Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · Department of Defense
Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver
Key facts
- Deadline
- No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Award size
- $100K – $2.3M
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Davidson County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 53 — including your county
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
About this grant
**UPDATE 5 APRIL 2024: The proposal submission date has been updated to 24 April 2024. The FOA has been amended to reflect this submission date and include a Question and Answer document based on questions received from interested applicants. Other than the updated proposal submission date in the FOA, the actual FOA Amendment has not been changed. However, the answers provided in the Q&A document are considered part of the FOA Amendment.**
**CYCLE 2 UPDATE 20 MARCH 2024 - THE OPPORTUNITY WEBINAR FOR CYCLE 2 WILL BE HELD ONLINE VIA MS TEAMS AT 1500 EDT ON 22 MARCH 2024 AT THE FOLLOWING LINK:
https://dod.teams.microsoft.us/l/meetup-join/19%3adod%3ameeting_5fa41fe6fa874484b473d8a6ba7921c6%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22fae6d70f-954b-4811-92b6-0530d6f84c43%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e9f6fc39-8f22-44e5-8bd0-64f0cde32305%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d
**UPDATE 14 MARCH 2024 - CYCLE 2 HAS BEEN POSTED TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT. PLEASE REVIEW THE UPDATED ANNOUNCEMENT IN FULL FOR SUBMISSION TIME, UPDATED TOPIC, AND FUNDING AMOUNT AND SCHEDULE CHANGES FROM CYCLE 1**
TACTICAL BEHAVIORS FOR AUTONOMOUS MANEUVER COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM (TBAM-CRP)
Future Army forces will be called upon to operate and maneuver in multi-domain
operations (MDO), against a modern and capable peer adversary. The battlefield of the future
may impose additional constraints on maneuver forces such as disruption in communication as
well as positioning services. To field a highly capable fighting force in this future battlefield,
novel tactics and doctrines leveraging nascent technologies in robotics and autonomous systems
(RAS) will need to be developed. Teams of RAS will serve an increasingly critical role in the
future force to deliver situational awareness, defend key locations or positions, or take point in
dynamic and hazardous situations. Resilience to disruptions, failures, or unexpected scenarios, is
a key quality for teams of RAS to operate alongside other future Army forces. The US Army
Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is
focused on developing fundamental understanding and informing the art-of-the-possible for
warfighter concepts through research to greatly improve the scope of mission capabilities of
teams of RAS, develop robust and resilient approaches to plan under extreme conditions of
uncertainty, to...
Who can apply, from the official notice
It is our goal for the program to include a diverse group of Applicants with varied long-term interests.Applicants may be institutions of higher education, for-profit, or non-profit organizations. FederallyFunded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) may propose as well, with effort as allowed bytheir sponsoring agency and in accordance with their sponsoring agency policy. Proposals may consistof teams from any combination of organizations (e.g., prime and subawardees), but this is not arequirement for award and award will only be made to a single entity.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/d328b689-058f-47a8-b290-fd3f7b36bafd · Printed from grantme.click/grants/e5d6172b-a7df-49ab-bc60-03503b5b1028
Writing the need statement? Davidson County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice W911NF-22-S-0011_CYCLE_2_Tactical_Behaviors_FOA_Amendment.pdf (39 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Award size and project length
Project period: 24 months · p. 9
“The current cycle period of performance will be a 24-month pilot effort and up to two 12- month optional extensions.” Open page 9
Award amounts here are per year · p. 9
“Available funding will vary from cycle to cycle; for Cycle #2, a total of $2.1M per year is expected.” Open page 9
Project period: 12 months · p. 11
“The CAs will consist of a proposal structured as a 24-month pilot base period of performance and up to two possible 12-month optional extensions which may be exercised based upon demonstrated progress at an annual review.” Open page 11
Registrations you need first (3)
Grants.gov · p. 13
“Grants.gov (www.grants.gov).” Open page 13
SAM.gov · p. 14
“Organizations must have a active System for Award Management (SAM) registration and Grants.gov ac- count to apply for grants.” Open page 14
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 14
“To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the UEI Number for the organization in the UEI field while adding a profile.” Open page 14
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 15
“Complete SF-424 Fields First:” Open page 15
Form SF-LLL · p. 16
“Applicants must complete the mandatory forms and any optional forms (e.g., SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) in accordance with the instructions on the forms and the additional instructions below.” Open page 16
Project abstract or summary · p. 16
“It shall include a title, the research team (include roles, expertise, affiliations), designation of Junior Investigator or Senior Investigator derivation, and a brief abstract articulating the project objectives.” Open page 16
