DARPA Discover DSO Day (D3)
 

Special Notice

The Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring the Discover DSO Day (D3) event to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated DSO Office-wide Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The event will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 18-19, 2019 at the DARPA Conference Center (675 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22203). The event will be webcast for those who would like to participate remotely. Advance registration is required for both the physical meeting and the webcast. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.

The goals of this event are to: (1) familiarize participants with DSO's mission; (2) promote understanding of the anticipated Office-wide BAA; and (3) facilitate discussions with potential performers.

DARPA anticipates releasing the DSO Office-wide BAA in June 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, presented materials may be posted to http://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities.  

DSO Objectives and Office-wide BAA Description

DSO’s mission is to identify and create the next generation of scientific discovery that fuels innovation and leads to timely breakthrough solutions for current and future national security threats and challenges. In support of this mission, the anticipated DSO Office-wide BAA will invite proposers to submit innovative basic or applied research concepts in one or more of the following technical areas:

Frontiers in Math, Computation & Design: The increasingly complex, technologically sophisticated, fast-paced and dynamic military operational environment imposes fundamental challenges in how we design and plan for future military needs. The DoD implications of these trends drive a need for new math, computation, and design tools that enable trusted decision making at increased speed and with known confidence levels. Topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) mathematical, computational, and design frameworks and tools that provide robust solutions to challengingDoD problems such as planning, optimization and platform design; (2) fundamental scientific underpinnings and limits of machine learning; (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI); and (3) alternative computing models, architectures, and substrates for faster, more robust decision making.

Limits of Sensing & Sensors: Sensing and measurement of signals ranging from “DC to daylight” are ubiquitous to military systems and missions. Surveillance, navigation, warfighter health monitoring, and target ID/tracking are just a few examples of missions and/or applications that rely on various sensing modalities. Topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) new sensing modalities, (2) fundamental sensing limits, (3) engineered materials that enable novel optics and imaging capabilities, (4) fundamental and practical limits of quantum enabled sensing and metrology, and (5) practical and deployable sensing and sensor designs.

Complex Social Systems: Understanding social behavior and the dynamics of complex social networks is critically important for many military operations including stability, deterrence, compellence, counter-terrorism, shaping the environment, training, and mission planning. Additionally, increasingly robust machine capabilities in the form of automation, platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally change how human teams frame problems, plan, and operate at tempo and manage complexity. Topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) accurate and scientifically validated models of the social dynamics underlying different kinds of conflict; (2) capabilities to improve understanding of causality in complex social systems; (3) artificial intelligence and other tools that enable improved human-machine symbiotic decision-making; and (4) new concepts in war-gaming and simulations to identify and understand options for deterrence and stability operations.

Anticipating Surprise: Ultimately, the goal of DSO R&D investments is to ensure that U.S. warfighters have access to the most advanced technologies. Research funded under this thrust area supports scientific and technological discovery that leads to “leap ahead” capabilities for enhanced military readiness across multiple operational domains. Example topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) novel functional and structural materials and manufacturing processes; (2) materials for harsh environments; (3) defense against Weapons of Mass Destruction/Weapons of Mass Terror (WMD/WMT) threats; (4) energetic materials; (5) new propulsion concepts; and (6) novel approaches to energy storage and power generation.

Agenda

Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

8:00 am - 8:45 am Sign-In
8:45 am - 9:00 am Welcome to DARPA
9:00 am - 9:45 am DSO Overview
9:45 am - 10:45 am Limiting of Sensing & Sensors
10:45 am - 11:00 am Break
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Frontiers in Math, Computation & Design
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Networking Lunch (pick-up lunch boxes)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Anticipating Surprise
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Complex Social Systems
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm Break
3:15 pm - 3:45 pm Doing Business with DARPA
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm Contracting 101/Disruptioneering
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm
Q&A  

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

9:00 am - 5:00 pm Individual sidebar meetings will be scheduled based on registration submissions and focus area requests.

Registration Information

Advance registration via the below website is required for attending the D3 event 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. There will be no on‐site registration.

• Registration website: http://events.sa-meetings.com/2019DiscoverDSODay
• Registration opens: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 12:00 PM
• Registration closes: At 5:00 PM on the date listed below or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first.
o In-person attendance: Tuesday, June 11, 2019
o Webcast attendance: Tuesday, June 11, 2019
• Optional Meal Fee: If registering to attend the event in person, there is an optional meal fee of $18. There is no fee for registering to view the webcast.

Due to the limitations of the conference facility space, in-person attendance is restricted to the first 176 registrants with a maximum of 5 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.

Registrants in excess of the maximum capacity limitations (176 for in-person attendance and 500 for the webcast) will be added to a waitlist. Individuals who are unable to register for in-person attendance because the deadline has occurred or capacity has been reached will have the option of choosing to be added to the waitlist OR registering to view the webcast sessions. If slots for in-person attendance become available due to cancellations, the slots will be filled on a first come, first served basis from the waitlist. 

Sidebars

Special Notice DARPA-SN-19-33 announced opportunities for attendees at the D3 event to potentially have sidebar meetings with DSO Program Managers. This special notice has closed, and recipients of sidebar meetings have been notified; no additional sidebars will be scheduled during the D3 event.

Eligibility

Attendance via the webcast or the physical meeting is open to individuals who are U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, and Foreign Nationals. Upon entry to the physical meeting, all attendees will be required to present valid, Government-issued photo identification.

All registrants 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 Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 5:00 PM. This form and submission instructions are provided on the registration website and in the registration confirmation email. 

Contact Information

Disclaimers

Potential proposers may register to attend the D3 event.  The event is closed to the general public and media. Media inquiries may be directed to Outreach@darpa.mil. Attendance at the D3 event or viewing the webcast is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated Office-wide BAA.  Interested parties to this notice are cautioned that nothing herein obligates the Government to issue a solicitation. The D3 event 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 D3.  DARPA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred to participate in this event. Recording the Discover DSO Day event is not permitted.