WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:02.583 (upbeat music) 00:21.600 --> 00:23.050 - [Carl] To begin with 00:23.050 --> 00:27.290 what is the Defense Threat Reduction Agency 00:27.290 --> 00:30.470 Chemical and Biological Technology Department's 00:30.470 --> 00:35.470 first University Engagement Webinar for 2020, 00:36.930 --> 00:40.070 entitled "Doing Business with DTRA." 00:40.070 --> 00:41.510 My name is Carl Brown. 00:41.510 --> 00:43.960 For those folks who are interested in titles, 00:43.960 --> 00:47.230 I am the staff director for strategic communication 00:47.230 --> 00:50.460 and outreach at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency 00:50.460 --> 00:53.590 in the research and development directorate 00:53.590 --> 00:57.670 and the chemical and biological technologies department. 00:57.670 --> 01:01.200 So the material that we're gonna talk about today 01:01.200 --> 01:05.070 is specific to the chemical 01:05.070 --> 01:07.090 and biological technologies department, 01:07.090 --> 01:09.960 although, there may, in some instances, 01:09.960 --> 01:14.960 be applicability to other parts of the agency. 01:16.460 --> 01:20.270 A quick two-minute intro for me, 01:20.270 --> 01:25.270 I have been a DTRA employee for almost 20 years. 01:27.750 --> 01:29.880 All of that has been in the chemical 01:29.880 --> 01:32.210 and biological technologies department. 01:32.210 --> 01:35.380 A portion of it has been through service 01:35.380 --> 01:36.930 in the United States Navy, 01:36.930 --> 01:39.830 and then after retiring from the Navy, 01:39.830 --> 01:43.900 continuing to serve as a civil servant. 01:43.900 --> 01:47.390 It has been my distinct honor and pleasure 01:47.390 --> 01:50.710 to serve in this capacity. 01:50.710 --> 01:53.930 I wasn't always directing strategic communication 01:53.930 --> 01:56.170 and outreach for eight years 01:56.170 --> 01:57.960 in the Chem/Bio Technologies Department, 01:57.960 --> 02:02.570 I managed programs as a defense acquisition professional, 02:02.570 --> 02:07.570 and so my hope is some of the work I did managing programs 02:08.300 --> 02:10.020 and the work I am doing 02:10.020 --> 02:13.330 in the strategic communications group 02:13.330 --> 02:17.270 will translate into useful information 02:17.270 --> 02:20.240 for those who are participating today. 02:20.240 --> 02:22.330 Also on behalf of the director 02:22.330 --> 02:25.340 of the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, 02:25.340 --> 02:27.000 Dr. Ron Hann, 02:27.000 --> 02:30.740 I wanna thank everyone for joining us today 02:30.740 --> 02:34.480 and look forward to these presentations 02:34.480 --> 02:38.550 and any questions and answers that may come 02:38.550 --> 02:42.360 as we go through today's webinar. 02:42.360 --> 02:43.310 Next slide, please. 02:46.550 --> 02:51.020 So this is basically what the webinar's going to look like. 02:51.020 --> 02:56.020 Full disclosure, we generally use this same format, 02:56.740 --> 02:59.420 so if you have participated 02:59.420 --> 03:03.120 in University Engagement Webinars in the past, 03:03.120 --> 03:07.680 this should look like something you are familiar with. 03:07.680 --> 03:09.730 If this is your first time joining us 03:09.730 --> 03:11.960 on one of our webinars, 03:11.960 --> 03:14.830 this kind of model 03:14.830 --> 03:19.830 is fairly typical of what we follow. 03:21.320 --> 03:26.320 I'm gonna walk you through who we are and what we do, 03:26.560 --> 03:30.100 then I'm going to hand off to one of my colleagues, 03:30.100 --> 03:34.230 Mr. Ricky McGlothin, who is the division chief 03:34.230 --> 03:38.380 for Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, 03:38.380 --> 03:40.090 Contracts Division, 03:40.090 --> 03:44.140 and then he will be followed by Mr. Mark DeGroodt, 03:44.140 --> 03:46.300 who's a technical program manager 03:46.300 --> 03:47.540 for research and development, 03:47.540 --> 03:50.040 Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, 03:50.040 --> 03:52.160 Acquisition Programs. 03:52.160 --> 03:55.690 And then we'll close out our presentation session 03:55.690 --> 03:59.730 with a Q&A chat session, and, if you don't mind, 03:59.730 --> 04:02.140 I would ask that you please hold your questions 04:02.140 --> 04:05.230 until we get to the Q&A, 04:05.230 --> 04:08.060 at which time we'll try to address as many, 04:08.060 --> 04:12.133 if not all, of the questions as we can. 04:13.090 --> 04:14.803 So let's get started. Next slide. 04:16.850 --> 04:18.080 So it's no secret 04:18.080 --> 04:22.050 that there are plenty of bad actors in the world, 04:22.050 --> 04:23.960 of both state and non-state actors, 04:23.960 --> 04:25.970 that are working to gain access 04:25.970 --> 04:28.290 to weapons of mass destruction. 04:28.290 --> 04:32.940 These actors usually use any 04:32.940 --> 04:37.070 and all means necessary to achieve their objectives. 04:37.070 --> 04:41.623 This includes the use of WMD and other improvised threats. 04:42.510 --> 04:45.110 To put it simply, here at DTRA, 04:45.110 --> 04:48.850 we prepare the U.S. and our allies for the unthinkable. 04:48.850 --> 04:51.760 Our broader mission at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency 04:51.760 --> 04:56.760 is to enable WMD and improvised-threat communities of action 04:57.210 --> 05:01.593 to counter and to deter threat networks. 05:01.593 --> 05:04.080 The chem/bio technologies group works 05:04.080 --> 05:06.610 with the rest of the U.S. government, allies, 05:06.610 --> 05:10.910 and partner countries and international organizations 05:10.910 --> 05:12.900 to counter weapons of mass destruction 05:12.900 --> 05:14.343 and improvised threats. 05:15.440 --> 05:16.390 Next slide, please. 05:21.450 --> 05:24.281 Within the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, 05:24.281 --> 05:26.010 (notification chiming) DTRA CB, 05:26.010 --> 05:28.870 as you may hear us refer to regularly, 05:28.870 --> 05:32.300 our mission is to lead the Department of Defense S&T, 05:32.300 --> 05:34.550 or science and technology research, 05:34.550 --> 05:38.110 to anticipate, defend, and safeguard 05:38.110 --> 05:41.690 against chemical and biological threats to the warfighter. 05:41.690 --> 05:45.840 We accomplish this by focusing all of our efforts 05:45.840 --> 05:50.480 in three strategic priorities: integrated early warning, 05:50.480 --> 05:54.403 preparing for surprise, and integrated layer defense. 05:55.520 --> 05:58.660 We accomplish our mission by sponsoring good science 05:58.660 --> 06:00.720 and turning ideas into prototypes 06:00.720 --> 06:03.220 and capabilities for the warfighter. 06:03.220 --> 06:04.600 We work to fill the breadth 06:04.600 --> 06:07.750 of chemical and biological defense from suits and boots, 06:07.750 --> 06:10.920 masks and gloves to filters, diagnostics, 06:10.920 --> 06:14.480 detection systems, and medical countermeasures. 06:14.480 --> 06:15.313 Next slide. 06:20.180 --> 06:23.050 Solutions require partnerships, and, as a result, 06:23.050 --> 06:27.100 our primary function is to synchronize DoD science, 06:27.100 --> 06:29.400 military and national laboratories, 06:29.400 --> 06:32.650 interests, industry, and academia. 06:32.650 --> 06:34.540 It's a monumental task 06:34.540 --> 06:36.600 and a heavy burden to bear, but we do it. 06:36.600 --> 06:40.610 We do it in the form of partnerships 06:40.610 --> 06:43.590 with other organizations across our government, 06:43.590 --> 06:47.270 industry, academia, and national laboratories. 06:47.270 --> 06:49.630 We also work with many others across the globe 06:51.941 --> 06:54.240 and with governments worldwide, 06:54.240 --> 06:55.783 along with the private sector, 06:56.760 --> 06:59.550 which leads us right to why we are here today: 06:59.550 --> 07:00.780 we wanna work with you. 07:00.780 --> 07:02.770 If you're on this webinar, 07:02.770 --> 07:07.120 we hope that we will find a way to broaden our idea pool 07:07.120 --> 07:10.530 and translate new ideas into prototypes 07:10.530 --> 07:13.753 and solutions and capabilities for our warfighters. 07:14.760 --> 07:18.140 We wanna help you turn your ideas into capabilities. 07:18.140 --> 07:19.363 That's our function. 