Government Requirement for Advanced Power and Energy (GRAPE)
AFRL is seeking white papers and, ultimately, experimental-purpose awards for innovative technology concepts that improve Air Force energy resilience and related resource-security capabilities across the listed topic areas.
⚑ Open ARA under 10 U.S.C. §4023 (procurement for experimental purposes); award structure/instrument not stated · Air Force reserves the right to add, delete, or modify topic areas · Notice says applicant restrictions (federal contract) but no specific applicant class limitation is stated in the text provided
This is primarily an applied defense R&D call on energy technologies, materials/manufacturing, and infrastructure resilience, which is far outside this team’s usual social-science focus on risk perception, warning communication, policy attitudes, and valuation. The only overlap is the energy/water resilience framing, but the opportunity is for technical solutions and prototypes rather than the survey, communication, or public-acceptance work this group typically leads.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-07
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | portfolio topics: energy, emergency_disaster_resilience, water_resources (primary); social/behavioral work is minor; funds applied research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
This is an Open ARA announcement pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. §4023 Procurement for Experimental Purposes. AFRL is interested in receiving white papers related to the AFRL Energy Office’s mission to lead the discovery, development, delivery, and integration of energy science, technology, and innovation. The AFRL Energy Office’s intent is to decouple mission effectiveness from energy, water, and other resource and supply chain vulnerabilities through the identification, development, and demonstration of critical technologies for the Department of Air Force (DAF). Proposed solutions should be innovative and substantially improve national defense capabilities. While the Government describes discrete topic areas below, it also anticipates that certain comprehensive technology solutions, processes, methodologies, and prototypes may require multidisciplinary approaches that address two or more topic areas. The topic areas covered under this announcement may be used in any combination. The Government reserves the right to add, delete or modify the topic areas as necessary.
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: . Notice type: Presolicitation. Organization: DEPT OF DEFENSE / DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE / FA8650 USAF AFMC AFRL PZL AFRL/PZL.
Apply
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Department of Defense (BAA-style) conventions SEE A DOD EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Department of Defense (BAA-style)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.