OpportunityTitle: Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency (DFBA) BAA for Basic, Applied
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Foreign owned, controlled, or influenced organizations are advised that security restrictions may apply that could preclude their participation in these efforts. Countries included on the U.S. State Department List of Countries that Support Terrorism are excluded from participation in these efforts.
Description: This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which sets forth research areas of interest to the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency (DFBA), is issued under the provisions of paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of proposals. Proposals submitted in response to this BAA and selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of Public Law 98-369, &quot;The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984&quot; and subsequent amendments. The Department of Army&#146;s Office of the Provost Marshall General (OPMG) recently established the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency (DFBA). This umbrella agency serves as the Executive Agent for Department of Defense (DoD) forensics and biometrics casework, research, and new capabilities development. The DFBA forensic and biometric capabilities assist DoD in combating networks that threaten warfighters by denying criminals and adversaries anonymity. The Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency is comprised of two operational entities: Defense Forensics Science Center (DFSC) (formerly the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL) located at the Ft. Gillem Enclave in Forest Park, GA) and Biometrics Identity Management Activity (BIMA) (located in Clarksburg, WV) DFSC provides forensic laboratory services to DoD military criminal investigative organizations (Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Army Criminal Investigation Command) and other DoD customers. It is a full service forensic laboratory, providing state-of-the-art forensic examinations in the following disciplines: - DNA/Serology -Digital Evidence -Drug Chemistry -Firearms and Toolmarks -Forensic Documents -Latent Prints -Trace Evidence The DFSC has three primary objectives: (1) Analyze forensic evidence and casework and provide expert testimony (2) Provide expeditionary forensic services to U.S. military forces in active theaters of operation (3) Coordinate the execution of research projects to advance forensic capabilitiesBIMA is the primary proponent of biometrics within DoD. Biometrics are distinct, measureable features of an individual (e.g., facial features, fingerprints, voice/speech, walking gaits, etc.) that can be utilized to discern their identity. BIMA leads the development and implementation of biometric technologies for DoD Combatant Commands and other related agencies to assist the U.S. warfighter in accurately identifying unknown persons. BIMA also coordinates the activities related to the acquisition and maintenance of biometrics databases which U.S. warfighters can access to identify individuals. The Department of Defense Forensic and Biometric Research and Development Program (&#147;Program&#148;) is administered by the U.S. Army Research Office and the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency. The Program aims to enhance the capability of forensic science and biometric applications for DoD customers both in traditional law enforcement/criminal justice purviews and in expeditionary environments. The Program accomplishes this mission by funding research projects that lead to the production of useful knowledge, materials, devices, systems, or methods that have forensic or biometric function. The Program also supports the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES), Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3), and Joint POW/MIA (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory (JPAC &#150; CIL).The Program is pleased to announce that it is seeking proposals for funding to support forensic and biometric research and its application. The requested proposals should focus on DFBA activities and needs of the Program&#146;s other customers (AFMES, DC3, JPAC-CIL). Forensic research proposals should focus on the creation of new and improved field or laboratory functional capabilities that result in faster, more robust, more informative, less costly, or less labor-intensive recognition, identification, collection, preservation, and/or analysis of forensic evidence. Biometric research proposals should contribute to biometric applications or operations, including military functions such as combat identification (friend, foe, or neutral), offensive operations (intelligence support to targeting), force protection (physical access control), detention operations, civil-military operations (track target members of a population), personnel recovery and identification, and recognition and recovery of human remains. Proposals that will assist the DoD in achieving these goals are solicited, particularly proposals involving the development of equipment that is portable, sustainable, and useful in an expeditionary or field environment. The expeditionary and field environments require systems that are lightweight, portable, inexpensive, fast, and capable of operating in extreme environments of temperature, dust, humidity, etc. The systems must also be capable of secure data communications.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: BAA Administrative POC e-mail
GrantorContactText: Ernest  Dixon &lt;br/&gt;Procurement Analyst &lt;br/&gt;Phone 919-549-4270