07:22.910 --> 07:24.460 And now that we've kind of 07:24.460 --> 07:29.460 gone through the general overview, 07:29.630 --> 07:32.460 we're gonna take a more focused look, 07:32.460 --> 07:34.670 and I'll turn over the presentation 07:34.670 --> 07:36.930 to my colleague, Ricky McGlothin. 07:36.930 --> 07:38.290 Rick? 07:38.290 --> 07:41.600 - [Ricky] Well, in this pandemic environment, 07:41.600 --> 07:44.273 I'm gonna cover today doing business with DTRA. 07:50.420 --> 07:54.490 The agenda I will cover, it's gonna be three areas: 07:54.490 --> 07:57.210 key steps to doing business, important terms to understand, 07:57.210 --> 08:00.573 the solicitation and broad agency announcement. 08:02.870 --> 08:07.870 The first step is for you to know your business strategy, 08:08.550 --> 08:12.500 know what your sweet spot is, know where you want to go, 08:12.500 --> 08:14.733 know what areas in the government 08:14.733 --> 08:18.140 that you want to try to get into 08:18.140 --> 08:20.590 their particular business areas. 08:20.590 --> 08:23.967 Step two, here are some of the... 08:23.967 --> 08:26.793 You have to understand the procurement, federal procurement. 08:26.793 --> 08:28.730 What you mostly have to deal with 08:28.730 --> 08:30.650 when you deal with federal procurement 08:30.650 --> 08:32.823 is the FAR and the DFAR. 08:34.190 --> 08:38.170 Step three, registration. 08:38.170 --> 08:39.510 To do business with the government, 08:39.510 --> 08:41.900 you have to register with login.gov, 08:41.900 --> 08:45.610 and you have the link there, and also with SAM. 08:45.610 --> 08:50.060 You'll hear the SAM acronym again, 08:50.060 --> 08:54.020 Systems of Award Management, because that is our new areas. 08:54.020 --> 08:57.427 Replaced what known previously as FedBizOps. 09:01.300 --> 09:05.090 Step four, identify your industry focus. 09:05.090 --> 09:09.150 Now the government puts out particular jobs 09:09.150 --> 09:13.150 or particular contracts based on the NAICS code, 09:13.150 --> 09:16.430 and as we've talked about in step one, 09:16.430 --> 09:18.633 know what your business strategy is. 09:20.730 --> 09:22.210 Know your business strategy 09:22.210 --> 09:24.160 and the NAICS code go hand in hand 09:24.160 --> 09:27.960 on what you can do for the government 09:27.960 --> 09:29.573 or business you can acquire. 09:32.310 --> 09:34.970 Identify prime and subcontracting opportunities. 09:34.970 --> 09:39.110 This can be for both prime contractors and subcontractors. 09:39.110 --> 09:42.230 As a prime contractor, you may want to look 09:42.230 --> 09:44.910 for certain small businesses 09:47.427 --> 09:48.380 to team with. 09:48.380 --> 09:49.690 Also as a small business, 09:49.690 --> 09:53.400 you may be looking for a large business to team with. 09:53.400 --> 09:55.990 We can find those on sam.gov. 09:55.990 --> 09:57.240 And also for small business, 09:57.240 --> 09:59.680 they show the small business network. 09:59.680 --> 10:01.790 And we have the procurements, 10:01.790 --> 10:03.990 the Federal Data Procurement System. 10:03.990 --> 10:04.960 There's other areas, 10:04.960 --> 10:07.510 and you can see links there where you can get involved 10:07.510 --> 10:09.283 with the government businesses. 10:11.940 --> 10:14.250 Seek additional assistance. 10:14.250 --> 10:15.640 This is especially for small business. 10:15.640 --> 10:19.930 You have the SBA resources, and you have the PTAC, 10:19.930 --> 10:23.030 which is Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. 10:23.030 --> 10:25.620 They provide additional assistance to small businesses, 10:25.620 --> 10:27.070 people who are trying to get involved 10:27.070 --> 10:28.470 with government contracting. 10:34.150 --> 10:36.410 And business development. 10:36.410 --> 10:38.850 It is important for you as a business 10:38.850 --> 10:40.060 to do business development. 10:40.060 --> 10:42.300 It's kinda like setting up your resume. 10:42.300 --> 10:44.630 You have your capability statements. 10:44.630 --> 10:46.020 You need to focus this, 10:46.020 --> 10:48.560 whatever your businesses has expert in, 10:48.560 --> 10:52.160 focus on what's the particular agency mission is 10:52.160 --> 10:56.800 and continue to look at the sam.gov 10:56.800 --> 10:59.210 because they have market research inquiries, 10:59.210 --> 11:01.477 and they have their draft solicitations we put out there, 11:01.477 --> 11:02.920 and that can give you the opportunity 11:02.920 --> 11:05.180 to know what the government is looking for 11:05.180 --> 11:07.360 and see if your expertise can fit 11:07.360 --> 11:08.470 that particular requirement 11:08.470 --> 11:10.220 that the government is looking for. 11:11.920 --> 11:14.730 And here's some important terms. 11:14.730 --> 11:17.840 You've heard of contracts, and that's basically a contract 11:17.840 --> 11:20.340 that is for supplies and services. 11:20.340 --> 11:21.560 You have grants. 11:21.560 --> 11:23.188 We basically send out grants 11:23.188 --> 11:27.020 where we have very little government oversight, 11:27.020 --> 11:30.700 but basically grants are sent out for support or to help. 11:30.700 --> 11:33.193 You have interagency agreements, 11:34.170 --> 11:36.110 I'm sorry, interagency acquisitions, 11:36.110 --> 11:40.270 which basically are economy acquisitions 11:40.270 --> 11:41.740 where you can have one agency, 11:41.740 --> 11:44.880 has a contract with a particular contractor, 11:44.880 --> 11:48.870 and another agency can get service from that contractor 11:48.870 --> 11:51.450 through the Economy Act. 11:51.450 --> 11:54.060 And you have Other Transaction Agreement, 11:54.060 --> 11:56.660 which are transactions other than contracts, grants, 11:56.660 --> 11:57.630 or cooperative agreement, 11:57.630 --> 12:00.900 and Mark DeGroodt, who will brief after me, 12:00.900 --> 12:02.643 will cover those more in depth. 12:05.620 --> 12:07.380 Solicitations versus BAAs. 12:08.380 --> 12:10.920 Just wanna cover a couple of areas of those. 12:10.920 --> 12:12.870 You look at the type of work of solicitation, 12:12.870 --> 12:16.340 it's not limited to R&D, but BAAs are. 12:16.340 --> 12:20.970 Solicitations are defined, and BAAs are more flexible. 12:20.970 --> 12:23.780 Solicitations have evaluation criteria; 12:23.780 --> 12:25.753 BAAs are more scientific. 12:26.830 --> 12:31.107 The end result is a solicitation will give you a contract, 12:31.107 --> 12:35.097 but a BAA can give you a grant, a contract, or an OTA. 12:36.460 --> 12:38.570 So far, I've covered these particular areas, 12:38.570 --> 12:43.440 but I will transfer over to Mark DeGroodt. 12:43.440 --> 12:47.863 He's gonna talk about the OTAs. Thank you. 12:49.970 --> 12:52.040 - [Mark] Thank you, Rick. 12:52.040 --> 12:53.150 In the following slides, 12:53.150 --> 12:56.853 I will describe what an OTA is, its history, 12:59.090 --> 13:00.290 and its usage at DTRA, 13:00.290 --> 13:02.083 including the use of a consortium. 13:05.100 --> 13:07.853 OTA started in 1958 with NASA. 13:09.150 --> 13:12.250 The U.S. was behind the USSR in a space race, 13:12.250 --> 13:15.280 in need new approach that was innovative, 13:15.280 --> 13:18.940 more collaborative, and faster than traditional contracts. 13:18.940 --> 13:22.193 In 1994, the Department of Defense started using OTAs. 13:25.980 --> 13:28.700 Other Transaction Authority is the term commonly used 13:28.700 --> 13:33.400 to refer to United States Code 2371. 13:33.400 --> 13:35.110 That's the authority of the Department of Defense 13:35.110 --> 13:37.610 to carry out certain prototype, research, 13:37.610 --> 13:38.923 and production projects. 13:40.460 --> 13:42.960 OT authorities were created 13:42.960 --> 13:45.570 to give Department of Defense the flexibility necessary 13:45.570 --> 13:48.760 to adopt and incorporate business practices 13:48.760 --> 13:50.800 that reflect commercial industry standards 13:50.800 --> 13:54.423 and best practices into its award instruments. 13:56.240 --> 14:00.100 As of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, 14:00.100 --> 14:03.130 Section 845, the Department of Defense 14:03.130 --> 14:05.830 currently has permanent authority to award OT 14:05.830 --> 14:09.790 under 10 U.S.C. 2371 for research, 14:09.790 --> 14:11.723 prototype, and production purposes. 14:13.490 --> 14:18.217 At DTRA, we use 10 U.S.C. 2371b, 14:20.310 --> 14:22.430 which is prototype authority. 14:22.430 --> 14:26.500 That is a statutory authority that states OT shall be used 14:26.500 --> 14:30.380 to carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant 14:30.380 --> 14:34.110 to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel 14:34.110 --> 14:37.290 and the supporting platforms, systems, components, 14:37.290 --> 14:40.220 or materials proposed to be acquired 14:40.220 --> 14:43.070 or developed by the Department of Defense 14:43.070 --> 14:47.310 or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, 14:47.310 --> 14:50.033 or materials in use by the Armed Forces. 14:52.930 --> 14:56.280 OTs are not covered by the federal acquisition regulations 14:57.357 --> 15:00.800 and our highly flexible business tool use, 15:00.800 --> 15:04.620 of which requires application of astute business acumen 15:04.620 --> 15:07.810 to ensure smarter, more efficient acquisition 15:07.810 --> 15:10.713 of prototype systems for the Department of Defense. 15:12.900 --> 15:14.780 OTs require a minimum of at least 15:14.780 --> 15:17.920 one nontraditional defense contractor participating 15:17.920 --> 15:21.900 to a significant extent in the project 15:21.900 --> 15:24.957 or a cost-sharing arrangement requiring that at least 1/3 15:24.957 --> 15:28.963 of the cost of the OTA come from non-sources. 15:34.720 --> 15:38.060 Non-traditional defense contractor is defined by statute 15:38.060 --> 15:40.640 as "an entity that is not currently performing 15:40.640 --> 15:41.690 and has not performed 15:41.690 --> 15:44.880 for at least one-year period preceding the solicitation 15:44.880 --> 15:47.580 of sources by the Department of Defense 15:47.580 --> 15:50.100 for the procurement or transaction, 15:50.100 --> 15:53.990 any contract or subcontractor for the Department of Defense 15:53.990 --> 15:55.540 as subject to the full coverage 15:55.540 --> 15:57.580 under the cost accounting standards prescribed 15:57.580 --> 16:01.057 in Title 41, Section 1502." 16:06.150 --> 16:08.450 With regard to Section 845 authority, 16:08.450 --> 16:10.500 a prototype can generally be described 16:10.500 --> 16:12.950 as a physical or virtual model used 16:12.950 --> 16:16.670 to evaluate the technical or manufacturing feasibility 16:16.670 --> 16:20.420 or military utility of a particular technology 16:20.420 --> 16:23.563 or process, concept, end item, or system. 16:24.630 --> 16:27.230 The quantity developed should be limited to that needed 16:27.230 --> 16:31.050 to provide technical or manufacturing feasibility 16:31.050 --> 16:33.133 or evaluate military utility. 16:38.370 --> 16:41.000 Section 845 neither defines significant 16:41.000 --> 16:43.610 nor prescribes a monetary threshold or value 16:43.610 --> 16:45.073 to justify significant. 16:47.310 --> 16:49.860 Examples of significant participation 16:49.860 --> 16:53.680 is supplying a key technology, facility, 16:53.680 --> 16:57.320 or unique capability causing a material 16:57.320 --> 17:00.343 and quantifiable reduction in the project cost or schedule, 17:01.540 --> 17:03.850 causing a measurable increase in the performance 17:03.850 --> 17:06.020 of the prototype, and, lastly, 17:06.020 --> 17:08.720 value-added analysis not based on percentage 17:08.720 --> 17:10.403 of project work or value. 17:15.920 --> 17:19.260 OTA acquisition tool is authorized by Congress, 17:19.260 --> 17:22.190 approach used to reach out to business 17:22.190 --> 17:25.133 that hasn't worked with the government in the past. 17:26.090 --> 17:28.450 The OTA agreement is tailorable, 17:28.450 --> 17:31.563 including flexibility and intellectual property provision. 17:32.830 --> 17:36.120 OTAs promote public/private cooperation, 17:36.120 --> 17:37.403 cooperative agreements. 17:38.610 --> 17:41.083 Payments are based on milestone achievements. 17:42.100 --> 17:44.323 Since April 2018, 17:46.170 --> 17:50.203 Chem/Bio has had 34 OTA consortium projects. 17:52.390 --> 17:55.333 Chem/Bio has a quarterly call for these topics. 18:00.690 --> 18:04.573 So at Chem/Bio, we use the following four consortiums. 18:05.940 --> 18:08.280 There are about 40 different OTAs, 18:08.280 --> 18:09.830 but we use these four. 18:09.830 --> 18:10.960 We use the consortium 18:10.960 --> 18:14.940 for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace, 18:14.940 --> 18:16.983 the Defense Innovation Unit, 18:17.900 --> 18:20.920 the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, 18:20.920 --> 18:23.973 and the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium. 18:28.560 --> 18:30.533 So for industry, how to get started, 18:31.900 --> 18:33.680 I covered that it's open to small business, 18:33.680 --> 18:36.490 non-traditional defense contractors, academia, 18:36.490 --> 18:37.970 traditional defense contractors, 18:37.970 --> 18:39.893 and nonprofit research institutions; 18:40.920 --> 18:43.960 it's non-traditional industry focus; 18:43.960 --> 18:45.923 OTA do not follow the FAR; 18:48.420 --> 18:52.890 and solicitations is via multiple sources: 18:52.890 --> 18:55.720 the SAM website that Rick mentioned, 18:55.720 --> 18:58.283 CSO, and consortium websites. 18:59.710 --> 19:04.520 Usually there's a low barrier to entry, $500 or less. 19:04.520 --> 19:05.503 For the government, 19:06.430 --> 19:08.993 we identify the OTA vehicle we wanna use, 19:10.080 --> 19:12.750 we have open communication with the OTA team, 19:13.900 --> 19:16.240 and the difference between a contract 19:16.240 --> 19:19.993 and an OTA is the collaboration. 19:21.300 --> 19:24.780 At nearly every step of the process, 19:24.780 --> 19:27.520 we can reach out and talk to the company, 19:27.520 --> 19:32.300 except when we are actually evaluating the proposal. 19:32.300 --> 19:34.600 Other than that, we can talk with the company. 19:36.000 --> 19:37.140 We can develop a statement 19:37.140 --> 19:38.670 of objectives/requirements document 19:38.670 --> 19:41.763 and then conducted market research and post-solicitation. 19:44.250 --> 19:47.913 And this slide is simply how to contact the consortiums. 19:51.330 --> 19:53.700 So with an OTA, like I mentioned, 19:53.700 --> 19:55.920 there's over 40 different OTAs, 19:55.920 --> 19:58.720 but if you're interested in working with us 19:58.720 --> 20:00.870 at the Chemical and Biological Technology Department, 20:00.870 --> 20:02.293 these are the four we use. 20:03.820 --> 20:05.760 Now I'm gonna turn over back to Carl 20:05.760 --> 20:07.763 to start the Q&A chat session. 20:11.890 --> 20:16.890 - [Carl] What you all have gotten from Ricky and Mark 20:17.350 --> 20:21.970 is kind of Drinking From a Fire Hose 101; 20:21.970 --> 20:26.970 however, it is kind of the most useful nugget, 20:28.780 --> 20:32.900 or nuggets, that one might need 20:32.900 --> 20:36.770 to kind of get a macro-level understanding 20:36.770 --> 20:39.860 of what types 20:39.860 --> 20:44.860 of information is useful 20:45.160 --> 20:49.363 when the decision is made to pursue federal acquisition. 20:51.020 --> 20:52.840 Both Ricky and Mark spoke 20:52.840 --> 20:57.000 to more traditional FAR-based approaches 20:57.000 --> 21:00.840 as well as some nontraditional approaches 21:00.840 --> 21:03.300 to defense acquisition, 21:03.300 --> 21:07.200 particularly our most recent use 21:07.200 --> 21:09.690 of Other Transaction Authority. 21:09.690 --> 21:14.220 Hopefully that information will spur 21:14.220 --> 21:18.710 some conversation or inform useful questions, 21:18.710 --> 21:21.070 and when we start answering your questions, 21:21.070 --> 21:24.210 we will hopefully get closer to information 21:24.210 --> 21:26.880 that is useful to each of you 21:26.880 --> 21:29.563 or your organizations individually. 21:30.481 --> 21:33.040 With that, we will jump into Q&A 21:33.970 --> 21:38.970 with the first question from David Marciano. 21:39.697 --> 21:41.260 "Are slides available?" 21:41.260 --> 21:44.773 That one's easy. The answer is yes. 21:46.600 --> 21:49.300 I'll leave it to Carla in our wrap up 21:49.300 --> 21:52.680 to kind of talk about how and when that will be available, 21:52.680 --> 21:54.330 but the slides will be available. 