Nano-Bio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) | FA8650 18 S 5005

Opportunity Information: Apply for FA8650 18 S 5005

The Nano-Bio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) grant opportunity is a Department of Defense effort, led by the Air Force Research Laboratory, aimed at strengthening a US-centered innovation ecosystem for nano-bio manufacturing and human-integrated technology. The core idea is to reduce risk across the pipeline that takes advanced materials and manufacturing approaches from early research into working prototypes that matter for real operational needs. In practice, the program is focused on lowering barriers and uncertainties tied to material supply (including both nanomaterials and biomaterials), scalable processing techniques, and the design of flexible and stretchable device concepts. These technologies are intended to support next-generation human-integrated systems, with specific relevance to airman-performance monitoring (APM) and airman-performance augmentation (APA), meaning systems that can sense, track, and potentially enhance human performance in demanding environments.

A defining feature of the opportunity is its emphasis on a public-private partnership model. Rather than funding isolated projects, the NBMC structure is meant to coordinate and accelerate technology maturation through collaboration among academia, industry, and government researchers. The solicitation highlights that successful technology development will likely require teams that combine university research strengths, industrial manufacturing and productization capabilities, and direct participation from government labs. It also calls out engagement with regulatory and operational Department of Defense communities, signaling that the program is not just about technical novelty, but about building a pathway that accounts for real-world constraints such as safety, compliance, usability, and operational integration.

Technically, the opportunity targets development and demonstration activities spanning Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 through TRL 6. That range indicates a deliberate push beyond basic proof-of-concept into validated prototypes, with an expectation of demonstrating component-level and system-level functionality. The announcement stresses the need to balance enabling components (for example, materials, sensors, interconnects, packaging, or power solutions suitable for flexible/stretchable form factors) with integrated system prototypes that show how these components work together in realistic use cases relevant to human performance applications.

Another major expectation is hands-on demonstration and feedback with Department of Defense partners. The opportunity indicates that certain NBMC projects should culminate in laboratory and/or field demonstrations conducted in collaboration with relevant DoD stakeholders. The purpose is to allow members of the military human performance and aeromedical communities to evaluate whether the resulting technologies are actually useful, and to provide iterative feedback on critical path issues. This implies a development approach where prototypes are tested, assessed by end-user communities, refined, and re-tested, rather than being judged solely on publications or laboratory metrics.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means substantial involvement by the government during performance compared to a more hands-off grant. The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number FA8650-18-S-5005 under CFDA 12.800, issued by the Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory. It was created on February 13, 2018, with an original closing date of March 14, 2018. The listing indicates an expectation of a single award, and the award ceiling is shown as 0, which often suggests that funding levels may be determined through negotiation, dependent on scope, or specified elsewhere in the full solicitation package. Eligibility is broadly described as "Others," with details intended to be clarified in an additional eligibility section, implying that applicants would need to consult the full announcement to confirm who can apply and under what consortium structure.

Overall, the NBMC opportunity is best understood as an ecosystem-building and technology-transition vehicle: it is trying to move flexible/stretchable nano-bio manufacturing capabilities toward practical, demonstrable systems that can support military human performance needs, while simultaneously reducing supply-chain and manufacturability risks and ensuring early, repeated engagement with the DoD communities that would ultimately evaluate, adopt, and use the resulting technologies.

• 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 "Nano-Bio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC)" 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 Feb 13, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 14, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for FA8650 18 S 5005

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