The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), in partnership with several directorates of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is initiating a University Center of Excellence (uCoE) focusing on Compositional Optimization, Dynamical Systems, and Control (CODAC). This center will serve as a collaborative platform between multiple AFRL directorates and selected academic institutions to pursue fundamental and applied research (6.1 and 6.2) in optimization, dynamical systems, and control with direct relevance to the decision-making processes of the United States Air Force (USAF) and United States Space Force (USSF).

The initiative is driven by the complexity of interconnected decisions in dynamic and contested environments where joint optimization and mission-critical control decisions are essential. It emphasizes foundational advancements in compositional optimization that are computationally tractable, modular, and robust under decentralized conditions. The research is aimed at developing methodologies to understand and solve high-dimensional, context-dependent, and decentralized optimization problems where various autonomous platforms must function in coordination under varying communication and adversarial constraints.

AFOSR anticipates awarding up to two grants with an annual ceiling of $1,150,000 per award for up to five years. This includes an initial three-year base period followed by a potential two-year extension contingent on performance at a 2.5-year midterm review. Proposals should articulate interdisciplinary collaboration mechanisms and detail access plans to DoD resources. A strong emphasis is placed on student and faculty collaboration with AFRL, including internships, data/code sharing, and joint workshops to foster government-academic researcher pipelines.

Only qualified and responsible U.S. educational institutions, including colleges, universities, and nonprofit entities dedicated to science and engineering education, are eligible to apply. HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs are encouraged to participate, though no funds are set aside specifically for them. Entities such as foreign institutions, individuals, for-profits, and federal agencies are ineligible. All student and postdoc participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents to access AFRL facilities.

The submission process is two-phased. First, a mandatory white paper is due by March 3, 2025, to be submitted through the APAN portal. White paper feedback and invitations to submit full proposals will be communicated by March 24, 2025. Full proposals (by invitation only) are due via Grants.gov by April 21, 2025. Evaluation is based on scientific merit and relevance to DoD missions, and includes a security risk review and conflict of interest disclosure for all key personnel.

For inquiries, the point of contact is Elizabeth Burzenski (Elizabeth.Burzenski@us.af.mil). Questions regarding the white paper are due by February 7, 2025, and questions regarding full proposals are due by March 31, 2025. The award notification is expected around May 19, 2025, with projects potentially starting in early September 2025.