Army seeking partnership for small business, university collaboration

The Combat Capabilities Development Command Data and Analysis Center at Research Triangle Park, NC, is seeking to enter into a partnership intermediary agreement for cooperating with outside organizations such as small businesses and universities, the Army announced this month.

The service issued a request for information May 8, looking to work only with a state or local government agency or nonprofit organization owned or partially owned, funded or operated by a state or local government, per the limits of a PIA.

"CCDC DAC is interested in creating a more efficient and effective laboratory that can be adaptive and responsive to the challenges of the future Army," the notice states.

"By bringing together academia, industry and government, the Army can enhance its performance through collocated [research and development] collaboration," the RFI adds. "CCDC DAC [seeks help with] facilitating access to useful regional facilities and researchers . . . to support the development of knowledge, methods, techniques, and capabilities relevant to the future Army to enable maneuver support and protection to [multidomain] operations."

The DAC is specifically looking to "meet challenges in the maneuver support and protection functions necessary in" multidomain operations, according to the notice.

"CCDC DAC supports the Maneuver Support Center's responsibility to develop new materiel requirements based on the needs of the Soldier and provide research and analysis solutions to defeat operational deficiencies," the RFI states.

Objectives include protecting soldiers and facilities, investigating "fundamentals of assured mobility at every echelon," providing "an improved ability to enable freedom of action by Army forces," and developing force protection.

The chosen partner will extend outreach from the CCDC DAC, the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and the Battle Laboratory at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and Army Futures Command "to research, entrepreneurial and industrial communities both physically and virtually via data hubs, blogs and other web strategies consistent with the CCDC Data and Analysis Center's CCDC collaboration and technology transfer plan," the RFI states.