This RFI is only seeking responses from University Affiliated Research Center(s) (UARCs). This is a Request for Information (RFI), to gain knowledge of interest and capabilities. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS. The Government DOES NOT intend to award a contract on the basis of the responses to this RFI.

Scope:

The Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Acquisition Directorate (AD) on behalf of the Office of the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DOD CIO), has potential requirements for University Affiliated Research Center(s) (UARCs) to establish and maintain an essential network enabled services/information technology research or development capability to be provided by an educational institution. The network enabled services/information technology research or development capability sought is one that is ordinarily found in Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) which require unique security provisions. The UARC designation was established by Congress and is administered under direction/guidance by the Department of Defense (DOD) Director Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) office. WHS/AD is seeking information from University Affiliated Research Center(s) (UARCs) with the demonstrated essential network enabled services/ information technology capabilities. The potentially needed/required core capabilities are outlined below. Potentially needed/required University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) core capabilities are:

1. Net-Centricity: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in the organization, culture, and technologies of net-centric information sharing methodologies, network-enabled services to facilitate cross-component operations, and advanced network encryption techniques to harness the potential of platforms, software, and infrastructure such as "cloud computing" and Web 2.0.

2. Information and Mission Assurance: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in enterprise security management, cyber surveillance & reconnaissance, trusted data & platforms, network resiliency, universal cyber identification friend or foe, and transactional protection.

3. Defensive Information Operations: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in defending malicious attacks on critical information targets and capabilities that facilitate filtering serious from non-serious incidents and standardize specific network protection measures.

4. Social Networks: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in the application of large-scale social media, social networks, and how social networks can be used as tools to organize large groups of people with common interests (e.g. how social networks could potentially be used to solve geo-location and information-gathering problems; and the potential military applications using web-based crowd-sourcing techniques).

5. Mobile Software Applications (Apps): Detailed functional knowledge and experience in enabling the development of diverse military apps with national security relevance (e.g. creating the right mobile software applications for warfighters as the apps are needed).

6. Wireless IT: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in new wireless applications such as machine-to-machine wireless communications that could significantly impact planned communications infrastructure capacities (e.g. battlefield components that communicate automatically when spare parts, fuel, ammunition, or other products need to be resupplied).

7. Information Services: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in the evolution of leadership command information services and capabilities, for continued experimentation and analysis of alternative system concepts and configurations to achieve worldwide voice conferencing for command and control and communications (C3) networks and systems -- to be available globally, under various stressing scenarios, across specified mobile platforms, fixed sites, and various ad hoc locations -- its extension of quality and collaborative conferencing capabilities to other networks, and an assured means for graceful degradation to a subset of C3 infrastructure that is fully survive-able and secure.

8. Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications: Detailed functional knowledge and experience in Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) systems and networks; in elements of System Engineering applicable to information systems and networks focused on technical elements contributing to the NC3 mission and requirements; and knowledge and experience in architecting robust networks supporting integrated voice, video, and data conferencing and collaboration - information sharing, situation awareness, and alternative courses of actions development and displays.

This is a Request for Information (RFI), to gain knowledge of interest and capabilities. The Government is seeking responses from interested UARC's as a result of this announcement. The Government is soliciting interested parties only at this time; no awards will be made from this announcement. However, all information received may be used for evaluation of future offers/awards. Interested UARC's shall provide a white paper describing their capabilities to meet any or all of the above core capabilities. Potential UARCs shall identify any current awards from the Department of Defense (DOD) with points of contact identified by name, telephone number, and e-mail address.

How to Respond: Responses to this Request for Information should be directed to Walter Fairbanks at [email protected] no later than July 20, 2011. Electronic copies only in Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel. No telephone calls please.

Disclaimer: In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by WHS/AD to form a binding contract. WHS/AD does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. All information received in response to this RFI will be treated as business confidential information and exempted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.