Contracting Office Address

Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714, UNITED STATES

Description

DEFENSE SCIENCES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PART I
SOL: BAA07-21
DUE: 2/14/08
POC: Ms. Barbara K. McQuiston, DARPA/DSO
FAX: (571) 218-4553
WEB: http://www.darpa.mil/dso/solicitations/solicit.htm
E-MAIL: BAA07-21@darpa.mil

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT 1, PART II, BEFORE SUBMITTING TO BAA07-21

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND FUNDING

The mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is to identify and pursue high-risk/high- payoff research initiatives throughout a broad spectrum of the science and engineering disciplines, and to transform these initiatives into important, radically new military capabilities. To carry out this mission, DSO seeks research ideas and areas that might lead to innovations in science and engineering. Therefore, DSO is soliciting proposals for advanced research and development in a variety of enabling technical areas as described below.

Proposals may be either basic or applied research. However, in all cases, proposers should demonstrate that their proposed effort is aimed at high-risk/high-payoff technologies that have the potential for making, in the 5-10 year timeframe, revolutionary rather than incremental improvements to national security, including emerging threats and operational challenges. Proposals that are not within the topical areas described below may be considered out of scope and may not be evaluated (see Other Technical Areas). Likewise, proposals for the integration of existing technologies or development of systems will also be considered out of scope and will not be evaluated.

Multiple awards are anticipated. The amount of resources made available to this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. While there is no specific requirement for cost and duration of the proposed effort, it is recommended that proposers include a Phase I of 12 to 18 months in length that addresses the most critical issues on the path to success.

This BAA constitutes the entire solicitation for this effort. No Proposer Information Pamphlet or other additional information will be published, nor will a formal request for proposal or other solicitation regarding this research and development be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded.

TECHNICAL TOPIC AREAS OF INTEREST TO DSO

This section describes the general technical interests of DSO. Please note that while the topics are organized by traditional disciplines, interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged. Regardless of the technical area, the ultimate success of a proposal is based on the specific technical idea(s) advanced within these areas and especially the uniqueness of the proposed approach. Consequently, proposing within one of these topic areas is not sufficient to make a compelling case for funding. For this reason, white papers are strongly suggested before submitting a full proposal (see White Paper Submissions below).

New Materials, Materials Concepts, Materials Processing and Devices:

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Demonstrations of multifunctional (structure + function) materials;
Demonstrations of smart materials and structures;
Novel approaches for manufacturing and self-assembly of materials and structures;
Engineered materials and material systems with designed structure and morphology (e.g., meta-materials);
Novel functional (e.g., magnetic, optical) materials;
Materials and enabling technologies for power generation and energy storage at all scales;
Materials structures and devices for use in space environment;
Materials and structures with functionalized engineered surfaces;
Materials for ultra lightweight armor and protection from blast and non-lethal weapons;
Novel approaches to non-destructive evaluation, property/life prediction and related technologies;
Materials and enabling technologies for measuring and controlling quantum and non-equilibrium behavior (e.g., atom interferometers; slowing, storing, and processing of light; quantum computation and communication, etc.);
Materials and rapid screening technologies for molecular-based memory and computing;
Lightweight or thin film materials with near zero coefficient of thermal expansion;
Biomaterials and biomimetic materials, including adaptive/malleable systems;
Self-healing, -sensing and -adapting materials;
Engineered material systems control of mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic, and thermal properties;
Ubiquitous biologically based material for electronic device and electronic fabrication;
Materials and material systems for autonomous regeneration of surface properties; and
Materials and processing methods that enable multi-parameter, high spatial and temporal resolution single-molecule spectroscopy.

Living Materials, Programmable and Self-Assembly:

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

New concepts in materials that translate biomolecular mechanisms to innovative, highly advantages new routes for material and device systems;
New mechanisms for dynamic self-assembly of hierarchical and device synthesis;
Novel biotic-abiotic material systems that exhibit multifunctional behavior;
Novel biotic-abiotic material systems that are robust, durable, and survivable in operating environments relevant to military platforms;
New methods for direct manipulation and control of biomaterials (e.g. proteins) on length scales and temporal scales commensurate with biological processes;
New concepts for dynamically reconfigurable composite materials;
Materials whose properties are pre-programmable or evolvable in response to stimuli;
Real-time methods to determine the structure of biomolecules and cell surfaces in solution;
New methods to achieve precise molecular recognition;
New tools to enable large-scale systems biology including real-time parallel measurement of molecular size;
New self-assembled materials;
Artificial recognition elements (e.g., antibody mimetics); and
Technologies for fabrication of particles and functional structures in the microns-to-millimeters size range, with arbitrary geometry.

Advanced Mathematics: Application and development of advanced mathematics for applications of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD):

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
Dimensionality reduction, error propagation, and uncertainty management in databases, models, and experiments;
Modeling of materials, physics, and biology;
Tools to predict the performance of complex systems across a variety of application domains (e.g., physics, biology, and sociology);
Adaptive sensing, waveform design, and scheduling;
Methods for the design of experiments that minimize the number of experiments and that maximize information for coupled non-linear systems;
Representation and analysis of large and/or disparate data sets;
Computational geometry and topology;
Electromagnetic modeling and simulation;
Quantum information sciences;
Signal and image processing; and
New applications of traditionally pure mathematics.

Defense against Weapons of Mass Destruction: Technologies to render biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiation attacks against the U.S. military harmless:

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Unique approaches for pre-symptomatic diagnosis of disease and health;
Remote detection/characterization of naturally occurring or engineered biological substances;
Technologies that radically accelerate pre-clinical evaluation of the safety or efficacy of therapeutics and vaccines;
Accelerated, high-yield manufacture of biological therapeutics, including vaccines and immune modifiers.

