Special Notice (SN) DARPA-SN-19-02
Accelerated Molecular Discovery (AMD)
Proposers Day
October 18, 2018
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring a Proposers Day webcast to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Accelerated Molecular Discovery (AMD) program. The Proposers Day will be held via prerecorded webcast on October 18, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Advance registration is required for viewing the webcast. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.
The goals of the AMD Proposers Day are to: (a) introduce the research community (Proposers, Academia, and Government) to the AMD program vision and goals; (b) explain the mechanics of a DARPA 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 AMD program goals.
DARPA anticipates releasing the AMD BAA in Mid-October 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 proposers (including small businesses, academic and research institutions, and first-time Government contractors) in events such as this and any subsequent solicitations.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION
Efficient discovery and production of new molecules is essential to realize capabilities across the DoD, from simulants and medicines essential to counter emerging threats, to energetics, dyes and specialty fuels needed for advanced performance. Current approaches to develop molecules for a given application are intuition-driven, mired in slow iterative design/test cycles and ultimately limited by the specific molecular expertise of the chemist, bottlenecks in the synthesis of candidates, and the pace of by-hand validation and optimization of these candidates.
DARPA seeks to develop new, systematic approaches that increase the pace of discovery and optimization of high-performance molecules through development of closed-loop systems that exploit, build and integrate tools for: 1) extracting existing data from databases and text; 2) executing autonomous experimental measurement and optimization; and 3) incorporating computational approaches to develop physics-based representations and predictive tools. AMD systems will provide a comprehensive computational and experimental means to design, discover, validate and optimize new molecules, iteratively and actively learning to more efficiently and effectively discover molecules that enhance performance in applications relevant to national security. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, and systems related to small molecules. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
TEAMING
DARPA highly encourages teaming before proposal submission and will facilitate the formation of teams with the necessary expertise. Potential proposers may choose to be included on the (optional) Proposer Profile List by submitting a one-page profile consisting of their contact information (name, organization, email, telephone number, mailing address and, if applicable, organization website); a brief description of their technical competencies; and, if applicable, their desired expertise from other teams/organizations.
All profiles must be emailed to AMD@darpa.mil no later than 1:00 PM on October 22, 2018. Following the deadline, the consolidated teaming profiles will be sent via email to the proposers who submitted a valid profile. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibility of the participants. Neither DARPA nor the DoD endorses the information and organizations contained in the consolidated teaming profile document, nor does DARPA or the DoD exercise any responsibility for improper dissemination of the teaming profiles.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
The AMD Proposers Day will be webcast on October 18, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time. There is no registration fee for the Proposers Day webcast.
Registration opens: As of publication of this announcement.
Registration website: http://events.sa-meetings.com/AMDProposersDay
Registration closes: October 16, 2018 at 5:00 PM or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first.
Advance registration via the above website is required in order to receive access to the webcast and is mandatory for every individual intending to view the webcast either alone or as part of a group.
Registrants in excess of the maximum capacity limitations (500 individuals) may be added to a waitlist. Individuals who are unable to register because the deadline has occurred may request to be added to the waitlist. 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 (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.
Q & A
Administrative, technical, and contractual questions about the AMD program should be emailed to AMD@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 AMD Proposers Day in all correspondence.
• Technical Point of Contact: Anne Fischer, Program Manager, AMD@darpa.mil
• Registration Website: http://events.sa-meetings.com/AMDProposersDay
• DARPA/DSO Opportunities Website: http://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities?tFilter=&oFilter=2&sort=name
DISCLAIMERS AND IMPORTANT NOTES
Viewing the AMD Proposers Day webcast is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated AMD 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 webcast is not permitted.
