DARPA SIGMA+ Proposers Day
 

Introduction

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring a Proposers Day to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the SIGMA+ initiative (sensors thrust). The Proposers Day will be held on March 7, 2018 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Executive Conference Center (4075 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203). The event will be webcast for those who would like to participate remotely. Advance registration is required both for attending the Proposers Day in person and for viewing the webcast. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.  

The goals of the SIGMA+ Sensors Proposers Day are to: (a) introduce the research community (Proposers, Academia, and Government) to the SIGMA+ initiative vision and goals; (b) explain the mechanics of a DARPA initiative/program and the milestones of this particular effort, and (c) encourage and promote teaming arrangements among potential organizations that have the relevant expertise, facilities, and capabilities for executing a research and development program responsive to the SIGMA+ initiative goals. 

DARPA anticipates releasing the SIGMA+ Sensors BAA in early March, 2018. If released, the BAA will be available on the Federal Business Opportunities website at https://www.fbo.gov and on http://www.grants.gov/. Following the event, DARPA may post the presented materials as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list to the DARPA/DSO Opportunities website. 

To maximize the pool of innovative proposal concepts, DARPA strongly encourages participation by non‐traditional performers (including small businesses, academic and research institutions, and first‐time Government contractors) in events such as this and any subsequent solicitations.

Teaming

DARPA highly encourages teaming before proposal submission and will facilitate the formation of teams with the necessary expertise. Proposer profile submission instructions will be provided in the anticipated BAA.

Lightning Talks & Poster Session

Attendees may be afforded the opportunity to give a brief oral presentation outlining their interests and capabilities, or to prepare posters describing areas of capabilities. The purpose of these presentations is to facilitate teaming discussions among the attendees. Upon registering, attendees may indicate whether they would like to either give an oral presentation or present a poster. Poster and lightning talk presenters must be physically attending. Due to limited availability, DARPA does not guarantee that these requests will be fulfilled. Electronic versions of the poster or lightning talk must be submitted to SIGMAPlus@darpa.mil by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, February 28, 2018. Responses to poster and lightning talk requests will be sent via email by 5:00 PM on Friday, March 2, 2018. If selected, poster presenters must print their own poster on 3' x 4' foam core and bring it with them to the meeting. For those coming from out of town, foam core posters can be printed at the FedEx Office Print and Ship Center that is within walking distance of the meeting venue. 

Click here to download the lightning talk template.

Registration Information

The SIGMA+ Sensors Proposers Day will be held on March 7, 2018 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Executive Conference Center (4075 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203). Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time. There is an optional $16 meal fee for lunch for those who attend the Proposers Day meeting in person. 

Registration opens: As of publication of this announcement. 
Registration closes (physical attendance): Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 5:00 PM or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first.
Registration closes (webcast): Friday, March 2, 2018 at 5:00 PM or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first.  

Advance registration via the above website is required for attending the Proposers Day in person and for receiving access to the webcast. The advance registration requirement applies to every individual intending to view the webcast—either alone or as part of a group. 

Due to the limitations of the conference facility space, physical attendance is restricted to the first 110 registrants with a maximum of 3 individuals from any one organization and no more than 2 representatives per division/department of that organization. Interested parties are encouraged to coordinate attendance internally within their organizations prior to registration. Remote participation via webcast is limited to 500 participants. 

Registrants in excess of the maximum capacity limitations (110 for physical attendance and 500 for the webcast) may be added to a waitlist. Individuals who are unable to register for physical attendance because the deadline has occurred or capacity has been reached may have the option of choosing to be added to the waitlist OR registering for attendance via webcast. If slots become available due to cancellations, the slots may be filled on a first come, first served basis from the waitlist.

Eligibility

DARPA hosts Proposers Days to (1) promote teaming arrangements between researchers; (2) provide potential proposers with information on whether and how they might respond to the Government’s research and development solicitations; and to (3) increase efficiency in proposal preparation and evaluation. Therefore, Proposers Days are only open to registered potential proposers, i.e., the events are closed to the general public and media. For this particular program, Proposers Day registration is open to potential proposers who are U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, and Foreign Nationals. 

All registrants for the physical meeting who are not U.S. Citizens must complete and submit a DARPA Form 60 (U.S. Permanent Resident and Foreign National Visit Request) no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, February 28. This form and submission instructions are provided on the registration website and in the registration confirmation email. Upon entry to the physical meeting, all attendees will be required to present valid, Government-issued photo identification.

Q&A

Administrative, technical, and contractual questions about the SIGMA+ Sensors program should be emailed to SigmaPlus@darpa.mil. All questions must be in English and must include the name and email address of a point of contact. Following the Proposers Day, DARPA will post an FAQ list to the DARPA/DSO Opportunities website.

Contact Information

Please refer to the SIGMA+ Sensors Proposers Day in all correspondence. 

Technical Point of Contact: Dr. Vincent Tang, Program Manager, SigmaPlus@darpa.mil
DARPA/DSO Opportunities Website: 
http://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities?tFilter=&oFilter=2&sort=name

Disclaimers and Important Notes

Attendance at the SIGMA+ Sensors Proposers Day or viewing the webcast is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated SIGMA+ Sensors BAA. Interested parties to this notice are cautioned that nothing herein obligates the Government to issue a solicitation. The Proposers Day does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. This announcement is issued solely for information and program planning purposes and is not a Request for Information (RFI). Since this is not an RFI, no submissions against this notice will be accepted by the Government. No classified, ITAR controlled, or proprietary information shall be included in submitted materials or shall be presented or discussed at the Proposers Day. DARPA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred to participate in this Proposers Day. Recording the Proposers Day is not permitted.