U.S. Army Research Office, AMSSB-ACR, P.O.Box 12211, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211

A -- MATERIALS PROGRAM SOL DAAD19-00-R-0008 DUE 071400 POC Mr. Richard Burkes (919-549-4295) or Ms. Patty States (301-394-4348) WEB: Click Here To Download Program Announcement, http://w3.arl.mil/contracts/opport.htm. E-MAIL: Click Here Contact Agreement Specialist, burkesrc@arl.aro.army.mil. The U.S. Army Materiel Command Acquisition Center (AMCAC) is issuing on behalf of the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD) a Program Announcement for a Materials Program. The three technological areas that will be pursued through this program are COMPOSITE MATERIALS RESEARCH, ADVANCED METALS AND CERAMICS FOR ARMOR AND ANTI-ARMOR APPLICATIONS, and NEW MATERIALS FOR FLEXIBLE EXTREMITIES PROTECTION (FLEXPRO). The Government anticipates awarding at least one cooperative agreement in each technological area under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2358. The complete program announcement/solicitation will be posted on the ARL web site at http://w3.arl.mil/contracts/opport.htm on or about 7 June 2000. An Open House will be held in connection with the FLEXPRO Systems portion of the Materials program Friday, 16 June 2000 at 9:00 AM. No Open House is planned for COMPOSITE MATERIALS or the ADVANCED METALS AND CERAMICS portion of the Materials Program. The Open House for FLEXPROwill be held at the ARL Rodman Materials Research Center, Building 4600, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Interested parties are required to pre-register for the Open House no later than 14 June 2000 by contacting Mr. Richard Burkes at (919) 549-4295 or burkesrc@arl.aro.army.mil. The remainder of this announcement contains the descriptions for the three technological areas under the Materials Program. The recipient(s) for COMPOSITE MATERIALS RESEARCH must be accredited advanced degree granting educational institution(s) located within reasonable driving distance for daily commuting (less than 90 minutes) of the ARL Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and capable of providing the research support described herein over a five year period. The recipient(s) must be educational institution(s) noted for world class research in the area of composite materials and have an established record that demonstrates strong, interdisciplinary materials science and engineering programs, as well as a broad range of state-of-the-art advanced COMPOSITE MATERIALS processing, testing, and analysis equipment and expertise. The recipient(s) must be qualified to provide four types of scientific and educational support in COMPOSITE MATERIALS RESEARCH as follows: (1) conduct innovative research in collaboration with ARL-WMRD scientists and engineers in focus areas listed below; (2) provide on- and off-site symposia and educational programs for ARL-WMRD staff in COMPOSITE MATERIALS, materials science and engineering; (3) provide for the mutual exchange of researchers working at each other's institutions on collaborative research projects including the use of unique institution facilities by ARL-WMRD researchers and use of ARL-WMRD facilities by recipient researchers; and (4) periodic interchange of ARL-WMRD and recipient institution researchers for negotiable duration (e.g., summer interns). The ARL-WMRD COMPOSITE MATERIALS RESEARCH focus areas include (1) polymer composite materials processing-microstructure-properties studies; (2) polymer composite and hybrid materials interface/interphase research; (3) environmental durability, life extension, fracture and fatigue behavior of composite materials/systems; (4) advanced computational and analytical mechanics of composites including quasi-static and high-strain-rate effects; and (5) development and assessment of novel composite materials, precursor materials, processing methodology, manufacturing science, and design and analysis procedures. Special emphases should be placed on lightweight, multi-functional composites for personnel and vehicular applications (e.g., integral composite armor for future ground combat systems). Proposals requested in the area of ADVANCED METALS AND CERAMICS FOR ARMOR AND ANTI-ARMOR APPLICATIONS must address one or both of the following focus areas: (1) Dynamic Behavior of Non-Crystalline and Crystalline Metallic Systems and (2) High Fidelity Design and Processing of Advanced Armor Ceramics. The recipient(s) must be accredited, advanced degree-granting, educational institution(s) with a demonstrated reputation and evidence of world class research, publications and faculty located within a reasonable driving distance (less than about 4 hours) of ARL-WMRD. If the recipient(s) form partnerships with other higher educational institutions or non-profit organizations, these institutions must also be within reasonable driving distance (less than about 4 hours) of ARL-WMRD. The recipient(s) must be capable of providing the research described herein over a three-year period with an option for an additional two-year period and have a track record which demonstrates a strong interdisciplinary materials science and engineering program, as well as a broad range of facilities and expertise in processing, mechanical property evaluation (static and dynamic), advanced materials