The Department of the Army, Army Futures Command, Combat Capabilities Development Command, CCDC Army Research Laboratory has a continuing requirement for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR), Integrated Operations for High Performance Computing, Scientific, Engineering, Analysis, and Outreach Support Services.

Provide qualified personnel capable of performing highly technical, cutting-edge military research and development efforts as well as programmatic oversight services

• Program Support
• Program and Project Management Support:
  • Program and Project Management Support reaches across most of the C5ISR requirements. This area will provide support for senior government and technical managers with overall planning, execution, reporting and monitoring of Mission and Customer programs and projects. This effort will also include, but is not limited to:
    • Contribution and documentation to support technical aspects of programs
    • Researching and Identifying potential technical partners in computational and simulation sciences
    • Establishing and Coordinating collaborative efforts in computational and simulation sciences and high performance computing
    • Reporting and providing technical input or responses for review by the Government for inclusion to answering higher echelon data calls
    • Tracking the status of the technical goals, milestones and deliverables, identifying potential problem areas
    • Review and reporting of financial status and impacts related to technical goals in support of mission and customer programs
    • Complete comprehension of the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) which is the web-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) and Business Intelligence (BI) system for the US Army which includes financial planning and execution
    • Extensive comprehension of the different elements within GFEBS, and the impact of each variant relative to the position of the variant
    • Vast knowledge and expertise in the requirements for posting data into GFEBS and for extracting, manipulating and validating from and within GFEBS
  • This area will also include planning, tracking, support, and oversight for ARL-specific interests in the High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) which includes but is not limited to the ARL-DoD Supercomputing Resource Center (DSRC), the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN), SDREN (Secure DREN), and Computer Network Defense Service Provider (CNDSP)
• Outreach:
• Responsible for developing, coordinating and implementing a technology-oriented Outreach Program. The Contractor should maintain continual professional interchange with High Performance Computing technology-orientated representatives of industry and government. Efforts include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Proactively seek and implement outreach efforts and opportunities for technical collaboration
  • Participate in and/or support technical formal and informational exchange meetings and workshops
  • Develop, produce and distribute information and/or items to promote High Performance Computing usage among the DoD’s science and engineering community
  • Design, develop and maintain web sites and published media
• High Performance Networking
• Software Defined Networking and Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) Research:
  • Support the Software Defined Networking (SDN) and GENI Research project by creating a dedicated GENI clearinghouse service specific to the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requirements. The Contractor will support the research, development and sustainment of systems in the following technical areas:
    • Python Based SDN network modeling for studying State Dynamics to improve SDN performance and Security
    • GENI stitching for interconnecting different GENI nodes
    • Building custom GENI aggregates
    • Heterogeneous network modeling research
    • Ability to compose research publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Will assist in producing new network models in order to experiment with SDN protocols and to modify OpenFlow protocols. Additionally, the Contractor will study the customer requirements and assist in customer research to extend the SDN based network topologies into the Government production networks. Contractor SDN and GENI Research tasking may include, but is not limited to:
  • Research and Development of custom OpenFlow extensions
  • Design and Development of OpenFlow Based SDN Topologies to deploy next generation networking designs
  • Development of GENI clearinghouse to enable the formation of DoD specific GENI Federation
  • GENI Systems Development and Research to create test bed computational resources for researchers
• Production Network Engineering:
  • Provide the resources to enhance and secure production network technologies for the Government researchers. This project will prepare the Government network to handle emerging technologies in order to give a technological edge over other networks. The Contractor support provided will deliver an enterprise level secure wireless network infrastructure to the Government
  • Maintain, design and engineer networks. The Contractor is responsible to perform under the standards identified by the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) and/or other accreditation standards. Other Contractor tasking include, but are not limited to the following:
    • Produce documentation, diagrams and reports to document the state of the networks
    • Network-based DIACAP control implementation and verification
    • Design and deployment of large scale Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) networks
    • Handle network issues, incidents, requests and other ARL support tickets that relate to the network:
      • Firewall configurations and operations
      • Traffic analysis and engineering for security and performance
      • Perimeter security engineering and operations
• Research Development and Engineering Network (RDENET) Support:
  • Design and engineer RDENET networks to maintain capabilities required by the Government Scientists and Engineers (S&Es). The Contractor is required to support efforts in the following areas:
    • Design, architecture, and security configuration of RDENET networks
    • Design, engineer, and maintain Research, Development, Test, and Engineering (RDT&E) networks in DoD environments
    • Develop RDT&E environment policies, practices, and standard operating procedures
  • Prepare documentation, reports, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and diagrams to satisfy accreditation requirements of RDENET networks. The Contractor should also provide support in the efforts to design and engineer new networking, to support ever-changing RDT&E requirements of the Government
• Dynamic Optical Networking (DON) Research, Development, Testing and Engineering:
  • Support investigating solutions to fundamental challenges related to dynamic provisioning and reconfiguration of high-performance optical networks. Research will include collaborations with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a transition partner for the continued research and development related to the DARPA CORONET project. Additional research collaborations will be pursued with scientists and researchers at DOD labs, as well as with academic partners
  • DON research aims to provide technological innovations that advance the state-of-the-art in high performance optical networks. This will include dynamic super-cloud computing through reconfigurable high-speed optical interconnects between DOD Supercomputing Research Centers and other HPC resources. It may also include applications to other problems within the DOD that may benefit from dynamic reconfiguration of optical paths. DON investigations will include, but are not limited to, fundamental physics and material sciences that relate to fiber optic system performance, material sciences to reduce tuning time for telecommunication lasers, as well as software design and implementation of dynamic optical network control planes. Development investigations will include research and development of other systems and technologies that will demonstrate the viability of various solutions. Efforts include, but are not limited to, supporting DARPA CORONET and associated technologies, Advanced Technical Demonstration Network, 3-Way Handshake (e.g., ROLEX path restoration, CORONET network simulation develop and extension, interconnecting DoD and academic experimentation networks (e.g. UMDMAX), DRAGON VLSR setup and development, configuration of optical network paths to support high-precision timing and clock distribution experimentation
  • Efforts also include, but are not limited to, providing deliverables related to the following areas:
    • Research into dynamic optical networking technologies and capabilities
    • Perform applied research and development into dynamic optical networking technologies and capabilities
    • Design, engineer, and maintain demonstration networks that employ DON technologies and methodologies to provide resulting capabilities to Government scientists and engineers
    • Prepare reports, papers, and other documentation to record and/or publish research findings and results
• Quantum Networks:
  • Support the theoretical research on quantum networks to maintain capabilities required by the Government S&Es. The Contractor will support efforts to perform basic research and build the theoretical and modeling foundation for quantum networks to meet the future mission-critical requirements of Army. Efforts also include, but are not limited to, providing deliverables related to the following areas:
    • Prototype a distributed decision making system using quantum optics infrastructure
    • Develop a quantum walk mathematical framework to derive algorithms for distributed computing
    • Support in the efforts to design and engineer new networking, to support ever-changing RDT&E requirements of the Government
    • Documentation of findings through written reports, journal articles, technical reports, and/or conference presentations and proceedings
• Computational Architectures
• High Performance Computing (HPC) Architectures:
  • Support the investigation of emerging binary and other novel architecture designs (quantum, neuro-synaptic) relevant to Army and other Department of Defense mission-related areas. Research will be performed in areas dealing with benchmarking design, execution, and refinement to better assess emerging computer designs. Efforts include but are not limited to:
    • Benchmark investigation and execution on a range of binary and emerging adiabatic quantum computing systems
    • Development of parameterized models to describe and capture computing capacity
    • Development of algorithm optimization approaches using various models and software engineering systems
    • Parallel software development
    • Investigation of power and performance optimization across constrained and non-constrained devices
    • Compiler research targeting efficient instruction scheduling across hybrid cores
    • Investigation of multi-tiered and scalable software engineering through Domain Specific Languages or other methodologies
    • Documentation of findings through written reports, journal articles, technical reports, and/or conference presentations and proceedings
• Provisioning for High Performance Computing (HPC) at the Tactical Edge:
  • Support research and development in areas dealing with maximizing the computing capacity across disparate processing cores as fielded in a cloud-based and/or distributed infrastructure. These efforts require the development of comprehensive models to capture computing capacity per core, per node, and across networked cores. Parameter assessment, development, and integration into models will be required to increase and refine fidelity of computing distributed in tactical environments. Data integrity and processing migration and assignment (provisioning) across “friendly” processing assets will be studied, refined, and expanded as part of this basic and applied research effort. Efforts include but are not limited to:
