Broad Agency Announcement for Fundamental AI Research

The U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC), through its Artificial Intelligence Integration Center (AI2C), has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) numbered W519TC-25-S-0001 for basic, applied, and advanced scientific research in artificial intelligence. This opportunity, issued by the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Rock Island Arsenal, supports research aligned with the mission of AI2C and encompasses fiscal years 2024 through 2029. It is authorized under FAR Part 35 and relevant sections of U.S. Code including 10 U.S.C. 4001, 4021, and 4022. The BAA facilitates funding for new AI technologies and translational research that help identify, align, and exploit science and technology efforts related to Army modernization and national security. The BAA allows for multiple types of federal funding mechanisms including procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements (TIAs), and other transactions (OTs). AI2C welcomes innovative research proposals across foundational AI domains such as autonomous platforms, machine learning algorithms, decision support systems, human-AI integration, synthetic environments, distributed AI, and enabling methodologies. Projects may vary in technological readiness and scope, ranging from concept development to prototype demonstrations. While there is no fixed award ceiling or floor disclosed in the announcement, proposals are expected to be sufficiently resourced and well-justified for consideration. Eligible applicants include U.S. and foreign institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses (both large and small), state and local governments, and foreign public entities. However, government laboratories, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and U.S. Service Academies cannot apply as prime recipients. Proposals involving these entities must route funds directly from the government via internal mechanisms such as Military Interdepartmental Purchase Requests (MIPRs). Cost sharing is not a requirement under this BAA, although it may be considered in some cases such as TIAs or OTs. Matching funds are encouraged but not mandatory unless otherwise specified by award instrument regulations. The application process under this BAA includes an optional white paper submission to minimize effort and cost in preparing full proposals. Applicants are encouraged to first register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). White papers, limited to three pages, should summarize the technical approach, relevance to the Army mission, estimated cost, and key personnel. These can be submitted electronically via email to the address provided in the BAA. If invited, applicants may then submit full proposals, which must adhere to formatting guidelines and include technical and cost volumes, along with institutional certifications and supporting documents. Proposals will be evaluated based on scientific and technical merit, potential contribution to the Army mission, qualifications of personnel and institutions, and cost realism and reasonableness. An additional Army Research Risk Assessment may be required for proposals selected for grant or cooperative agreement awards. Proposals remain open for submission through May 31, 2029, and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should monitor SAM.gov and Grants.gov for updates and amendments. For inquiries, the designated grantor contact is Jordan Myers. While no phone or email is listed in the Grants.gov forecast, the full BAA specifies submission instructions and the email address for white paper and proposal inquiries as: usarmy.pittsburgh-pa.futures-cmd.mbx.ai2c-baa-submissions@army.mil. This funding opportunity provides significant flexibility in the type and structure of research supported and represents a major investment in the development of cutting-edge AI capabilities for defense applications.

Use the white paper phase to reduce wasted effort; align technical and cost details closely.