The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is opening up its Defense Sciences Office (DSO) mission and funding opportunities to external participants. Non-traditional proposers are especially invited to attend the upcoming Discover DSO Day (D3) event. The main objectives are to create awareness about DSO's mission and funding opportunities and facilitate discussions between participants and DSO program managers.
The event will take place in person on October 3-4, 2024, in Boston, MA, and will include presentations, panels, and networking sessions. The focus is on exploring revolutionary ideas and technologies with potential national security applications. DSO's research interests are wide-ranging, encompassing fields such as high-energy physics, cognition, computation, sensing, and novel materials.
This special notice is not a solicitation, but rather a precursor to potential funding opportunities. DARPA aims to foster innovation by engaging a diverse range of attendees, including U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and eligible foreign nationals. Participants must register and pay a fee of $125 for the first day and $75 for the second day to attend.
For more information and to register, interested parties should visit the registration website, which provides further details and important deadlines. DARPA encourages potential applicants to seize this opportunity to gain insights into the proposal process and explore potential collaborations.
If you require further information, you can contact the BAA Coordinator at discoverdsoday2024@darpa.mil.
Strategic Technology Office (STO) Office-wide Dept Of Defense
Presolicitation notice from the Department of Defense's Strategic Technology Office (STO) seeks innovative ideas and disruptive technologies to provide the U.S. military and national security leaders with trusted, disruptive capabilities. The goal is to win in all physical domains (Air, Space, Sea, and Land) and across the spectrum of competition, from deterrence to high-end peer combat. STO aims to develop high-risk, high-reward "breakthrough" technologies that achieve significant changes or fundamental shifts in technical capabilities, giving warfighters new ways to fight. The office will focus on creating new "proof-of-concept" mission systems and developing and demonstrating new capabilities that expand what is technically possible.
Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Office-wide Dept Of Defense
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through its Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeking revolutionary research ideas in the realm of microsystems technology. The focus is on developing cutting-edge solutions that advance DARPA's mission and address national security challenges.
This BAA aims to procure high-risk, high-reward technologies in three key areas:
Scientific Disruption: Exploring next-generation transistor technology, including photonic, quantum, and bio/organic circuits, and advancing photonic interconnects, quantum computing, and biomolecular computing.
Microsystems Manufacturing Ecosystem: Developing sustainable and efficient fabrication methods for advanced microsystems, with an emphasis on additive manufacturing, predictive process control, and material reuse.
Dual Use by Design: Strengthening the partnership between the DoD and commercial enterprises to ensure the rapid deployment of military microsystem technologies with commercial applicability.
DARPA seeks unique and innovative approaches that are not currently being explored in its ongoing programs or other published solicitations. The agency encourages proposals for a range of topics within these thrust areas, including fault-tolerant quantum computing, biochemical processors, and data-starved fabrication processes.
The agency plans to award multiple contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements for research and development. The BAA offers an accelerated contract award option for proposals with a cost limit of $2 million, ensuring a swift award within 30 days of selection. This option streamlines the process for procuring cost-reimbursement contracts and encourages applicants to opt for this efficient path.
Proposers should submit abstracts of no more than 6 pages by March 9, 2025, which will undergo an initial review for uniqueness and potential impact. Full proposals are due by May 9, 2025, and should include a technical and management volume as well as a cost volume, following the specified templates and guidelines.
The technical proposal should highlight the technical approach, SOW, schedules, and milestones, while the cost proposal must provide a comprehensive breakdown of expenses across various categories. Organizations seeking the accelerated award option should agree to the stipulated terms, including data rights assertions and fee limitations, and submit a completed DARPA cost proposal spreadsheet.
Proposals will be evaluated based on their scientific and technical merit, potential contribution to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. Besides the accelerated option, DARPA also emphasizes the protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in its solicitations and expects proposers to adhere to the specified handling and marking instructions.
Interested organizations should contact Dr. Whitney Mason at HR001124S0028@darpa.mil for clarification or further information. The BAA encourages applicants to submit innovative solutions, focusing on the technical approach, impact, and potential for revolutionary advancements in microsystems technology.
Presolicitation DEPT OF DEFENSE is seeking Microsystems Exploration services. This service is typically used for developing high-risk, high-reward technologies that enable revolutionary advances in materials, devices, and microsystems. The Microsystems Exploration program aims to capitalize rapidly on new opportunities with faster responses and smaller, targeted investments. Awards for Microsystems Exploration will be made within 90 days of each topic announcement. For more information, contact BAA Coordinator at DARPA-PA-23-05@darpa.mil.
Directed Energy Technology Experimentation Research (DETER) Advanced Research Announcement (ARA) Open Announcement Dept Of Defense
Solicitation DEPT OF DEFENSE is seeking Directed Energy Technology Experimentation Research (DETER) services. This research and development opportunity aims to perform R&D, modeling and simulation, design, component/subsystem, prototype risk reduction, fabrication/purchase, assembly, integration, and testing of directed energy source components and systems. The goal is to demonstrate system capabilities through laboratory research, experimentation, and field trials in a relevant environment. The announcement encourages dialogue between prospective Offerors and Government representatives. The solicitation is open for white papers and proposals, with the possibility of collapsing the process into a one-step evaluation. The research will support the development of next-generation technologies and weapon system options for the joint warfighter, with a focus on improving national defense capabilities in the domains of directed energy. The announcement provides specific topic areas for research, including directed energy sources, acquisition tracking pointing and beam control systems, DE weapon systems, DE effects testing, modeling and simulation, wargaming, innovative space domain awareness, experiments and testing, and laboratory materials and supplies. The announcement also outlines the types of contracts/instruments that may be awarded and provides information on estimated program cost, anticipated number of awards, schedule, deliverables, and points of contact.
ARMY APPLICATIONS LABORATORY BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES Dept Of Defense
Solicitation DEPT OF DEFENSE ARMY APPLICATIONS LABORATORY BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES is seeking technologies that address a wide range of Army needs. The Army Applications Lab (AAL) aims to capitalize on the extended marketplace of ideas in government, academia, industry, and civilian innovation ecosystems. The lab's main focus is on the discovery, acceleration, and translation of disruptive technology applications. They are looking for breakthrough innovations that create a scalable, first-mover advantage for the Army in strategic technology areas. The technologies of interest include robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, augmented and virtual reality, nanotechnology, quantum information systems, synthetic biology and biotechnology, Internet of Things (IoT), space systems, advanced networking, communications, and command and control technology, additive manufacturing, and power and energy systems. The lab also seeks approaches and methodologies that support the research and development of dual-use solutions.
POWER Receiver Array Demonstration (PRAD) PS Dept Of Defense
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative demonstration approaches for the POWER Receiver Array Demonstration (PRAD) program, aimed at developing a ground-based optical laser power beaming receiver. This initiative is part of the Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) Program, which seeks to address energy transfer challenges for military applications by validating the performance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) receiver arrays in real-world conditions. Key details include an initial announcement on September 4, 2024, a Proposers Day on September 11, and deadlines for abstract submissions and oral presentations by September 30 and three weeks later, respectively. Interested parties can contact the BAA Coordinator at DARPA-PS-24-25@darpa.mil for further information.