NGA announces academic grants competition for innovation

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Academic Research Program announced a grants competition inviting eligible applicants to submit innovative ideas for path-breaking research to advance the GEOINT mission.

NGA will award multiple academic grants, each equivalent to $200,000 per year, to eligible applicants through December 31 in response to the posted Broad Agency Announcement on Grants.gov.

NGA is seeking research in general areas such as GEOINT data and services, predictive intelligence and anticipatory analysis as well as specific topics of interest including automated geo-located information from small unmanned aircraft systems video, geomagnetic field observation and modeling for enhanced positioning and navigation support and synthetic aperture radar signal and image processing.

Eligible applicants include nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; public- and state-controlled institutions of higher education; University Affiliated Research Centers; and public or private hospitals and consortia.

NARP focuses on innovative, far-reaching basic and applied research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics having the potential to advance the GEOINT mission.

“NARP is one leg of NGA’s connection to academia,” said Ken Feichtl, NARP program manager. “It links our research mission to innovative thoughts that may one day transition into real world intelligence issue solutions.”

The objective of the NARP is to support innovative, high-payoff research that provides the basis for revolutionary progress in areas of science and technology affecting the needs and mission of NGA. This research also supports the National System for Geospatial Intelligence.

Applicants will be required to submit white papers to be evaluated by NARP officials. The papers will help officials identify those that best fit NGA Research mission areas, then invite selected schools to submit formal proposals. The program conducts evaluations continuously as it receives the white papers and proposals, then makes awards on a triannual basis. The next award period is July 2018.

Interested applicants can view the announcement, HM0476-18-BAA-0001, at grants.gov.

Source: NGA