DRAFT-Materials Science in Extreme Environments University Research Alliance (MSEE-URA) | DRAFT HDTRA1 19 S 0003 MSEE URA

Opportunity Information: Apply for DRAFT HDTRA1 19 S 0003 MSEE URA

The DRAFT Materials Science in Extreme Environments University Research Alliance (MSEE-URA) is a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funding opportunity that was posted as a draft Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and was explicitly not open for applications at the time of posting. The document repeatedly emphasizes that it is only a draft solicitation, that proposals are not being accepted yet, and that a final version will be released later. In practice, this posting is meant to inform the research community about DTRA's direction and to collect feedback before the final solicitation is issued.

At a high level, the opportunity signals DTRA's shift in how it plans to support basic research, moving from individual awards toward an "Alliance model" organized as a University Research Alliance (URA). While the draft notice itself does not lay out detailed technical topics in the text provided, the title indicates a focus on materials science under extreme environments, and the mechanism is listed as a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements typically imply more substantial government involvement than a standard grant, such as ongoing coordination, shared planning, or other forms of programmatic collaboration throughout the research period.

A central feature of the draft announcement is DTRA's planned "University Day" on March 22, 2019 in Lorton, Virginia. This event is positioned as both an information session and a structured way for universities and researchers to comment on and ask questions about DTRA's transition to the Alliance model and about three related draft BAAs (HDTRA1-19-S-0002, HDTRA1-19-S-0003, and HDTRA1-19-S-0004) that were posted to Grants.gov on February 6, 2019. DTRA also frames the event as a networking opportunity for the community, with encouragement to attend in person if possible, though a virtual attendance option is also offered.

Attendance at University Day required advance registration, with requests due by February 15, 2019 via email to DTRA-URA-Program@mail.mil. Registrants were asked to provide their name, university affiliation (including school/department), email address, whether they consented to having their contact information shared with other attendees for networking, their specific interests across the BAAs and associated research/focus areas, and their preference for in-person versus web-based participation. DTRA also required confirmation of U.S. Person status for registrants, and lawful permanent residents were instructed to provide a scan of their permanent resident card (front and back) showing the USCIS number, sent as a password-protected attachment with the password transmitted separately. Confirmation of registration was expected around February 21, 2019, along with logistics details for in-person attendees or connection information for virtual participation.

Because the in-person event was held in a secure facility, DTRA noted that in-person participation would be limited to U.S. Persons (U.S. citizens or permanent residents), although that restriction would not apply to virtual attendees. DTRA also indicated that in-person attendance could be capped based on space limits and that selection would consider factors like diversity of universities and coverage across BAAs and research areas. Late registration requests after February 15 could be considered only on a limited basis, subject to space and security constraints.

From an engagement and Q&A standpoint, DTRA planned for program leadership, the Grants Officer, and program managers to be present to address both technical and administrative questions. The agenda also included breakout sessions led by program managers for each of the three draft BAAs, which suggests DTRA intended to gather targeted input and help potential applicants understand how the future URA structure and research areas would be organized. DTRA encouraged participation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs), and offered limited booth space for those institutions upon request, subject to availability. In addition, questions could be emailed in advance by March 1, 2019, with the caveat that responses might be provided at University Day at DTRA's discretion. A further administrative note is that existing DTRA basic research awardees were told they could not use current DTRA travel funds to attend the event.

The listing metadata provides additional framing: the opportunity category is discretionary; the funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement; the activity category is science and technology and other research and development; and the CFDA number is 12.351. The eligible applicants field is marked "unrestricted," although the draft points readers to the eligibility section of the final BAA for full requirements. The posting shows an award ceiling of 0 and does not list expected awards, which is consistent with a draft notice rather than a finalized, open competition. Overall, the key takeaway is that this posting functioned as an early-release, community-feedback version of a forthcoming DTRA URA solicitation focused on materials science in extreme environments, with University Day serving as the primary mechanism for clarification, discussion, and pre-solicitation input.

• The Defense Threat Reduction Agency in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DRAFT-Materials Science in Extreme Environments University Research Alliance (MSEE-URA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-02-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-03-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DRAFT HDTRA1 19 S 0003 MSEE URA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: