September 15, 2006
Q. When is the deadline for applying?
A. The grant applications for FY2007 Year 1 funding must be submitted no later than 1600 pm EST on 31 October 2006.
Q. To whom do I send the application?
A. Submit the application by using the www.grants.gov site and the “Apply for Grants” function. The application can also be submitted electronically to DARPA’s DSO at www.sainc.com/dso0646 .
Q. Can researchers at National Laboratories apply for participation on the CS2P?
A. No, eligibility for applicants in 2006 is restricted to junior faculty at U.S. institutions of higher learning.
Q. What exactly is meant by a "junior faculty member" and why is the program restricted to junior faculty?
A. There is no strict prohibition against more senior faculty, but the selection criteria will strongly favor junior, pre-tenure faculty. This generally means individuals in tenure-track faculty positions that have less than 7 years of relevant professional experience since receiving their doctorate. The reason that the CS Study Group program favors junior faculty is that the project aims to educate a forthcoming generation of researchers and educators with knowledge of current problems and needs in information technology for defense applications. The grant program in CS Study Group is intended to be seed money for junior researchers to enable them to develop connections to the defense community and to establish their research relevance to defense applications.
Q. Is this opportunity available to research faculty at university-based research centers?
A. Yes, although preference will be given to junior researchers who also have teaching and/or doctoral dissertation advisement duties. The applicant should explain in their statement the duties and nature of their current appointment.
Q. Is the project open to Computer Engineering faculty?
A. Yes. Applications are encouraged from all academic departments, providing the application criteria specified in the AIP are met.
Q. If I am selected for participation on the Computer Science Study Panel, will I be allowed to attend partial sessions, for example, if I have to teach a class, or to attend a conference?
A. No. Each year that you are in the CSSP will involve approximately 20 days away from your university. There will also be time you will need to spend at your university to prepare and work on your proposal. Meetings will be scheduled many months in advance to provide sufficient time for schedule management. Attendance at all meetings, except in instances of severe personal emergency, is expected.
Q. Will I receive compensation or consultant fees for time spent on the CS2P?
A.You receive your regular salary or compensation as arranged with your university. The university will receive grant funds for this purpose.
Q. Do I need to have recommendations or references and if so how many?
A. We will contact your references, generally by email. Please supply at least three technical references in your CV, and provide current email addresses for those references.
Q. If I already have a clearance, how should that be handled?
A. If you are chosen for the CS Study Panel, this will expedite the process of obtaining a clearance held by IDA.
Q. Is there any limit to the number of nominations that an institution may make?
A. No
Q. Is the $12,000 suggested travel budget intended for the academic year CS Study Panel meetings alone? Will it suffice to cover the summer trips as well?
A. Direct travel expenses of $12,000 should suffice for the 4 meetings expected to take place during Year 1 of the CS Study Group (a spring and fall meeting at IDA as well as two summer trips that occur during Year 1 of the CS Study Group.)
Q. Is it legitimate to budget for some graduate student time (say, 4 months) during Year 1 to assist in preparing the research proposal?
A. Yes.
Q. Are naturalized US citizens eligible for “U.S. DoD SECRET security clearances?”
A. Yes
Q. How will I know if I have been selected to participate on the CS Study Panel?
A. You will receive a notice from the Program Manager with regard to your selection. Your participation will be contingent upon receiving your SECRET clearance within a short period of time. There will be a subsequent notification from DARPA’s grant officer, which will begin the grant negotiation process with your institution.
Q. If I am selected as a participant on the CS Study Panel, what resources are available to me to prepare for the Year 2 proposal?
A. The CS Study Group has mentors and other advocates who will attempt to facilitate your access to resources, such as unclassified data and/or persons who might provide you with technical or operational information or perspective. It is the CS Study Panel participant’s responsibility to contact the PM, IDA or other involved person to request such resources.
Q. The AIP says that the CS Study Panel “will also include a number of mentors and adjuncts.” Please define these terms and indicate whether someone can propose for these positions.
A. “Mentors and adjuncts” are senior advisors and retired military personnel who can guide the participants in their understanding of the briefings and end-user requirements. Mentors and adjuncts will be chosen solely by DARPA and IDA outside the solicitation process.
