SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Adaptive Focal Plane Array
- Notice Date
- 5/17/2002
- 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
- BAA02-20
- Response Due
- 7/2/2002
- Archive Date
- 7/2/2003
- Point of Contact
- John Carrano, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 000-000-0000, Fax 703-696-2206,
- E-Mail Address
-
none
- Description
- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of adaptive focal plane arrays for use in a variety of military platforms. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in infrared imaging and sensing. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION The overall goal of the Adaptive Focal Plane Array (AFPA) program is to demonstrate a high-performance focal plane array (FPA) that is widely tunable across the relevant wavebands in the infrared (IR) spectrum (including the short wave infrared (SWIR), mid wave infrared (MWIR), and long wave infrared (LWIR) bands), thus enabling "multispectral imaging on a chip." The FPA should be electrically tunable on a pixel-by-pixel basis, thus enabling the real-time reconfiguration of the array to maximize either spectral coverage or spatial resolution. The goal is for the FPA to not simply be multi-functional, but rather to be adaptable by means of electronic control at each pixel. Thus, the FPA will serve as an intelligent front-end to an optoelectronic microsystem. The primary objective of the AFPA program is, therefore, to develop an electro-optical imaging sensor that benefits from both hyperspectral and forward looking infrared (FLIR) characteristics while avoiding the large mass of hyperspectral and the poor signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) of FLIR. A FPA is envisioned that employs an active filtering mechanism of some design in each pixel to provide spectral tuning and scene sampling with temporal and spatial simultaneity. DARPA seeks innovative proposals in the following areas: I. Novel Tunable Detector Design and Fabrication: The emphasis of this thrust area is on the design, fabrication, and testing of individual tunable photodetectors (pixels) that are suitable for integration into large format focal plane arrays. II. Integrated Focal Plane Arrays: The emphasis in this thrust area is on the complete integration of the high-performance pixels developed in Thrust I into large format focal plane arrays that demonstrate these benefits. Additional information on these technology areas is provided in the Areas of Interest section of the BAA 02-20 Proposer Information Pamphlet referenced below. PROGRAM SCOPE The AFPA program will consist of an 18 month Phase I effort followed by an optional Phase II (18 months) and Phase III (12 months) for those efforts that appear to have the greatest potential for production, insertion, transition or overall benefit to DoD. Awards totaling approximately $18 million for the first phase are expected to be made during the first half of calendar year 2003. Options totaling approximately $30 million may be awarded for Phase II and Phase III efforts. Organizations wishing to participate in Phase II and Phase III should include them as options in their proposal (separate options for each phase). Multiple awards are anticipated. Collaborative efforts/teaming are strongly encouraged. A web site- https://www.davincinetbook.com/afpa -- has been established to facilitate formation of teaming arrangements between interested parties. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibility of the participants. Neither DARPA nor the Department of Defense (DoD) endorses the destination web site or the information and organizations contained therein, nor does DARPA or the DoD exercise any responsibility at the destination. The web site provided is consistent with the stated purpose of this BAA. The program will also support some very innovative individual investigator efforts. Cost sharing is not required and is not an evaluation criterion, but is encouraged where there is a reasonable probability of a potential commercial application related to the proposed research and development effort. Questions concerning this BAA may be directed to the technical POC for this effort, LTC John Carrano, phone: (703) 696-2252, fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail: jcarrano@darpa.mil. GENERAL INFORMATION Proposers must obtain a pamphlet entitled "BAA 02-20, Adaptive Focal Plane Array (AFPA), Proposer Information Pamphlet" which provides further information on areas of interest, the submission, evaluation, and funding processes, proposal formats, and other general information. This pamphlet may be obtained from the FedBizOpps website: http://www.fedbizopps.gov/, World Wide Web (WWW) at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ or by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. Proposers must submit an original hardcopy of the proposal, 9 hardcopies and 2 electronic copies (i.e., 2 separate disks) of the proposal (PDF (preferred), or MS-Word readable each on a CD-ROM, a single 100 MB Iomega Zip (registered) disk, or a single 3.5 inch High Density MS-DOS formatted 1.44 Megabyte (MB) diskette). Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 02-18, proposer organization, proposal title (short title recommended) and Copy __ of 2. The full proposal (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 02-20) on or before 4:00 p.m., local time, Tuesday, July 2, 2002, in order to be considered during the initial round of selections; however, proposals received after this deadline may be received and evaluated up to one year from date of posting on FedBizOpps. Proposals submitted after the due date specified in the BAA may be selected contingent upon the availability of funds. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 02-20 Proposer Information Pamphlet, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by DARPA. Input on technical aspects of the proposals may be solicited by DARPA from non-Government consultants /experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Non-Government technical consultants/experts will not have access to proposals that are labeled by their offerors as "Government Only". Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in Adaptive Focal Plane Array. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal to this BAA, should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 02-20. Proposals may not be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded. DARPA encourages use of the WWW for retrieving the Proposer Information Pamphlet and any other related information that may subsequently be provided. EVALUATION CRITERIA 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: (l) overall scientific and technical merit, (2) potential contribution and relevance to DARPA mission, (3) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, (4) offeror's capabilities and related experience, and (5) cost realism. Note: cost realism will only be significant in proposals, which have significantly under or over-estimated the cost to complete their effort. The administrative addresses for this BAA are:Fax: (703) 696-2206 (Addressed to: DARPA/MTO, BAA 02-20), Electronic Mail: BAA02-20@darpa.mil Mail: DARPA/MTO, ATTN: BAA 02-20 3701 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203-1714 This announcement and the Proposer Information Pamphlet may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the solicitations area.
- Record
- SN00079231-W 20020519/020517213348 (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 |