characterization, and modeling (microstructure/property and processing/microstructure). The recipient(s) must be qualified to provide four types of scientific, engineering and educational support: (1) conduct innovative research with ARL-WMRD scientists and engineers in the areas metals and ceramics noted above; (2) provide on- and off-site symposia and educational programs (degree and non-degree) for ARL-WMRD staff in the relevant areas; (3) provide for the mutual exchange of researchers working at each other's institutions on research projects including the use of unique institution(s) facilities by ARL-WMRD researchers and the use of ARL-WMRD facilities by recipient institution(s) scientists; and (4) periodic interchange of ARL-WMRD scientists and recipient(s) faculty and students as visiting scholars, research associates or interns for negotiable duration projects (e.g., summer interns, graduate research residencies at ARL-WMRD). The focus area on "Dynamic Behavior of Non-Crystalline and Crystalline Metallic Systems" can encompass metal matrix composites, nano-grain size metals and bulk amorphous metals including their characterization, correlation and modeling between processing, and mechanisms for dynamic strength and damage tolerance. The focus area on "High Fidelity Design and Processing Advanced Armor Ceramics" can encompass advanced high performance structural/armor ceramics and ceramic hybrids including their characterization, correlation and modeling between processing, and micro-mechanisms to sustain ballistic "dwell" or bulk integrity. Proposals are requested for research programs addressing the fundamental scientific issues central to the design of NEW MATERIALS FOR FLEXIBLE EXTREMITIES PROTECTION (FLEXPRO) SYSTEMS for military personnel. For the purpose of this solicitation, extremities are defined as areas of the body other than the torso and head, which are not ordinarily covered by personnel armor (i.e., hands, arms, legs, etc.). These areas of the body are vulnerable to severe injury from typical battlefield and urban terrain threats (i.e., shrapnel, spall, flechettes, ballistic fragments, knives, bayonets, broken glass, razor wire, etc.) Extremitiesinjuries make up approximately 75% of all battlefield casualties. The recipient(s) for the NEW MATERIALS FOR FLEXIBLE EXTREMITIES PROTECTION program must be an accredited, advanced degree-granting, educational institution or a team of such institutions noted for world class research in advanced materials, have an established record which demonstrates strong, cross-disciplinary, materials research including efforts in synthesis, characterization, processing and modeling, and have facilities required for the execution of such research. The recipient(s) must be capable of providing the research described herein over a three-year period with an option for an additional two-year period. Offerors will be required to provide plans for executing the research program in collaboration with ARL-WMRD researchers, and the feasibility of the strategy for collaborative partnering and its potential for success will be considered as part of the evaluation of responses to the BAA. An opportunity will be provided for learning more about extremities protection, for interaction with ARL-WMRD scientists, and for a tour of the ARL-WMRD facilities at an Open House on June 16, 2000, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the ARL Rodman Materials Research Laboratory in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. The recipients of the NEW MATERIALS FOR FLEXIBLE EXTREMITIES PROTECTION RESEARCH program award must be able to provide three types of scientific and technical support to ARL-WMRD as follows: 1) conduct innovative research in collaboration with ARL-WMRD staff in new materials synthesis, characterization, modeling, processing and evaluation; 2) provide for the mutual exchange between ARL and the recipient(s) institution(s) of researchers working on collaborative projects; 3) provide on- and off-site symposia and educational programs to increase awareness of the recipients program, to foster scientific interchange, and to facilitate transition of new materials technologies emerging as a result of this program to Army laboratories and development centers. The NEW MATERIALS FOR FLEXIBLE EXTREMITIES PROTECTION program focus areas may include, but are not limited to: 1) surfaces engineered for deflection of projectiles, 2) puncture resistant flexible polymers, 3) pressure activated "smart" materials systems, 4) materials providing integrated medical "smart" response. The emphasis will be on new materials design, as opposed to a macroscale systems approach. A successful program is expected to require integration of recent advances in materials science such as supramolecular and/or novel polymer chemistry, nanomaterials, material and biological sensing and response, directed self-assembly, sub-micron control of structure and patterning (bulk and surface), nanoparticulate dispersions, polymer/inorganic hybrid materials, and bio-centric materials technology. Materials synthesis, modeling, processing, characterization and evaluation strategies are to be incorporated into the program. Posted 06/02/00 (W-SN460961). (0154)

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