The Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN), in collaboration with Parallax Advanced Research, The Ohio State University, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Ohio, hosted its most recent Virtual Opportunity Day on August 13, 2025. The session focused on Ohio Federal Partner updates and brought together representatives from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU-D), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC).
OFRN Opportunity Days are designed to connect innovators from academia, industry, and government across Ohio with federal research organizations and funding opportunities. Each event highlights thought leader presentations, collaborative discussions, and upcoming solicitations to help position Ohio researchers and companies for success in winning federal R&D opportunities.
Watch the entire webinar here:
Opening Remarks
The event opened with an overview from Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Mark Bartman, Executive Director of OFRN at Parallax Advanced Research, and Rene Meadors, Program Manager at Parallax Advanced Research. They provided context on the mission of OFRN and the OnRamp Hub: Ohio, emphasizing collaboration as a driver for innovation, economic growth, and the retention of R&D funding within the state.
Download the opening remarks slides here: https://ohiofrn.org/sites/ofrn/files/2025-08/OFRN%20Opps%20Day%202025-08-13%201%20OFRN%20OnRampHub%20OH%20intro.pdf
Federal Partner Presentations
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Speaker: Mr. Brian McJilton, Director of Small Business, AFRL
McJilton highlighted AFRL’s dual mission of advancing science and technology for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force while maximizing small business participation in its $4.5B annual procurement. He discussed AFRL’s small business and strategic partnering initiatives, emphasizing new opportunities for Ohio’s industry and academic partners to support defense priorities through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Download AFRL's slides here: https://ohiofrn.org/sites/ofrn/files/2025-08/OFRN%20Opps%20Day%202025-08-13%202%20AFRL.pdf
Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU-D)
Speaker: Dr. Kevin Novak, Research Physiologist, NAMRU-D
Standing in for Dr. Richard Arnold, Dr. Novak presented NAMRU-D’s research priorities, with a focus on human performance in aviation and operational environments. He addressed current efforts to mitigate sensory conflict, understand environmental effects on performance, and advance biomedical solutions that ensure warfighter readiness. Novak encouraged Ohio researchers to explore collaborations with NAMRU-D in both biomedical and human performance domains.
Download NAMRU-D slides here: https://ohiofrn.org/sites/ofrn/files/2025-08/NAMRU-D%20Command%20Brief_OFRN%20Aug%202025%20v1.pdf
NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC)
Speaker: Dr. Rickey Shyne, Director of Research and Engineering, NASA GRC
Dr. Shyne shared NASA Glenn’s current R&D focus areas in propulsion, communications, power, and materials for extreme environments. He emphasized opportunities for collaboration in support of NASA’s aeronautics and space missions, noting GRC’s strong ties with Ohio universities and companies. Shyne encouraged the community to align proposals with NASA’s ongoing technology roadmaps and mission priorities.
Download NASA slides here: https://ohiofrn.org/sites/ofrn/files/2025-08/OFRN%20Opps%20Day%202025-08-13%204%20NASA.pdf
Opportunity Review
Morgan Buck, Parallax Advanced Research, provided an overview of upcoming solicitations of interest to the OFRN community. Highlights included:
- Naval Engineering Education Consortium (NEEC) FY26 BAA
- NSF Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus (M3X)
- Extramural Biomedical and Human Performance R&D Opportunities
- Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver Collaborative Research Program (Tbam-crp) cycle 2
- Army Applications Lab BAA for Disruptive Applications
- AFRL RXE Multiple-Authority Announcement
- Collaboration for Innovative Research on Aircraft Structure (CIRAS)
- SBIR/STTR 25.4/25.D Pre-Release (Aug. 6, 2025; Open Aug. 27, 2025)
These solicitations are designed to encourage partnerships across government, academia, and industry and provide new avenues for Ohio-based innovators to compete for federal R&D awards.
Download the opportunities review slides with links here: https://ohiofrn.org/sites/ofrn/files/2025-08/OFRN%20Opportunity%20Day%202025-08-13%20Opportunities%20presented.pdf
Closing & Next Steps
The event concluded with a brief wrap-up and encouragement for attendees to connect with OFRN and Parallax to explore teaming opportunities and proposal support.
Survey feedback was collected at the end of the session to guide planning for future events. Early results suggest participants found significant value in the direct engagement with Ohio’s federal research organizations and expressed interest in continuing the focus on collaborative innovation.
Upcoming Events of Interest
Attendees were encouraged to participate in upcoming regional and national events, including:
- Hypersonic Technology & Systems Conference — Aug. 25–28, 2025
- Ohio Space Week (Cleveland, OH) — Sept. 8–13, 2025
- Launch Dayton Startup Week 2025 — Sept. 9–10, 2025
- AI Horizons (Pittsburgh, PA) — Sept. 11–12, 2025
- Ohio Defense & Aerospace Forum (Dayton, OH) — Sept. 15, 2025
- The Hydrogen Economy – Workforce Needs and State of Activities in the Region (Cleveland, OH) — Sept. 30, 2025
- National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum (Springfield, OH) — Oct. 14–15, 2025
All events are linked here: https://ohiofrn.org/events
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About Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN)
The Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) has the mission to stimulate Ohio’s innovation economy by building statewide university-industry research collaborations that meet the requirements of Ohio’s federal laboratories, resulting in the creation of technologies that drive job growth for the State of Ohio. The OFRN is a program managed by Parallax Advanced Research in collaboration with The Ohio State University and is funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
About Parallax Advanced Research and the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI)
Parallax Advanced Research is a research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. The Ohio Aerospace Institute plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations, and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects.