21:55.440 --> 22:00.090 And our next question, Monique Van Hook. 22:00.090 --> 22:02.890 I hope I didn't mispronounce your name. 22:02.890 --> 22:04.840 Maybe I should stop fooling with names. 22:06.697 --> 22:09.880 "Can you discuss specifically for Chem/Bio 22:09.880 --> 22:13.560 if fundamental research should be submitted to CB 22:13.560 --> 22:16.010 or to Fundamental Research J9? 22:16.010 --> 22:19.620 For example, characterization of a bio threat agent 22:19.620 --> 22:23.110 that is not directly to a medical countermeasure." 22:23.110 --> 22:24.453 So it's a fair question. 22:25.750 --> 22:30.050 Let me see if I get some thoughts from Ricky and Mark, 22:30.050 --> 22:34.490 and then I will share my thoughts as needed. 22:34.490 --> 22:35.940 Gentlemen, what do you think? 22:37.130 --> 22:37.980 - [Ricky] I'll let Mark... 22:37.980 --> 22:40.220 Mark, if you don't mind, I'll let you take that one 22:40.220 --> 22:45.045 because you're a expert on the BAAs a lot, 22:45.045 --> 22:50.045 and I can add something on, if you don't mind, Mark. 22:50.290 --> 22:52.890 - [Mark] Sure. This is Mark DeGroodt. 22:52.890 --> 22:56.583 So Chem/Bio has an annual Chem/Bio solicitation. 22:58.260 --> 23:00.150 Within research and development, 23:00.150 --> 23:03.620 there are two other BAAs that are always open: 23:03.620 --> 23:07.653 the Innovation BAA and the Fundamental Research BAA. 23:08.510 --> 23:11.170 Now a subset of Fundamental Research BAA 23:11.170 --> 23:14.623 is the Basic Research BAA, and that has defined times; 23:15.480 --> 23:18.653 however, I suggest if you're interested, 23:19.620 --> 23:22.730 go to the sam.gov website, 23:22.730 --> 23:25.241 and you can look at all the BAAs. 23:25.241 --> 23:28.440 Nucear, excuse me, Nuclear Technologies also has a BAA, 23:28.440 --> 23:30.963 but I don't know if it's open at this point. 23:33.530 --> 23:35.693 So back to you, Carl. 23:36.810 --> 23:37.890 - [Carl] Okay, Ricky, did you have something 23:37.890 --> 23:38.790 you wanted to add? 23:41.000 --> 23:43.000 - [Ricky] No, no. No, I'm good. 23:43.000 --> 23:45.739 That sounds very good, thank you. All right. 23:45.739 --> 23:46.980 - [Carl] So one other thing 23:46.980 --> 23:50.850 that I try to remember webinar attending, 23:50.850 --> 23:53.730 I try to get folks to think about, not remember, 23:53.730 --> 23:57.560 is that there isn't 23:57.560 --> 24:00.930 necessarily a right or wrong answer 24:00.930 --> 24:04.153 about where work should be submitted. 24:05.090 --> 24:10.050 Conversely, what really ought to drive behavior 24:11.000 --> 24:13.870 is identifying in the solicitation 24:13.870 --> 24:15.820 or broad agency announcement 24:15.820 --> 24:18.410 what the government is looking for, 24:18.410 --> 24:21.880 and that's where that information is explicitly stated. 24:21.880 --> 24:23.040 One of the challenges 24:23.040 --> 24:27.270 that sometimes creeps into the disconnect 24:27.270 --> 24:30.240 between industry and academia and the government 24:30.240 --> 24:34.797 is folks have something that they're good at, and they say, 24:34.797 --> 24:37.780 "We could make this better if we got some federal funding." 24:37.780 --> 24:39.450 And then they start shopping around, 24:39.450 --> 24:42.453 looking for places where they could get the money. 24:43.930 --> 24:48.930 The way that government manages acquisition is we say, 24:49.067 --> 24:52.330 "This is the thing we're looking for," 24:52.330 --> 24:56.010 and then we invite people to submit proposals 24:56.010 --> 25:01.010 or white papers to give us their approach to a solution. 25:01.550 --> 25:05.860 We select those submissions based on technical merit, 25:05.860 --> 25:09.963 cost, schedule, performance, for sure, 25:11.040 --> 25:14.440 but the key is what the government is looking for. 25:14.440 --> 25:18.920 And so when you're reading a solicitation, Monique, 25:18.920 --> 25:20.840 you should submit your work 25:22.170 --> 25:26.130 to the solicitation that is most relevant 25:26.130 --> 25:30.480 to what you are trying to accomplish as it is consistent 25:30.480 --> 25:32.923 with what the government is trying to do. 25:33.820 --> 25:36.380 And if that makes sense to you, just jump back in, Monique. 25:36.380 --> 25:38.210 You can say, "Thank you for answering," 25:38.210 --> 25:40.840 or, "I was asking a different question." 25:40.840 --> 25:42.563 All right, next, 25:44.187 --> 25:47.770 "Working with the government usually takes a very long time. 25:47.770 --> 25:50.670 How difficult is it to work with DTRA?" 25:50.670 --> 25:52.420 So DTRA's a part of the government. 25:53.460 --> 25:57.880 I spend a bulk of my time engaging 25:57.880 --> 26:01.260 with industry, academia, and other government partners, 26:01.260 --> 26:02.700 and one of the first things 26:02.700 --> 26:07.530 that I tell everyone that I work with: gotta be patient. 26:07.530 --> 26:11.040 If you think that something you are doing in the government 26:11.040 --> 26:16.040 is going to happen quickly, probably not gonna happen. 26:16.460 --> 26:18.660 One of the things that's important to understand, though, 26:18.660 --> 26:23.540 is things don't take a long time 26:23.540 --> 26:26.500 because we're indifferent to how long it takes. 26:26.500 --> 26:28.770 Things don't take a long time 26:28.770 --> 26:32.130 because people aren't working. 26:32.130 --> 26:35.790 Things take a long time because our biggest responsibility, 26:35.790 --> 26:37.870 and I'm gonna ask Ricky to chime in on this, 26:37.870 --> 26:39.160 our biggest responsibility 26:39.160 --> 26:41.510 is to ensure fundamental fairness 26:41.510 --> 26:45.190 and ensuring fundamental fairness takes time, 26:45.190 --> 26:47.250 to make sure that all the people 26:47.250 --> 26:50.130 who are applying for federal funds 26:50.130 --> 26:54.000 are given a fair opportunity to earn those funds. 26:54.000 --> 26:55.860 Ricky, you wanna jump in on that? 26:55.860 --> 26:57.771 - [Ricky] Yeah. That's very true. 26:57.771 --> 27:01.430 One of the tenets as a contracting officer, 27:01.430 --> 27:03.730 I'm considered a business advisor, 27:03.730 --> 27:06.053 and I'm considered also a tax steward. 27:07.150 --> 27:08.560 We have to be fair. 27:08.560 --> 27:10.390 We have the CICA rule, 27:10.390 --> 27:13.710 Competition in Contracting Act from 1984, 27:13.710 --> 27:18.710 that basically we're bound by those rules and regulations, 27:18.787 --> 27:20.200 and we have to be fair. 27:20.200 --> 27:23.110 So, yeah, and plus all the different 27:23.110 --> 27:26.220 additional rules and regulations, and statues, 27:26.220 --> 27:28.600 and U.S. codes we have to follow, 27:28.600 --> 27:32.110 but like Carl was saying, it comes down to fairness. 27:32.110 --> 27:34.470 In the corporate world, you don't always have to be fair, 27:34.470 --> 27:36.520 you don't have to compete things, 27:36.520 --> 27:40.690 but when it comes to the U.S. government 27:40.690 --> 27:43.890 where we are spending taxpayers' money, 27:43.890 --> 27:46.820 we have to really, really be cautious about that. 27:46.820 --> 27:49.873 So, yeah, I agree totally with what Carl was saying. 27:50.823 --> 27:54.500 - [Carl] Right, and so to bring Mark into this conversation, 27:54.500 --> 27:56.010 one of the things that Mark talked about 27:56.010 --> 27:58.640 was these Other Transactional Authorities. 27:58.640 --> 28:01.440 OTAs kind of get summarized 28:01.440 --> 28:06.440 as non-FAR-based acquisition tools, which is correct. 28:07.060 --> 28:09.010 One of the reasons it's a little faster 28:09.891 --> 28:13.820 is because some of the applications of fairness 28:14.690 --> 28:18.340 are applied through establishing a consortium. 28:18.340 --> 28:19.980 Once people are in the consortium, 28:19.980 --> 28:21.840 we're working with a smaller pool 28:21.840 --> 28:24.730 that allows us to consider the fairness 28:24.730 --> 28:29.100 of work application to a smaller pool, 28:29.100 --> 28:30.740 and that's where we get the speed from. 28:30.740 --> 28:35.110 We aren't foregoing fairness in the OTA process; 28:35.110 --> 28:37.350 we're just applying it in a different way. 28:37.350 --> 28:39.960 So we're still working on making sure 28:39.960 --> 28:43.840 that things are fundamentally fair in the OTA process; 28:43.840 --> 28:47.620 however, because we're working with an established pool, 28:47.620 --> 28:50.980 things can happen in a shorter timeframe. 