CFDA Number: 12.800

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION:

The Information Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Rome Research Site, is soliciting white papers under this announcement for new and unique research to increase AFRL's knowledge and understanding of audio exploitation technologies for support of military operations. The scope of this effort covers a broad range of audio and speech processing technologies not limited to: usable speech determination, interference mitigation (noise, co-channel), channel mitigation, whispered speech detection, background noise detection, speaker segmentation, speaker highlighting, speaker identification, speaker verification, transmission segmentation, language and dialect identification, accented speech identification, optimal data selection, speaker verification, audio watermarking, coding to preserve the characteristics of the speaker and channel, automatic speech recognition, correlation. The main emphasis for this research are techniques and methods for use in a tactical (low signal-to-noise ratio, <5 seconds processing time, minimum training time) military environment. Deliverables will be technical reports and when appropriate, software and demonstrations with associated data.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

Total funding for this BAA is approximately $24.9M. The anticipated funding to be obligated under this BAA is broken out by fiscal year as follows: FY 11 - $4.5M; FY 12 - $7M; FY 13 - $7.2M; and FY14 $6.2M. Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with dollar amounts normally ranging between $100K to $600K per year. There is also the potential to make awards up to any dollar value. Awards of efforts as a result of this announcement will be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: All potential applicants are eligible. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting office focal point, Lynn G. White, Contracting Officer, telephone (315) 330-4996 or e-mail Lynn.White@rl.af.mil for information if they contemplate responding. The e-mail must reference the title and BAA 11-05-RIKA.

2. COST SHARING OR MATCHING: Cost sharing is not a requirement.

3. CCR Registration: Unless exempted by 2 CFR 25.110 all offerors must:

(a) Be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) prior to submitting an application or proposal;

(b) Maintain an active CCR registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or proposal under consideration by an agency; and

(c) Provide its DUNS number in each application or proposal it submits to the agency.

4. Executive Compensation and First-Tier Sub-contract/Sub-recipient Awards: Any contract award resulting from this announcement may contain the clause at FAR 52.204-10 - Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards. Any grant or agreement award resulting from this announcement may contain the award term set forth in 2 CFR, Appendix A to Part 25 http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=
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IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

1. APPLICATION PACKAGE: THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. WE ARE SOLICITING WHITE PAPERS ONLY. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Those white papers found to be consistent with the....