News & Success Stories

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) -- AFVentures, the commercial investment arm of AFWERX and the Department of the Air Force, or DAF, on Aug. 10, 2023, issued a notice of opportunity for its Strategic Funding Increase and Tactical Funding Increase, or STRATFI/TACFI, programs. The notice marks the availability of the application documents and guidance for the STRATFI/TACFI’s 2024 program year. For the first time, STRATFI and TACFI submission windows will be offset. For STRATFI, the deadline for submitting capability package submissions is noon on Sept. 27, 2023, with the TACFI submission window to follow. STRATFI/TACFI is open to Phase II companies with the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer, or SBIR/STTR, programs. The small business must either have a current Phase II contract or have completed one within two years of submitting a capability package. “One of the major changes this cycle is in the submission process,” said Carl Parker, AFWERX senior operations research analyst for the STRATFI/TACFI portfolio. “Unlike previous years, this time the government champion will submit all documentation as opposed to the Small Business Concern, or SBC.” Completing and submitting a successful capability package will still require teamwork between the government champion and the SBC. “We’re excited about the level of engagement we’re already seeing from our government and industry partners, and we’ll be mirroring all submission documents and guidance on our website and on the Microsoft Teams platform to ensure full access,” said Parker. STRATFI/TACFI are designed to bridge the “Valley of Death” between SBIR/STTR Phase II efforts and Phase III scaling efforts, facilitating delivery of strategic capabilities for the DAF. The program initiates relationships between the U.S. Air Force and Space Force end-users and acquisition professionals, private-sector innovators, and investors. The two programs differ based on award sizes, matching fund requirements and performance periods. STRATFI contracts range from $3 million to $15 million over 48 months, while TACFI awards range between $375,000 and $1.9 million over 24 months. The 2022 notice of opportunity drew 147 capability packages, of which officials deemed 125 eligible. Of those eligible, 22 STRATFI and 67 TACFI contracts were awarded during that program year. STRATFI and TACFI require various levels of matching funding and avenues for defense and/or industry matching, depending on the program sought. Air Force acquisition officials first introduced AFVentures and the STRATFI program in March 2020 during a virtual Pitch Bowl and Spark Collider. The TACFI program was introduced the following year. There will only be a small window of time to submit a proposal. Prepare now and learn more about the program here: https://afwerx.com/stratfi-tacfi/ About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 11,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com. About AFWERX The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory brings cutting edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, is accepting applications for its Traditional fall fellowship program July 17 to Aug. 18. AFWERX fellowships are designed to cultivate a better understanding of current industry trends, broaden innovation perspectives and expose Airmen and Guardians to programs with a DAF level impact. The fellowships include a professional development curriculum, allowing selectees to refine their project management capabilities and expand their skill set. "The fellowship program has truly been a transformative experience for me,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jason Newborg, AFWERX fellows lead. “It has expanded my perspective on innovation and provided me with valuable insights into how we can enhance and simplify processes within our squadron. Through the program, I have been empowered to explore the integration of artificial intelligence-based methods, leading to significant time savings and increased operational efficiency. The ability to leverage [artificial intelligence] has not only streamlined our workflows but also allowed us to redirect our valuable human resources to more critical tasks. The fellowship has truly helped me make a tangible difference in our mission and our team's success."

