ONHS Report: FA8750-25-S-7005

Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations (ACESO)

Solicitation ID: FA8750-25-S-7005

Agency: AFRL/RI

Type: Presolicitation

Deadline: 2030-07-10T18:00:00 ET

Eligibility: Maybe (Dual Approval Required)

Funding: Total funding of approximately $950M. Individual awards will normally range from $10M to $50M, with the potential for awards up to $99.98M.

Doc Type: BAA

Clearance: Top Secret

Program Manager: Tanya Macrina

Last Updated: 2025-11-24 13:08

Analyzed File: ARA 25-05 amend 1 update email.docx

Eligibility Reasoning

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)... are subject to applicable direct competition limitations and cannot propose to this ARA in any capacity unless they meet the following conditions: FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not otherwise available from the private sector; and FFRDCs must provide a letter on official letterhead from their sponsoring organization citing the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose... FFRDC and Government entity eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis...

Note: This is an AI-generated summary...

Summary

The Department of the Air Force, via the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has released the Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations (ACESO) Advanced Research Announcement (ARA #FA8750-25-S-7005). This is a long-term, $950 million program open until July 10, 2030, aimed at researching, developing, and transitioning advanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) and cyber operations prototypes to ensure U.S. superiority in the cyber domain. The program utilizes a two-step process, starting with white paper submissions, with multiple awards anticipated ranging from $10M to $50M over 60 months, and potentially up to $99.98M. Key technical areas of interest include Cyber Assured and Zero-Trust Infrastructure, advanced Command and Control (JADC2), automated Situational Awareness and Mission Assurance (SA/MA), Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO), Cyber ISR, and the integration of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Electronic Warfare (EW), and cyber technologies. The ARA also seeks innovation in areas like AI/ML for cyber, cloud architectures, mobile/embedded security, and effects delivery (D4M) across various platforms including military systems, IoT, and industrial control systems.

Overall Technical Areas

Offensive Cyber OperationsDefensive Cyber OperationsCyber ISR OperationsZero Trust ArchitectureJADC2 System IntegrationMobile and Embedded SecurityICS / SCADA SecurityCyber Modeling and SimulationAI / ML for Cyber SecuritySIGINT / EW ConvergenceCyberspace Effects DevelopmentCyber Situational AwarenessSecure Software DevelopmentFormal Methods VerificationTrusted Hardware and Software

Probable LBNL Areas

BSACSAEESAETALD

Focus Areas

Example Priorities:

An assured and trusted cyber infrastructure begins with proven-correct designs that are technologically immune to threats and have an autonomous ability to modify the cyber domain to avoid unforeseen attacks and emerging threats.
The Air Force is implementing a Zero Trust environment, a cyber assurance approach that assumes no user or device is inherently trustworthy, requiring continuous verification for access to resources.
As this construct matures, the need for separate classification networks (e.g., Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPR), Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPR), Joint World-Wide Intelligence Communications Systems (JWICS), and Special Access Program (SAP)) will diminish.
In the digital realm, the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) architecture itself defines the terrain, shaping operational factors like command flow and control spans.

Specific Technical Skills:

Zero Trust ArchitectureNetwork SegmentationFormal MethodsTrusted Hardware and SoftwareVirtualization TechnologiesCloud SecurityMobile & Embedded Device SecurityAutonomous SystemsProtocol AnalysisDoD Information Network (DODIN)

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Sean Peisert	0.70	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Adam Slagell	0.67	CSA \| Scientific Networking (ESNET) \| Security
John Wu	0.66	CSA \| Scientific Networking (ESNET) \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Vinay Sawal	0.66	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department
Tiffany Connors	0.66	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department
Georgios Michelogiannakis	0.65	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Dan Bonachea	0.65	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Gazi Mahmud	0.65	BSA \| Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology \| Molecular Ecosystems Bio
Angelos Ioannou	0.65	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Ronal Kumar	0.65	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department

Example Priorities:

The Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) strategy provides a roadmap for achieving this objective.
The situational awareness decision making framework requires the data contained using the Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (OODA) philosophy developed by military strategist John Boyd.
Automated situation and mission assessment and analysis that meet the operational requirements of all areas within the cyber domain – friendly systems and missions, traversal neutral systems or global commons and adversary systems – across the entire spectrum of conflict.
Understanding the dependence of missions on specific assets, the interdependence of assets and the interdependence of missions drives the requirements for SA.

