RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – The Army announced plans to launch a new academic initiative designed to accelerate priority scientific innovation for warfighters, while enabling research at the highest levels of security.
The Trusted Partner Program, being established by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Office will select trusted partners through a Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract.
These organizations, intended to comprise leading institutes of higher education and their associated entities, as well as non-profit research institutes and federally funded research and development centers, will be uniquely positioned to rapidly initiate and execute sensitive basic and applied research projects across a wide range of scientific disciplines in alignment with Army priorities.
“The Trusted Partner Program is a major step forward in expanding the Army’s access to world-class scientific talent and accelerating the transition of new technologies from the laboratory to the field,” said Dr. Meaghan Pimsler, ARO program manager for the Trusted Partner Program. “This program enables us to conduct urgently needed research at higher security tiers, ensuring that our most sensitive and mission-critical projects are protected and advanced by trusted partners with the necessary infrastructure and expertise.”
ARO is the Army’s principal extramural basic research agency leading and shaping scientific discovery worldwide to create transformational Army capabilities. The Trusted Partner Program leverages ARO’s 75-year legacy of university collaboration to expand into new mission-critical application.
The program is uniquely designed to support projects at all security levels, including Controlled Unclassified Information, Secret, and Top Secret and to manage research spanning Technology Readiness Levels from fundamental discovery to advanced technology development.
Selected partners will enter into a five-year agreement, with the possibility of an additional five-year extension. A living list of pre-vetted, trusted partners will be maintained, detailing each institution’s specialties, security tiers, and capabilities.
“This approach ensures that the Army can rapidly match research needs with the right expertise and security infrastructure, maintaining momentum on new scientific discoveries even as infrastructure and capacity continue to grow,” Pimsler said. “Pending the success of this initial pilot group, the program will expand to include new trusted partners and deliver broader capabilities.”
The program encompasses six core technical fields: biology, material science, electronics, chemistry, information sciences, and physics.
It also supports interdisciplinary projects in areas such as applied artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, contested logistics, quantum and battlefield information dominance, directed energy, and hypersonics.
The program will leverage DEVCOM’s built-in network of transition partners within the Army, the Department of War and industry to ensure that scientific discoveries and technological innovations are not only developed but also transitioned into operational capabilities for the warfighter.
Beyond advancing research, the Trusted Partner Program also focuses on developing the Army’s future science and engineering workforce.
“The Trusted Partner program is committed to developing a pipeline of future Army scientists by supporting specialized training and security clearance processes for students and early-career researchers,” Pimsler said. “By investing in talent and workforce development, the program will help ensure the Army’s continued access to a highly skilled, cleared and innovative scientific community.”
As part of this launch, ARO will host a virtual Industry Day on May 7 from 09:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EDT to provide an overview of the program and answer questions from interested academic and industry partners. More information about Industry day, and how to register, is available on sam.gov.
Potential partners can also register for a one-on-one 30-minute meeting with the team on May 7, 8, or 11 via the booking page.
Read the original press release on the U.S. Army website.
About DEVCOM
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, transforms science and technology into the decisive edge American Soldiers carry into combat. As the Army’s science, technology and engineering powerhouse, DEVCOM experts master emerging science, weaponize existing technologies and engineer lifecycle upgrades that enable the Army to defeat all adversaries and adapt to the ever-changing character of war.
About Frontier RTP
Located in the heart of Research Triangle Park, Frontier RTP has been a home for creative freelancers, startups, STEM professionals and emerging companies since 2015. The former IBM campus is now a thriving indoor-outdoor community offering free coworking and meeting rooms that encourage collaboration and half a million square feet of private offices and wet lab space where entrepreneurs and startups can grow. Frontier RTP is owned and managed by Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, the 501(c)(4) non-profit that serves the businesses and people of Research Triangle Park. To learn more about Frontier RTP, visit https://frontier.rtp.org.