Coordinating Austere Nodes through Virtualization and Analysis of Streams (CANVAS) | FA875024S7003

Opportunity Information: Apply for FA875024S7003

The Coordinating Austere Nodes through Virtualization and Analysis of Streams (CANVAS) opportunity is a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) research and development funding announcement focused on science and technology efforts. It is listed in SAM.gov under Funding Opportunity Number FA875024S7003, categorized as a discretionary program using an "Other" type funding instrument, which often signals a research solicitation that may use flexible agreement mechanisms rather than a standard grant format. The program falls under CFDA 12.800, a common identifier for Air Force R&D-related assistance activities, and it is structured to support advanced technical work relevant to defense research needs.

Based on the title and AFRL sponsorship, CANVAS is aimed at improving how distributed, resource-constrained ("austere") computing nodes can be coordinated using virtualization and real-time or near-real-time analysis of streaming data. In practical terms, this kind of topic typically targets challenges like operating at the edge (remote sites, limited bandwidth, contested or unreliable communications, small form-factor hardware, intermittent power), while still enabling useful computation, analytics, and coordination across multiple nodes. "Virtualization" in this context usually points to techniques such as lightweight virtual machines, containers, microVMs, or other forms of workload isolation and portability that let software services move between devices, be reconfigured quickly, or run securely on mixed hardware. "Analysis of streams" generally refers to methods for processing continuous data flows (sensor feeds, telemetry, signals, logs, situational data) where latency, bandwidth, and resilience matter, and where the system has to make decisions without relying on constant reach-back to a central cloud.

The solicitation is explicitly not accepting submissions through Grants.gov. Instead, proposers must follow the submission instructions on SAM.gov for the full announcement, meaning the official proposal format, required attachments, points of contact, and any specific technical areas, eligibility constraints, and evaluation criteria must be taken directly from the SAM.gov posting. The SAM.gov link provided in the notice is the authoritative source for details such as whether this is a broad agency announcement-style vehicle, whether white papers are requested before full proposals, how AFRL wants cost information presented, what compliance representations are required, and what security or export-control considerations may apply.

From the data provided, the award ceiling is $24,900,000, indicating the government is willing to consider sizable efforts, potentially including multi-year projects, larger integrated demonstrations, or multiple awards depending on how the AFRL structures the program. The posting lists an original closing date of 2029-05-22, which is unusually far out for a one-time deadline and often suggests a long-lived solicitation window (for example, a continuously open announcement with periodic reviews, rolling submissions, or multiple on-ramps). The "ExpectedAwards" field is not populated in the excerpt, so the total number of awards is not clear from the summary data alone and would need to be confirmed in the full SAM.gov text.

Eligibility is shown as "Others," which generally implies eligibility is not limited only to traditional categories and may be broad, potentially including nontraditional defense contractors, small businesses, large businesses, universities, nonprofits, FFRDC-affiliated arrangements (with constraints), or consortia, depending on what AFRL specifies in the full announcement. The key takeaway is that eligibility details cannot be assumed from the summary line alone; the full SAM.gov posting is where any restrictions, teaming rules, or special eligibility conditions are defined.

In short, CANVAS is an AFRL R&D opportunity seeking innovations that help coordinate and run analytical workloads across constrained edge environments using virtualization and streaming analytics concepts, with submissions handled only through SAM.gov procedures (not Grants.gov). The opportunity is potentially high-dollar (up to $24.9M per award) and appears to remain open for submissions through May 22, 2029, subject to the exact process and any interim cutoffs described in the full SAM.gov announcement.

• The Air Force -- Research Lab in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Coordinating Austere Nodes through Virtualization and Analysis of Streams (CANVAS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2029-05-22.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $24,900,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for FA875024S7003

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