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B -- BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR RESEARCH AND STUDIES DUE 111799 POC Dr. Michael Drillings (703) 617-8641; Dr. Jonathan Kaplan (703) 617-8828 BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES'S BASIC RESEARCH PROGRAM. I. The Research and Advanced Concepts Office (RACO) of the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) solicits new proposals for its Fiscal Year 2000 contract program of fundamental research in behavioral science under this Broad Agency Announcement issued per FAR 35.016. The purpose of the research is to add new, fundamental knowledge to behavioral science subdisciplines and discover generalizable principles. Novel and state-of-the-art approaches to difficult problems are especially welcome, as are integrated programmatic efforts to develop and test theory. A portion of available funding may be made available for meritorious proposals from minority institutions and historically Black colleges and universities and these entities are encouraged to participate. Investigations which focus on purely physiological mechanisms or psychopathology cannot be considered by this agency; however, neuroscience approaches to memory, cognition, and personality are not excluded. Similarly, no consideration can be given to applied research projects. However, support for basic science does depend on the judgment that its research findings will have the potential to stimulate new behavioral technologies -- those capable of improving the effectiveness of Army personnel and their units. II. Scientific Problems for Basic Research. The areas listed below are of high relevance to the Army: 1. Leadership Research. ARI is interested in assessing the impact of leadership on objectively measured crew, team, and unit performance and cohesion, in understanding the attributes that result in leadership, and determining how to improve leadership: developing objective and attitudinal measures of leadership; understanding leaders' adaptation to change; understanding the development of leadership skills; understanding and predicting the relationship between leader behavior and the objectively measured performance of those being led; understanding measurable human attributes that affect leader behavior resulting in predictions of leadership ability; understanding the differing knowledge, skills, and abilities differentially needed by junior and senior leaders; and creating a theoretical framework for understanding the implications for leadership of new communication technologies. Such proposed research should contribute to: an analysis of leadership and organizational dynamics within a military context and an assessment of knowledge representations and higher order skills possessed by effective leaders. 2. Performance and Information Comprehension. The smaller size of the Army, new missions such as peacekeeping and counter-terrorism, and new equipment and processes may require that soldiers do more and perform at higher levels than before. We seek research to provide the foundations for developing high levels of individual performance. Of particular interest are cognitive skills that involve the effective processing understanding, and communication of large amounts of information leading to decision making flexibility under realistic battlefield conditions. The areas of interest for this cognitively oriented research are: more rapid learning; learning that provides more skill flexibility; learning that is more resistant to forgetting; and individual and interaction effects of various stressors such as anxiety, excessive workloads, and fatigue on cognitive performance. 3. Foundations of individually adaptive training in distributed environments. The Army increasingly uses distributed training outside the traditional classroom environment. Research is sought that will provide an experimentally derived theoretical basis for distributed, adaptive training. Research should address specific issues such as relative effects on learning of: types of adaptive mechanisms; types of approaches to replacing or augmenting human instructors; training and retraining scheduling (including just-in-time training); varying amounts of practice time (including over-training); varying feedback mechanisms (including synchronous vs. asynchronous feedback); varying reward mechanisms; and research to identify and quantify conditions that promote learning transfer/generalization. 4. Social Structures Affecting Army Performance. Creative ideas are sought for: understanding and modeling how major societal conditions and trends, changing Army missions, and Army culture influence: morale, cohesion, recruitment, reenlistment, discipline, and military performance. III. Time, Personnel, and Other Features of the Research. Normally, research programs can range from 1 to 3 years. However, short-term efforts with modest budgets are particularly encouraged this year. These proposals may include an option for further research that will be exercised by ARI if early results are promising. Short-term, small-scale efforts in high-risk/high-gain areas are also welcome. Finally, investigators are encouraged to conduct their basic research in realistic contexts, where appropriate. Both single-investigator and collaborative research efforts are acceptable, as are multidisciplinary approaches to a central problem. Collaborative efforts may involve researchers at a single institution or in cooperating institutions. Offerors with questions about the appropriateness of their planned research, may send e-mail or call (less preferred method) the relevant program manager. However, use of e-mail is optional and not a secure method of communication. The government is not responsible for technical difficulties or disclosures resulting from e-mail communications. IV. Application Procedures. Proposals should include an abstract and be sufficiently detailed to be responsive to the criteria, described below, for evaluation. The formal proposal must include institutional endorsement, signature of the proposed principal investigator, time frames for all phases of the project, and detailed accounts of proposed work and budget. The technical section of the formal proposal must be no greater than 25 pages in length, single spaced. Additional materials may include budget, vitae, references, and institutional information. Five copies must be submitted. They will be reviewed by scientific peers according to the following criteria (in order of importance): (1) Importance of the research to ARI's mission and Army concerns. (2) Scientific significance of the issue and originality. (3) Technical merit, appropriateness, and feasibility of the proposed approach. (4) The qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator and key personnel; and institutional resources and facilities. Moreover, successful proposals must have proposed costs that are both affordable and realistic for the proposed effort. The evaluation of proposed cost is subordinate to the technical evaluation. The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical merit, importance or relevance to Army programs, and funds availability. Also, past performance and prior research and research and development contracts to include timely completion and cost effectiveness will be considered. V. Concept papers. ARI invites potential Offerors who are unsure of the relevance of their topics to submit concept papers, preferably by e-mail. Concept papers are optional, but if submitted must be less than 5 pages, concisely address the proposed research, and should contain only an approximate total budget projection. Please enclose an e-mail address and a telephone number where you can be reached. Because of the short duration before the first deadline for formal proposals, concept papers should only be used by those Offerors who are seeking to meet the second deadline for formal proposals. Two copies (1 copy if by e-mail) of each concept paper must be submitted by 14 December 1999. VI. Deadlines. To be considered for early funding, formal proposals must be received no later than 3:30 P.M., 17 November 1999. For consideration for later funding, proposals must be received no later than 3:30 P.M., 9 February 2000. The lag between proposal deadline dates and actual contract award cannot be expected to be less than six months. Investigators should take this into consideration when projecting start dates and budgets. Where to Mail: Inquiries, concept papers, and formal proposals should be addressed to: U.S. ARI, ATTN: TAPC-ARI-BR (6.1) 5001 Eisenhower Ave, Rm. 6S58 Alexandria, VA 22333-5600. For hand deliveries between 8:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M., call 617-8721, 617-8641 or 617-8828 from the lobby. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. VII. Program Managers. Chief, RACO: Dr. Michael Drillings (703) 617-8641; Dr. Jonathan Kaplan (703) 617-8828; E-mail addresses: drillings@ari.army.mil kaplan@ari.army.mil ARI maintains a web page at http://www-ari.army.mil This announcement may be accessed directly at http://207.133.209.51/baa00.html Posted 08/31/99 (W-SN374723). (0243)

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