Opportunities

The CaN CTA basic research program is designed to provide creative, innovative, and flexible approaches to collaborative research, integration, and demonstration of neuroscience-based technologies. In turn, results produced within the CaN CTA fundamental research and development program are expected to present significant opportunities to transition technologies to the Government, with the aim of generating, advancing, and exploiting cognition and neuroscience-based technology for pressing military and commercial sector problems.

Seedling Projects

One of the primary mechanism to provide program flexibility is through the CaN CTA’s Seedling Projects. In each program year, ARL reserves the right to withhold up to 10% of program funds to fund to support projects selected from proposals submitted to the Government. A call for proposals will be developed and issued by the CTA CAM on behalf of the Government to solicit proposals to address critical Army science and technology needs.

Proposals will be solicited that are high risk, high payoff, and innovative approaches to address pressing needs for achieving CaN CTA objectives. Only organizations with principal investigators who are not currently members of the CaN CTA Consortium are eligible to submit proposals for these funds. Submitted proposals will be evaluated by a team consisting of both ARL and Consortium researchers. The evaluation team will be designated at the time the call for proposals is issued, to allow for flexibility both in the topics announced and in the selection of qualified evaluation team members.

Technology Transition Component

To augment the CaN CTA basic research efforts, the Lead of the Consortium was also awarded a procurement contract (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity, IDIQ). The contract was awarded to facilitate the transition of program results and to further research and development efforts towards achieving technology objectives consistent with CaN CTA goals. The Technology Transition contract enables the Lead to subcontract with other entities, including members of the Consortium and other organizations, as appropriate. When a need is identified, the CaN CTA Program Director and CAM will work with the customer to develop an appropriate request for proposals, with award made subsequent to a competitive bid process. Further details of the Technology Transition process can be provided by request.