    • Development of new models and techniques to maximize computing core capacity in distributed environments
    • Investigation of task and/or data parallel processing in cloud service architectures
    • Investigation of data redundancy and integrity in dynamic processor pools
    • Performance of provisioning model stress-testing through network simulation and/or emulation studies coupled with real and virtual devices
    • Investigation of novel technologies (capabilities) based on increased computing capacity
    • Documentation of finding through written reports, journal articles, technical reports, and/or conference presentations and proceedings, and documentation for locally developed software
• Scalable Technologies for Spatial and Temporal Data Analytics and Machine Learning:
  • Support research and development in areas dealing with high dimensional data and potentially scalable data sets with the purpose of drawing conclusions and the discovery of useful information. Theoretical algorithms for these techniques could include numerical and non-numerical analytics. Accelerated and parallel approaches to facilitate at or near real-time processing are covered under this task. Efforts include but are not limited to:
    • Development of new models and techniques to facilitate machine learning on traditional and emerging computing architectures
    • Investigation of novel approaches for “big data” processing including but not limited to data mining, genetic algorithms, signal processing, and simulation
    • Novel technique development for dynamic graph analytics
• Computational Sciences
• Extreme Scale Computational Frameworks:
  • The Framework project will include efforts that position the Government to be on the leading edge of extreme scale coupled simulations and research. The development of an interpolation layer for a variety of applications will provide researchers with reduced problem execution times. Efforts include, but are not limited to the following:
    • Physics based code development
    • Data Models and Formats
    • Big data informatics: Post-processing of large complex data sets
    • Algorithm development
    • Parallel algorithm implementation
    • Complex software systems development
    • Mixed computer language development
    • Scientific visualization
  • Research will be performed in the area of multi-scale predictive simulation. This research could result in journal articles, conference presentations, and technical reports. Research will also be performed in the development and implementation of new parallel solvers and post processing codes to improve performance for experimental and simulation data sets. This research could result in both technical reports and journal publications. The Contractor will support the frameworks project on the following tasking:
    • Perform fundamental research into development of frameworks and interpolation methodologies for large scale coupled simulations
    • Create reports charting software development activities
    • Perform fundamental research of multi-scale simulation
    • Document findings through written reports, journal articles, technical reports, and/or conference presentations and proceedings, and documentation for locally developed software
• Scalable Multi-tiered Software Architectures:
  • Responsible for designing, developing and demonstrating a functional multi-tiered interface. The multi-tiered interface will provide a straight forward interface for all levels of Government researchers for problem execution, visualization and post-processing of data. Data visualization capabilities run through the web will provide Government researchers with the ability to visualize their complex data sets without the need for additional software. The research and development tasking that will be associated with this project will include but is not limited to the following:
    • Perform research and development into web based visualization technologies
    • Perform applied research and development into complex authentication methods for web-based multi-tiered applications. This will include seamless authentication across Kerberos domains
    • Create reports charting software development activities. Document findings through written reports, journal articles, technical reports, and/or conference presentations and proceedings, and documentation for locally developed software
  • Provide expertise to include, but not limited to the following areas:
    • JavaScript
    • Open Source Databases
    • Jenkins
    • Open Source Document management tools
    • Apache web server
    • Complex system authentication development
    • 2D and 3D data visualization-using open source tools such as ParaView web, Guacamole and Visit
    • High Level Scripting languages (e.g. Python)
• Mobile Network Modeling Software:
  • Support the development and maintenance on the Network Simulation, Emulation and Environment tools. The Contractor will provide software development for the mobile network modeling, creating common data modeling formats for all researchers. The Contractor will execute the following tasking:
    • Perform research and development of ray-tracing emulation
    • Perform software development for large geospatial data sets and research new ways to visualize large, complex distributed communications
    • Create reports charting software development activities
    • Provide documentation outlining research findings
    • Document findings through written reports, journal articles, technical reports, and/or conference presentations and proceedings, and documentation for locally developed software
• High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) & USARL Computer Network Defense Service Provider (CNDSP), Assessment, and Research and Development (R & D) Support Provider:
  • ARL plays a significant role in the DOD in proactive and defensive monitoring and hardening, of ARL and related DOD networks, leading and supporting in the areas of preemptive protection, monitoring, analysis, detection, and post-event response. ARL is also an Agent for Certifying Authority (ACA), which performs Risk Management Framework (RMF) Certification and Accreditation (C&A) validations and provides systems engineering consulting, software configuration consulting, based upon DoD and NSA Directives and DoD Secure Technical Implementation Guides (STIG). ARL leads the Army Cyber Research and Analytics Laboratory (ACAL) which is a consortium of Army, DOD and DOE partners providing a research environment, systems engineering support, software source code reviews, as well as a cyber training environment based on real world experience. As a result of their leadership and participation as a CNDSP, ACA, and the ACAL, ARL has developed several widely recognized and utilized Cyber tools such as the Interrogator IDS framework, Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM), CNDSP Subscriber Management (CSM), DShell, and INVADE-NG, all based on a research program that focuses on significant needs as determined through actual data and experience
  • Provide project management and technical support to HPCMP CNDSP and associated customers, including sites on the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) and other DoD Networks. The Contractor will demonstrate past performance and a technical understanding of operating a Cyberspace Defense Service Provider and executing services, including but not limited to vulnerability assessment support, anti-virus and anti-spyware support, Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) implementation, Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) support, network security monitoring and intrusion detection, attack sensing and warning, situational awareness, host based security, incident reporting, response, and analysis, and computer network defense (CND) training at the highest accreditation level
  • Possess an understanding of applying security to research and engineering wide area networks, namely DREN and SDREN, in an effort to support the test and evaluation (T&E) communities residing on the networks, as well as support for operational enterprise networks, specifically Non-classified Internet Protocol (NIPRNet) and Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet)
  • Support the U.S. ARL CISD Agent of the Certifying Authority (ACA), as well as the ARL Computer Network Defense Service Provider (CNDSP). The Contractor will provide project management and technical support to ARL CNDSP and ACA client and associated customers, including sites on the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) and other DoD Networks
  • Demonstrate experience and technical proficiency in External Assessments (EA), to include Army ACA, DISA Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI), and HPCMP Comprehensive Security Assessment (CSA). A demonstration of past performance in DIACAP, AR 25-2, and DOD 8500 series is required. The Contractor should also have experience in planning, coordinating, executing and providing deliverables associated with a large-scale EA program
  • Support the applied research, development, and engineering of cybersecurity capabilities to support the protection and defense of Army and DOD systems. The Contractor should have experience in using a wide variety of programming and software development languages, as well as demonstrable experience in big data analytics and cloud technologies. The Contractor should have experience in supporting Army and DOD research environments, consisting of Army and DREN enterprise data, in order to support Commander situational awareness at an executive level. The Contractor must have experience with implementation of the Rapid Deployment Kit/Big Data Platform (RDK/BDP) as a framework to support big data analytics. This scope also includes providing recommendations on utilization of new system functionality as well as outlining the risks, impact, and potential benefits of different possible implementations
  • Should have past performance in developing and applying scoring methodologies most effective in risk management and mitigation. The Contractor should also demonstrate an ability to correlate enterprise Information Assurance (IA) and CND capabilities to enable the on-going observation of DoD Networks and Information Systems (IS). The Contractor’s R&D efforts must include collaboration and information sharing with DOD agencies, industry and academia partners
• Corporate Information Management Services & Collaboration Environment Technical Support:
  • ARL provides a broad range of support for internal Information Technology and Management as well as Collaboration Services for both internal R & D efforts and external stakeholders as a major supporting component of the ARL Open Campus endeavor
  • Support this effort by providing ARL with the necessary people, technology, and processes to enable innovative R & D as well as collaboration between ARL and Army partners, the DOD, other government agencies, industry and academia. The Contractor will investigate and formally document requirements, present recommendations for the best solutions, and follow through with their development, deployment, and support, while following all applicable policy
  • Responsible for providing tools for program management, collaborative database management tools and techniques, data sharing and real-time desktop to desktop collaboration. The contactor will also be responsible for proving access to a real-time development environment for prototyping High Performance Computing capability. Program management tools must include the ability to access and share program documents, briefings, and reports in a secure manner, require conferencing capability similar or greater in capability than Defense Connect Online (DCO), and include full data search and retrieval functions
