AFRL FY25 Compositional Optimization, Dynamical Systems and Control (CODAC) UNIVERSITY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE | NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250003

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250003

The AFRL FY25 Compositional Optimization, Dynamical Systems and Control (CODAC) University Center of Excellence opportunity is a federal research grant competition run through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The purpose is to stand up a new University Center of Excellence (uCoE) focused on CODAC, meaning research at the intersection of compositional optimization, dynamical systems, and control, with a clear emphasis on joint optimization and decision-making problems that matter to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and U.S. Space Force (USSF). The work is intended to be unclassified, collaborative, and aligned to both basic and early applied research categories (commonly referred to in DoD as 6.1 and 6.2).

A key feature of this uCoE is that it is not tied to a single AFRL organization. Instead, the center is described as a joint effort across multiple AFRL technical stakeholders: AFOSR, the AFRL Information Directorate (RI), the Autonomy Capability Team (ACT3), and the Munitions Directorate (RW). In practice, that means the selected university (or team of universities) should expect the research agenda to connect to multiple mission areas and to be shaped by more than one technical community, with an emphasis on foundational methods that can translate across autonomy, information-centric systems, and mission-relevant control and decision problems.

The government is looking to fund one award under this notice, positioning the winner as the central academic hub for CODAC-related research collaboration. The stated award ceiling is $5,750,000, and the program anticipates a single recipient, which signals a center-style effort rather than a broad portfolio of many smaller grants. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, consistent with AFOSR-sponsored university research.

Eligibility is indicated broadly as "Others" in the listing, with the notice itself directing applicants to the full announcement for specific eligibility rules and requirements. The opportunity is focused on educational institutions in the United States and explicitly invites an "outstanding university or team of universities," which suggests that multi-institution consortia are likely acceptable and potentially encouraged, especially if they bring complementary strengths spanning optimization, control theory, learning-enabled decision methods, and rigorous dynamical systems analysis.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number NOFOAFRLAFOSR20250003 under CFDA 12.800 (a common assistance listing associated with Air Force research). The notice was created on January 21, 2025, and the original closing date is April 7, 2025. Anyone preparing a proposal should treat the published NOFO as the authoritative source for submission instructions, required proposal components, evaluation criteria, period of performance details, cost rules, and any center-specific expectations (for example, coordination mechanisms, reporting, collaboration structures, student involvement, or transition/engagement activities).

In plain terms, this competition is about establishing a flagship university-based research center that can push forward the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of compositional optimization and control of complex dynamical systems, while staying closely connected to real Air Force and Space Force decision-making needs. The government is signaling interest in methods that scale, compose across subsystems, and support robust planning and control under uncertainty, with outcomes that can inform next-generation autonomy and mission systems even if the immediate research remains unclassified and primarily foundational.

• The Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AFRL FY25 Compositional Optimization, Dynamical Systems and Control (CODAC) UNIVERSITY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE" 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 2025-01-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-04-07. (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 $5,750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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