Miraj Tech Transition Pulse — #3

Scalable, on-demand production of defense-critical materials, fuels, and medical countermeasures using engineered biological systems.

Reduction of dependence on fragile foreign supply chains for rare materials, energetic compounds, and pharmaceuticals.

Forward-deployed manufacturing capabilities in denied environments (e.g., shipboard or expeditionary bio-foundries).

Support for NDAA 2026 provisions authorizing bioindustrial manufacturing research, commercialization programs, and supply chain resiliency accelerators.

Lapsed October 1, 2025 — no new solicitations, topics, or awards possible.

Existing awards from prior cycles can continue, but continuation funding remains limited or paused in several agencies.

Reauthorization status: H.R.5100 passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate; no inclusion in recent continuing resolutions or the FY2026 NDAA.

Log into SAM.gov → check your entity status and any open prior-cycle topics.

Bookmark these trackers and review weekly:

https://www.ebhoward.com/as-of-january-2026-where-things-stand-with-sbir-sttr-reauthorization

https://www.nsbaadvocate.org/post/news-sbir-sttr-reauthorization-gains-momentum-with-nsba-sbtc-push-as-congress-exchanges-proposals

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5100

Reply to this newsletter if you need a quick review of BIO-aligned alternatives.

University at Albany RNA Institute — Expanded bio-foundry capabilities for on-demand production of RNA-based therapeutics and advanced biomaterials (2025–2026 updates).
Link: https://www.albany.edu/rna

MIT & Stanford Bioengineering Programs — Engineered microbes for high-yield production of defense-grade polymers and rare earth alternatives.
MIT: https://be.mit.edu/research/synthetic-biology
Stanford: https://bioengineering.stanford.edu/research/synthetic-biology

Georgia Tech & NC State — Biomanufacturing platforms for scalable production of energetic compounds and structural biomaterials.
Georgia Tech: https://www.chbe.gatech.edu/research/synthetic-biology
NC State: https://cbe.ncsu.edu/research/synthetic-biology/

HBCU-led efforts (e.g., North Carolina A&T, Howard University, and others) — Growing focus on bioindustrial processes for supply chain resilience and DEI-aligned workforce development.

DoD awarded a cooperative agreement to establish the Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE), hosted by the University of Minnesota, to build an end‑to‑end bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem (microbial fermentation, scale‑up, workforce training). https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/us-department-defense-awards-875-million-create-new-manufacturing-innovation-institute

Publicly described outcomes include: creation of pilot‑scale fermentation capabilities, development of modular biomanufacturing curricula with community colleges, and industry‑partnered projects to bridge the “valley of death” between lab‑scale and industrial-scale biobased products. https://www.dodmantech.mil/News/News-Display/Article/3687129/biomade-revitalizing-us-biomanufacturing-and-fostering-collaboration/

It should be noted that many CRADAs and their detailed results are not fully public, especially when they involve sensitive defense applications or proprietary manufacturing processes. Public documents tend to emphasize the type of collaboration and broad outcomes rather than technical deliverables.

DEVCOM ARL Broad Agency Announcement (W911NF-23-S-0001) — Includes synthetic biology and biomanufacturing topics (continuously open through 2027).
Link: https://arl.devcom.army.mil/opportunities/arl-baa/

ONR Biomanufacturing-related BAAs — Multiple active calls under Code 33 and Code 34 for bioindustrial manufacturing and synthetic biology.
Link: https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities

AFRL BIO-focused BAAs — Active solicitations for biomaterials and biomanufacturing in contested environments.
Link: https://www.afrl.af.mil/Technology-Transfer/

Specialized OTAs — AFWERX, DIU, and SOSSEC consortia frequently issue BIO-related calls for rapid prototyping of bioindustrial solutions.
AFWERX: https://afwerx.com/
SOSSEC: https://sossecinc.com/

ERDC (U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center) — Strong in biobased materials for civil and military engineering.

AFRL Materials & Manufacturing Directorate — Bio-inspired and biomanufactured materials.

ONR Code 33 (Sea Warfare) — Biomanufacturing for maritime logistics.

NIST Biosystems & Biomaterials Division — Standards and measurement for biomanufacturing scale-up.

ONR Code 34 (Warfighter Protection): Dr. Ellen Livingston – [email protected] 

AFRL Materials Directorate: Dr. Michael Eismann – [email protected] 

ARL Bio & Biotech: Dr. Jennifer Waters – [email protected]

Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC)
Focus: Medical, biotechnological, and biomedical innovations for military readiness.
BIO relevance: Multiple awards/solicitations for cell/gene therapy manufacturing, mRNA platforms, synthetic biology countermeasures, and scalable biologics production.
Website: https://mtec-sc.org/
Solicitations: https://mtec-sc.org/solicitations

BioMADE (Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovation Institute)
Focus: Bioindustrial manufacturing — core DoD BIO CTA priority.
BIO relevance: Directly scales biomanufacturing for defense (biobased chemicals, materials, fuels, pharmaceuticals). Active DoD-funded projects and solicitations.
Website: https://www.biomade.org/
Project Calls: https://www.biomade.org/project-calls
Membership: https://www.biomade.org/membership

Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) / BioFabUSA
Focus: Regenerative medicine and biofabrication manufacturing.
BIO relevance: Scalable production of cells, tissues, and biologics — overlaps with DoD medical countermeasures and biomaterials.
Website: https://www.armiusa.org/
Project Calls: https://www.armiusa.org/initiatives/project-calls/

National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) / CMTC
Focus: Advanced manufacturing across DoD supply chains.
BIO relevance: Projects on biobased materials, bioindustrial processes, and supply-chain resilience. Partners with BioMADE.
Website: https://www.ncms.org/
Opportunities: https://ncms.org/ctma-opportunities

SOSSEC Consortium
Focus: Broad prototyping across DoD needs (cyber, propulsion, materials, biotech).
BIO relevance: Has issued calls related to bio-derived materials and bioindustrial processes for supply-chain resilience.
Website: https://sossecinc.com/sossec-consortium/
Solicitations: https://sossecinc.com/opportunity-login/

Start with BioMADE and MTEC — they have the strongest direct alignment with DoD Biomanufacturing CTA.

