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ACC Mission

The Advanced Concepts Committee (ACC) is a Lincoln Laboratory Committee that provides seed funding and technical guidance for developing highly innovative, high-risk early-stage research concepts that address technical problems in support of national security.

The ACC can fund projects from MIT campus faculty, or collaborations between MIT campus faculty and Lincoln Laboratory staff. Collaborations between MIT campus and MIT LL are encouraged, but not required.


An ACC Proposal Should Involve

  • Problems of national interest or related to Laboratory mission areas (see examples below)
  • Low level of technical maturity
  • Risk (high level of risk is tolerated)
  • 6–12 months of effort for $60–$150K


Technical Areas of Interest

Examples of past MIT ACC Projects

Example technical areas of interest:

Data science Chemistry Human systems Climate change
Control systems Microsatellites Autonomous systems Space systems
Signal processing Networks Cybersecurity Decision support
Metamaterials Radar/EO sensors Optical engineering Environmental Monitoring
Underwater communications Advanced analytics/AI/ML Biosciences Laser systems

 

Proposal Process and How to Apply

To start proposing your own ACC project, contact Prof. Kerri Cahoy to discuss your idea. We will work with you to turn your idea into a proposal.

  1. Schedule a time to discuss your idea with MIT campus representative Kerri Cahoy
  2. Submit a one-page proposal to the ACC email 
    * Proposal Template
  3. A subcommittee forms, and the PI briefs the subcommittee
    * Proposal Presentation Guidelines
    * The subcommittee works with the PI to refine the focus of the proposal
    * PI briefs the subcommittee on the evolving proposal and the subcommittee recommends changes
    * After modifications, the subcommittee writes an evaluation for the full committee
  4. Propose to the full ACC
    * Proposal Presentation Guidelines
    * Presentations occur year-round, but funding decisions are made quarterly
    * PI informed of committee decision
    * Receive funding and start work

Project Execution Steps (if proposal is approved)

  1. Funding letter sent to Principal Investigator (PI) to initiate project
  2. PI provides quad chart and spend plan
    * Quad Chart Template
  3. PI submits brief, interim project status reports quarterly
    * Interim Report Template
  4. PI submits a final report of technical results to the committee
    * Final Report Guidelines
  5. PI makes a final presentation to the committee
  6. At project completion, PI informs ACC of outside sponsorship, technical publications, and new results enabled by ACC support

 

Notes on Funding

  • Funds granted to MIT are burdened by MIT but not LL
  • Funds granted to other universities are burdened by both MIT and LL
  • If the supplies are consumable/expendable within the duration of the program, they will incur burden by campus and they do not need to be returned to LL.
  • Capital equipment (more than $5k and useful life of more than a year) must be returned at the end of the project unless it can be transferred to another LL-funded project or alternative arrangements are made with LL property management to continue LL program-related research.