Special Notice (SN) DARPA-SN-19-26
CAML Proposers Day Webcast
February 20, 2019
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 Competency-Aware Machine Learning (CAML) program. The Proposers Day will be held via prerecorded webcast on February 20, 2019 at 11:00 AM and 3:00 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 Competency-Aware Machine Learning (CAML) Proposers Day are to: (a) introduce the research community (Proposers, Academia, and Government) to the Competency-Aware Machine Learning (CAML) program’s vision and goals; and (b) explain the mechanics of a DARPA program and the milestones of this particular effort.
DARPA anticipates releasing the CAML BAA mid-February 2019. 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
CAML seeks to develop competence-based trusted machine learning systems whereby an autonomous system can self-assess its task competency and strategy, and express both in a human-understandable form, for a given task under given conditions. State-of-the-art machine learning systems develop their emergent behaviors based on their internal structure and their training. While such systems can perform well when their behaviors are applied in contexts that similarly match their structures and learning experiences, they are unable to communicate their task strategies, the completeness of their training relative to a given task, the factors that may influence their actions, or their likelihood to succeed under specific conditions. One of the key components for building a trust relationship is the knowledge of competence (an accurate insight into a partner’s skills, experience, and reliability). This competency-aware capability is a key element towards transforming autonomous systems from tools to trusted, collaborative partners. The resulting competency-aware machine learning systems will enable machines to control their behaviors to match user expectations and to allow human operators to quickly and accurately gain insight into a system’s capability in complex, time-critical, dynamic environments, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of human-machine teaming.
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 CAML@darpa.mil no later than 4:00 PM on March 6, 2019. 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 CAML Proposers Day will be webcast on February 20, 2019 at 11:00 AM and 3:00 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: https://events.sa-meetings.com/CAMLProposersDay
Registration closes: February 18, 2019 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) will be added to a waitlist. If slots become available due to cancellations, the slots will 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.
Q & A
Administrative, technical, and contractual questions about the CAML program should be emailed to CAML@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 CAML Proposers Day in all correspondence.
• Technical Point of Contact: Dr. Jiangying Zhou, Program Manager, CAML@darpa.mil
• Registration Website: https://events.sa-meetings.com/CAMLProposersDay
• DARPA/DSO Opportunities Website: http://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities?tFilter=&oFilter=2&sort=name
DISCLAIMERS AND IMPORTANT NOTES
Viewing the CAML Proposers Day webcast is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated CAML 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.
