BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) for Extramural Biomedical and Human Performance Research and Development Department of Defense

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), part of the Department of Defense, has released a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Extramural Biomedical and Human Performance Research and Development under funding opportunity number HT9425-23-S-SOC1. This BAA spans fiscal years 2023 through 2028 and is intended to support advanced biomedical and performance research applicable to Special Operations Forces (SOF) operations in austere and irregular warfare environments. The program is administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), which is responsible for contract negotiation and award management. It is issued under the Competition in Contracting Act, allowing funding for basic and applied research under Federal Acquisition Regulations. This BAA is open to organizations, not individuals, and welcomes proposals from U.S. and international entities including nonprofits, for-profits, private and public educational institutions, and small businesses. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are not eligible for direct awards but may participate through teaming arrangements. The BAA emphasizes support for small and disadvantaged businesses through subaward opportunities. Individuals from eligible organizations, regardless of nationality, may serve as Principal Investigators. No cost-sharing or matching is required, and organizations must have SAM registration and access to .gov and .mil domains to fulfill award requirements. Applications follow a two-stage process: an initial pre-proposal submitted through the eBRAP system and, if invited, a full proposal submitted via Grants.gov. Pre-proposals must contain a narrative up to six pages and supporting documents such as a budget summary and biosketches. Full applications are required to provide detailed project narratives, technical and lay abstracts, statements of work, and data-sharing plans, among other documents. The full proposal must also include budgets for all project years and may not exceed a maximum award of $10 million, including indirect costs. Most projects are anticipated to fall between $2 million and $10 million. The research areas of interest are broad and aligned with USSOCOM’s operational needs. They include damage control resuscitation, prolonged field care, medical sensors and diagnostics, environmental and brain health, performance optimization, canine medicine, and medical sustainment logistics. Proposed projects must be capable of commercialization and tailored for SOF's unique operational contexts. Evaluation of proposals will be based on technical merit, significance to SOF missions, innovation, feasibility, and personnel qualifications. Selected applicants must also complete regulatory reviews for human and animal use protocols through OHRO and VRO before beginning work. This BAA is continuously open and accepts pre-proposals at any time through July 31, 2028. Full proposals must be submitted within 60 days of an invitation. While this opportunity is not rolling, it is recurring, with annual updates expected. Final applications received after the closing date or more than 24 months after submission will not be considered. Notifications of funding status should be expected within 180 days of submission. For questions, applicants may contact the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507, or the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726.

Ensure consistency between pre- and full application, avoid proprietary data, validate documents through eBRAP.