BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) for Extramural Biomedical and Human Performance Research and Development Department of Defense | HT9425 23 S SOC1

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name and identifier of this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is a Department of Defense Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) identified as HT9425-23-S-SOC1, managed through the Department of the Army and the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).

Which federal organizations are sponsoring and administering the BAA?

The Department of Defense is offering the opportunity, with the Department of the Army and USAMRAA administering it.

What type of solicitation is this (BAA) and what does that mean for applicants?

This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which is intended to solicit a wide range of innovative scientific and technical approaches rather than a single narrowly defined project. In practice, that means applicants can propose diverse biomedical and human performance research concepts, as long as they align with Department of Defense medical and performance needs.

What is the purpose or focus of this BAA?

The BAA is a long-running vehicle for extramural biomedical and human performance research and development. The intent is to acquire research and development efforts that support government mission requirements related to health, readiness, recovery, and performance of service members.

What research areas are covered under "biomedical and human performance" in this announcement?

Based on the description provided, the covered areas broadly include preventing and treating injuries and illness, improving readiness and recovery, and advancing technologies or methods that enhance the health and performance of service members. The BAA format indicates additional topic breadth may be possible, depending on what aligns with DoD needs over the FY23-FY28 period.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a procurement contract. This means the DoD is seeking to acquire R&D services and deliverables that support mission requirements, rather than providing a traditional financial assistance award.

How is a procurement contract different from a grant for this opportunity?

Because it is a contract, the government is typically purchasing defined work with expected deliverables. The opportunity description highlights that this is not simply financial assistance; it is for R&D efforts that meet government mission needs. This commonly implies a statement of work, milestones, reporting expectations, and compliance obligations associated with federal procurement.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is science and technology and other research and development.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The listing is associated with CFDA number 12.420.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant pool is listed as unrestricted. This generally indicates a broad range of entities may be able to propose, including academic institutions, nonprofits, for-profit companies, federally funded research and development centers, and other capable organizations, subject to standard federal contracting rules and any specific BAA requirements.

Is this opportunity limited to certain organization types (such as universities only)?

No limitation is stated in the information provided. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, which typically means many organization types may submit proposals if they can meet the solicitation requirements.

What time period does this BAA cover?

The BAA covers fiscal years 2023 through 2028.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on July 27, 2023.

What is the closing date for the BAA?

The original closing date is July 31, 2028, reflecting an open, multi-year solicitation window.

Does this BAA have a single deadline or can proposals be submitted over time?

The description indicates it is an open, multi-year solicitation typical of BAAs. Rather than a single annual deadline, BAAs often accept submissions over time and may evaluate proposals periodically or on a rolling basis. Specific timing and evaluation cycles would be governed by the full announcement procedures.

How much funding is available under this opportunity?

The stated award ceiling is $50,000,000. This suggests that very large efforts may be possible when mission needs justify them, though actual award sizes can vary widely by topic, scope, and available funding.

Is $50,000,000 the typical award size?

Not necessarily. The provided information describes $50,000,000 as an award ceiling, and it also notes that actual award sizes can vary widely depending on the proposed work, the topic, and budget availability over the FY23-FY28 period.

How many awards will be made?

The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data. This is common for BAAs because awards depend on proposal quality, relevance to DoD priorities, and budget availability over multiple years.

What is meant by "extramural" research in this context?

"Extramural" indicates the research and development will be performed outside the government, by external organizations such as universities, nonprofits, companies, or other eligible entities.

What kinds of proposals are likely to be competitive under this BAA?

The description suggests competitive proposals will typically show scientific merit and feasibility, strong alignment with defense-relevant medical or human performance gaps, and a credible path toward deliverables the government can use.

What does alignment with DoD needs mean for proposal development?

Because this is a mission-driven DoD BAA, proposals generally need to connect the research concept to defense-relevant medical and/or human performance needs. The information provided emphasizes relevance to DoD medical and performance requirements over multiple years.

What kinds of expectations come with the contracting nature of this opportunity?

The description notes that procurement contracting commonly implies defined statements of work, milestones, reporting expectations, and compliance obligations that come with federal procurement. The exact expectations would be set by the terms and requirements in the BAA and any resulting contract.

Why does the government use a BAA for this type of research?

The BAA format gives the government flexibility to consider diverse, innovative research concepts over time, rather than being constrained to a single narrowly defined project. This is particularly useful for biomedical and human performance needs that may evolve over the FY23-FY28 period.

Is this opportunity intended to fund basic research, applied research, or development?

The information provided describes it broadly as biomedical and human performance research and development under a science and technology and other R&D category. The BAA structure suggests a range of R&D efforts may be considered, as long as they align with DoD needs and produce usable outcomes for the government.

Where can applicants find details like topic areas, submission steps, and evaluation criteria?

Those details are typically found in the full BAA notice itself. The information provided here does not include topic lists or the submission and evaluation sections, and those sections would govern how proposals are submitted and reviewed.

What additional information would be most helpful to interpret this BAA more precisely?

Specific BAA topic areas and the sections on proposal submission and evaluation (for example, whether there is a white paper step versus a full proposal, timelines, and review criteria) would allow a more precise summary of expected deliverables, proposal flow, and compliance items.