Monitor solicitations weekly — new BIO-related topics appear frequently.

NSF: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/broad-agency-announcements

DOE: https://science.osti.gov/sbir/Funding-Opportunities

China: Heavy state investment in synthetic biology and bioindustrial manufacturing under civil-military fusion. The PLA has shown interest in biotechnology for military applications, including biobased materials and potential dual-use research (2025 reports from National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology and DoD).
Key reference: https://www.biotech.senate.gov/final-report/

Russia: Advancing multiscale modeling and biobased materials for extreme environments through RAS and Skoltech programs. Russia maintains concerns regarding biological weapons-related activities (2025 U.S. compliance reports).
Key reference: https://media.defense.gov/2025/Dec/23/2003849070/-1/-1/1/ANNUAL-REPORT-TO-CONGRESS-MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA-2025.PDF
Secondary reference: https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-Adherence-to-and-Compliance-With-Arms-Control-Nonproliferation-and-Disarmament-Agreements-and-Commitments.pdf

Society for Biological Engineering (SBE / AIChE) — https://www.aiche.org/sbe

Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB) — https://www.simbhq.org/

Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) — https://ebrc.org/

iGEM Foundation — https://igem.org/

MIT Department of Biological Engineering — https://be.mit.edu/research/synthetic-biology

Stanford Bioengineering — https://bioengineering.stanford.edu/

Johns Hopkins University — Top-ranked biotechnology programs — https://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/research/biomolecular-engineering-and-synthetic-biology/ & https://www.bme.jhu.edu/

University of California, Berkeley — Strong synthetic biology focus — https://bioeng.berkeley.edu/ & https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/cbe

Georgia Institute of Technology — Leading in biomanufacturing scale-up — https://bme.gatech.edu/ & https://www.chbe.gatech.edu/

North Carolina State University — Renowned for simulated industrial facilities, workforce development and interdisciplinary research — https://bae.ncsu.edu/ & https://btec.ncsu.edu/

NSBE 2026 Convention (March 18–22, Baltimore)

SHPE 2026 Convention (Oct 28–31, Indianapolis)

SACNAS CareerCon 2026 (April 7–9, virtual)

Feb 5: DAF S&T Summit (AFWERX) – OTA/BAA focus. https://afwerx.com/events/daf-science-and-technology-st-summit-industry-day — register now.

Feb 19: AFCEA DC Tech Summit – Defense IT/AI. https://afcea.org/events — sign up.

BIO-related: Watch for announcements from BIO International Convention and synthetic biology workshops.

SBIR Status: https://www.ebhoward.com/as-of-january-2026-where-things-stand-with-sbir-sttr-reauthorization

FY2026 NDAA: https://www.pilieromazza.com/fiscal-year-2026-ndaa-signed-into-law-6-key-takeaways-for-defense-contractors

DoD CTAs Overview: https://www.mirajconsulting.com/p/miraj-tech-transition-pulse-2

ONR BIO opportunities: https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities

AFRL BIO calls: https://www.afrl.af.mil/

NIST BIO funding: https://www.niimbl.org/projects-programs/projects/

RNA Institute (University at Albany): https://www.albany.edu/rna

MIT Synthetic Biology: https://be.mit.edu/research/synthetic-biology

Stanford Synthetic Biology: https://bioengineering.stanford.edu/research-impact/our-research-areas

Georgia Tech Synthetic Biology: https://www.chbe.gatech.edu/news/2019/06/georgia-tech-scientist-helps-create-roadmap-engineering-biology

NC State Synthetic Biology: https://cbe.ncsu.edu/research/research-areas/engineering-life-sciences-and-biomanufacturing/

SBE/AIChE: https://www.aiche.org/sbe

SIMB: https://www.simbhq.org/

EBRC: https://ebrc.org/

iGEM: https://igem.org/

Global Lens (China): https://media.defense.gov/2025/Dec/23/2003849070/-1/-1/1/ANNUAL-REPORT-TO-CONGRESS-MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA-2025.PDF

Global Lens (Russia): https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-Arms-Control-Treaty-Compliance-Report_Final-Accessible.pdf

MTEC Website: https://mtec-sc.org/
MTEC Solicitations: https://mtec-sc.org/solicitations

BioMADE Website: https://www.biomade.org/
BioMADE Project Calls: https://www.biomade.org/project-calls
BioMADE Membership: https://www.biomade.org/membership

ARMI Website: https://www.armiusa.org/
ARMI Project Calls: https://www.armiusa.org/initiatives/project-calls/

NCMS Website: https://www.ncms.org/
NCMS Opportunities: https://ncms.org/ctma-opportunities

SOSSEC Website: https://sossecinc.com/sossec-consortium/
SOSSEC Solicitations: https://sossecinc.com/opportunity-login/