Contract Award: University of California San Diego (San Diego, California) – $20,340,276

University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, is awarded a $20,340,276 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the effort titled “Marine Robotics Testbed.” This contract provides for the continued development of state-of-the-art improvements and evaluations of unmanned systems and in situ ocean sampling systems. This line of effort will continue to improve oceanographic sampling techniques and methods. Planned experiments will collect data to define best practices for practical applications of sciences. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (87%); and Woods Hole, Massachusetts (13%). Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 11, 2027. The maximum dollar value, including a 60-month base period with no option periods, is $20,340,276. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,000,000 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under Office of Naval Research long range broad agency announcement (BAA) (N00014-21-S-B001), dated Oct. 8, 2020. Since proposals are received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-22-C-2006).