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Vannevar Bush Faculty FellowshipFY20 Webinar2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT

Basic Research Office (BRO)OUSD(R&E) or Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Research & Engineering)

Webinar | July 10, 2019

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Agenda & Webinar Etiquette

2:00 – 2:05 Overview2:05 – 2:10 Introductions from

the VBFF Team2:10 – 2:30 Program Overview2:30 – 2:50 Program Philosophy2:50 – 3:00 Q&A

Note: This Webinar will be recorded and uploaded to the DoD site on a later date.

Mute your microphones during the webinar

Hold questions till the Q&A secession

For technical difficulties during the meeting please contact:– 703-610-2040 or

cshelp@noblis.org

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Vannevar Bush (1890-1974)

Basic research was "the pacemaker of technological progress". "New products and new processes do not appear full-grown…They are founded on new principles and new conceptions, which in turn are painstakingly developed by research in the purest realms of science.”

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Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship Program Team

Dr. Bindu NairDeputy Director for the Basic Research Office

Dr. Jean-Luc CambierProgram Officer for VBFF & Technical Advisor, AFOSR/RT

Dr. Ellen LivingstonProgram Manager for Office of Naval Research

Dr. Reginald G. WilliamsProgram Manager for Office of Naval Research

Dr. Mike Finnin (ctr.)Scientific Advisor

Institute for Defense Analyses

Dr. David A. Stout (ctr.)Program Scientist

Basic Research Office | Strategic Analysis, Inc.

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The FY20 VBFF Funding Opportunity Announcement (call for proposals) can be found:

1. On www.grants.gov: (N00014-19-S-F010)

2. On the ONR website:https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities/announcements

3. On the registration website: https://acqupass.noblis.org/applyVBFF

Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship Program Announcement

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• Established in 2008 as National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship (NSSEFF).

• Program name was changed in 2016.

• Currently sponsored by Dr. Bindu Nair, Deputy Director for Basic Research Office, OSD(R&E).

• ONR manages the grants. The ONR program managers are Drs. Ellen Livingston and Reginald G. Williams.

Defense Department’s largest single-investigator program: 5-year fellowship with up to $3M for research with potentially extraordinary outcomes

Program Overview

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• Support “Blue Sky” curiosity driven fundamental research

• Educate and recruit next generation researchers to DoD’s research enterprise

• Develop and sustain career-long association between Fellows and DoD

• Expose the university researchers and their students to DoD’s current and future challenges

Program Goals

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• Engineering Biology

• Quantum Information Science

• Cognitive Neuroscience• Novel Engineered Materials • Applied Math and Computational Science• Other research fields with high potential

Current DoD Research AreasOf Interest

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• Tenured faculty and full time research staff at U.S. Ph.D.-granting educational institutions are eligible to apply

• PIs from HBCU/MI are encouraged to submit proposals. However, no separate funding will be set aside for HCBU/MI participation.

• Single-investigator research grants, although collaboration is encouraged

• Security clearance is not required to receive award

• Fellows are expected to participate in DoD activities

• Workshops, lab visits, program reviews, host DoD visitors at their site, serve on advisory panels, send students to lab internships

• Approximately 10 Fellows selected each competition

Grant Information

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Applicants submit 3 page white papers. White papers are reviewed online by general technical experts in the DoD

and other government agencies. Panels discuss their papers and put forward names for consideration as

semi-finalists. Invited semi-finalists (~20-30) submit full proposals, CV, budget, 3 letters of

recommendation. Proposals are reviewed online by specific subject matter experts in

academia and government. The white paper panelists review all proposals from their panel.

Panels meet to recommend awards. Basic Science Director selects Fellows.

Competition Process Overview

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Event Date Time

AcquTrak website open for registration and submission:https://acqupass.noblis.org/applyVBFF

21 June 2019

Questions Regarding White Paper and Supporting Documentation (submitted by)

26 July 2019

AcquTrak Registration (required by) 14 August 2019 11:59 PM EDT

White Paper and Supporting Documentation (required by)

16 August 2019 11:59 PM EDT

Notification of White Paper Selection 28 October 2019*

Proposal and Confidential Letters of Recommendation (by invitation only)

17 January 2020 11:59 PM EST

* Estimated date

Important Dates for FY20 Competition

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Class White paper Fellows

2008* 358 8

2009 490 10

2010 678 11

2014** 132 10

2015 153 7

2016 185 15

2017 285 13

2018 265 11

2019 252 10*Opened to all disciplines** Started as a stand-alone program element after a pause of competition. The topic areas were limited to selected emerging research areas that are of importance to DoD.

Past Competitions

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Fellows present their work at DoD-sponsored conferences. Fellows serve on panels and participate in DoD program

reviews.

Fellows participate in workshops for OSD(R&E)’s Basic Science Office to discuss future horizons in basic science.

Fellows collaborate with DoD researchers on joint projects. Trips for Fellows and their students to the 3 service labs (ARL,

NRL, AFRL).

Non-selectees – Occasionally, non-selectees are funded through regular OXR grants due to service specific interest in a modified version of some ideas.

Interactions Between Fellows and DoD

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Q: What are the specific goals that differentiate the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship program from the normal array of OXR programs that range from SI to MURI to Centers to in-house lab research?

A: This fellowship enables purely scientific investigations that require sustained investment for a long period of time.

• For basic scientific research only• Funding level is higher than that generally given for scientific study programs

research will be larger in scope and longer in duration than typical OXR funded research

• Not aimed at solving a particular technological problem• No milestones• Focused on projects that might achieve major scientific breakthroughs• Results expected to lead to revolutionary advances in DoD in the long term

Program Philosophy

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Q: (2) What are the specific goals that differentiate the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship program from the normal array of OXR programs that range from SI to MURI to Centers to in-house lab research?

• OXR SI (single investigator):

• Science is loosely coupled with a military need.

• $100-200K/yr for 3 yrs

• MURI (multi-disciplinary):

• Multiagency program overseen by DoD (ARO, ONR, AFOSR).

• Supports multidisciplinary basic research in areas with potential for both defense and commercial apps

• Typically ~$0.5-1.5M/yr for 3 yrs + 2 additional option yrs

• Greater sustained support than SI awards.

• DARPA award:

• Mainly high risk, high payoff technology development for military missions

• Some basic research (~10% of $3B budget)

• Teaming between industry and universities common

• Larger programs than OXRs

• Funding typically $100K - $10M/year up to 4 years

Program Philosophy

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Q: (3) What are the specific goals that differentiate the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship program from the normal array of OXR programs that range from SI to MURI to Centers to in-house lab research?• Centers (UARCS) Maintain sustained excellence in a particular field. Needs sources of funding indefinitely.

• Perform research• Host lectures and workshops

• In house DoD Laboratories• Maintain DoD’s technology base and support users in the field.• Translate user needs into technology requirements for industry.• Support user in application of emerging technology and introduction of new

systems.• Basic research and exploratory development focused on new and improved

military functional capabilities.

Program Philosophy

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Q: Why shouldn't the services individually or jointly run the selection and execution of the program so they can ensure appropriate coordination/integration with their other programs?

A: The oversight of OSD enables the long term, exploratory nature of the research projects, and identifies department wide needs.

Program Philosophy

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In Summary

The VBFF is about….Challenge

VisionYou

Exploration