Applications of Biology to Defense Applications:

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Biological approaches for maintaining the warfighter's performance, capabilities and medical survival in the face of harsh battlefield conditions;
Biological approaches for minimizing the after-effects of battle injuries, including neurotrauma from penetrating and non-penetrating injuries as well as faster recuperation from battlefield injuries and wounds;
Approaches for maintaining the general health of deployed troops;
Bio-inspired systems;
Biomolecular devices;
Biological approaches to the growth of materials and devices;
Understanding the human effects of non-lethal weapons;
Micro/nano-scale technologies for non-invasive assessment of health (e.g., vital signs, blood chemistry);
Technologies to enable remote interrogation and control of biological systems at the system/organ/tissue/cellular/molecular scales;
Investigation of the interactions between physical forces, materials and biology (e.g., interface of biology with magnetics);
Novel mathematical and computational approaches to characterizing and simulating complex biological processes;
New technologies to drastically reduce the logistics burden of medical treatment in the field;
Advanced signal processing techniques for the decoding of neural signals in real time, specifically those associated with operationally relevant cognitive events, including target detection, errors, and other decision-making processes;
Novel techniques and experimental methods for understanding the impact of stress on the brain: including information processing, decision making, attention and memory with a specific interest in translating work on animal models to human populations;
Systems biology approaches to emitter/receiver hard problems including human to human communications, chemical signaling (e.g. olfaction) and other information transductions common in biology;
Novel interface and sensor designs for interacting with the central (cortical and subcortical structures) and peripheral nervous systems, with a particular emphasis on non-invasive and/or non-contact approaches;
New approaches for understanding and predicting the behavior of individuals and groups, especially those that elucidate the neurobiological basis of behavior and decision making; and
Technologies to engineer field medical therapies at the point of care, such as production of multiple drugs from a single pro-drug, or to adapt therapies for wide variations in body mass, metabolism, or physiologic stress.

Novel Technologies to Improve the Human Consequences of Transformation:

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

New approaches for training individuals and teams, including embedded training and simulation;
New approaches for creating greater adaptability and flexibility for the solider;
Understanding and improving team performance; and
New approaches for improving rapid decision-making in chaotic or data-poor environments.

Novel Approaches to Energy Technologies:

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
Technologies that dramatically reduce the logistics and/or weight burden of energy production/utilization during military deployment;
New approaches to engine designs that are non-heat based;
Novel ideas in the chemical extraction of energy; and
Novel and new non-carbon based fuel sources.

Special Focus Areas

From time to time, DARPA will publish addenda to this BAA that will highlight particular areas of interest. It is highly recommended that potential proposers look periodically for these updates. Addenda will have deadlines for submission of white papers and proposals that are different from the deadline in this BAA. Under addenda, the technical content for a submission as well as the overall structure of the proposed effort may also differ. DARPA will not establish a distribution list for automatic distribution of these addenda. Any specific instructions or criteria in a published addendum will take precedence over this BAA in response to that addendum only.

Other Technical Areas

Ideas outside of the advertised focus areas will be considered in scope only if the proposers can demonstrate that they have the potential for radical improvement to national security and are within the technical interests of the office. Proposals that integrate existing technologies or products into systems generally do not fall within the purview of DSO and are likely to be rejected.

WHITE PAPER SUBMISSIONS

Before proposers put together a full proposal, it is highly recommended (though not required) that they submit a white paper in response to the BAA. This white paper should clearly state the uniqueness of the idea presented in the context of existing state of the art in the technical area of interest. Demonstrating that the proposer has a clear understanding of the state of the art and that their proposed effort will make significant improvements therein is essential for a successful proposal. The white paper should also describe the proposed approach and explain why it is unique. Further, the proposer should demonstrate an understanding of the payoff of the technical idea, especially in terms of how it might make a difference to Defense capabilities. Key milestones expected in the effort should be described. Also, a brief discussion of the technical expertise of the proposed principal investigator and other key team members should be provided. Finally, an estimate of the program costs and duration (in months) should be included. White papers should not be longer than 8 pages; however, shorter white papers that can cover the content above are strongly encouraged.

A website http://www.sainc.com/dsobaa has been set up to facilitate the submission of white papers. This site will allow proposers to fill in contact information and upload a white paper document in either Word or PDF format. It will provide a method by which proposers can track their submissions. White paper submissions may also be made by attachment to an e-mail sent to BAA07-21@darpa.mil (Word 97 or higher is recommended). Embedded text and Postscript are also acceptable. Note: If the website is not used, then the body of the e-mail and the attachment must include name, mailing address, phone number, and fax number of the proposer. If this information is not contained in the body, the e-mail will be returned for inclusion of that information. (If proposers choose not to use e-mail, U.S. mail may be used. White papers and proposals will not be accepted by way of facsimile transmissions.) Within two weeks of receipt of the white paper, the proposer will receive a confirmation providing a log number and both a technical and administrative point of contact. The formal recommendation about whether a full proposal is recommended will be made as soon as possible. However, the exact time for response will depend on a variety of circumstances, including the number of white papers received. Procedures have been put in place that will help proposers to rapidly determine the applicability of their white paper to DARPA/DSO and to help develop promising ideas into formal proposals with a reasonably high probability of funding. Proposers may recommend a program manager to review their proposals based on prior discussions and/or information on the DSO website. Please note, this recommendation and any additional feedback provided is for the benefit of the proposer and following these recommendations is not a guarantee that the full proposal will be funded. All full proposal submissions will be evaluated regardless of the disposition of the white paper.

Point of Contact

Barbara McQuiston, Deputy Director, DSO, Phone 703-526-4759, Fax 703-248-1916, Email Barbara.McQuiston@darpa.mil