The document outlines guidance for proposers participating in a DARPA initiative focused on the RBC-Factory program. It emphasizes the importance of collaborative teams to cover all necessary technical areas and encourages proposers to present a comprehensive yet concise overview on a single PDF slide in landscape orientation. Key elements to include are the primary investigator’s details, an overview of existing team members, their relevant expertise, institutional assets, and core facilities. Proposers must outline their project aims, approaches to technical challenges, program phase structures, and unique metrics for success. There is also a call for identifying specific technical challenges where additional collaboration is needed. Overall, the emphasis is on clear communication and demonstrating how teams can contribute to the program's objectives while adhering to unclassified and non-proprietary guidelines. This document serves to assist potential applicants in developing competitive proposals for federal grants and RFPs.

The document outlines a proposal process for teams seeking to address candidate discovery and testbed development, aiming to establish collaborative efforts to tackle technical challenges. It emphasizes the necessity of a clear project overview detailing objectives, proposed methodologies, and expected hurdles. The teaming section highlights existing personnel, their expertise, institutional assets, and desired collaborations to overcome specific technical difficulties. Additionally, the anticipated impact of the team's success is addressed, including potential applications, unique metrics for progress, and strategies for transitioning the technology. The proposal encourages unclassified submissions using clear language, avoiding jargon, with a strong recommendation for forming multidisciplinary teams to meet program goals effectively. It sets the framework for stakeholders to submit their proposals, ensuring each section is well-defined and succinct to facilitate understanding and evaluation. This aligns with the objectives common in government RFPs, promoting innovation, collaboration, and the practical application of research in addressing national challenges.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is hosting a virtual Proposers Day on January 7, 2025, for the Red Blood Cell Factory (RBC-Factory) program, which aims to develop a medical platform to enhance human red blood cells with biologically active components to improve warfighter performance in extreme environments. The event will provide potential proposers with insights into the program's vision, operational mechanics, and team collaboration opportunities. Participants can engage in "lightning talks" to showcase their capabilities and request virtual meetings with the program manager for further discussions. Registration is required by January 2, 2025, limited to 350 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. The RBC-Factory program seeks innovative proposals focused on modifying red blood cells at scale, explicitly excluding approaches that involve genetic modifications. Attendees are encouraged to submit a one-page teaming profile detailing their competencies and desired collaboration. This Proposers Day serves as an information-gathering and networking opportunity to foster partnerships, facilitate proposal preparation, and enhance submission efficiency in response to the RBC-Factory solicitation expected to be published in December 2024. All inquiries should be directed to the provided DARPA contact.