FOUNDATIONS OF SUPERCONDUCTING DIGITAL LOGIC (FSDL)

DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory - Army Research Office (ARL-ARO), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS), is soliciting proposals for foundational research in superconducting electronics (SCE). SCE is a promising technology for high-speed and energy-efficient digital circuits, but scaling towards denser and more reliable systems has been slow. The goal of the Foundations of Superconducting Digital Logic (FSDL) program is to uncover foundational issues limiting the progress of this technology and to pursue innovative research into overcoming these issues across topics such as materials, Josephson junctions, flux trapping, and architecture. FSDL aims to provide the foundation to enable breakthroughs in circuit density and reliability for future SCE-based systems.

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants under this BAA include Institutions of higher education (foreign and domestic), nonprofit organizations, and for-profit concerns (large and small businesses). Proposals are encouraged from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (as determined by the Secretary of Education to meet requirements of Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. §1061)) and from Minority Institutions defined as institutions “whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment.” [20 U.S.C. § 1067k(3) and 10 U.S.C. § 2362]. However, no funds are specifically allocated for HBCU/MI participation. Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal offerors are allowed so long as such arrangements are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC, and no funds from the award flow to the FFRDC.