ERDC Broad Agency Announcement

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Description

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) issues this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to solicit innovative research proposals across a wide range of science and engineering disciplines. The BAA covers basic and applied research, as well as advanced technology development not tied to specific system or hardware procurement. Research is conducted through ERDC’s laboratories, which include the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory, Information Technology Laboratory, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and Geospatial Research Laboratory.

Research areas span hydraulics, coastal engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental restoration, computer science, high-performance computing, infrastructure, materials science, cold regions engineering, geospatial analytics, and more. The BAA is open to a broad range of applicants and encourages proposals from universities, non-profits, small businesses, and other organizations.

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Due Dates

• Pre-proposals: Accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
• Full proposals: By invitation only, following a favorable pre-proposal review. The current closing date for full proposals is December 31, 2025.

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Funding Amount

• Award Size: No fixed minimum or maximum; awards may range up to $999,999,999 depending on the scope and available funds.
• Project Duration: Varies by project and topic area.
• Funding Instrument: Cooperative agreements, grants, contracts, or purchase orders, as appropriate.
• Cost Sharing: Not required.

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Eligibility

• Eligible Applicants: Unrestricted. Open to universities, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, and other entities (except U.S. Government facilities).
• Special Encouragement: Proposals are encouraged from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Institutions (MIs), small businesses, women-owned small businesses, HUBZone businesses, 8(a) program participants, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
• Restrictions: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and U.S. Government entities may only apply under specific conditions and must demonstrate eligibility.

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Application Process

1. Pre-Proposal (White Paper)

• Required for all applicants.
• Submit a pre-proposal (max 5 pages, plus a 1-page executive summary) addressing a specific research topic area (e.g., CHL-1, CERL-3, etc.).
• Pre-proposals may be submitted at any time via the ERDCwerx portal.
• Pre-proposals are reviewed for scientific merit, relevance, and funding availability.
• Response within 60 days: either an invitation to submit a full proposal or notification of non-selection.

2. Full Proposal (By Invitation Only)

• Only submit a full proposal if invited after a favorable pre-proposal review.
• Full proposals must follow detailed instructions provided in the BAA, including technical and cost sections, data management plan, and other required documentation.
• Proposals must reference the specific topic number.
• Submission instructions and contacts vary by laboratory (see Additional Information below).

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Additional Information

• Research Topic Areas: The BAA includes detailed descriptions of research interests for each ERDC laboratory. Applicants must select and address a specific topic area.
• Evaluation Criteria: Scientific/technical merit, relevance to ERDC/DoD mission, offeror’s capabilities and experience, qualifications of key personnel, cost realism, and past performance.
• Type of Award: The government may issue contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, depending on the nature of the work and negotiations.
• Reporting: Awardees must comply with ERDC reporting requirements as specified in the award document.
• SAM Registration: All applicants must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submission.

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External Links

• ERDC BAA Full Announcement & Topic Areas (PDF)
• ERDC BAA Information & Submission Portal
• Grants.gov Opportunity Listing
• ERDC Main Website

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Contact Information

For topic-specific technical questions, refer to the contacts listed in the BAA PDF for each research area.

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