28:50.980 --> 28:52.430 Mark, you wanna jump on that. 28:54.540 --> 28:57.340 - [Mark] Carl, I think you've covered it extremely well. 28:58.580 --> 29:01.570 And that's why in my slides I spoke about, 29:01.570 --> 29:03.890 like I said, the four consortium's 29:03.890 --> 29:08.650 that we at the Chem/Bio Defense Program utilize; 29:08.650 --> 29:10.060 however, there's, like I said, 29:10.060 --> 29:12.900 there's over 40 different OTAs, 29:12.900 --> 29:15.990 and when you become a member of that, 29:15.990 --> 29:20.348 then you'll actually see our topics, 29:20.348 --> 29:21.720 and not just DTRA, 29:21.720 --> 29:25.810 but you'll see throughout the government that use OTAs. 29:25.810 --> 29:27.820 For instance, DARPA uses OTAs. 29:29.290 --> 29:30.890 NIH uses OTAs. 29:30.890 --> 29:33.360 I mean, lots of different organizations 29:33.360 --> 29:36.323 within the federal government use the OTA vehicle. 29:37.420 --> 29:38.253 Go back to you, Carl. 29:38.253 --> 29:39.470 - Thank you, Mark. 29:39.470 --> 29:42.397 Yup, so the next question, 29:42.397 --> 29:44.640 "Is there a contact list of program officers?" 29:44.640 --> 29:48.450 So there isn't a promulgated 29:48.450 --> 29:51.000 or official agency list 29:51.000 --> 29:54.300 of program and project officers. 29:54.300 --> 29:56.390 That question came from Shannon. 29:56.390 --> 29:58.850 And so, Shannon, if there's a different question, 29:58.850 --> 30:01.300 or you wanna ask it a different way, 30:01.300 --> 30:04.340 maybe I'm not getting at what you're looking for. 30:04.340 --> 30:06.720 The other thing that I will share with you, 30:06.720 --> 30:11.160 another item I talk to large groups about 30:11.160 --> 30:12.730 when we talk about working with the government 30:12.730 --> 30:15.180 is this notion that if I know somebody, 30:15.180 --> 30:19.000 that will help me get my work in the system. 30:19.000 --> 30:23.290 It won't. That's actually a myth that we should bust, right? 30:23.290 --> 30:28.290 So interpersonal relationships are what they are, 30:28.350 --> 30:30.990 and I don't wanna say that if you know someone, 30:30.990 --> 30:34.040 it's absolutely never going to have a play 30:34.040 --> 30:36.560 in how things get done. 30:36.560 --> 30:37.500 That's unrealistic. 30:37.500 --> 30:39.510 However, what I can tell you is 30:41.610 --> 30:45.130 if you know someone, you just know them. 30:45.130 --> 30:46.740 What happens with acquisition 30:46.740 --> 30:50.760 is a person has to submit a proposal. 30:50.760 --> 30:54.030 That proposal has to be reviewed, 30:54.030 --> 30:58.170 it has to be reviewed objectively, 30:58.170 --> 31:00.340 and the results of that review 31:00.340 --> 31:03.420 is what acquisition selections are based on, 31:03.420 --> 31:07.580 not who people know, but the merits of their proposal. 31:07.580 --> 31:10.420 And so I don't wanna kind of dissuade you 31:10.420 --> 31:12.790 from trying to make contact with people. 31:12.790 --> 31:14.930 I'll do what I can to help with that. 31:14.930 --> 31:16.340 We don't have a list, 31:16.340 --> 31:18.400 but also I think there's this expectation 31:18.400 --> 31:22.550 that if I can make contact with individuals, that will help. 31:22.550 --> 31:25.073 It shouldn't. All right? 31:28.990 --> 31:31.090 Marcos asks, "Is it possible to have a list 31:31.090 --> 31:36.090 of funded projects so we can know how our work may fit in?" 31:36.120 --> 31:38.250 So there's a couple of ways to do that. 31:38.250 --> 31:40.260 I'm gonna invite the gentlemen to join in, 31:40.260 --> 31:41.460 but one of the things I'll tell you 31:41.460 --> 31:45.447 is all awarded contracts are listed on sam.gov. 31:46.770 --> 31:49.150 You can get to those maybe a little bit faster 31:49.150 --> 31:52.910 through some of the links on the DTRA website. 31:52.910 --> 31:56.440 If you go to www.dtra.mil, 31:56.440 --> 31:57.960 then there's a tab. 31:57.960 --> 32:01.010 I think it's called Opportunities. It's a drop down. 32:01.010 --> 32:02.790 And then you can select Contracts, 32:02.790 --> 32:06.170 and you'll end up five or six clicks in 32:06.170 --> 32:09.093 at a place that shows contracts that have been awarded. 32:10.060 --> 32:12.623 Ricky, Mark, you guys wanna weigh in on that? 32:14.420 --> 32:18.940 - [Ricky] This is Rick. You're spot on with that answer. 32:18.940 --> 32:21.860 The contracts, anything that's awarded is out there. 32:21.860 --> 32:24.500 The governments' stress is transparency, 32:24.500 --> 32:27.773 so you can always, when a contract is awarded, 32:28.950 --> 32:31.910 you may not have team with the the contract initially, 32:31.910 --> 32:33.130 but you can always reach out 32:33.130 --> 32:35.100 to whoever the prime contractor is 32:35.100 --> 32:38.040 and see if you can do something with them. 32:38.040 --> 32:42.133 But as solicitations go out on SAM, 32:44.240 --> 32:46.030 contractors can get together in team. 32:46.030 --> 32:48.290 I've seen in other jobs 32:48.290 --> 32:51.120 that large contractors get together and team, 32:51.120 --> 32:52.120 different things like that. 32:52.120 --> 32:55.090 So we always will have the information out there 32:55.090 --> 32:59.290 via the sam.gov, so even if the contract is awarded, 32:59.290 --> 33:01.433 you still can try to team with folks. 33:05.040 --> 33:06.877 - [Carl] Okay, so then we have, 33:06.877 --> 33:09.120 "Do you fund computational projects 33:09.120 --> 33:14.120 without supporting experimental work for validation?" 33:16.300 --> 33:19.650 My response to that is 33:21.580 --> 33:22.790 it's complicated, 33:22.790 --> 33:25.523 and what that means to me is, again, 33:26.740 --> 33:30.670 selection of projects is based 33:30.670 --> 33:35.360 on the merit of meeting what is asked for 33:35.360 --> 33:37.130 in the given solicitation. 33:37.130 --> 33:40.381 Whether you are replying to a BAA, 33:40.381 --> 33:43.860 or an RFI, or an RFP, 33:43.860 --> 33:48.860 or something that's being sought through the OTA, right? 33:49.120 --> 33:52.730 I mean, these things are based on your ability 33:52.730 --> 33:55.630 to articulate your ability 33:55.630 --> 33:58.263 to meet what the government seeks. 33:59.120 --> 34:01.410 So I hope that answers the question. 34:01.410 --> 34:03.830 If not, maybe we can answer it a different way, 34:03.830 --> 34:08.830 and we can try to get at it from a different perspective, 34:09.430 --> 34:13.250 but, essentially, what gets funded 34:13.250 --> 34:18.140 is the thing that provides best value to the government 34:18.140 --> 34:21.083 based on what the government is trying to accomplish. 34:22.020 --> 34:23.403 Ricky, Mark? 34:25.360 --> 34:28.000 - [Ricky] Spot on there. You're spot on. 34:28.000 --> 34:30.353 This is Rick. You're spot on, yup. 34:31.650 --> 34:32.640 - [Carl] So I've been doing this too long. 34:32.640 --> 34:35.340 What I'm gonna do is stop answering first. 34:35.340 --> 34:38.235 - [Ricky] No, you're fine. You're fine. (laughing) 34:38.235 --> 34:42.190 - [Carl] (chuckles) So we have an advance question. 34:42.190 --> 34:44.027 One of the questions that we got in advance, 34:44.027 --> 34:46.580 "What is the best way to be informed 34:46.580 --> 34:49.250 about grant opportunities with DTRA? 34:49.250 --> 34:52.680 And also, are there specific funding opportunities 34:52.680 --> 34:57.510 for early career and non-tenure positions?" 34:57.510 --> 35:00.730 So I think that's an HR question, but maybe not. 35:00.730 --> 35:02.090 Ricky, Mark, you guys wanna jump in 35:02.090 --> 35:02.923 on the first part of that, 35:02.923 --> 35:05.423 best way to be informed about grant opportunities? 35:07.520 --> 35:08.830 - [Ricky] Well, (clear throat) excuse me. 35:08.830 --> 35:10.080 Go ahead. Go ahead, Mark. 35:11.130 --> 35:12.860 - [Mark] Okay, thanks, Rick. This is Mark. 35:12.860 --> 35:17.540 I would suggest looking at grants.gov website 35:17.540 --> 35:19.123 for opportunities with DTRA. 35:21.290 --> 35:22.890 And back to you, Rick. - Ricky? 