactory Sensing (7) Adaptive Optoelectronic Eye (8) Biological Detection Systems for Electromagnetic Spectral Signatures (9) Biomimetic Robotics (10) Micro Thermal Engines (11) Explosive-Driven Power Generation for Directed-Energy Munitions (12) Compact Power Sources: Heterojunction Power Switching (13) Digital Communication Devices Based on Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. The awards will be made in these thirteen specific research topics by three sponsoring agencies: the Army Research Office, the Office of Naval Research, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. This notice constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6:102(d)2. The agencies expect that typically each award will be: (1) for a basic period of three years (funded incrementally or as options) with two additional years possible as options to bring the total award to a possible five-year award, subject to the availability of appropriations, and (2) on average, about $1 million per year, with the size of each award dependent upon the topic. More than one award may be made for an individual topic. A full description of the program is accessible on the World-Wide Web at http://www.onr.navy.mil, select "Education Opportunities," or (via FEDIX of the Federal Information Exchange) http://web.fie.com/fedix/afosr.html (the last character is alpha ''el'' not numeric ''one''). A FEDIX computer help-line is available at 301-975-0103. DOD will issue no other version of this program description; no paper copy will be available from DOD. The program description provides general information, eligibility criteria, directions for submitting white papers and proposals, relevant dates, detailed descriptions of each of the thirteen research topics (including technical points of contact) and evaluation criteria. White papers are due at the addresses shown for each topic by 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, 12 June 1997. Proposals are due at the addresses shown for each topic by 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday, 28 October 1997. The intent of a request for white papers is to minimize costs associated with production of proposals. Thus, white papers are strongly encouraged. However, all proposals submitted under the BAA terms and conditions will be reviewed, regardless of the disposition, or lack, of white papers. The primary evaluation criteria, of equal weight, are: (1) Scientific and technical merits of the proposed research; (2) Relevance and potential contributions of the research to defense missions; and (3) Impact of plans to enhance the institution's ability to perform defense-relevant research and to train, through the proposed research, students in science and/or engineering (for example, by acquiring or refurbishing equipment that can support DoD research and research-related educational objectives). Other evaluation criteria, of lesser importance than (l), (2), and (3) but equal to each other, are: (4) The qualifications of the principal investigator and other key research personnel; (5) The adequacy of current or planned facilities and equipment to accomplish the research objectives; (6) The impact of interactions with other organizations engaged in related research and development, in particular industrial organizations, DoD laboratories and other organizations that perform research and development for defense applications; and (7) The realism and reasonableness of cost, including proposed cost sharing. Criteria (1),(2),(3) and (7) will be used to evaluate white papers. All seven criteria will be used to evaluate final proposals. Sponsor: Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22217-5660. (0086)

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