LAS VEGAS – In an effort to generate new ideas and cutting-edge orbital defense technologies, SpaceWERX hosted a Tactically Responsive Space, or TacRS, Challenge Definition Workshop at the AFWERX Innovation Hub in Las Vegas, Nevada. These workshops provide military end-users with an opportunity to interface with industry experts. “To become aware of the things that need to be accomplished by 2026 and determine who is responsible for the different parts is the end goal,” said 2nd Lt. Brady Pudwill, 2nd Space Launch Squadron. “It enables us to attack it intentionally in collaboration with industry.” This workshop marks the beginning of a multi-year Challenge to gain new technologies that will enable the U.S. Space Force to more rapidly and flexibly respond to emerging on-orbit threats by 2026. SpaceWERX and the Space Force hope that successful solutions could reduce response times from months or weeks to days or hours, significantly improving orbital defense capabilities.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – Project Arc, a grassroots initiative started in 2020 to spur innovation within the Department of the Air Force, is accepting applications for its next six-month temporary duty, or TDY, assignment July 17 to Aug. 4. The program is looking for Airmen and Guardians from all occupations who are obsessed with tech, have a curiosity to tinker and want to solve problems. “We want people that are passionate about science, technology, engineering and math, and joined the military to use those skills to solve warfighter problems,” said Maj. Jason Goins, founder of Project Arc. The TDY is funded by Project Arc and embeds military members and government civilians into operational wings around the world. They will work with pilots, maintainers, logisticians and other technical DAF jobs to apply state-of-the-art technology, experimentation, prototyping and rapid adaptation to help outpace technology used by U.S. adversaries.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – AFWERX and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate have installed an Uncrewed Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Equipping Eglin’s Duke Field with the Collaborative Low-Altitude UAS Integration Effort (CLUE) is the next step in AFWERX verifying that current air traffic management systems can ensure complete safety as drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft take flight. “Airspace management will play a key role for the future of air mobility and technologies like drones, eVTOLs, etc.,” said Darshan Divakaran, AFWERX’s head of airspace innovation and Prime partnerships. “To promote technological advancements, we cannot compromise on safety. AFWERX Prime is focusing on collaborating with other agencies to ensure we can accelerate the future of air mobility in a safe and secure manner.”

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – AFWERX leadership announced a new mantra, mission and vision statement to its Airmen and Guardians in a virtual all-call May 18, 2023. “We changed some of the wording to talk about teaming leaders and innovation technology,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force, or DAF. “There are really two areas that we focus on when we think about innovation, our small businesses and the talent that's out there to include our Airmen and Guardians. AFWERX pairs them together to accelerate capabilities for the warfighter faster than our traditional acquisition system.” Created by leadership, the renewed mission statement – AFWERX accelerates agile and affordable capability transitions by teaming leaders in innovative technology with Airman and Guardian talent – encompasses what the directorate is responsible for and how each Airman and Guardian helps accomplish it daily.

AUSTIN, Texas - AFWERX is encouraging physical and mental health with the “22 For You Challenge.” Originally founded by Jeremy “Chaz” Michael, AFWERX mission design team lead and Army special operations veteran, the “22 For You Challenge” began as a grassroots campaign in 2020 called the “Ruck for 22 Challenge.” It consisted of walking at least a mile with a rucksack for 22 days, in honor of the 22 veterans who commit suicide each day. The walk was intended to bring awareness to the mental health struggles of those with PTSD. However, in 2022 after the isolation of COVID-19, veterans involved with the challenge felt a more impactful change was necessary to help those still struggling with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Michael created a new challenge, focused on the creation of positive habits that would hopefully continue long past the end of the challenge itself – the “22 For You Challenge.” “Let’s do something that we can continue for more than a month, that's a novelty mental health campaign,” said Michael. “And let’s do something that benefits your mental health, physical health and quality of life. Smiling really does fill your tank back up. Sometimes we forget to do that.”

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – Four Air Force pilots remotely flew a Joby electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at the company’s Marina, California, manufacturing facility April 20. They were the first Air Force personnel to assume remote pilot-in-command responsibilities and transition flight for the eVTOL, preparing the Air Force for delivery of aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base, California.

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. – When you think aircrew, your first thought may not be about in-flight bladder relief, but it can pose major health and safety issues for pilots. In an effort to find an effective in-flight bladder relief solution for female aircrew, the Air Force is testing a new system called Airus by Airion Health. "In the summer of 2020, the Air Force put out a challenge to design bladder relief systems for female pilots," said Cam Chidiac, Airion Health managing member. "We were one of 11 companies to win. Then in 2022, we were one of two companies to win prototyping contracts.” The 46th Test Squadron and 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, have been tasked with developmental test support of the in-flight bladder relief system. "This test requires units to perform ground integration events with the system and the aircraft and will provide human systems integration feedback," said Justin Spurling, 46th TS aircrew flight equipment test engineer.