SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- INFORMATION AWARENESS
- Notice Date
- 3/21/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714
- ZIP Code
- 22203-1714
- Solicitation Number
- BAA02-08
- Response Due
- 4/22/2002
- Archive Date
- 3/21/2003
- Point of Contact
- Douglas Dyer, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 000-000-0000, Fax 703-696-9781, - Barbara Meyrowitz, Contracting Officer, Phone (703) 696-2208, Fax (703) 696-2208,
- E-Mail Address
-
none, bmeyrowitz@darpa.mil
- Description
- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeks strong, responsive proposals from well-qualified sources to develop information technologies to help prevent continued terrorist attacks on the citizens, institutions, and property of the United States and its allies. Program efforts are intended mainly to provide a series of increasingly powerful leave-behind prototypes with a limited number of proof-of-concept demonstrations in extremely high risk, high payoff areas. TECHNICAL TOPIC AREAS: I) Repository Technologies, II) Collaboration, Automation and Cognitive Aids technologies, and III) Prototype System technologies. Offerors wishing to perform work in more than one topic area must submit separate proposals for each area of interest. OBJECTIVES: 1) Development of revolutionary technology for ultra-large all-source information repositories and associated privacy protection technologies; 2) Development of collaboration, automation, and cognitive aids technologies that allow humans and machines to think together about complicated and complex problems more efficiently and effectively; and 3) Development and implementation of an end-to-end, closed-loop prototype system to aid in countering terrorism through prevention by integrating technology and components from existing DARPA programs such as: Genoa, EELD (Evidence Extraction and Link Discovery), WAE (Wargaming the Asymmetric Environment), TIDES (Translingual Information Detection, Extraction and Summarization), HID (Human Identification at Distance), Bio-Surveillance; as well as programs resulting from the first two areas of this BAA and other programs. REPOSITORY ISSUES: The National Security Community has a need for very large scale databases covering comprehensive information about all potential terrorist threats; those who are planning, supporting or preparing to carry out such events; potential plans; and potential targets. In the context of this BAA, the term ?database? is intended to convey a new kind of extremely large, omni-media, virtually-centralized, and semantically-rich information repository that is not constrained by today?s limited commercial database products -- we use ?database? for lack of a more descriptive term. DARPA seeks innovative technologies needed to architect, populate, and exploit such a database for combating terrorism. Key metrics include the amount of total information that is potentially covered, the utility of its data structures for data entry and use by humans and machines in searching and browsing, data integration, and capability to automatically populate, and the completeness, correctness, and timeliness of the information when used for predictive analysis and modeling in exploiting the information in these repositories. It is anticipated this will require revolutionary new technology. The database envisioned is of an unprecedented scale, will most likely be distributed, must be capable of being continuously updated, and must support both autonomous and semi-automated analysis. The latter requirement implies that the representation used must, to the greatest extent possible, be interpretable by both algorithms and human analysts. The database must support change detection and be able to execute automated procedures implied by new information. Because of expected growth and adaptation needs, the effective schema must be adaptable by the user so that as new sources of information, analytical methods, or representations arise, the representation of data may be re-structured without great cost. If distributed, the database may require new search methods to answer complex, less than specific queries across physical implementations and new automated methods for maintaining consistency. The reduced signature and misinformation introduced by terrorists who are attempting to hide and deceive imply that uncertainty must be represented in some way. To protect the privacy of individuals not affiliated with terrorism, DARPA seeks technologies for controlling automated search and exploitation algorithms and for purging data structures appropriately. Business rules are required to enforce security policy and views appropriate for the viewer's role. The potential sources of information about possible terrorist activities will include extensive existing databases. Innovative technologies are sought for treating these databases as a virtual, centralized, grand database. This will require technologies for automatically determining schemas, access methods and controls, and translation of complex English language queries into the appropriate language for the relevant databases. DARPA currently has on-going research programs aimed at language translation, information extraction from text, and multi-modal biometric technologies. These component technologies will be used to feed the Information Awareness database but must be augmented by other technologies and new sources of information to dramatically increase the coverage of counter-terrorism information. These other technologies include but are not limited to innovative new methods of database integration, structured information authoring, and exploitation of integrated data streams. Non-traditional methods of identifying and monitoring terrorist activity are anticipated. Populating a database with information derived from masked or deceptive behavior by an adversary is a challenging technical problem. DARPA invites new ideas for novel information sources and methods that amplify terrorist signatures and enable appropriate response. COLLABORATION, AUTOMATION AND COGNITIVE AIDS ISSUES: DARPA will be developing technology to support collaborative work by cross-organizational teams of intelligence and policy analysts and operators as they develop models and simulations to aid in understanding the terrorist threat, generate a complete set of plausible alternative futures, and produce options to