Length limits
Page limit (see quote): 1 page max · p. 16
“The project summary/abstract must not exceed 1 page and will not be evaluated as it is primarily for documentation purposes.” Open page 16
Page limit (see quote): 10 pages max · p. 17
“Applicants are advised that Chapter 1 will not exceed 10 pages, utilizing one side of the page.” Open page 17
Formatting rules
12-point font · p. 16
“The following formatting rules apply for the file attachments: Paper size when printed – 8.5 x 11-inch paper Margins – 1 inch Spacing – Single Font – No Smaller than Times New Roman, 12 point.” Open page 16
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 12
“Cost sharing is not required under this FOA.” Open page 12
Cost share / match · p. 13
“Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing is not required under this FOA.” Open page 13
Mistakes that get applications rejected (2)
Could get your application rejected: The project summary/abstract must not exceed 1 page and will not be evaluated as it is primarily for... · p. 16
“The project summary/abstract must not exceed 1 page and will not be evaluated as it is primarily for documentation purposes.” Open page 16
Over the length limit: For those chapters with specified page limitations, any pages submitted beyond the specified amount for a... · p. 17
“For those chapters with specified page limitations, any pages submitted beyond the specified amount for a chapter will not be reviewed or evaluation.” Open page 17
Who in Tennessee has won this program
28 awards to Tennessee groups in 4 counties since 2015 · 5 in Davidson County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities Incorporated | Oak Ridge | $10.1M spent that year | 2024 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $2.4M | 2016 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $1.1M | 2022 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1,000K | 2025 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $998K | 2026 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $894K spent that year | 2025 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $813K | 2018 |
| Fisk University | Davidson County | $800K | 2023 |
| Tennessee State University | Davidson County | $800K | 2023 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $778K | 2016 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $737K | 2017 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $721K | 2017 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse; USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 25 pass-through grants on file · 2 in Davidson County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | Battelle Memorial Institute | $530K spent that year | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $360K | 2026 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $305K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | Marshall University Research Corporation | $283K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $282K | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute | $225K spent that year | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $199K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Massachusetts | $165K | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $158K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Mississippi State University | $137K | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | The University of Texas Health Science Center | $114K spent that year | 2024 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | University of Massachussetts Chan Medical School | $110K spent that year | 2024 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
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About the federal program
Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering
Program number 12.630 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
How applications are judged
As specified in individual program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunities. Generally, the principal evaluation and selection criteria are the technical merits of the proposed research (or research-related activity) and its potential relationship in the long term to missions of the Department of Defense.
Other selection criteria vary with the nature of the specific research or research-related activity. Typical examples include: Qualifications of the principal investigator and other key personnel to perform the proposed activity; adequacy of current or planned facilities and equipment to do so; and realism and reasonableness of proposed costs.
Match
Match: none required (federal program listing). Statutory Formula: Title NA, Part NA, Subpart NA,Public Law NA
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2018: OSD does not directly execute programs within this listing. For information about open competitions or future opportunities involving OSD funding, prospective proposers should consult the program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunities issued by the agents that execute the program, listed below. No central phone number is available. Some of the agents OSD uses to execute its programs include:
- Army Research Office (For contact info, see listing 12.431, or http://www.arl.army.mil/)
- Office of Naval Research (For contact info, see listing 12.300, or http://www.onr.navy.mil)
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research (For contact info, see listing 12.800, or http://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/afo
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