35:25.060 --> 35:28.470 - [Ricky] That exactly what I was gonna say, so covered it. 35:29.950 --> 35:33.670 - [Carl] Yeah, so here's the thing that you can add, right? 35:33.670 --> 35:38.160 Hopefully the type of thing that is a benefit gained 35:38.160 --> 35:40.810 by taking the time to go through the webinar. 35:40.810 --> 35:45.473 So on grants.gov and sam.gov, 35:46.650 --> 35:50.700 there's an opportunity to set up alerts 35:50.700 --> 35:53.940 so you don't have to go to the site and search 35:53.940 --> 35:57.970 through hundreds of thousands of opportunities 35:57.970 --> 35:59.940 to find the right one. 35:59.940 --> 36:04.000 You could use keywords, you can use industry sectors, 36:04.000 --> 36:07.280 but I would encourage you to go to grants.gov, 36:07.280 --> 36:10.940 go to sam.gov, make sure that you have an account created. 36:10.940 --> 36:12.790 And as you go through the process 36:12.790 --> 36:14.923 of working in your own account, 36:15.760 --> 36:20.280 create alerts so that when things that fit 36:20.280 --> 36:24.140 in your area of expertise are posted, 36:24.140 --> 36:26.063 you get notified by the system. 36:28.080 --> 36:30.283 Right? Next question. 36:31.440 --> 36:32.580 Oh, so I don't wanna skip this. 36:32.580 --> 36:34.713 I think this is an HR question, 36:35.910 --> 36:39.330 but if I've answered a question that wasn't being asked, 36:39.330 --> 36:41.577 please ask it a different way. 36:41.577 --> 36:44.564 "Are there specific funding opportunities for early career 36:44.564 --> 36:46.867 (notification chiming) and non-tenure positions?" 36:48.330 --> 36:52.160 If you're asking about opportunities to work, 36:52.160 --> 36:54.980 then the answer is yes, 36:54.980 --> 36:59.300 and there are both fellowship and internship opportunities 36:59.300 --> 37:03.800 as well as full-time government positions. 37:03.800 --> 37:07.303 Those can be found on USAJobs. 37:10.410 --> 37:11.727 Next question. 37:11.727 --> 37:16.547 "Is it possible to receive funding for the laboratory?" 37:17.500 --> 37:18.960 I don't think that's a full question, 37:18.960 --> 37:21.090 so I'm not gonna try to jump on that one. 37:21.090 --> 37:22.360 That one came from X Virus, 37:22.360 --> 37:25.130 and so if you can resubmit that more fully, 37:25.130 --> 37:26.463 we can try to answer it. 37:27.477 --> 37:30.050 "How important is it to discuss project ideas 37:30.050 --> 37:33.080 with a DTRA PM before submitting a white paper?" 37:33.080 --> 37:35.930 So we just kinda went over that, right? 37:35.930 --> 37:38.820 Again, it might be helpful 37:38.820 --> 37:41.760 if there's someone who can help you with insight 37:41.760 --> 37:45.420 or help you understand what might be a complex, 37:45.420 --> 37:47.750 technical, or scientific idea 37:47.750 --> 37:52.710 so that you can more accurately tailor your response; 37:52.710 --> 37:57.220 however, every solicitation includes 37:57.220 --> 38:00.370 a procedure for asking questions. 38:00.370 --> 38:02.380 And so the question you might get 38:02.380 --> 38:06.180 from a specific program manager ought to be the same 38:06.180 --> 38:07.530 as the answer you're gonna get 38:07.530 --> 38:12.530 if you go through the solicitation question procedure. 38:12.910 --> 38:14.210 Moreover, this is why I say 38:14.210 --> 38:17.210 it's not supposed to be helpful to know people, 38:17.210 --> 38:20.000 you should always be referred to that procedure. 38:20.000 --> 38:21.400 People shouldn't pick up their phone 38:21.400 --> 38:23.670 and answer questions about a solicitation. 38:23.670 --> 38:26.100 That isn't what's supposed to happen. 38:26.100 --> 38:27.900 Mark, Ricky, you guys wanna jump in? 38:29.840 --> 38:30.673 - Yeah, I'll- - Are all of you, 38:30.673 --> 38:32.710 go ahead, go ahead, Mark. 38:32.710 --> 38:37.650 - [Mark] Okay, yes, so once, for instance, 38:37.650 --> 38:40.860 I'll just talk specifically to the Chem/Bio BAA. 38:40.860 --> 38:44.730 So once the Chem/Bio BAA goes out, there is a process. 38:44.730 --> 38:47.920 There is a set time period established in the BAA 38:47.920 --> 38:49.800 for questions and answers. 38:49.800 --> 38:51.970 So we will get your questions, 38:51.970 --> 38:55.400 and they will be sent back to you 38:55.400 --> 38:58.850 on the sam.gov website without your name, 38:58.850 --> 39:02.180 but it'll have the actual question 39:03.910 --> 39:05.390 with an answer. 39:05.390 --> 39:10.390 We do that first for phase one and as well as phase two. 39:12.850 --> 39:15.097 And there is, in the BAA, 39:16.170 --> 39:20.530 there is information on where to send your questions. 39:20.530 --> 39:23.650 And I'd also like to probably highlight at this time 39:23.650 --> 39:26.590 that each broad agency announcement is different, 39:26.590 --> 39:29.040 and so you need to read them carefully 39:29.040 --> 39:30.730 because each one is different. 39:30.730 --> 39:32.870 They all have their own criteria. 39:32.870 --> 39:36.863 Like I said, the Chem/Bio BAA is an annual solicitation, 39:38.100 --> 39:43.038 whereas other solicitations within our research 39:43.038 --> 39:46.220 and development directorate are open at all times, 39:46.220 --> 39:50.040 including the Fundamental Research and the Innovation BAA. 39:50.040 --> 39:50.883 Back you, Carl. 39:52.020 --> 39:53.383 - [Carl] All right. Thanks, Mark. 39:54.360 --> 39:57.257 This is another one of the advance questions. 39:57.257 --> 39:59.440 "Is there an open mechanism or space 39:59.440 --> 40:00.940 where unsolicited white papers 40:00.940 --> 40:05.660 or solution briefs can be submitted?" 40:05.660 --> 40:06.873 Mark, Ricky? 40:09.520 --> 40:10.403 - [Ricky] I'll let Mark take this one again 40:10.403 --> 40:13.650 because I know he's the expert on that. 40:13.650 --> 40:14.483 - [Carl] There we go. 40:14.483 --> 40:16.760 - [Mark] This is Mark. This is Mark. 40:16.760 --> 40:17.690 Yes, there is. 40:17.690 --> 40:20.480 The answer is yes, but I wanna caveat. 40:20.480 --> 40:24.783 The caveat is if you send something unsolicited to DTRA, 40:25.920 --> 40:28.640 it's going to be tasked 40:28.640 --> 40:32.780 to whichever department in the building 40:33.910 --> 40:38.080 the BAA or the solicitation is for, 40:38.080 --> 40:42.623 but in order for it to be successful, it has to be unique. 40:44.720 --> 40:48.420 So in my time in Chem/Bio, I have seen a few, 40:48.420 --> 40:52.160 and none of them, none, have been successful, 40:52.160 --> 40:56.253 so what I recommend is take a look at our solicitations. 40:57.901 --> 41:02.350 As Carl stated earlier, take a look at what we have. 41:02.350 --> 41:04.750 Another thing to do, you know, 41:04.750 --> 41:06.853 being on this webinar today is a great, 41:07.970 --> 41:10.620 a great way to talk to people DTRA. 41:10.620 --> 41:13.383 Another thing is our biannual conference, 41:14.640 --> 41:16.820 which is exceptional. 41:16.820 --> 41:20.790 So there are ways to with us. 41:20.790 --> 41:21.690 Back to you, Carl. 41:22.880 --> 41:26.967 - [Carl] Okay, all right, I think I am at, 41:26.967 --> 41:28.930 "Are there current specific opportunities 41:28.930 --> 41:30.630 for COVID-19 open now?" 41:30.630 --> 41:34.473 So this is a tricky one. A couple of things. 41:35.520 --> 41:40.100 It's important to consider areas of responsibility. 41:40.100 --> 41:42.310 So COVID-19 41:44.610 --> 41:48.050 is a public health emergency. 41:48.050 --> 41:52.280 As such, the lead agency 41:52.280 --> 41:55.760 for COVID-19 response or pandemic response 41:55.760 --> 41:57.253 is Health and Human Services. 41:58.150 --> 42:01.710 Components of Health and Human Services include NIAID. 42:01.710 --> 42:04.463 They include the CDC. 42:05.320 --> 42:10.320 Those are the groups who are the lead for COVID-19 response. 42:10.700 --> 42:15.700 Now there is a robust research and development element 42:16.330 --> 42:19.010 within the Department of Defense, 42:19.010 --> 42:23.630 and that element is working on things 42:23.630 --> 42:28.220 that may be related to 42:28.220 --> 42:33.053 or directly impact COVID-19 pandemic response. 