Dual Use Technology Development Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) 2020 | 80SSC020Z0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for 80SSC020Z0001

The Dual Use Technology Development Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) 2020 is a NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) funding opportunity aimed at building cost-sharing partnerships to jointly develop technologies that meet specific operational and mission needs at SSC. SSC is NASA's primary rocket propulsion testing center, supporting everything from full multi-engine stages down to individual engine components, and it serves a mix of customers that includes NASA programs, the Department of Defense, and commercial launch providers. Beyond propulsion testing, SSC operates a large multi-tenant federal campus with dozens of government, academic, and industry organizations, maintains restricted airspace suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle development and operations, and runs engineering laboratories that design and test electronics, sensors, algorithms, and mechanical systems. This broader infrastructure shapes the opportunity: NASA is not simply looking for basic research, but for partners who can co-develop practical capabilities that SSC can use in real test, operations, and monitoring environments.

The purpose of the CAN is to identify and implement cooperative agreements in which NASA and an outside partner jointly pursue technology development, with costs shared between the parties. The cooperative agreement structure signals a more collaborative relationship than a typical grant, with NASA expecting to have substantial involvement during the period of performance, particularly because the projects are intended to satisfy defined SSC needs. The scope is intentionally broad and invites responses from organizations interested in co-developing technologies that can strengthen propulsion test capabilities, improve facility and asset reliability, and expand SSC's ability to operate safely and efficiently. Projects under this notice are managed through SSC's Test Technology branch, led by the Chief of that branch at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

The areas of interest cover a wide range of dual-use technologies, meaning innovations that can support NASA test operations while also having value for commercial or other government applications. On the propulsion system test side, SSC highlights measurement challenges tied to cryogenic propellants, including in-line cryogenic quality measurement and cryogenic flow measurement, which are essential for accurate characterization and control during engine testing. In innovative components and materials, SSC is interested in enabling hardware for extreme environments, specifically cryogenic pumps and high-pressure valves rated for 15,000 psi and above, reflecting the demands of modern propulsion systems and high-energy test stand operations.

A significant portion of the topic list focuses on autonomy and data-driven operations. SSC is seeking autonomous and intelligent systems such as machine learning and adaptive systems, anomaly detection and identification, fault-tolerant systems, and broader autonomous operations concepts that can reduce downtime, improve safety, and enable faster decision-making during complex tests. Closely related is interest in big data processing and analysis, including high-performance computing and cloud computing approaches, real-time high-speed streaming analytics, and predictive monitoring and forecasting. These topics align with the reality that propulsion testing and facility operations generate large volumes of time-sensitive instrumentation data, and SSC is looking for tools that can interpret that data quickly enough to influence operations rather than only support post-test analysis.

SSC also emphasizes advanced sensors and instrumentation, including Internet of Things (IoT) approaches for connected sensing, nonintrusive flow monitoring methods that reduce installation complexity or risk, and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of pipes and structures to detect degradation before failures occur. Systems engineering and optimization is another theme, with interest in model-based systems engineering (MBSE) for multi-domain systems using tools like SysML and/or MATLAB, optimization of operations and logistics, automation of system design activities, and robust cost estimation tools and practices. These priorities point to SSC's need to manage large, interdependent systems where engineering changes, scheduling, and resource constraints can have major impacts on throughput and cost.

Additional topics include image and signal processing, such as high-speed signal processing and deep learning or neural network approaches that could be applied to sensor streams, video, vibroacoustic signatures, or other test-related signals. Computational modeling and simulation is represented through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which can support facility design, test planning, and interpretation of complex flow behavior. Airspace management is also included, specifically airspace monitoring and control, which ties to SSC's restricted airspace and its support for unmanned aircraft development and operations. Decision support tools and systems are listed as well, with emphasis on software development and test, and predictive and condition-based maintenance approaches that can improve reliability and reduce unexpected outages.

Finally, the notice includes a science mission support angle: developing hardware, software, algorithms, and/or processes that expand the role of NASA science assets in data-driven environmental management. This suggests SSC is also open to proposals that leverage NASA capabilities and data systems for applied Earth and environmental decision-making, consistent with NASA's broader charter to expand knowledge of Earth systems and related phenomena. The inclusion of "Academic Rocket Propulsion Testing" indicates the opportunity is compatible with efforts that strengthen academic involvement in propulsion test activities, potentially through instrumentation, test methods, or enabling technologies that can be fielded in SSC environments.

In terms of eligibility and administrative details, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by NASA Stennis Space Center under Funding Opportunity Number 80SSC020Z0001, using the cooperative agreement instrument type and categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 43.003). Eligible applicants are U.S.-based organizations, including commercial industry, academic institutions, and nonprofit institutions. The original closing date listed for responses was September 30, 2020. The public listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which typically means the final selection and funding levels depend on the quality, relevance, and feasibility of proposals received and the availability of program funds.

Overall, the CAN is best read as a call for real-world, deployable technology development that helps SSC test rocket propulsion systems more effectively, run complex facilities more safely and efficiently, and modernize its data, sensing, autonomy, and maintenance capabilities. The strongest concepts would usually be those that clearly map to one or more of SSC's stated needs, show credible cost-sharing and partner contribution, and describe a practical path to demonstration, integration, or use in SSC test and operations contexts.

• The NASA Stennis Space Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dual Use Technology Development Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) 2020" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-01-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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