The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), through its Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a University Center of Excellence (uCoE) focusing on Compositional Optimization, Dynamical Systems, and Control (CODAC). This initiative involves collaborative research with educational institutions in the United States, aiming to advance fundamental and applied scientific knowledge relevant to the missions of the United States Air Force (USAF) and United States Space Force (USSF). The CODAC uCoE will conduct research that addresses decision-making and optimization problems with dynamic interdependencies, often present in contested and complex environments.

The purpose of this center is to overcome challenges the DAF faces in operational planning and execution, particularly those involving multiple autonomous systems and hierarchical decision-making. The center will explore scalable, heterogeneous, decentralized, and context-aware optimization methods, facilitating robust and efficient solutions. This research will directly contribute to enhancing mission planning and execution across various echelons of military operations, including integration across air, space, and cyber domains.

The grant offers up to $1,150,000 per year per award for a maximum of five years, comprising a three-year base period and a two-year option contingent upon a successful midterm review. Applicants must submit white papers prior to being invited for full proposal submissions. The research should emphasize compositional methodologies, address five key scientific challenges (scale, heterogeneity, partial specifications, decentralization, and context dependence), and provide mechanisms for collaboration between university teams and AFRL personnel.

Eligible applicants include qualified and responsible U.S. educational institutions. Special encouragement is extended to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Institutions (MIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), although no funding is reserved specifically for these institutions. Proposals must outline both technical strategies and planned collaborative activities such as internships, faculty exchanges, and joint publications. Proposals must also address access to Department of Defense resources and meet security and personnel requirements, including citizenship and conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Applicants must adhere to specific submission requirements, including a mandatory white paper phase followed by an invitation-only full proposal submission. Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Required elements include standard federal forms, project abstracts, a detailed narrative, budget justifications, and optional data management plans. Evaluation of submissions will consider technical merit, relevance to DoD missions, and qualifications of personnel. All applicants are subject to a Security Risk Review and must provide extensive disclosures related to affiliations and support.

Key dates include a white paper submission deadline of March 3, 2025, feedback on March 24, 2025, and final proposal submissions by April 21, 2025. Notification of awards is expected around May 19, 2025. Applicants are advised to monitor Grants.gov for amendments and updates to the NOFO.