Specific Technical Skills:

Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2)OODA Loop ImplementationDecision Support SystemsData FusionCyber Situational AwarenessMission Assurance AnalysisC3 Systems ModernizationReal-time Data AnalyticsThreat ModelingSystems Interoperability

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Shawn Tornga	0.69	LD \| LD \| ONHS
Gazi Mahmud	0.69	BSA \| Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology \| Molecular Ecosystems Bio
Oluwamayowa Amusat	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Sufi Kaur	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Jessica Granderson	0.67	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems
Drew Paine	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Sean Peisert	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Alexander Sim	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Danielle Svehla Christianson	0.66	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Alex Newkirk	0.66	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg & Industrial App Dpt

Example Priorities:

Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO) are missions intended to project power in and through gray and red cyberspace through actions taken in support of combatant commander or national objectives.
Cyberspace actions that create various direct effects in cyberspace (i.e., denial, degradation, disruption, or destruction) and manipulations that can manifest as denial actions in the physical domains.
Cyber Operational Preparation of the Environment (C-OPE) consists of non-intelligence enabling activities conducted to plan and prepare for potential follow-on military operations.
Broad topics of interest also include, but are not limited to: ... Deny, Degrade, Disrupt, Destroy, and Manipulate (D4M) efforts.

Specific Technical Skills:

Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO)Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO)Cyber Effects ModelingPenetration TestingMalware AnalysisReverse EngineeringExploit DevelopmentCyber DeceptionCyber Stealth & PersistenceIndustrial Control Systems (ICS) Security

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Sean Peisert	0.69	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Tiffany Connors	0.68	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department
Adam Slagell	0.67	CSA \| Scientific Networking (ESNET) \| Security
Hannah Cohoon	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Anand Krishnan Prakash	0.66	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Gazi Mahmud	0.66	BSA \| Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology \| Molecular Ecosystems Bio
Thomas Hendrickson	0.66	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Sustainable Energy Dept
David McCallen	0.66	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept
Alexandre Moreira da Silva	0.66	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Angelos Ioannou	0.65	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science

Example Priorities:

Concepts at the intersection of the areas of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Electronics Warfare (EW) and Cyber Operations technologies are sought in this Advanced Research Announcement (ARA).
Cyberspace intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) plays a crucial role in gathering intelligence to support the planning and execution of cyberspace operations.
This strategy emphasizes the need for adaptable, resilient, and distributed ISR capabilities that can operate effectively at the tactical edge, enabling real-time decision-making and sensor exploitation in degraded communication conditions.
Integration efforts under this program are expected to result in experimental capabilities, concepts, theory, and applications addressing cyber operations problems.

Specific Technical Skills:

Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)Electronic Warfare (EW)Cyber ISRTactical Edge ComputingSensor Data FusionDistributed SystemsAnalytical FusionArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSpectrum Management

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Alexander Sim	0.70	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Shawn Tornga	0.70	LD \| LD \| ONHS
John Wu	0.70	CSA \| Scientific Networking (ESNET) \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Edward Bethel	0.69	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Gazi Mahmud	0.69	BSA \| Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology \| Molecular Ecosystems Bio
Zhe Bai	0.69	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Samuel Williams	0.69	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Sean Peisert	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Nicola Falco	0.68	EESA \| CESD \| Integrated Ecosystem Sciences
Stijn (Stan) Wielandt	0.68	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept

Potential LBNL PIs (Overall)

Note on PI Matching: These suggestions are generated through an AI-driven semantic analysis of LBNL staff profiles.

Name	Score	Organization
Steven Hofmeyr	0.75	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science · Cyber Modeling and Simulation
Tiffany Connors	0.74	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department · AI / ML for Cyber Security
Zachary Needell	0.74	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Cyber Modeling and Simulation
Alexandre Bayen	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · ICS / SCADA Security
Jason Lowe-Power	0.73	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Trusted Hardware and Software
Koushik Sen	0.73	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science · Formal Methods Verification
Sean Peisert	0.72	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Defensive Cyber Operations
Adam Slagell	0.71	CSA \| ESNET \| Security · Offensive Cyber Operations
Zhi Jackie Yao	0.71	CSA \| AMCR \| Applied Mathematics · SIGINT / EW Convergence
Ronal Kumar	0.71	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department · JADC2 System Integration

Fundamental Research Exemption (FRE)

Any employee who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident will be restricted from working on any resultant contract unless prior approval of the Department of State or the Department of Commerce is obtained via a technical assistance agreement or an export license.