  • Lead the architecture planning, development, and deployment of a customizable collaboration environment to foster partnerships between internal and external parties allowing for research, technology and capability transfers. It will also serve as a test bed for developing and testing access control methods, as well as standard and custom implementations of existing and cutting-edge collaboration technologies, while adhering to all applicable policy
• Integrated Distributed Virtual Research Network (IDVRN) Scientific System Administration Support:
  • ARL recognizes that certain areas of research and testing cannot be adequately performed within the Information Assurance (IA) and security policies that govern ARL’s production/corporate computer systems and networks. ARL provides an alternative by way of the Integrated Distributed Virtual Research Network (IDVRN) which is a non-production network space that gives the end-user more control and the potential to waive certain security requirements if they negatively impact development and testing
  • Provide Scientific System Administration (SA) and Information Assurance (IA) support for ARL scientists and engineers (S&Es) within the IDVRN. The Contractor will require a comprehensive understanding of ARL’s Research, Development, Test and Engineering (RDT&E) network and its unique capabilities that support R & D activities that cannot be performed on production and/or enterprise networks. The Contractor will be required to perform initial setup and configuration of RDT&E computer systems and networks while adhering to all applicable IA requirements, controls, and policies. The Contractor will also be required to maintain compliance throughout the systems’ lifecycle. The Contractor will also develop and deploy centralized management and support systems to provide timely and efficient oversight of all systems that are part of the IDVRN domain. The Contractor will also collaborate with ARL personnel in Information Assurance Management, Information Assurance and Networking to minimize security risk of the IDVRN while providing the flexibility, data integrity, and availability needed to support specific research requirements
• Network Sciences Research:
  • ARL has a significant interest in the area of network sciences research. The performance and availability of communication networks are critical to the success of the warfighter as well as the overall Army mission. As a result the Contractor will be expected to provide expertise across a wide spectrum of network-centric research and test realms
  • Support efforts to perform basic research and build the theoretical and modeling foundation for network science to meet the future mission-critical requirements of the Army. Efforts also include, but are not limited to, providing deliverables related to the following areas:
    • Mobile ad-hoc networking
    • Quality of Information
    • Trust Modeling
    • Quantum Networking
    • Software Defined Networking
    • Social and Cognitive Networking, as well as Network Emulation and Simulation
  • Perform analysis, design, development, documentation, and testing of multiple software and hardware systems, tools, components and libraries. The Contractor will also perform algorithm analysis and design to provide novel computational capabilities required by the Network Sciences Research Laboratory (NSRL) for achieving research objectives. Capabilities will include: Virtualized environments, Data visualization, Communication Protocols, Energy efficient embedded software, and wireless communications systems
  • Provide system administration management, network system management, and audio/visual support of computational and collaborative research capabilities required by the Network Sciences Research Laboratory (NSRL) for achieving research objectives
• Network Security and Assessments:
  • ARL has a significant interest in network security including wired enterprise, tactical wireless and sensor networks. ARL is performing basic and applied research in network intrusion detection, active cyber security including risk and agility, and modelling cyber behaviors. ARL is also actively developing tools that instantiate some of this research to assist in operational network security
  • Provide scientific subject matter expertise (SME) in cyber security to support an external customer for program product lines. Support includes, but is not limited to, cyber security science support with respect to requirements/capabilities, system functional analysis, system design, and development reviews; system integration, test and evaluation, training, material fielding, production, evaluation of technical capabilities, and technology readiness support. Support will include influencing projects, proposals, and support of work from a cyber science standpoint. Assist in defining, establishing, and influencing the cyber science aspects of executing technical cost, schedule, and performance objectives of acquisition programs. Provide cyber science SME in the establishment of milestones for the progress of assigned systems through the total acquisition lifecycle. Provide assistance in the planning, programming, coordinating and controlling the execution of cyber security functions to meet program requirements with stakeholders. Assist in the development of complex cyber security documentation within System Engineering Plans, Test and Evaluation Master Plans, System Specifications, and Integrated Master Schedules. Make formal/informal cyber security presentations and prepare technical reports/papers. Provide advice and subject matter expertise to customer Tech Director and APMs on cyber security technical issues. Perform other duties as assigned
  • Conduct web application security assessments to formally evaluate the security posture of information systems connected to Army networks. Identify application misconfigurations and security flaws posing a significant risk to Army data and systems. Assist in the completion of formal risk-based reports identifying validated weaknesses, in order to enable the necessary remediation, hardening, and risk management activities for Army information systems