The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has issued the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W912HZ-25-BAA-01 for March 2025. This funding opportunity seeks proposals for basic and applied research in diverse areas related to military and civil engineering, environmental sciences, and information technology. ERDC operates seven research laboratories across the United States, each specializing in a unique field, including the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), the Environmental Laboratory (EL), the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), and the Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL).
This BAA is issued under the authority of the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 and follows Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 35.016 guidelines. It invites research proposals in multiple disciplines, including hydraulics, dredging, geotechnical engineering, environmental restoration, structural engineering, computational modeling, and military engineering. The program supports research through contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and purchase orders, with awards based on peer and scientific review. The primary goal is to advance knowledge in these fields and improve technologies relevant to military and civilian applications.
Eligibility for this BAA extends to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry partners capable of conducting research in the specified areas. Special encouragement is given to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Institutions (MIs), small businesses, women-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Proposals must clearly demonstrate the proposer’s capability to perform the research and must address specific areas of interest outlined in the announcement.
Submission requirements include a pre-proposal or white paper evaluation process, followed by full proposal submissions for selected candidates. Proposals must be prepared in accordance with ERDC guidelines, including detailed technical plans, budgets, and qualifications of principal investigators. The evaluation criteria include scientific merit, relevance to ERDC’s mission, technical feasibility, past performance, and cost-effectiveness. Proposals undergo a thorough peer review process before final selection and award determination.
The BAA remains open until superseded, allowing for rolling submissions. However, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals well in advance of anticipated funding cycles to ensure timely consideration. Important deadlines for specific research initiatives or grant cycles will be posted on the ERDC website and Grants.gov. Pre-proposal submissions should reference white paper submission guidelines on page 112 of the document.
