Opportunity Information: Apply for FA8652 18 S 0001
The Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF) 2030 Science and Technology (S&T) Study grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FA8652 18 S 0001) is a Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) effort to support the development of a long-range S&T strategy looking out to the year 2030. Initiated after Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced the "S&T Strategy 2030" study in September 2017, the central purpose is to rethink and modernize how the Air Force conducts research and development so it can better anticipate and meet national security challenges expected by 2030. AFRL was designated as the lead organization responsible for driving this strategy development, and the grant solicitation is a mechanism for bringing in outside analysis, research, and recommendations that can inform the strategy.
At its core, the opportunity is focused on two major outcomes. First, it seeks rigorous evaluation of technical approaches and priority focus areas that could most effectively advance the Air Force mission through research and development. That includes identifying which science and technology domains are likely to be most consequential to future operational advantage, where the Air Force should concentrate early investments, and how emerging technologies could be translated into mission-relevant capabilities over time. Second, the study explicitly calls for improvements to Air Force processes and organizational structures that govern early-stage research. In practice, this means examining how the Air Force organizes, funds, manages, and transitions foundational research, and proposing changes that help it move faster, reduce friction in decision-making, and better align exploratory research with long-term strategic needs.
The award instrument is a discretionary grant under CFDA 12.800, categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could come from a wide range of organization types (for example, universities, nonprofits, small and large businesses, and other qualified entities), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that might appear in the full solicitation text. The opportunity was posted with a creation date of January 5, 2018, and an original closing date of February 20, 2018, indicating a relatively short proposal window consistent with a time-sensitive strategy effort.
Funding levels suggest the Air Force was aiming to support multiple contributors rather than a single large effort. The award ceiling is listed as $250,000, with an expectation of about 10 awards. That structure typically aligns with commissioning several complementary studies, analyses, or working products that can be compared, synthesized, or used to cover different technical domains and management issues in parallel. In other words, the Air Force appears to have been seeking a diverse set of perspectives and evidence-based recommendations to inform a consolidated S&T strategy and accompanying process reforms.
Overall, the SecAF 2030 S&T Study grant opportunity is best understood as a strategic planning and analytic R&D support effort: it is designed to help the Air Force identify where to place its early science and technology bets for the 2030 timeframe and to recommend practical changes to how early-stage research is organized and managed so that promising ideas can be pursued efficiently and aligned with future mission needs.Apply for FA8652 18 S 0001
- The Department of Defense, Air Force -- Research Lab in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF) 2030 Science and Technology (S&T) Study" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 05, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 20, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): SecAF 2030 Science and Technology (S&T) Study Grant (FA8652 18 S 0001)
What is the SecAF 2030 Science and Technology (S&T) Study grant opportunity?
It is a Department of Defense effort led by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the development of a long-range Air Force science and technology strategy looking out to the year 2030. The solicitation is intended to bring in outside analysis, research, and recommendations that can inform that strategy.
Who is sponsoring and managing this opportunity?
The effort is sponsored within the Department of Defense by the U.S. Air Force, with AFRL designated as the lead organization responsible for driving the strategy development and using this grant solicitation to gather external inputs.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FA8652 18 S 0001.
What prompted the creation of this study and grant solicitation?
The study was initiated after Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced the "S&T Strategy 2030" study in September 2017. The grant solicitation is one of the mechanisms used to obtain outside perspectives and evidence-based recommendations to support that work.
What is the main purpose of the SecAF 2030 S&T Study?
The central purpose is to rethink and modernize how the Air Force conducts research and development so it can better anticipate and meet national security challenges expected by 2030. The grant is designed to support analytic and strategic inputs to that modernization effort.
What are the two major outcomes this opportunity is seeking?
The opportunity is focused on two major outcomes: (1) rigorous evaluation of technical approaches and priority focus areas that could most effectively advance the Air Force mission through research and development, and (2) recommended improvements to Air Force processes and organizational structures that govern early-stage research.
What kinds of technical work or analysis is the Air Force looking for?
The solicitation calls for analysis that helps identify which science and technology domains may be most consequential for future operational advantage, where early investments should be concentrated, and how emerging technologies could be translated into mission-relevant capabilities over time.
Is this opportunity only about technology topics, or does it also include process and organizational recommendations?
It includes both. In addition to technical prioritization and evaluation, the study explicitly seeks recommendations to improve how the Air Force organizes, funds, manages, and transitions foundational (early-stage) research, with an emphasis on moving faster and reducing decision-making friction.
What does "improving Air Force processes and organizational structures" mean in this context?
In this context, it means examining how early-stage research is governed and executed, including how it is organized, funded, managed, and transitioned. The intended output is practical change recommendations that increase speed, reduce friction, and better align exploratory research with long-term strategic needs.
What type of award instrument is being used?
The award instrument is a discretionary grant.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 12.800.
How is the program categorized?
It is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted. This indicates proposals could come from a wide range of organization types (such as universities, nonprofits, small and large businesses, and other qualified entities), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may appear in the full solicitation text.
Does "unrestricted eligibility" mean any organization can apply without conditions?
The information provided states eligibility is unrestricted, meaning a broad range of organizations may be eligible. However, it also notes that additional eligibility clarifications could appear in the full solicitation text.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity shows a creation (posting) date of January 5, 2018.
What was the closing date for proposals?
The original closing date listed is February 20, 2018.
How long was the proposal window?
Based on the creation date of January 5, 2018 and the original closing date of February 20, 2018, the proposal window was relatively short, consistent with a time-sensitive strategic planning effort.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $250,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity indicated an expectation of about 10 awards.
What does an expectation of around 10 awards suggest about how the Air Force planned to use the results?
It suggests the Air Force intended to support multiple contributors rather than one single large effort, likely commissioning several complementary studies, analyses, or products that could be compared, synthesized, or used to cover different technology domains and management issues in parallel.
Is this opportunity more like strategic planning or like building and fielding a specific system?
Based on the description provided, it is best understood as a strategic planning and analytic research support effort. The focus is on informing a long-range S&T strategy and recommending process reforms, rather than directly developing or fielding a specific operational system.
What kinds of deliverables are implied by the description?
The description implies deliverables such as analyses, evaluations, research findings, and evidence-based recommendations that can inform the Air Force S&T Strategy 2030 and associated improvements to early-stage research processes and organizational structures.
What is meant by "priority focus areas" in the grant description?
It refers to the science and technology domains and technical approaches that, if pursued through research and development, are assessed as most likely to advance the Air Force mission and provide operational advantage by the 2030 timeframe.
What is meant by "early investments" in this context?
It refers to where the Air Force should concentrate initial research and development resources in science and technology areas that are expected to matter most for future mission needs and national security challenges by 2030.
What does "transitioning foundational research" refer to?
In the description provided, it refers to how early-stage or foundational research is moved from exploratory work toward mission-relevant capabilities over time, and how the Air Force manages that pathway.
What is the overall goal of combining technical prioritization with process reform?
The overall goal is to help the Air Force place smarter early S&T bets for the 2030 timeframe while also improving internal mechanisms so promising ideas can be pursued efficiently, decisions can be made with less friction, and exploratory research can be aligned with long-term strategy.
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