deal proactively with these threats and scenarios. The challenges such teams face include the need to work faster, overcome human cognitive limitations and biases when attempting to understand complicated, complex, and uncertain situations, deal with deliberate deception, create explanations and options that are persuasive for the decision maker, break down the information and procedural stovepipes that existing organizations have built, harness diversity as a tool to deal with complexity and uncertainty, and automate that which can effectively be accomplished by machines so that people have more time for analysis and thinking. Emphasis needs to be placed on ease of use, adaptation to the user who is often not a scientist or engineer, and implicit encouragement to use the tools to make the users? tasks easier. DARPA is seeking innovative technology for automating some of the team processes; augmenting the human intellect via tools that assist teams thinking together, tools that do some of the thinking for people, and tools that support human/machine collaboration in the cognitive domain; and for providing a rich environment for collaboration across existing hierarchical organizations while maintaining the necessary accountability and control. DARPA envisions that the human teams using its system will be drawn from multiple organizations spanning state, local, and federal government. Thus, there will be the need to permit collaboration across organizational-boundaries while providing control and accountability and connection back to the central systems of each participating organization. Technology will be required to support the entire life cycle of such teams. Key challenges include knowledge management/corporate memory, declarative policy generation and context-based enforcement, business rules and self-governance, and planning and monitoring team processes. The goals for automation technology include speeding the front-end processes of gathering, filtering, and organizing information and assimilating its content without having to read all of it. On the back-end of the process, technology is needed to automate or semi-automate the generation of efficient and persuasive explanations, and to maintain consistency within a large, distributed multi-media knowledge base. Technology is also required to make the tools and the collaborative environment itself more efficiently used by humans by making it aware of user context and preferences and smart and adaptive to optimize the user experience. DARPA seeks technology to aid the human intellect as teams collaborate to build models of existing threats, generate a rich set of threat scenarios, perform formal risk analysis, and develop options to counter them. These tools should provide structure to the collaborative cognitive work, and externalize it so that it can be examined, critiqued, used to generate narrative and multi-media explanations, and archived for re-use. PROTOTYPE SYSTEM ISSUES: One of the main objectives of the Information Awareness effort by DARPA is to create a prototype, closed-loop, end-to-end system. It is anticipated that technology and components from existing programs such as Genoa, EELD, WAE, TIDES, HID, Bio-Surveillance; as well as programs resulting from the first two technical areas of this BAA and other programs will be integrated to provide this system. It is envisioned that this system will be developed in an operational environment, but in a research and development mode. Technology concepts, system architecture concepts, management, experimentation and transition concepts to implement this prototype system and assure its transition to operational use are solicited. A modular architecture that permits easy insertion and extraction of functional components is anticipated. This will allow early achievement of end-to-end functional capabilities from collection to decision with available components and increasing capabilities as new components become available for testing and experimentation. This is not the role of the traditional system integrator in that innovative management and integration techniques must be found to take the innovative results from independent R&D programs and put them together into an evolving, more capable prototype system to accomplish the objective of countering terrorism. The U.S. is facing a new evolving complex threat that requires an agile and urgent approach to system integration. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: The Government anticipates multiple awards in each of three technical areas. A multi-phase approach will be needed to achieve program goals. Proposers should note that approaches with eclectic ideas from multiple technical specialties or communities are actively sought. The degree of advances will vary among the three technical areas of interest, but the goal is to create a series of prototype systems that add value quickly and improves rapidly over the program schedule -- the primary goal is a series of leave-behind prototypes with limited set of proof-of-concept demonstrations in very high risk areas. CAPABILITIES: Significant portions of the effort to be performed under this BAA do not lend themselves to organizations specializing in a particular niche. Given the breadth and depth of capabilities required to accomplish BAA objectives, it is anticipated that successful proposers will possess unparalleled multidisciplinary qualifications in order to maximize the outcomes of leading research and development efforts. In many cases this will require a collaborative approach; therefore, proposals reflecting the effective teaming of parties possessing superior specialized knowledge and expertise are highly encouraged. On a practical level teaming is intended to support critical mass efforts, to enhance the integration of successful algorithms, and to lessen the average burden per researcher associated with conducting evaluations or incorporating (if a team wishes) superior ideas developed by others. DURATION: Research under this BAA is expected to last for five years. During the first 36 months a range of ideas will be developed via limited demonstrations and preliminary prototypes. During the final 24 months the most promising research avenues will be extended to support production of a scalable leave-behind system prototype. PROGRAM SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: All proposers must be