42:33.980 --> 42:37.500 The extent to which you might find a solicitation 42:37.500 --> 42:40.307 that says, for example, 42:40.307 --> 42:42.480 "Develop monoclonal antibodies 42:42.480 --> 42:47.480 that target SARS-CoV-2 antibodies," 42:49.430 --> 42:51.233 I don't know, there might be, 42:53.510 --> 42:56.023 but the place you're gonna find that is sam.gov. 42:57.290 --> 43:02.006 And so keep in mind that whether DTRA is working on it, 43:02.006 --> 43:04.190 or the Naval Research Lab, 43:04.190 --> 43:07.000 or one of the Army research laboratories, 43:07.000 --> 43:08.890 if someone is working on it 43:08.890 --> 43:13.890 and soliciting academic or industry support, 43:14.530 --> 43:17.223 the place to find that is sam.gov. 43:21.400 --> 43:24.083 Mark, Ricky, one of you guys wanna amplify that? 43:27.030 --> 43:28.120 - I can't add- - Rick? 43:28.120 --> 43:29.000 - [Ricky] This is Rick. 43:29.000 --> 43:30.070 I can't add anything else on that, 43:30.070 --> 43:31.453 so you got anything, Mark? 43:32.710 --> 43:36.810 - [Mark] No, just gonna say, Carl, you nailed it. 43:36.810 --> 43:38.360 That's exactly- - All right. 43:38.360 --> 43:40.807 - [Mark] What should be done. 43:40.807 --> 43:43.080 - [Carl] Oh, this is always my favorite. 43:43.080 --> 43:44.430 So I'm going to let Mark answer it 43:44.430 --> 43:46.300 'cause Mark and I go through this 43:46.300 --> 43:48.607 at staff meetings all the time. 43:48.607 --> 43:50.570 "Will DTRA be considering 43:50.570 --> 43:52.990 subject to availability fund proposals 43:52.990 --> 43:54.690 from previous submission?" 43:54.690 --> 43:56.547 Mark, will they? 43:56.547 --> 44:00.350 - [Mark] (chuckling) So I'll speak directly 44:00.350 --> 44:04.933 to the Chem/Bio annual solicitation. 44:06.520 --> 44:09.470 So the Chem/Bio solicitation is an annual solicitation. 44:09.470 --> 44:14.470 Once the director signs the solicitation, 44:14.670 --> 44:18.380 subject availability of funds is good for one year 44:18.380 --> 44:20.203 from the date of his signature. 44:21.650 --> 44:26.650 In the past, we used to have solicitations 44:26.650 --> 44:29.360 that were open for a longer period of time. 44:29.360 --> 44:32.170 The problem that we encounter with those 44:32.170 --> 44:35.250 is that as time goes by, 44:35.250 --> 44:37.810 the cost proposals are out of date 44:37.810 --> 44:39.460 and would have to be regenerated. 44:42.175 --> 44:44.830 And for the other BAAs, 44:44.830 --> 44:47.390 you have to actually read the BAA 44:49.830 --> 44:53.050 for the language pertaining to that specific BAA, 44:53.050 --> 44:55.650 but I will say that there is a timeline, 44:59.090 --> 45:02.240 the time limit for SAF projects. 45:02.240 --> 45:03.440 And, but like I said, 45:03.440 --> 45:05.240 I can speak directly to the Chem/Bio one, 45:05.240 --> 45:08.000 but you'd have to actually look at the Innovation BAA 45:08.000 --> 45:09.450 and Fundamental Research BAA. 45:10.590 --> 45:11.490 Back to you, Carl. 45:12.440 --> 45:14.550 - [Carl] Yup, also, I think it's important to consider 45:14.550 --> 45:18.640 that this question addresses a future event, 45:18.640 --> 45:21.040 and it's just not reasonable 45:21.040 --> 45:23.830 to expect that we could say today 45:23.830 --> 45:28.830 that something might be considered three months from now. 45:29.000 --> 45:30.400 There's just no way to know. 45:31.800 --> 45:34.253 And so just keep that in mind. 45:36.120 --> 45:40.410 Next question, "Does DTRA fund SBIRs?" 45:40.410 --> 45:44.130 Small Business Innovation Research projects. 45:44.130 --> 45:48.373 Yes, I'm not sure how to amplify on that. 45:49.590 --> 45:50.430 Specifically for 45:50.430 --> 45:53.030 the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, 45:54.150 --> 45:57.710 there is a Chem/Bio Defense Program 45:57.710 --> 45:59.513 which DTRA CB is a part. 46:00.765 --> 46:04.670 SBIR program, separate and apart 46:04.670 --> 46:07.400 from the DTRA/DoD SBIR program, 46:07.400 --> 46:09.820 and so there are two avenues 46:09.820 --> 46:13.780 through which one could get DTRA funding 46:13.780 --> 46:16.160 for Small Business Innovation and Research projects, 46:16.160 --> 46:19.900 and those should be managed through the SBIR site 46:19.900 --> 46:22.923 and/or through SBIR solicitations. 46:26.690 --> 46:28.690 Anything else, Mark? Did I mess that up? 46:29.530 --> 46:30.363 - [Mark] No, you did great, Carl, 46:30.363 --> 46:33.478 and I'd just say the SBIR project, 46:33.478 --> 46:36.500 the umbrella is the Small Business Administration, 46:36.500 --> 46:39.512 and there's a whole website devoted to SBIRs. 46:39.512 --> 46:41.210 So if you're interested in SBIR, 46:42.760 --> 46:44.543 go to their website, check it out. 46:45.830 --> 46:48.297 - [Carl] Okay, another advance question. 46:48.297 --> 46:51.570 "Can you tell us about teaming tools or databases 46:51.570 --> 46:55.550 DTRA has or recommends for finding complimentary partners 46:55.550 --> 46:59.670 around DTRA RFIs and solicitations?" 46:59.670 --> 47:01.933 Mark, Ricky, you guys wanna jump on that one first? 47:04.650 --> 47:06.230 - [Mark] Rick, you wanna answer that one? 47:06.230 --> 47:07.063 - [Ricky] I'm looking at the question. 47:07.063 --> 47:08.393 Where's the question again? 47:09.560 --> 47:10.720 - [Carl] So from the bottom, 47:10.720 --> 47:13.010 it's about three up from the bottom, Rick. 47:13.010 --> 47:15.763 It's webinar host one, advance question. 47:17.040 --> 47:19.423 Tell us about teaming tools or databases. 47:20.530 --> 47:21.630 - [Ricky] Well, that's what I... 47:21.630 --> 47:22.690 Basically when you're talking 47:22.690 --> 47:24.250 about teaming tools and databases, 47:24.250 --> 47:27.140 that's what I had talked about, 47:27.140 --> 47:31.123 and I'm flipping back through my slides on, 47:33.150 --> 47:33.983 where is it? 47:34.900 --> 47:36.833 Basically step three, registering, 47:39.866 --> 47:42.157 and step five 47:43.020 --> 47:45.660 and step six. 47:45.660 --> 47:49.730 Basically step five talks about identify 47:49.730 --> 47:52.563 prime contractor, subcontracting opportunities, 47:53.909 --> 47:55.580 and those are the links on there, 47:55.580 --> 48:00.010 and step six is seeking assistance in the marketplace. 48:00.010 --> 48:03.333 Those are the teaming tools and databases we have. 48:04.226 --> 48:05.130 Well, not that we have, 48:05.130 --> 48:08.620 that are available because they're not all managed by us, 48:08.620 --> 48:11.300 that you can go out and find people 48:11.300 --> 48:14.220 that are interested to team with you. 48:14.220 --> 48:15.907 But like I was saying, when you go to sam.gov, 48:15.907 --> 48:19.260 and you see a requirement that's out there... 48:19.260 --> 48:23.900 I come from the systems world, building large items, 48:23.900 --> 48:27.700 so just say we got a, not us, particularly DTRA, 48:27.700 --> 48:28.860 but back in the day, 48:28.860 --> 48:31.600 we would put out a solicitation like for a satellite, 48:31.600 --> 48:32.670 and you know satellites 48:32.670 --> 48:36.080 are gonna be big dollar acquisitions, 48:36.080 --> 48:38.290 but you see what type of satellite it is 48:38.290 --> 48:39.790 or you have any experience, 48:39.790 --> 48:41.630 you as a small business or whatever, 48:41.630 --> 48:42.463 you could say, "Hey." 48:42.463 --> 48:45.697 You contact some of the big guys out there, 48:45.697 --> 48:47.840 the Boeings, the Lockheed Martin, 48:47.840 --> 48:51.600 and let them know whatever you have an expertise in, 48:51.600 --> 48:54.070 and they may bring you on as a sub. 48:54.070 --> 48:57.090 So it's all about collaboration and coordination, 48:57.090 --> 49:01.620 and steps, four, five, and I believe it was one. 49:01.620 --> 49:06.620 Four and five, definitely, and five and six, 49:06.740 --> 49:10.060 yeah, five and six definitely can get you 49:10.060 --> 49:14.040 in the the mix on what's going on and who's doing what. 49:14.040 --> 49:16.230 A lot of times large businesses will go out 49:16.230 --> 49:20.780 and look for folks who have little unique talents 49:20.780 --> 49:21.750 that they could use. 49:21.750 --> 49:24.973 So that's all I have on that. 49:26.090 --> 49:29.344 - [Carl] Okay, I would add that there's also 49:29.344 --> 49:34.344 the industrial groups, groups like the NDIA, 49:34.800 --> 49:38.120 the National Defense Industrial Association. 