Analytics, Modeling and Simulation for Local and Regional Situation Awareness

Analytics, Modeling and Simulation for Local and Regional Situation Awareness is sponsored by Office of Naval Research (ONR). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Analytics, Modeling and Simulation for Local and Regional Situation Awareness Combatant commands, operational planners and decision-makers need better data, better capabilities to use data most effectively, and improved abilities to anticipate risk and hazards, local responses, and adversarial activities that could threaten mission execution, both in the near-term and over time.

Using a multi-disciplinary lens, this program supports basic and applied research to improve understanding of local and regional hazards and emerging threats to U.S. interests.

It supports the development of new approaches to capability building, including the development of mission forecast capabilities and what/if models, the development of course of action co-pilots and AI-enhanced retrieval-augmented generation systems to support warfighter performance, and modeling and simulation capabilities for operations in the information environment.

This program combines the development of new technologies and capabilities with the development of advanced wargaming capabilities to test new technologies, rehearse missions and explore new approaches to warfighting.

Research Concentration Areas This program supports the development of data, analytics, decision tools, and models to support combatant commands in comprehensive understanding of mission environments, together with modeling and simulation efforts to improve wargaming and exercises.

Key areas of research include: Advanced graph theory and complexity modeling for local and regional risk and hazard assessment What/If models and complex systems models for local and regional situation awareness to improve mission effectiveness Data development and case studies needed to improve information reservoirs Next-generation decision tools and course of action support capabilities for operations in the information environment and related security issues The improvement of war-gaming and exercise simulation to support operations in the information environment training Commanders, decision-makers and operational planners have access to sensors, intelligence reports, and data repositories.

These sources of data are oftentimes in different formats and levels of aggregation challenging traditional big data analytic techniques. These data troves often stress the limitations of human cognition and perception. This can make decision-making more difficult as decision-makers, planners and command level personnel suffer from “paralysis by analysis” when complex situations with multiple interdependencies must be considered.

Problems of reflexive control, deception, cyber-attack, and obfuscation make getting solid situation awareness even more complex, especially at the local and regional levels of the mission space. Despite the expansion of data resources, many areas of the world where U.S. missions occur are functionally data “deserts”, lacking the information needed to reduce mission risks and vulnerabilities in mission planning and execution.

Failure to understand local dynamics and the drivers of risk has been shown to substantively impact mission success. Commanders, planners, and decision-makers must anticipate risks and reactions of adversaries and populaces to mission activities. The situation on the ground is dynamic and subject to a multitude of possible actions by adversaries and reactions of local populaces.

Exercises, models, and mission rehearsals help commands to plan and execute a variety of responses to possible scenarios of crisis and conflict. The command team must be ready with countermeasures and buffering activities to ensure mission execution across the spectrum of conflict.

Training and mission rehearsal capabilities need greater realism and greater capability to coordinate teams, harmonize multi-team efforts, and assess mission execution without expanding manning capabilities or time to decision.

SBIR topics are regularly submitted in line with these research challenges The Long-Range BAA is the appropriate broad agency announcement for proposals and white papers directed at this program The program participates in DEPSCOR opportunities for the FY25 program year For detailed application and submission information for this research topic, please refer to our broad agency announcement (BAA) No. N0001425SB001 .

Contracts: All white papers and full proposals for contracts must be submitted through the ONR Submission Portal ; instructions are included in the BAA. Grants: All white papers for grants must be submitted through the ONR Submission Portal , and full proposals for grants must be submitted through grants. gov ; instructions are included in the BAA.

Analytics, Modeling and Simulation Program Officer rebecca. l. goolsby.

civ@us. navy. mil