MODIFICATION
A -- Cognitive Information Processing Technology
- Notice Date
- 11/11/2003
- Notice Type
- Modification
- 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
- BAA02-21
- Response Due
- 6/6/2003
- Point of Contact
- Ronald Brachman, Information Processing Technology Office (IPTO), Phone none, Fax (703) 741-7804,
- E-Mail Address
-
none
- Description
- The above referenced BAA is modified to include a new Focal Challenge: Cognitive Systems Evaluation, (CSE) to plan, design, administer, and analyze structured evaluations of cognitive systems. During the life of this BAA, other Focal Challenges may be introduced. The Cognitive Systems Evaluation Focal Challenge is an addition to the areas of interest described in the basic BAA and subsequent modifications. The intent of this Focal Challenge is to drive the creation of a new capability to evaluate cognitive systems. The objective of this effort is to provide independent evaluations of cognitive system prototypes and related R&D performed for DARPA/IPTO. In general, the purpose of these evaluations is to provide the necessary empirical evidence that research progress is being made toward the specific objectives of each relevant IPTO program. Please refer to the Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP), particularly the final section, Cognitive Systems Evaluation Addendum for further details on the description, scope, tasks, and deliverables for this effort. SCOPE AND TASKS OF THE COGNITIVE SYSTEMS EVALUATION FOCAL CHALLENGE. The offeror will plan, design, and administer experiments as well as analyze the collected data for each evaluation. The evaluation offeror will assess all aspects of the cognitive systems under development, including but not limited to reasoning, perception, learning, advice taking, explanation, adaptation to new situations and intelligent responses and other program specific aspects. Together with the various IPTO development contractors, the evaluation offeror will develop appropriate specifications, evaluation criteria, metrics and tests. Tasks for all evaluations: Task 1; Design, Specify, and Plan the Annual Evaluation: The offeror will specify the annual evaluations to be conducted for each IPTO R&D program in cognitive systems. Task 2; Develop Evaluation Materials and Detailed Planning: The offeror shall plan, schedule, and develop appropriate evaluation materials for each annual evaluation activity and milestone and provide a more detailed evaluation plan during this task. Task 3; Administer Evaluations: The offeror shall prepare and execute the evaluation as well as perform the preliminary data summarization and validation. Task 4; Analyze and Interpret Results: The offeror will analyze and interpret the results of the evaluations to identify the degree to which each program and technology claim has been substantiated. The initial task of this solicited effort will be to provide independent evaluation of the PAL (Perceptive Assistant that Learns) program. PAL is a long-term DARPA R&D program that focuses on developing an enduring personalized cognitive assistant ? a computer system that will learn to adapt to the user instead of the other way around. SRI International and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) are being funded by DARPA to design and develop prototype cognitive assistants. SRI?s CALO and CMU?s RADAR efforts, specific descriptions of the CMU and SRI testing efforts, and greater description of the PAL program can be found in the CSE Addendum to the PIP and at http://www.darpa.mil/ipto/solicitations/open/02-21_Mod6.htm. CSE tasks specifically for the PAL program are listed below. These task descriptions modify or supplement those provided above and do not replace them altogether. Task 1: Design, Specify, and Plan the Annual Evaluation: SRI and CMU have established an evaluation framework and are contracted to administer their own respective evaluations. The independent evaluator will specify detailed evaluation conditions, evaluation questions and related material within the respective SRI and CMU frameworks. The independent evaluator will develop a refined Evaluation Design, Specification, and Plan jointly with CMU and SRI. Task 2: Develop Evaluation Materials and Detailed Planning: No modification to Task 2 above. Task 3: Administer Evaluations: The PAL performing contractors will prepare and execute the Year 1 evaluation, and have continuing execution responsibilities in their contracts. The CSE offeror will independently monitor and validate the evaluations. Task 4: Analyze and Interpret Results: No modification to Task 4 above. Milestones of the Cognitive Systems Evaluation Offeror for the PAL Program. Proposals submitted in response to the CSE Focal Challenge must specifically address milestones at the annual PAL anniversary points (May of 2004 through 2008). Proposals must discuss the use of phase or option years, to include fully defining the meaning of phase or option years. Base and phase or option years must be fully priced, to the extent possible. Deliverables, milestones, and demonstrations must be included and clearly defined with links to the Statement of Work. Proposers may propose a multi-organizational but integrated team. Submitted proposals must clearly discuss the offeror?s planned approach to the sharing of information and responsibilities with each PAL performer and other members of its own team. Each team