49:38.120 --> 49:42.400 There's also Biotechnology Innovation Organization, or BIO. 49:42.400 --> 49:46.340 These are two very, very large groups 49:46.340 --> 49:48.700 that are nothing more than consortia 49:48.700 --> 49:53.090 of industry representatives who can kind of 49:54.070 --> 49:57.970 provide opportunities and venues for meeting 49:57.970 --> 50:00.080 and understanding what's happening 50:00.080 --> 50:02.780 in different sectors in the industrial base. 50:02.780 --> 50:06.783 So those might be useful for some folks. 50:09.130 --> 50:11.490 We aren't getting a bunch of questions from attendees, 50:11.490 --> 50:14.480 and so I'll go to the next advance question, 50:14.480 --> 50:18.197 and then we might be in a situation where we're wrapping up. 50:18.197 --> 50:19.950 "Can you recommend trainings related 50:19.950 --> 50:24.589 to awards involving controlled unclassified information?" 50:24.589 --> 50:29.270 Ooh, so that's a hard one for non-governmental folks 50:29.270 --> 50:30.533 as far as I'm concerned. 50:31.450 --> 50:34.100 Ricky, Mark, I wanna see what one of you guys thinks. 50:38.200 --> 50:41.760 - [Ricky] Okay. You're talking about the last questions? 50:41.760 --> 50:44.800 - [Carl] So the one, so training related 50:44.800 --> 50:48.087 to awards involving controlled unclassified information 50:48.087 --> 50:49.920 is the one we're at. 50:49.920 --> 50:51.070 Second from the bottom. 50:52.090 --> 50:57.090 - [Ricky] Okay, and I actually don't know of any. 50:59.350 --> 51:04.350 Wow, I know GSA has a lot of training, 51:04.680 --> 51:09.680 but I can't give you anything more than that. 51:09.770 --> 51:11.280 That's all I can give on that. 51:11.280 --> 51:12.430 Mark, you got anything? 51:13.890 --> 51:17.463 - [Mark] No, I don't. That's outside my area of expertise. 51:18.680 --> 51:19.640 - [Carl] Yeah, so that one's hard. 51:19.640 --> 51:23.070 I mean, it's really, you just have to find sort of 51:23.070 --> 51:26.640 who's in the business of offering this 51:28.500 --> 51:33.190 kind of acquisition-specific, non-governmental training, 51:33.190 --> 51:34.740 I think is what you have to do. 51:36.130 --> 51:38.210 So that one's a hard one for us to answer 51:38.210 --> 51:39.583 from inside the government. 51:41.412 --> 51:42.807 And then another advance question, 51:42.807 --> 51:45.440 "Would it be possible to have a visit 51:45.440 --> 51:49.260 from program offices to a university?" 51:49.260 --> 51:51.650 So the answer to that question is easy. 51:51.650 --> 51:54.870 Specifically for the Chem/Bio Technologies Department, 51:54.870 --> 51:57.320 that's the business that I manage. 51:57.320 --> 52:00.483 The answer to the question is, yes, it is possible. 52:01.410 --> 52:03.750 I don't know if my contact information is available 52:03.750 --> 52:07.833 somewhere in this broad breadth of information, 52:09.680 --> 52:14.130 but I'm happy to coordinate with folks on potential visits, 52:14.130 --> 52:19.130 whether those might be virtual or onsite visits, 52:20.836 --> 52:25.030 but this webinar is a part 52:25.030 --> 52:28.870 of a more comprehensive university engagement program. 52:28.870 --> 52:33.470 That includes online things like this webinar 52:33.470 --> 52:38.470 and onsite visits from myself, 52:39.060 --> 52:40.410 other folks on our team, 52:40.410 --> 52:43.930 as well as other parts of senior leadership 52:43.930 --> 52:45.833 in the department and the agency. 52:49.020 --> 52:53.030 Next question, "Can program officers host Zoom meetings 52:53.030 --> 52:56.750 with researchers of our biomedical center?" 52:56.750 --> 52:59.743 Maybe not a Zoom meeting, but, certainly, 53:02.780 --> 53:05.070 digital meetings are occurring. 53:05.070 --> 53:09.310 I mean, we host quite a few interactive meetings 53:09.310 --> 53:12.170 on this platform, this Adobe Connect platform, 53:12.170 --> 53:15.290 which is generally the tool that we use. 53:15.290 --> 53:18.910 We have had some success with Zoom, 53:18.910 --> 53:23.490 although, there are some questions about security with Zoom 53:23.490 --> 53:26.990 and the extent to which we can completely open 53:26.990 --> 53:30.600 about programmatic discussions on that platform. 53:30.600 --> 53:34.130 We have other platforms that are available to us as well, 53:34.130 --> 53:36.360 Defense Conferencing Online and things like that. 53:36.360 --> 53:41.360 But hosting digital meetings is possible, yes. 53:49.490 --> 53:54.490 Okay, so what I'm gonna do is do a bit of auctioneering. 53:55.280 --> 53:59.330 It looks like we have come to the end 53:59.330 --> 54:02.200 of question submissions, 54:02.200 --> 54:06.520 so I am going to make a call for last questions. 54:06.520 --> 54:07.733 Going once, 54:12.320 --> 54:14.290 going twice... 54:19.900 --> 54:23.460 Someone was fervently typing, so I am going to wait for it. 54:23.460 --> 54:25.623 Aha, that was a thank you. We will take it. 54:26.640 --> 54:27.710 Three times, sold. 54:27.710 --> 54:29.750 So we're gonna go into wrap up here, 54:29.750 --> 54:31.940 we have about four or five minutes left, 54:31.940 --> 54:36.940 and so we have successfully adhered 54:37.210 --> 54:39.120 to our intended timeline. 54:39.120 --> 54:41.370 Again, I realize that to some extent 54:41.370 --> 54:43.083 you're drinking from a fire hose. 54:44.180 --> 54:48.600 Part of what we hope will happen is that we don't wanna try 54:48.600 --> 54:50.540 to get folks on the line for too long, 54:50.540 --> 54:54.180 an hour seems to be a good length of time, 54:54.180 --> 54:58.300 but also the information is intended 54:58.300 --> 55:01.740 to elicit the dialogue that we got 55:01.740 --> 55:04.740 and try to encourage folks to ask questions 55:04.740 --> 55:07.710 that are useful to them and their organization 55:07.710 --> 55:10.970 as opposed to us trying to figure out what you need to know 55:10.970 --> 55:12.260 and then giving you that 55:12.260 --> 55:14.330 'cause there's no way for us to do it. 55:14.330 --> 55:18.120 So hopefully we gave you some information that you can use, 55:18.120 --> 55:23.120 and then the Q&A helped kind of amplify 55:23.250 --> 55:25.000 any information that you received 55:25.000 --> 55:26.693 from the slide presentations. 55:28.360 --> 55:30.350 We're going to send you a survey 55:30.350 --> 55:35.350 and for both future activities 55:35.440 --> 55:37.693 and for some of your colleagues. 55:40.000 --> 55:41.760 I'd ask that you please respond to the survey. 55:41.760 --> 55:44.450 It helps us make the webinars better, 55:44.450 --> 55:48.920 it will help us strengthen our onsite visits 55:48.920 --> 55:52.640 so if we end up in front of your organization, 55:52.640 --> 55:54.180 we'll be better prepared 55:54.180 --> 55:55.950 to meet the needs of your institution 55:55.950 --> 55:58.380 if you can help us with your feedback. 55:58.380 --> 56:01.190 So I am foot stomping, but you can't see it. 56:01.190 --> 56:04.130 Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey, 56:04.130 --> 56:06.940 it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to do, 56:06.940 --> 56:09.390 but it does help us provide better 56:09.390 --> 56:13.000 and more useful information in the future. 56:13.000 --> 56:14.150 The other thing I'll tell you 56:14.150 --> 56:16.400 is that even if you've been to one webinar, 56:16.400 --> 56:18.310 what I'll tell you is you've been to one webinar, 56:18.310 --> 56:20.210 and the next time we do it, 56:20.210 --> 56:22.020 there may be different questions 56:22.020 --> 56:24.550 or different information that is useful to you, 56:24.550 --> 56:27.080 so I would encourage you to keep coming back 56:27.080 --> 56:30.120 even if what you discover is you're logging out. 56:30.120 --> 56:31.151 This is the place 56:31.151 --> 56:32.340 (electronic beeping) where we have an opportunity 56:32.340 --> 56:33.900 to share information, 56:33.900 --> 56:35.560 and we hope that we're getting it to you 56:35.560 --> 56:36.913 in a way that's useful. 56:37.840 --> 56:40.390 Please respond to the survey, and, with that, 56:40.390 --> 56:42.723 we're gonna consider this webinar closed. 56:42.723 --> 56:45.306 (upbeat music)