Boundary Layer Transition Experiment II (BOLT II) | BAA AFRL AFOSR 2017 0003

Opportunity Information: Apply for BAA AFRL AFOSR 2017 0003

Boundary Layer Transition Experiment II (BOLT II) is a Department of Defense research opportunity managed by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) in coordination with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The effort sits in the science and technology and broader R&D category and is focused on enabling a flight experiment tied to boundary layer transition, a key aerothermodynamics topic that affects drag, heating, and overall performance of high-speed flight vehicles. Rather than funding a purely academic or purely lab-based study, this opportunity is built around an integrated, real-world flight test concept where different teams contribute complementary pieces to execute a complete experiment.

The project structure is explicitly collaborative. AFRL/AFOSR serves as the coordinator, and the Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/RQ) is a core government partner. On the performer side, the solicitation anticipates two distinct groups: (1) a “Winning Team” selected under this specific opportunity (BAA AFRL AFOSR 2017 0003), and (2) a separate academic-led team chosen under a different AFOSR solicitation (BAA-AFRL-AFOSR-2017-0001). In the BOLT II documentation, that academic-led group is referred to as the “AFOSR Performers.” The practical meaning is that the team funded here is not being asked to invent the entire experiment from scratch; instead, it is expected to integrate and execute a flight event in which the flight geometry or test article concept is provided by the AFOSR Performers.

The main tasks funded under this BAA are operational and systems-oriented, centered on making the flight test happen. Specifically, the awardee is expected to provide the Launch Vehicle System, secure an appropriate test range, and conduct the launch event for the flight geometry supplied by the AFOSR Performers. In other words, the government is seeking an organization (or team) that can take responsibility for the launch capability and flight execution elements: the vehicle or sounding-rocket-like system (as applicable), the range access and coordination, and the full end-to-end launch event planning and operations. This emphasis suggests that the sponsor wants a credible pathway to a real flight demonstration, including the logistics, safety, compliance, and scheduling that come with range operations, rather than a paper study.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified as “Boundary Layer Transition Experiment II (BOLT II)” with Funding Opportunity Number BAA AFRL AFOSR 2017 0003. The agency is listed as the Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The assistance mechanisms described include cooperative agreements and grants, but the listing also indicates “Other” and “Procurement Contract,” which signals AFOSR may choose the most suitable instrument depending on the proposal and the nature of the work, especially given the operational and test-execution focus. The CFDA number is 12.800, which is commonly associated with Air Force science and engineering research support.

Eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, small businesses, and other entities (with the note that additional eligibility clarification may exist in the full text). That wide net is consistent with the kind of capability the solicitation is seeking: universities may contribute systems expertise, nonprofits may run specialized test operations, and small businesses or other aerospace organizations may be well-positioned to supply launch systems and manage range and flight operations.

In terms of funding scale and awards, the posting indicates an expected single award with an award ceiling of $1,700,000. The opportunity was created on May 4, 2017, with an original closing date of June 9, 2017. The “expected awards: 1” detail matters because it frames this as a competitive downselect intended to produce one primary execution partner for the launch and test-range portion of the broader BOLT II program.

Overall, BOLT II is best understood as a flight-experiment execution solicitation: AFOSR and AFRL are organizing a multi-team program to investigate boundary layer transition through flight, and the funded “Winning Team” under this call is responsible for the launch vehicle, range access, and the actual launch event that will carry the AFOSR Performer-provided flight geometry. The core value to the government is a coordinated, end-to-end demonstration where the science payload or geometry is paired with a real launch and range-supported test, producing data and experience that ground boundary layer transition research in realistic flight conditions.

• The Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Boundary Layer Transition Experiment II (BOLT II)" 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 May 04, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 09, 2017. (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 $1,700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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