will test their PAL systems against separate test problems. The Cognitive Systems Evaluation offeror, as an independent third party, will design, develop, and audit the test procedures for both teams. The period of performance of this contract to support the PAL program is anticipated to be approximately 57 months, commencing with award early in FY 04, and completing with full analysis of the Year 5 evaluations. The periods of performance, detailed delivery schedules, and analytical products for evaluation of additional programs will be separately negotiated. Intentions are to award a single contract for the Cognitive Systems Evaluation function for the PAL evaluation tenure, although multiple awards might be considered for added IPTO program evaluations. Teaming with multiple entities, particularly if specific areas of expertise are enhanced through the teaming process, is encouraged, though not mandatory. See the PIP for further information such as the qualifications of personnel. The funding level for this project will be phased to meet the schedule of evaluation. The first phase will be from contract award through June of 04 and is estimated to be funded at approximately $500k. Thereafter, each phase year is estimated to be funded not more than $1 million, and will be phased to coincide with annual evaluations, including the quick look analysis following the examinations. The evaluation factors listed in the basic PIP will remain in effect for this modification. The proposal must specifically address the proposer and team members? Intellectual Property rights, Government rights to Intellectual Property resulting from the research, and the methods to be used to meaningfully exchange possibly proprietary information among the awardees. The proposer must specifically address the use of human subjects, if any, at any point during the life of the project. Further details regarding these requirements are referenced in the PIP. Although proposals identified for funding under this Focal Challenge may result in a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction, depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between parties, and other factors, the Government anticipates awarding only contracts in order to maintain the desired level of control over this research. GENERAL INFORMATION: The Government intends to use non-Government personnel to assist as special resources to assist with the logistics of administering the proposal evaluation and providing selected technical assistance related to proposal evaluation. Support personnel are restricted by their contracts from disclosing proposal information for any purpose. Contractor personnel are required to sign Organizational Conflict of Interest/Non-Disclosure Agreements. By submission of its proposal, each offeror agrees that proposal information may be disclosed to those selected contractors for the limited purpose stated above. Any information not intended for limited release to support contractors must be clearly marked and segregated from other submitted proposal material. For those proposals submitted directly in response to this modification to BAA 02-21, Focal Challenge: Cognitive Systems Evaluation, a submission date of 12:00 NOON (ET), 12 December 2003 is established for consideration during the initial evaluation phase. Proposal cover sheets, as described in the basic BAA and Proposer?s Information Pamphlet, should indicate the Cognitive Systems Evaluation Focal Challenge as the BAA technology area for which the proposal is submitted. Proposals should be submitted to the addresses contained in the basic BAA. The 12 December 2003 submission date applies only to proposals submitted in response to the CSE Focal Challenge. Due to the extremely short submission time, no abstracts responding to the CSE Focal Challenge are required or will be accepted. All other submission requirements, formatting requirements, and reporting requirements remain the same as found in the initial solicitation describing the BAA. Offerors are still encouraged to submit other proposals addressing the issues in the basic BAA and to periodically check the Federal Business Opportunities and the IPTO Solicitation web page for possible new Focal Challenges and other modifications. The full proposal (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) in response to this Focal Challenge must be submitted in time to reach DARPA by 12:00 noon (ET) Friday, 12 December 2003, in order to be considered during the initial evaluation phase. However, BAA 02-21 will remain open until 12:00 noon (ET) Monday, June 7, 2004. Thus, proposals for this Focal Challenge may be submitted at any time from issuance of this BAA amendment through Monday, June 7, 2004. While the proposals submitted after the Friday, 12 December 2003, deadline will be evaluated by the Government, proposers should keep in mind that the likelihood of funding such proposals is significantly less than for those proposals submitted in connection with the initial evaluation and award schedule for this Focal Challenge. NOTE: THIS NOTICE WAS NOT POSTED TO FEDBIZOPPS.GOV ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (11-NOV-2003). IT ACTUALLY APPEARED OR REAPPEARED ON THE FEDBIZOPPS SYSTEM ON 12-NOV-2003. PLEASE CONTACT fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Record
- SN00468342-W 20031114/031112212354 (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 |