Electronic Warfare Technology | N00014 19 R S002

Electronic Warfare Technology Grant (N00014-19-R-S002) - FAQs

What is the "Electronic Warfare Technology" grant opportunity?

This is a discretionary Office of Naval Research (ONR) funding opportunity focused on advancing next-generation Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities for U.S. naval forces, including the Navy and Marine Corps. The stated goal is to drive discovery and invention in technologies that help U.S. forces control the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS).

Which agency and office are sponsoring this opportunity?

The sponsor is the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The specific sponsoring office is ONR Code 312 Electronic Warfare (312EW).

What is the main purpose of the program?

The program is intended to push research and development that improves the ability to exploit, deceive, or deny an adversary's use of the electromagnetic spectrum, while protecting and preserving spectrum access for friendly systems operating in contested environments.

How does this opportunity relate to ONR's broader EW efforts?

This opportunity sits within ONR's EW Discovery and Invention (DampI) program, which funds Science and Technology (S&T) efforts aimed at maturing promising ideas into demonstrable capabilities relevant to naval missions.

What kinds of technical outcomes is ONR looking for?

The description highlights several priority outcome areas, including improved threat warning systems, enhanced sensing and situational awareness, decoys and countermeasures, electronic attack options against adversary systems, and electronic protection techniques to harden friendly systems.

What is meant by controlling the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) in this context?

In practical terms, it refers to technologies and approaches that help U.S. forces operate effectively in contested electromagnetic environments by disrupting or denying adversary use of the spectrum, deceiving adversary systems, and ensuring friendly systems maintain reliable spectrum access.

What is Electronic Warfare Support (ES) in the scope of this opportunity?

Electronic Warfare Support (ES) refers to EW functions that enhance sensing, detection, identification, and situational awareness of emitters and threats, supporting better understanding of the electromagnetic environment.

What is Electronic Attack (EA) in the scope of this opportunity?

Electronic Attack (EA) refers to options designed to disrupt or degrade adversary Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) through spectrum operations.

What is Electronic Protection (EP) in the scope of this opportunity?

Electronic Protection (EP) refers to techniques intended to harden U.S. weapons and C4ISR systems against intentional interference (such as jamming, spoofing, and deception) and unintentional interference (such as congestion, fratricide, and electromagnetic compatibility issues).

Does the opportunity emphasize conceptual research or demonstrable technology?

The solicitation emphasizes tangible technology development and demonstration. Proposers are expected to frame work around developing and demonstrating technologies relevant to next-generation EW systems rather than purely conceptual studies.

What are the priority areas mentioned for decoys and countermeasures?

The opportunity calls out decoys and countermeasures aimed at defeating or confusing weapon tracking and guidance systems.

Does the opportunity address both intentional and unintentional interference?

Yes. The description explicitly includes protection against intentional interference (jamming, spoofing, deception) and unintentional interference (congestion, fratricide, and electromagnetic compatibility problems).

Who is the intended beneficiary or operational user of the resulting technologies?

The intended operational beneficiaries are U.S. naval forces, specifically including the Navy and Marine Corps, operating in contested electromagnetic environments.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is N00014-19-R-S002.

What is the assistance listing / CFDA number and category?

The program is identified as CFDA 12.300 and falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.

Is eligibility restricted to certain types of organizations?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicants may apply (for example, universities, industry, nonprofits, and other capable organizations), subject to standard federal grant requirements.

What is the submission approach (white paper vs. full proposal)?

The solicitation structure indicates a white paper step first, followed by invitation or submission of full proposals. White papers and proposals are expected to align to one or more Research Opportunity Technical Areas.

Do proposals need to align to specific technical areas?

Yes. White papers and proposals are expected to align to one or more defined Research Opportunity Technical Areas (TA 1 through TA 4). While the excerpt does not list the details of those areas, it states that proposers should anchor their ideas to at least one of them.

Are the details of Technical Areas TA 1 through TA 4 included in the provided excerpt?

No. The excerpt notes that proposals should align to TA 1 through TA 4, but it does not provide the specific descriptions of those technical areas.

What are the key dates provided for this opportunity?

The provided record shows a creation date of 2018-10-19 and an original closing date of 2019-02-28.

Does the excerpt specify an award ceiling or the number of awards?

No. The record excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards. It suggests those details may have been provided elsewhere in the full announcement or may be determined by ONR based on proposal quality, available funding, and program priorities.

What is the overall mission impact ONR is trying to achieve through this funding?

The opportunity is aimed at strengthening naval advantage in contested electromagnetic environments by funding innovative EW research that can translate into deployable improvements in sensing and warning, deception and countermeasure effectiveness, offensive spectrum operations against adversary C4ISR, and resilience and protection of friendly systems.

Is this opportunity described as discretionary?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary ONR program.

What kinds of adversary capabilities are explicitly referenced?

The description explicitly references adversary use of the electromagnetic spectrum and adversary C4ISR as targets for disruption or degradation, as well as weapon tracking and guidance systems as targets for deception and countermeasures.

What kinds of friendly systems are explicitly referenced for protection?

The description explicitly references U.S. weapons and C4ISR systems as systems that should be hardened and protected to preserve spectrum access and mission effectiveness.