The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Strategic Integration Directorate, Strategic Trends and Effects Department, Strategic Trends Division (SI-STT) has the responsibility to generate timely, credible, and actionable insights into emerging threats within the counter weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) and counter improvised threats (CIT) network mission spaces to enable and guide warfighter understanding of the range of military operations in Great Power Competition. One of its primary responsibilities is to characterize the 2025 to 2030 battlespace. This requires sponsoring research, through the Strategic Trends Research Initiative (STRI), that aligns with the priorities outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) and specifically addresses DTRA’s needs – and by extension the needs of the Combatant Commands (CCMDs) and other US Department of Defense (DoD) elements it supports. To that end, SI-STT must partner with a diverse set of experts in the field to deliver a continuous stream of operationally relevant research and analysis to create reservoirs of readily aggregated information, as well as finished analytic products, that provide insight into the future battlespace and threat environment.
DTRA SI-STT is announcing to industry and academia the intent to solicit white papers and proposals for research studies, strategic dialogues, and tabletop exercises (TTXs) through this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). This strategy provides an acquisition tool to support SI-STT’s STRI with the flexibility to solicit white papers and proposals from the external expert community and make awards for expert-driven research efforts that meet present, emerging, and future needs.
This announcement will remain open until replaced by a successor BAA or until it is cancelled. White papers and proposal are reviewed and evaluated as they are received and may be submitted at any time
White papers and proposals will be reviewed upon receipt and will be evaluated accordingly. It is the Government’s endeavor to evaluate and respond to white 8 papers within thirty (30) working days. The process for proposal submission (after a white paper is accepted) is discussed in the Attachments of this BAA. Proposals or white papers submitted in response to notifications should be submitted according to directions contained within the notification and in accordance with (IAW) this BAA.
The DTRA procurement activity proposes to solicit outstanding private and public research institutions (to include – but not limited to – think tanks, industry, and universities) to develop and provide credible, timely, operationally relevant and actionable research products that inform SI-STT’s efforts to characterize the 2025 to 2030 threat environment in an era of Great Power Competition through the STRI. Per priorities identified by the 2018 NDS, SI-STT seeks proposals and white papers for research studies, strategic dialogues, and TTXs addressing the following five (5) focus areas:
• Identify the utility of deeper, more meaningful relationships with existing allies, partners, and establish new relationships with non-traditional partners as a mechanism to compete against key strategic competitors;
• Understand the implications of key strategic competitors’ emerging capabilities on the United States’ ability to maintain operational advantage and project power;
• Identify emerging WMD-related threats of concern for the future battlespace;
• Consider the role and application of WMD risk reduction tools and approaches (e.g. arms control) in an era of Great Power competition; and/or
• Explore the utility and applicability of applying a Counter Threat Network (CTN) approach to better characterize and address cross-domain threats posed by priority threat actors.
Within these five broad focus areas, DTRA SI-STT is specifically interested in credible, timely, operationally relevant and actionable research products (studies, strategic dialogues, and TTXs) that are aligned with seven (7) thrust areas outlined below in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. The Government reserves the right to award any combination of approaches which offer the best overall value to the Government.
All responsible, potential applicants from academia, think tanks, and industry are eligible to submit proposals under this BAA
There is no set limit to the number of proposals an institution or organization can submit under this BAA; however, the level of effort for each key personnel should not reasonably exceed one (1) annual full time equivalent (FTE). Each Thrust Area proposal must be submitted under the corresponding email address provided in the Agency Contacts section of this BAA. The amount and period of performance (PoP) of each selected proposal may vary depending on the research area and the technical approach pursued by the selected Offer.
DTRA SI-STT estimates the total program budget divided among multiple awardees at approximately $1,950,000 per year. This information is only an estimate and does not obligate the Government in any way. Estimated funding amounts may increase or decrease at any time based on current and future appropriations.
