This document is Amendment 2 to Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) FA8750-21-S-7007, concerning the AFRL Regional Research Convergence Hub (ARRCH). The amendment aims to enhance the opportunity by increasing the total funding to $99.9 million and extending the proposal submission deadline to September 30, 2025. It specifies that four awards will be granted, two under each call for proposals across defined regions. The amendment also incorporates various updates, including changes in terminology, funding allocations, proposal formatting, and evaluation criteria. Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher education, focusing on collaborative research initiatives that support the Department of Defense's goals in enhancing advanced technology for national security. The anticipated funding is projected across several fiscal years, with proposals limited to white papers initially. The announcement emphasizes the importance of fundamental research while prioritizing collaboration with regional partners to foster innovation. Finally, it outlines detailed application and submission information, evaluation criteria focused on research excellence and workforce development, and a structured review process for selecting proposals. Overall, the document serves as a critical component in the Air Force's strategy to cultivate robust research networks and technological advancement in defense capabilities.

AMENDMENT 2 to FOA FA8750-21-S-7007 increases the ceiling value of the funding opportunity and makes various changes to the FOA, including updating references to BetaSAM to SAM.gov, changing the FOA closing date to September 30, 2025, updating the estimated program cost to $99.9M, and correcting the anticipated number of awards. The FOA is open to accredited institutions of higher education and includes specific guidelines for white paper and proposal submissions.

Amendment No. 2 to BAA FA8750-21-S-7007 updates specific sections regarding Science and Technology (S&T) protection and review processes for applicants seeking federal research funding from the Department of the Air Force. Key changes include enhanced security risk review protocols to identify undue foreign influence on proposed projects. Applicants must submit documentation, including completed profiles and privacy consent forms for covered individuals, as part of their proposals. A comprehensive risk assessment will be conducted, with criteria focused on identifying security risks relevant to foreign government programs and components. The review and selection process emphasizes transparency, categorizing proposals as selectable or not based on funding availability and technical evaluations. Proposals deemed to pose security risks will be declined without detailed reasoning due to operational security measures. The government may require annual re-submissions from awardees and will assess risk factors continually throughout the project. Overall, this amendment reflects the government's commitment to ensuring national security while fostering innovative research through clear guidelines and thorough vetting processes.

The AFRL Regional Research Convergence Hub (ARRCH) aims to enhance the capabilities of the Department of the Air Force (DAF) through partnerships with accredited higher education institutions. This funding opportunity (FA8750-21-S-7007) invites proposals for collaborative research and technology development to address national security challenges. The program, with an estimated budget of $40 million, focuses on establishing regional research hubs that foster innovation and provide agility in technological advancements pertinent to the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. Eligible applicants must submit white papers that demonstrate their experience in research, development, and partnership engagement. The application process is streamlined into two steps: submission of white papers, followed by an invitation to submit detailed proposals for selected submissions. Strict guidelines govern participation, emphasizing U.S. citizenship for personnel involved, particularly for classified efforts. Key evaluation criteria include research excellence, operational concepts for collaboration, and workforce development capabilities. The Air Force intends to issue periodic calls for proposals throughout the duration of the FOA, which remains open until September 30, 2024. This initiative reflects the DAF's commitment to strengthening its scientific base and enhancing innovative technology development through strategic collaboration within the networked ecosystem of national laboratories, academia, and industry.

The Department of the Air Force is seeking white papers from universities to develop an AFRL Regional Research Convergence Hub (ARRCH). The hub will enable rapid invention of transformational capabilities for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force through the pursuit of impactful research and collaboration with academic institutions, industry, venture firms, national laboratories, and other R&D organizations. The selected university will enter into a cooperative agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and implement a concept of operations that facilitates collaboration across a regional network of member nodes.