Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contract Management Directorate (CMD), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203-1714

A -- PROGRAM COMPOSITION FOR EMBEDDED SYSTEMS (PCES) SOL BAA00-23 DUE 012400 POC H. Gill, DARPA/ITO, FAX: (703) 522-7161 PROGRAM COMPOSITION FOR EMBEDDED SYSTEMS (PCES) SOL BAA 00-23 DUE 01/24/00 POC DR. HELEN GILL, DARPA/ITO, FAX: (703) 522-7161. DARPA ITO requests proposals for research in Program Composition for Embedded Systems (PCES). Real-time embedded software development is a cost and schedule driver for today's highly software-centric advanced weapons systems. Some progress has been realized through new programming approaches. Real-time open systems and mobile code research has provided a new model for programming embedded software. Aspect-oriented programming applies a programming discipline that focuses programming effort by isolating cross-cutting issues and addressing one issue at a time. Patterns research captures exemplary solutions and provides some support for instantiation. However, technology support is limited and programming for real-time embedded systems remains a time-intensive and error-prone process. Research is needed in ground-breaking technology that, given program code implementing desired algorithmic functionality, can radically simplify the introduction of code to support cross-cutting properties ("aspects"). PCES seeks highly innovative approaches to implement and assure properties that are characteristic requirements of real-time embedded systems: e.g., concurrency, synchronization, timing, fault tolerance, atomicity, and data persistence. PCES will develop technology targeted for use in programming environments for embedded systems. The long-term vision is that reusable protocols or calls to reusable aspect services would be introduced incrementally into functional code. This would be done with strong support from analysis and transformation tools that achieve and preserve required properties. Each aspect mechanism (protocol or service) would be supplied with a method for checking the software for the required property. The aspect "middleware" would encapsulate the complexity of programming the aspect and the supporting analysis and transformation tools would manage its presentation to the programmer. The overarching goal of the PCES program is novel technology and supporting engineering approaches that can greatly reduce effort to program embedded systems, while increasing confidence in the embedded software product. To this end, proposals are sought for new research in tools and technology to support program composition for real-time embedded software. The focus of the PCES program is on program analysis and (property-preserving) composition techniques that can be used cooperatively to support real-time programming. Underlying issues include aspect specification, interpretation, and checking; programming reusable and portable aspect code; and aspect interference analysis. Approaches are strongly preferred that can be extended to strategies for mobile code. These include strategies for incremental, off-line/on-line, and staged analysis and composition. Research is sought in four technical topic areas: (1) Aspect Suites for Embedded Systems; (2) Program Representation and Analysis; (3) Program Transformation System; (4) Stage Management System. PROGRAM SCOPE: Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches and techniques that lead to or enable revolutionary advances in the state-of-the-art. Proposals are not limited to the specific strategies listed above and alternative visions will be considered. However, proposals should be for research that substantially contributes towards the goals stated. Research should result in prototype hardware and/or software demonstrating integrated concepts and approaches. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvement to the existing state of practice or focuses on a specific system or solution. Integrated solution sets embodying significant technological advances are strongly encouraged over narrowly defined research endeavors. Proposals may involve other research groups or industrial cooperation and cost sharing. GENERAL INFORMATION: THIS IS A NEWLY IMPLEMENTED REQUIREMENT EFFECTIVE AS OF SEPTEMBER 1999. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/Information Technology Office (DARPA/ITO) requires completion of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Cover Sheet Submission for each proposed Proposal, by accessing the URL below: http://www.dyncorp-is.com/BAA/index.asp?BAAid=0023. After finalizing the BAA Cover Sheet Submission, the proposer must submit the BAA Confirmation Sheet that will automatically appear on the web page. Each proposer is responsible for printing the BAA Confirmation Sheet and submitting it attached to the "original" and each designated number of copies. In doing so, the Confirmation Sheet should be the first page of your Proposal. Failure to comply with these submission procedures may result in the submission not being evaluated. Detailed information and instructions are outlined within the Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP). Proposers must submit an original and 4 copies of the full proposal and 10 electronic copies (i.e., 10 separate disks) of the full proposal (in Microsoft Word '97 for IBM-compatible, PDF, or ASCII format on one 3.5-inch floppy disk or one 100 MB Iomega Zip disk). Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 00-23, proposer organization, proposal title (short title recommended) and Copy ___ of 10. The full proposal (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted in time to reach DARPA by 4:00 PM (ET), Monday, January 24, 2000, in order to be considered. Proposers must obtain the BAA 00-23 Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP), which provides further information on the areas of interest, submission, evaluation, funding processes, and full proposal formats. This pamphlet may be obtained by fax, electronic mail, mail request to the administrative contact address given below, or at URL address http://www.darpa.mil/ito/Solicitations.html. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. This Commerce Business Daily notice, in conjunction with the BAA 00-23 Proposer Information Pamphlet and all references, constitutes the total BAA. No additional 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. 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 and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of this research for exclusive competition among these entities. 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: The overall scientific and technical merit must be clearly identifiable. The technical concept should be clearly defined and developed. Emphasis should be placed on the technical value of the development and experimentation approach. (2) Innovative Technical Solution to the Problem: Proposed efforts should apply new or existing technology in a new way such as is advantageous to the PCES objectives. Plan on how offeror intends to get developed technology and information to the user community should be considered. (3) Potential Contribution and Relevance to DARPA Mission: The offeror must clearly address how the proposed effort will meet the goals of the PCES undertaking. The relevance is further indicated by the offeror's understanding of the operating environment of the capability to be developed. (4) Offeror's Capabilities and Related Experience: The qualifications, capabilities, and demonstrated achievements of the proposed principals and other key personnel for the primary and subcontractor organizations must be clearly shown. (5) Plans and Capability to Accomplish Technology Transition: The offeror should provide a clear explanation of how the technologies to be developed will be transitioned to capabilities for military forces. Technology transition should be a major consideration in the design of experiments, particularly considering the potential for involving potential transition organizations in the experimentation process. (6) Cost Realism: The overall estimated cost to accomplish the effort should be clearly shown as well as the substantiation of the costs for the technical complexity described. Evaluation will consider the value to Government of the research and the extent to which the proposed management plan will effectively allocate resources to achieve the capabilities proposed. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal to this BAA, must be received at one of the administrative addresses below by 4:00 PM (ET), Friday, January 14, 2000; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for some of the correspondence regarding BAA 00-23. Proposals may not be submitted by fax; any so sent will be disregarded. The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax: 703-522-7161 Addressed to: DARPA/ITO, BAA 00-23, Electronic Mail: baa00-23@darpa.mil, Electronic File Retrieval: http://www.darpa.mil/ito/Solicitations.html. Mail to: DARPA/ITO, ATTN: BAA 00-23, 3701 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714. Posted 12/08/99 (W-SN406895). (0342)

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