The US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving GroundEdgewood Contracting Division, Fort Detrick, invites applications for funding opportunities for the fiscal year 2022 Deployed War Fighter Protection (DWFP) Research Program | DWFP 22 S 01

Deployed War Fighter Protection (DWFP) Research Program (FY 2022) - FAQs

1) What is the DWFP Research Program?

The fiscal year 2022 Deployed War Fighter Protection (DWFP) Research Program is a Department of Defense grant opportunity managed through the US Army Contracting Command (Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood Contracting Division, Fort Detrick) and administered by the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB). It supports applied, product-oriented research intended to improve protection of deployed military personnel from medically important pests, particularly disease-transmitting arthropods.

2) What problem is this funding trying to solve?

The program is focused on reducing exposure of deployed forces to biting arthropods and lowering disease risk in operational environments. It targets pests and vectors associated with significant health threats, with examples in the notice including Lyme disease, malaria, dengue, and other arboviral infections.

3) What types of research does the program want to fund?

The solicitation emphasizes original, innovative work that moves beyond basic science and toward technologies that can be evaluated in realistic conditions. It is looking for research that leads to deployable capabilities such as tools, formulations, equipment, or decision systems that measurably reduce human-vector contact and disease risk in the field.

4) What are the priority research areas?

The notice lists five priority areas:

• Discovery of new toxicants or adapting existing toxicants for medically relevant pests
• Improved insecticide application techniques
• Personal protective tools that reduce or prevent human-vector contact
• Decision-support tools to plan and optimize control operations
• Surveillance tools designed to improve control outcomes

5) Is this basic research or applied development?

The program is aligned with Advanced Technology Development in DoD RDT&E terms (often described as Budget Activity 3). That implies work should generally be at a stage where prototypes or near-prototypes can be refined, demonstrated, and tested in semi-field or field environments, rather than early exploratory laboratory research.

6) What does "product-oriented" mean in this solicitation?

Proposed projects are expected to be tied to a specific technology or capability with a credible path to real-world use. The program encourages semi-field or field evaluations of prototype products, including evaluations for military use and work that advances an existing prototype toward commercial manufacture.

7) Are projects that only test already-commercial products allowed?

No. The notice explicitly discourages projects that are simply testing or evaluating already-commercial products.

8) If my project involves a pesticide end-use product, are there regulatory expectations?

Yes. If the work involves pesticide end-use products, those products are expected to be destined for registration with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This signals that applicants should be considering regulatory pathways and eventual adoption, not just a one-time demonstration.

9) How much total funding is available under this program?

The estimated total program amount is up to $4.5 million in FY22.

10) How many awards does the program expect to make?

The program expects to make roughly 1 to 10 awards, depending on proposal quality and available funds.

11) What is the maximum award size per project?

Individual projects are capped at $300,000 per year for up to three years, for a total maximum of $900,000 per project.

12) Does the funding cap include indirect costs?

Yes. The cap includes both direct and indirect costs.

13) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The notice states that no cost sharing or matching is required.

14) What is the expected project period?

Projects may be funded for up to three years, with future-year support dependent on continued availability of funds and satisfactory progress.

15) When was funding expected to start?

The notice indicates the funding was intended to start around July 2022, with awards anticipated around August 2022.

16) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and described as essentially unrestricted, as long as the applicant is an investigator employed by or affiliated with an eligible institution. The solicitation allows participation from for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private entities, and institutions located in any country.

17) What kinds of institutions can submit applications?

Examples listed include universities, hospitals, laboratories, companies, and local or state government agencies.

18) Can organizations outside the United States apply?

Yes. The solicitation allows institutions located in any country to participate.

19) Can federal agencies apply?

Yes. Federal agencies may apply, but their submissions are handled under applicable federal regulations, which can affect how funding is awarded and administered.

20) Is there a required pre-proposal stage?

Yes. The application process starts with a required pre-proposal stage.

21) What were the pre-proposal format requirements?

Pre-proposals had to be submitted as a single PDF file, limited to seven pages total (including a quad chart), using the AFPMB-provided pre-proposal form.

22) What was the pre-proposal deadline?

The deadline for pre-proposals was November 26, 2021 at 11:59 pm Eastern, and late submissions were not accepted.

23) What happens after the pre-proposal is submitted?

After an initial screen, selected applicants were to be invited to submit full proposals. Full proposal instructions were to be provided only to those who received an invitation.

24) What was the estimated timeline for invitations and full proposals?

The estimated schedule included invitations around early January 2022, full proposal submissions by late February 2022, notification decisions by mid-April 2022, and awards anticipated around August 2022.

25) Where were the pre-proposal form and submission instructions provided?

The pre-proposal form and submission instructions were provided through the AFPMB website.

26) Who should be contacted for pre-proposal access issues or submission logistics?

The AFPMB webmaster was listed as the point of contact for access issues and submission logistics.

27) Who should be contacted for technical or programmatic questions?

Technical and programmatic questions were directed to the DWFP Program Manager, Dr. Gabriela Zollner.

28) Who should be contacted for grant or contracting questions?

Grant and contracting questions were directed to the Grants Officer at the US Army Contracting Command office managing the opportunity.

29) Are there related solicitation documents for additional context?

Yes. The notice references a related Broad Agency Announcement (AFPMB-BAA-22-01) available through SAM.gov and Grants.gov for additional context and supporting information.

30) Does the program expect the work to be operationally relevant to military settings?

Yes. The notice emphasizes operational relevance for military settings while also expecting resulting products and approaches to be transferable to civilian public health or pest management use.