Hierarchical Command and Control of Unmanned Systems (H- C2 UxS) | N00014 23 S C002

Opportunity Information: Apply for N00014 23 S C002

The Hierarchical Command and Control of Unmanned Systems (H-C2 UxS) opportunity is a Department of Defense Office of Naval Research (ONR) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Call issued under the ONR FY23 Long Range BAA (N00014-23-S-B001). It invites the submission of white papers and full proposals focused on advancing hierarchical command-and-control approaches for unmanned systems intended for future naval missions. In practical terms, ONR is looking for new science and technology that helps coordinate and manage unmanned platforms through layered or tiered control structures, where decisions and autonomy can be distributed across different levels (for example, from mission-level direction down to platform-level execution). The intent is to move beyond ad hoc control of individual vehicles and toward scalable methods that can handle more complex operations involving multiple unmanned assets and potentially mixed teams of humans and machines.

The work scope is explicitly research-oriented and spans both basic and applied research. Projects will be funded under Budget Activity 1 (Basic Research) and Budget Activity 2 (Applied Research) as defined in the DoD Financial Management Regulation, Volume 2B, Chapter 5. This framing signals that ONR is interested both in foundational theory and early demonstrations, not just near-term engineering. The effort is expected to occur at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 through 5, meaning it can range from early scientific principles and concept formulation through laboratory validation and relevant-environment prototyping. In other words, the program is positioned to support everything from new control/coordination concepts to experimental prototypes that show those concepts can work in representative conditions, but it is not primarily aimed at late-stage fielding or full-scale acquisition.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity and indicates ONR may make awards using either grants or procurement contracts, depending on the nature of the proposed work and the government’s needs. The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 12.300 (a common listing for DoD research programs). Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals can come from a broad range of entities such as universities, nonprofits, small businesses, large businesses, and other research performers, subject to any additional constraints that might be stated in the full BAA materials. The announcement anticipates around five awards, but it does not specify an award ceiling (listed as 0), which typically means the ceiling is not predetermined in the summary and would instead be driven by the government’s available funds, the quality of submissions, and the scope negotiated for selected projects.

The process and evaluation are governed by the ONR FY23 Long Range BAA procedures. That means white papers and proposals are submitted and reviewed according to the broader BAA’s instructions, evaluation criteria, and contracting/grants framework, rather than a standalone set of rules. Key dates in the public listing include a creation date of October 12, 2022 and an original closing date of January 27, 2023, which indicates the window during which ONR expected to receive submissions for this call. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as ONR seeking early-to-mid TRL research breakthroughs and prototypes that enable robust, scalable hierarchical command-and-control for unmanned systems in naval contexts, with the expectation that successful ideas could later transition into more mature development and operational experimentation programs.

• The Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hierarchical Command and Control of Unmanned Systems (H- C2 UxS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 12, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 27, 2023. (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 5 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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