Boosting Innovative GEOINT - Science Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BIG-ST BAA)

The Boosting Innovative GEOINT - Science & Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BIG-ST BAA), specifically Topic 06: Magnifying University Science Expertise 2 (MUSE 2), is a federal funding initiative led by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) under the U.S. Department of Defense. MUSE 2 is a continuation of efforts to invigorate the academic pipeline in geodesy and geomatics—two critical yet under-supported scientific disciplines essential to national security, mapping, navigation, and geospatial intelligence. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy (MC&G) domain serves a pivotal mission to enhance the understanding of Earth’s physical characteristics. Through MUSE 2, NGA seeks to expand foundational research and curriculum development at U.S. institutions of higher education to support long-term workforce development in these scientific areas. MUSE 2 is designed to address declining research activity and academic engagement in geodesy and geomatics across U.S. colleges and universities. It invites proposals that build or strengthen curriculum, increase student participation in these fields, and promote novel research with real-world applications. The program supports projects that expose students to fundamental geodetic principles, such as Earth’s gravity and magnetic fields, terrestrial reference frames, and the technologies used for marine geodetic data collection. In geomatics, supported areas include 3D geospatial modeling, photogrammetry, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) applications, and multimodal multiscale 3D scene reconstruction. Each proposal must be focused on either geodesy or geomatics exclusively, and institutions may submit proposals for both areas but in separate applications. The total program funding for MUSE 2 is $25 million, distributed across multiple awards. Each award follows a structured funding schedule: up to $1 million for the initial 24-month period, followed by three potential 12-month funding periods at $500,000 each. All projects must conform to a technology readiness level (TRL) range of 1–6. Grantees are expected to provide a detailed plan for how they will accomplish project goals in each funding period, including milestones, curriculum development, and student involvement metrics. The program explicitly encourages participation from institutions with limited prior experience in geodesy or geomatics, particularly those with strong programs in applied mathematics, geoscience, geophysics, civil or aerospace engineering. MUSE 2 proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov, referencing BAA Number HM047623BAA0001. The application process includes both an abstract and full proposal submission, with abstracts due by March 26, 2026, and proposals due by May 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET. Questions were accepted until March 9, 2026, and responses were posted on March 16, 2026. Notification of abstract feedback is expected by April 2, 2026. Applicants are instructed to email the Grants Officer and Specialist to confirm submission and to ensure compliance with format and document requirements outlined in the General Solicitation and Topic Call Appendices. All work will be conducted at the unclassified level, and no government-furnished equipment will be provided. The anticipated period of performance begins on August 12, 2026, and can extend up to five years with continued government funding. All proposals must cover the entire proposed performance period from the outset, including planned future funding periods. Grantees will be subject to extensive reporting requirements, including quarterly and annual technical reports (RPPR), financial execution forms (SF-425), and performance discussions. Student outcomes, job placements, curriculum reach, and research outputs such as publications or patents will be monitored closely. The program does not require matching funds. Foreign faculty may serve as principal investigators, and there are no restrictions on citizenship for lead applicants.

Provide detailed curriculum timelines and student engagement metrics; Submit separate proposals for each subject area (geodesy vs geomatics).