Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714

A -- INTELLIGENT METACOMPUTING CENTER SOL BAA95-31 DUE 071395 POC Dr. Gary J. Minden, ARPA/CSTO POC, FAX: (703)522-2668. The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) and the Patent and Trademark Office are soliciting proposals for research leading to an Intelligent Metacomputing Center. Metacomputing is the inter-connection of multiple high performance computers via high performance networks to achieve new levels of computing and communication to solve significant problems of distributed processing. Of special interest is the distributed processing of complex documents. The Metacomputing Center should consist of two or more autonomous high performance computers connected by a high performance network and acting as a single problem solving system. Systems that incorporate computers from multiple vendors and different architectures are encouraged. Research is sought in several areas. The first area of research will develop innovative, reliable, and robust distributed computing services that enable the computing/communication complex to rapidly re-configure, allocate, and manage resources as well as adapt to dynamic load and environment. The computing/communication complex should tolerate a limited set of failures. Of importance is the integration of security mechanisms across all aspects of the Metacomputing Center. A second area of research is the innovative application of emerging technologies in digital libraries and electronic commerce as applied to complex document handling within Federal agencies. In particular, there is a need for techniques for electronic submission of complex documents that include formatted text and diagrams, the ability to search and retrieve such documents, and the ability to protect the intellectual property contained within said documents. The Patent and Trademark Office databases are examples of such complex documents. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: textual analysis searching, concept searching, relevance ranking and feedback searching, techniques for searching non-textual databases, and human-computer interfaces to complex search applications. The Metacomputing Center should be capable of supporting, demonstrating, and evaluating a diverse set of experimental applications oriented toward defense and Federal agency needs. Applications should clearly demonstrate the metacomputing concepts and serve as a means for evaluating system performance. Clear and well defined experiments should be used to evaluate options in system architectures, network architectures, storage architectures, and complex document handling, search, and retrieval, among others. Of special interest are applications which include, but are not limited to, complex document management and processing, distributed simulation, information visualization, telepresence, and telemedicine. The Intelligent Metacomputing Center concept includes issues of cross agency and cross business collaboration. Collaborative efforts including Government Agencies and contractor organizations in the Washington, D.C. region are strongly encouraged. Collaborative efforts should experiment with, and evaluate, a variety of techniques for sharing processing and database resources. The integration of techniques for maintaining the privacy, integrity, and security of information and resources held in the Metacomputing Center are of particular interest. The Government will allow connection to the high speed Advanced Technology Development Network (ATDNet) for the purpose of interconnecting computers and user access to the Metacomputing Center. ATDNet is a high performance (2.4 Gbps) network testbed in the Washington D.C. area. It was established by ARPA to enable collaboration among Defense and other Federal Agencies and to serve as an experimental platform for diverse network research and demonstration initiatives. ATDNet is based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) technologies. Proposers planning on using ATDNet should include in their budget the costs of connecting Metacomputing Center sites to ATDNet ports and should contact the technical POC for help in estimating those costs. The Government will make available a copy of the Patent database for the sole purpose of research and experimentation with complex documents. PROGRAM SCOPE: Proposed research should investigate innovative, scalable approaches that lead to or enable revolutionary advances in the state of the art. Specifically excluded is research which primarily results in evolutionary improvement to the existing state of practice or focuses on a specific system or hardware solution. Topics are not limited to those outlined above. When appropriate, new concepts are to be demonstrated by means of prototypes or reference implementations. Technologies which have a broad impact on Federal agency capability will be given highest priority. Contract awards are expected to be made during the second half of 1995. Collaborative efforts and teaming are highly encouraged where appropriate. Approximately $12,000,000 is available in FY95 for this effort. GENERAL INFORMATION: Proposers must submit an original and six (6) copies of full proposals by 4:00 P.M., EDT, July 13, 1995, in order to be considered. Respondents must obtain a BAA 95-31 Proposer Information Pamphlet, which provides further information on areas of interest, the submission, evaluation, funding processes, and proposal formats. This pamphlet may be obtained by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below, as well as at URL address http://www.csto.arpa.mil/Solicitations. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. This CBD notice itself in conjunction with the BAA 95-31 Proposer Information Pamphlet constitutes the Broad Agency Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2). Unless specified otherwise herein, no additional written information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal which shall be considered by ARPA. While no portion of this BAA will be set aside specifically for HBCU or MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of this research for exclusive competition among these entities, HBCUs and MIs are encouraged to submit proposals and to join other organizations in submitting proposals. Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a scientific review of each proposal using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance: (1) overall scientific and technical merit, (2) potential contribution and relevance to ARPA and PTO mission, (3) offeror's capabilities and related experience, (4) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, (5) cost realism. Individual proposal evaluations will be based on acceptability or unacceptability without regard to other proposals submitted under this announcement, however, all selected proposals may not be funded due to budgetary constraints and the need to construct a balanced program meeting ARPA's needs. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal to this BAA, must be directed to one of the administrative addresses below by 4:00 PM, July 6, 1995, e-mail or fax is preferred. ARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 95-31. Proposals may not be submitted by fax or electronic mail, any so sent will be disregarded. The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax: (703) 522-2668 Addressed to: ARPA/CSTO, BAA 95-31, Electronic Mail: baa9531@arpa.mil, Electronic File Retrieval: http://www.csto.arpa.mil/Solicitations, Mail: ARPA/CSTO, ATTN: BAA 95-31, 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714. (0143)

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