AFRL REGIONAL RESEARCH CONVERGENCE HUB (ARRCH)

The Department of the Air Force is soliciting white papers from accredited institutions of higher education to develop and operate an AFRL Regional Research Convergence Hub (ARRCH). The ARRCH will enable rapid invention of transformational capabilities relevant to both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force through the agile pursuit of the most impactful research. The hub will be led by a performer who demonstrates a validated record of research and development, business incubation/entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Key areas of focus include research collaboration, workforce development, and technology translation. • Research collaboration: The performer will implement a concept of operations enabling full and substantive collaboration across a regional network of member nodes comprised of additional academic institutions, industry, venture firms, national laboratories, and other R&D organizations. • Workforce development: The performer will demonstrate activities designed to increase the population of practicing scientists and engineers in both AFRL and across the hub region who are proficient in performing and translating research. • Technology translation: The performer will leverage their respective world-class research, personnel, and entrepreneurial programs to create a more physical and visible AF gateway that increases the discovery, innovation, and translation of technology of interest to the USAF and USSF.