UW–Madison is now part of Vulcan, the digital platform U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) uses to find, vet, and adopt new technology. Vulcan gives UW–Madison researchers a direct way to put their work in front of Special Operations Forces (SOF) operators, acquisition professionals, and government technology scouts.

Vulcan is run by SOF Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (SOF AT&L). It hosts Engage SOF (eSOF), USSOCOM’s single entry point for new ideas and capabilities. The platform links more than 1,500 U.S. government organizations and 15,000 government users. SOF, interagency, and Five Eyes partners can all review and collaborate on submissions. SOF AT&L’s Science & Technology Directorate names universities among its key technology development partners. Vulcan is one of the main inputs it uses to decide what to prototype, experiment with, and transition.

Being on Vulcan brings:

• Direct access to opportunities: USSOCOM and other Department of War organizations post RFIs and “Calls” on Vulcan. Many accept responses only through the platform, including Technical Experimentation (TE) events, rapid capability assessments, and eSOF capability submissions.
• A reusable capability profile: Researchers describe a capability once, as a Vulcan “Scout Card.” The card covers what the work does, what sets it apart, and its technology readiness level. It can then be attached to many calls and tailored to each one without starting over.
• Operator feedback: SOF operators and subject matter experts assess submissions. Faculty get an early read on whether and how their work fits real SOF needs.
• Visibility across government: One Scout Card can be found by program offices, components, labs, and interagency partners well beyond USSOCOM. That can lead to teaming, experimentation, and follow-on funding.
• Active near-term demand: SOF AT&L runs three Technical Experimentation events per year. Recent ones focused on maritime multi-domain operations, signature management, and large-scale counter-uncrewed systems. These areas are also relevant to Wisconsin and regional efforts on Autonomous Heartland / Area 52. The SOF AT&L S&T Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) runs through 2030, and its annual submission window closes January 5.

SOF needs go well beyond hardware. SOF AT&L’s science and technology focus areas include:

• human performance and brain health
• prolonged field care and environmental medicine
• AI/ML and collaborative autonomy
• sensor fusion and edge computing
• contested communications
• offensive and defensive cyber
• electromagnetic warfare
• signature management
• advanced materials and coatings
• mobility platforms
• resilient logistics

Relevant UW–Madison expertise includes:

• sleep science, kinesiology, and nutrition
• neuroscience
• trauma and emergency medicine
• computer sciences, AI, and data science
• robotics and autonomy
• electrical and computer engineering, RF, and antennas
• materials science and optics
• cybersecurity
• geospatial analysis
• supply chain and logistics

If your work touches any of these areas, Vulcan may be a good fit.

Vulcan is a discovery and assessment platform, not a funding vehicle. Funded work usually follows through other channels, including:

• SOF AT&L Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
• SOFWERX
• SBIR/STTR
• contracting vehicles such as the $85M SOCOM IDIQ available through the IAE Academic Consortium

A strong Scout Card is often the first step toward all of these.

If you would like help getting started on Vulcan, reach out to WINS at nationalsecurity@wisc.edu. Include your department and a sentence or two on your relevant research area(s). WINS is happy to help with Scout Cards, white papers, teaming, and finding the right calls. When you register, use your wisc.edu address, since Vulcan requires an official organizational email. Please note that all Vulcan content must be unclassified and is visible to a broad government audience. Check with WARF before describing unpublished inventions, and with the campus export control office on any controlled technical data.