FAQ | Ohio Federal Research Network

Section 3.1.1 states that OFRN projects are intended to be TRL 3 and higher, or applied research rather than basic research. This applies to all AOIs.

Yes

Section 2.6.2 of the pre-release document states that there are no limits on the number of proposal submissions that an Applicant can submit.

On Nov. 20th, an email announcement was sent that the key dates had changed. A follow up announcement went out Nov. 23rd highlighting some of the changes in key dates and where to find information on changes, etc. The new schedule is posted to the OFRN website https://ohiofrn.org. The new date for the training is Jan. 20, 2021. The event will be virtual. All information pertaining to OFRN Round 5 Opportunity Announcement will be posted to https://www.ohiofrn.org/current-solicitation. All communications to the OFRN community will be posted to the site.

Yes, the session was recorded and is posted to the current solicitation website https://www.ohiofrn.org/current-solicitation

The PM can attend the Jan. 20 training session to represent the team.

The training session is scheduled for January 20, 2021. A registration link will be available through the OFRN website https://ohiofrn.org in the current solicitation’s tab shortly. The direct link to the current solicitation site is https://www.ohiofrn.org/current-solicitation An email notification will be distributed to the OFRN community when the information regarding the December regional sessions and the January 20th training is available. All events will be virtual.

Section 2.6 of the pre-release document lists eligibility requirements. One of the requirements is that there be at least two Ohio colleges or universities. There is no flexibility in this requirement.

As long as the company has a presence in Ohio and the work would be done through that office, then this would meet the industry requirement.

Yes, the link for partnering / matchmaking can be found off the OFRN current solicitation webpage in the Links section at https://www.ohiofrn.org/current-solicitation

Yes, the briefing is posted to the current solicitation site at https://www.ohiofrn.org/current-solicitation

The formal release of OFRN Round 5 Opportunity Announcement is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2021. All information will be posted to the current solicitation website https://www.ohiofrn.org/current-solicitation

The advanced controls area will have impact at the system and at the power electronic regulator level. An advanced power electronic unit with digital control that demonstrates the capability needed to function within the advanced power system control could be a part of this area, but may be more difficult to win against full system proposals.

TRL 3 or TRL 4 should be the objective depending on hardware maturity.

The defined approach for this task needs to develop a strategic understanding of where the advanced controls area will progress, with both near and far term products that can be realized. Both lunar surface power and turbo-electric/hybrid electric propulsion should be the focus, but spin-off for terrestrial microgrids may provide near term job increases for Ohio and collaboration potential for advanced work.

The control methods developed should be applicable for AC and DC systems, but the choice for how the work is done can be made based on preference.

Minimum expectation would be for a model based simulation that has heritage in validated models, with extension to this effort. Use of H/W emulators and/or simulators that provide hardware confidence is better, but not required.

Yes. It is not a direct fit for the AOI, but NAMRU-D has interest and active research in this problem space. Strong interest. Possibly the general AOI#12?

Applied research. TRL 3 and above.

Speaking from a NAMRU-Dpoint of view, areas of improvement for currently available devices would include:

Size/portability
Multiplicity; having devices that monitor multiple exposures
Real-time data delivery

#1 and #2 both support compliance in that you can’t “weigh down” a Warfighter with bulky or a lot of devices. They have enough to do and enough to carry; if the device(s) isn’t/aren’t feasible, then it’s useless. #3 – bringing a device back and sending it off only to receive the data a week later does not allow risk assessments to be made during a mission. Having these data is helpful in any capacity, but in real-time (with data logging/storing capability) is of most use.

The answer is “no” from a NAMRU-D perspective.

Yes

The focus of the topic is on near peer competition so this could be anything from a single aircraft to a large number of aircraft. Sensors are likely to be federated - different systems on different platforms. But approaching the problem from the point of view of a single platform is a good starting point.

We spoke to our AFRL contact lead and he thought your technology was indeed very relevant to the AOI’s you’ve referenced and could be proposed.

Only if it's part of a multi-function system. That is, if the sensor or sense making is the primary output.

Yes, very interested in hybrid systems for long duration flights.

Q. Round 5: Will we accept/award a proposal with a TRL level below 3 if the SME mentioned in an infosession that TRL below 3 is acceptable, but the RFP document states otherwise?

Q. Round 5: Can a company put in more than 1 proposal in a given area, such as situational awareness?

Q. Round5: During this round will there be any cap to the number of submissions an organization can submit as a prime?

Q. Round 5: I did see there were mandatory proposal development training sessions. Do you know the times and modality for those (online?) and when and how we can register for it? I believe one was 2 December.

Q. Round 5: Did you record the November Info session?

Q. Round 5: Does the PI have to participate in the Jan. 20 training session for the team to qualify, or is it enough that the Proposal Manager is in the session?

Q. Round 5: Where can I find the schedule and registration link for the Regional Workshops offered Dec. 2 – 9?

Q. Round 5: Can a single university apply along with industry and federal lab partners? The requirement states two university collaborations but I wanted to see if there is flexibility in the partnerships.

Q. Round 5: I am in charge of an office located in Fairborn and we are looking for ways to grow. However, my company’s headquarters are in Connecticut. If I assembled an appropriate team of Ohio-based labs and universities, are we eligible to participate?

Q. Round 5: Will there be a partnering portal?

Q. Round 5: Can participants get a copy of the pre-release information session slide deck?

Q. Round 5: Please advise if the OFRN Round 5 formal solicitation is announced. If so, could you provide the pointer to it.

Q. Round 5: AOI#7 - Would new power conversion topologies for aviation applications, specifically active rectification, be consider responsive to this AOI? The project would focus more on hardware and less on digital control.

Q. Round 5: AOI#7 - What TRL for AOI #7? Is a prototype system going to be built?

Q. Round 5: AOI#7 - Is the target here more future looking for, say Lunar operations, or more for commercialization?

Q. Round 5: AOI#7 - Is there a preference for either AC or DC Microgrids?

Q. Round 5: AOI#7 - Is hardware prototype based demonstration required/needed for the control, protection, and stability etc?

Q. Round 5: AOI #4 - Wearable motion systems tracking real-time occupational jobs relative to injury risks fit this need

Q. Round 5: AOI #4 -What technology readiness level is a good fit for this program?

Q. Round 5: AOI #4 There are a lot of commercial products for personal exposure monitoring devices. Can you discuss where you see the largest gaps being with these? Specifically chemical/particulate devices?

Q. Round 5: AOI#4 - Would research on decision making or cognitive effects fall under this AOI?

Q. Round 5: Would there be interest in technologies that can remotely determine heath, such as heart rate, prior to landing for care or evac, be of interest?

Q. Round 5: What scale of scenario would best suit AOI#2?

Q. Round 5: The FOA doesn’t clearly say if OFRN is interested in electric motor technology. Does electric motor technology fall under one of the following AOIs?

Q. Round 5: Is communications in a mesh network part of situational awareness?

Q. Round 5: AOI#1 - Second wave long duration type vehicles were mentioned. Is this topic interested in developing and demonstrating high energy systems for long duration operations?

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