U. S. organizations (i.e., for-profit or not-for-profit organization, or academic institution), and most performing personnel must be U.S. citizens. DARPA anticipates selecting proposers for award who would perform unclassified work only. DARPA also intends to team with one or more U.S. intelligence agencies, and may desire that proposers selected for award would perform in collaboration with those agencies. Key Performers of prospective awardees whose activities would involve collaboration with the Intelligence Community must hold a current Top Secret Department of Defense (DoD) clearance and be approved for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), or be eligible for the timely granting of such clearance and access. A sufficient number of non-key performers to enable the effective accomplishment of the proposed research effort must also hold a Top Secret DoD clearance with SCI access, or be eligible for the timely granting of such clearance and access. In addition, prospective awardees whose activities would be associated with the Intelligence Community must also possess a current DoD Top Secret Facility clearance and an approved SCI Facility (SCIF). Proposers desiring consideration for awards involving collaboration with the Intelligence Community shall identify key personnel and enabling support staff satisfying the above Top Secret DoD clearance and SCI access requirement (see "Personal Security Clearance (PCL) Certification," in the PIP); shall certify their DoD Top Secret Facility clearance (see "Facility Clearance (FCL) Certification," in the PIP); and, shall detail their organization's approach to maintaining separation of unclassified and classified activities, and controlling need-to-know, as specified in the PIP. GENERAL INFORMATION: DARPA Information Awareness Office (IAO) is issuing this single step (full-up proposals, no white papers) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to solicit research proposals for Information Awareness. This announcement constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA 02-08) in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 6.102(d)(2)(i). In addition to this BAA, and before submitting a proposal, prospective proposers MUST also obtain and refer to the associated Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) for BAA 02-08 ? it provides further information on the areas of interest, program background, anticipated research processes, expected deliverables, preparation and formats for proposals, and proposal evaluation criteria. The BAA as published in the Government wide point of entry, in conjunction with the PIP and all references, comprises the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded. This PIP may be obtained by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below, or by downloading from the FedBizOpps website at http://www.fedbizopps.gov. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government?s needs may submit a proposal that shall be considered by DARPA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Institutions (MI) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU or MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of this research for exclusive competition among these entities. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: BAA 02-08 will be open for a period of one year after its publication at FedBizOpps. To be considered for the initial round of funding, full proposals must be submitted to DARPA/IAO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn: BAA 02-08) on or before 4:00 p.m. local time, 22 April 2002. In addition to hard copies, an electronic copy of each proposal must be submitted on floppy diskette(s) or compact disk(s), according to instructions in the PIP. Proposals submitted by fax or e-mail are NOT acceptable and will NOT be considered. DARPA will neither acknowledge receipt of nor return submissions. PROPOSAL FORMAT: Detailed instructions for completing the proposals are contained in the PIP. Proposals not conforming to the specified format will not be reviewed or evaluated. EVALUATION, AWARD AND FUNDING: Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a technical review of each proposal using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance: 1) Technical approach, including design innovation and effectiveness, approach for research, implementation and testing; 2) Overall scientific and technical merit; 3) Potential contribution and relevance to this DARPA mission; 4) Proposer's demonstrated capabilities and related experience; and 4) Cost realism and reasonableness. The Government anticipates completing an initial round of evaluations during the third quarter of fiscal year 2002. Resulting awards (if any) may take the form of procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, or agreements entered into under the authority of 10 USC 2371, or Section 845, Public Law 103-160, as amended (commonly referred to as ?technology investment agreements? or ?other transaction agreements for prototypes?). DARPA will construct a balanced program in order to meet its needs. A total of several millions of dollars will be available for these efforts. The size of each award and duration of efforts will vary according to the type of effort undertaken. In the case of proposals containing partitioned segments or phases, proposers should define partitions so that the annual budget for each is in the $200,000 to $1,000,000 range. If warranted, portions or partitions of resulting awards may be segregated into pre-priced options. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some or none of the proposals received. The Government also reserves the right to fund all, or any part of, a proposal evaluated to be eligible for award. Awards are subject to the availability of Government funds, and may be incrementally funded. ADDRESSES: The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Electronic Mail: BAA02-08@darpa.mil. Electronic File Retrieval: http://www.darpa.mil/baa. Fax: 703-527-3783 addressed to: DARPA/IAO, BAA 02-08. Mail to: DARPA/IAO, ATTN: BAA 02-08, 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714. Submitted correspondence must include the name, organization, address, e-mail address, telephone number and facsimile number of a designated point of contact.
- Record
- SN00046727-W 20020323/020321213433 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |