Surface Modified Metal Nanoparticles for Compatibilization into Fluoropolymer Based Composites | USAFA BAA 2015 CALL 0006

Opportunity Information: Apply for USAFA BAA 2015 CALL 0006

The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) Chemistry Research Center (CRC), issued a grant and cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Surface Modified Metal Nanoparticles for Compatibilization into Fluoropolymer Based Composites" under Funding Opportunity Number USAFA BAA 2015 CALL 0006. The call seeks unclassified research white papers (and full proposals if the team is invited to submit them) focused on advancing fluoropolymer based composite materials, specifically by using surface modified metal nanoparticles to improve compatibility and performance within fluoropolymer matrices. Submissions are expected to be free of proprietary content; if an applicant must include proprietary information, it is the applicant's responsibility to clearly mark those sections according to USAFA BAA 2015 Amendment 0003 requirements.

At its core, this opportunity sits within CRC's broader mission: strengthening cadet education by involving students in real research, supporting faculty development, and building the technology base needed by the Air Force and the wider Department of Defense. CRC is housed in the USAFA Department of Chemistry and emphasizes hands-on, team-based research. Projects typically blend faculty leadership with cadet participation, supported by permanent staff and temporary technical contributors such as National Research Council postdoctoral associates, CRADA collaborators, and research and development support contractors. This structure is meant to produce publishable and operationally relevant science while also functioning as a training environment.

The technical emphasis of this specific call is the development of new organofluorine methodologies, using both experimental and computational approaches, aimed at improving fluoropolymer based composites. In practical terms, the work is expected to address the long-standing challenges in mixing inorganic or metallic nanoparticle fillers into fluoropolymers, which are often chemically inert and have low surface energy, making adhesion and uniform dispersion difficult. By modifying nanoparticle surfaces (for example, with tailored functional groups, fluorinated ligands, or other compatibilizing chemistries), researchers can potentially improve filler-polymer interactions, dispersion stability, interfacial bonding, and ultimately composite properties such as thermal stability, mechanical strength, wear resistance, chemical resistance, or specialized functional behavior relevant to aerospace environments.

The research is intended to be conducted on site at USAFA, leveraging the Department of Chemistry laboratories and analytical instrumentation available through the CRC. The opportunity description points applicants to a facility and equipment overview hosted on the USAFA CRC website, signaling that USAFA expects collaborative, laboratory-based execution rather than purely off-site work. This on-site aspect also aligns with the center's educational mission, since cadet involvement is a built-in priority.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and allows for awards through several possible instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, and procurement contracts. It falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA 12.800. Eligibility is broadly open (unrestricted) to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement. The posting lists an expected single award, with an award ceiling of $21,600. The opportunity was created on September 27, 2018, with an original closing date of October 27, 2018.

This call also fits within CRC's larger portfolio, which targets next-generation high-performance materials and functionalized polymer and hybrid composites that support Air Force and DoD mission needs. The announcement highlights related thrust areas such as high use temperature resins and composites for solid rocket motor cases and insulation, metastable composites for structural energetics, conducting organic polymers for renewable and efficient light harvesting, and omniphobic or stimuli-responsive smart coatings for demanding seal applications in liquid rocket engines. While those are broader center priorities, they provide context for why compatibilized fluoropolymer composites and nanoparticle surface engineering matter: these are enabling technologies for materials that must survive extreme temperature, chemical, and mechanical environments while delivering reliable performance in aerospace and defense systems.

• The Department of Defense, Air Force Academy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Surface Modified Metal Nanoparticles for Compatibilization into Fluoropolymer Based Composites" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 27, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 27, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $21,600.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.

Apply for USAFA BAA 2015 CALL 0006

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