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

A -- UNCONVENTIONAL PATHOGEN COUNTERMEASURES (UPC) SOL BAA 00-33 DUE 083100 POC Dr. Stephen Morse, DARPA/DSO, fax (814) 218-5445 UNCONVENTIONAL PATHOGEN COUNTERMEASURES (UPC) BAA 00-33; BAA DUE 08/31/2000; POC: Dr. Stephen S. Morse, DARPA/DSO, Fax: (843) 218-5445, E-mail: baa0033@spawar.navy.mil, URL: http://www.darpa.mil/DSO/. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) solicits proposals for the development and demonstration of revolutionary pathogen and chemical countermeasures and advanced medical diagnostics. This effort is a key component of DARPA's overarching goal to eliminate the threat of biological and chemical weapons in the planning and conduct of US military operations. While no defense can stop an adversary from unleashing biological or chemical weapons, a sufficiently robust array of pathogen and chemical defenses and countermeasures-deterrents in their own right-will reduce the damage resulting from biological or chemical weapons used in a particular operation. DARPA's UPC program emphasizes the development of pathogen countermeasures and advanced medical diagnostics having the greatest impact on the protection of uniformed warfighters and personnel who support them during military operations. All aspects of the DARPA program are for defensive purposes only. This solicitation excludes environmental detection, modeling and simulation, microfluidics, and medical informatics. AREAS OF INTEREST: The focus of this solicitation is the development of revolutionary, broad-spectrum medical countermeasures and/or advanced medical diagnostics against exposure to significantly pathogenic microorganisms, or their products. Protective measures should eliminate biological and chemical threats, from any source, natural or bio-engineered. Protective measures should protect from within or on the surfaces of the body and at the most common portals of entry (e.g., inhalation, ingestion, transcutaneous). DARPA is not interested in developing protective measures that work only against single biological threats, or single pathogenic products. DARPA seeks proposals that represent the highest potential for revolutionary breakthroughs in biotechnology for this application and recognizes that such opportunities often carry high risks. Funded research projects will be strongly grounded in scientific and medical principles, yet revolutionary and forward thinking in scope and promise. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to: 1) Strategies to defeat the ability of many different agents to enter the body, traverse the bloodstream or lymphatics, or enter target tissues; 2) Identification of novel vulnerabilities common to many agents based upon fundamental, critical molecular mechanisms of agent survival or pathogenesis (e.g., cellular energetics, virulence modulation); 3) Unique, robust vehicles for the delivery of pathogen and chemical agent countermeasures into or within the body; 4) Modulation, including neuromodulation, of the advantageous and/or deleterious aspects of the immune response to significant pathogenic microorganisms and/or their pathogenic products in the body; 5) Advanced medical diagnostics, such as: a) detection and identification of biosignatures or biomarkers that serve to indicate exposure or infection and provide useful diagnostic or prognostic information, especially early in infection; b) multiagent diagnostics that simultaneously identify a broad range of pathogens and/or their products in clinical samples or in the body; c) identification strategies covering known, unknown, and bioengineered pathogens (e.g., diagnostic approaches based upon fundamental, critical mechanisms of pathogenesis; targets shared by classes of pathogens; or early host responses to infection); d) continuous monitoring systems for immediate recognition of infection in the body; and e) wearable diagnostics for noninvasive broad-spectrum detection of infection in the body; and 6) Decontamination of military personnel, material, and buildings. DARPA plans to expand its efforts to develop advanced pathogen and chemical countermeasures technology and advanced medical diagnostics in fiscal years 2001 through 2003 and seeks proposals for up to three (3) years of funding. Several parallel research and development projects are likely to be conducted. DARPA anticipates releasing additional BAAs in Unconventional Pathogen Countermeasures when funding permits. GENERAL INFORMATION: Each offeror should clearly and succinctly define the objective, the approach, the technical hurdles, and the benefits to the Department of Defense (DoD). The offeror should convey confidence that the proposer has the resources to carry out the research and development as described. Teaming and integration of efforts are strongly encouraged. Responders must obtain a copy of the Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) entitled "BAA 00-33, Unconventional Pathogen Countermeasures (UPC)," which provides further information on areas of interest, the submission, evaluation and funding processes, white paper formats, full proposal formats, and other general information. This announcement and the PIP should be retrieved via the World Wide Web(WWW) at URL http://www.darpa.mil/DSO/, or by fax, e-mail, or mail request to addresses given below. Proposals not submitted in the required format as described in the PIP may not be reviewed. This notice and the BAA 00-33 PIP constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, and no formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement will be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The government reserves the right to fund some, all, or none of the proposals received or selected tasks thereof. Principal investigators must attend and present their DARPA-funded projects at the annual DARPA Principal Investigators Conference for Unconventional Pathogen Countermeasures and Advanced Diagnostics Programs. All sources capable of satisfying the government's needs may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by DARPA. 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 for exclusive competition among these entities. Administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation should be directed to the administrative addresses below; e-mail and fax are preferred. DARPA intends to use e-mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 00-33; however, white papers and proposals submitted by fax or e-mail will be disregarded. Only government officials will evaluate white papers and full proposals. Technical input for evaluating the white papers and full proposals will be solicited by DARPA from a peer review panel consisting of both government and nongovernment consultants/experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Nongovernment consultants will not have access to submissions that are labeled by the offerors as "GOVERNMENT ONLY." Restrictive notices notwithstanding, proposals will be handled, for administrative purposes only, by support contractors. The contractors are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. By submission of its proposal, each offeror agrees that proposal information may be disclosed to those selected contractors for the limited purpose stated above. Although submission of white papers is strongly recommended, offerors may submit full proposals at any time during the process without submission of a white paper. WHITE PAPERS: Proposers are strongly recommended to submit an original and seven (7) copies of the white paper to Commanding Officer, SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston, 1 Innovation Drive, Hanahan, SC 29406-4200 (Attn.: BAA 00-33/Code 544TB) by 4:00 P.M., ET, May 25, 2000. White papers received after this date will not be reviewed. White papers must meet format guidelines as described in the PIP and are limited to a maximum of ten (10) pages including cover sheet, cost summary form, all charts, figures, and appendices, and should contain: 1) concept and any preliminary data demonstrating that this concept will contribute to the goals of the BAA; 2) major technical challenges and how they will be approached; 3) program and demonstration plans with technical milestones; 4) how this concept differs from existing approaches and what will change if successful; 5) participant lists; 6) experience and expertise of prime contractor and subcontractors; and 7) proposed funding level. FULL PROPOSALS: Proposers must submit an original and seven (7) copies of the full proposal to Commanding Officer, SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston, 1 Innovation Drive, Hanahan, SC 29406-4200 (Attn.: BAA 00-33/Code 544TB) no later than 4:00 P.M., ET, August 31, 2000. Submissions received after this date will not be reviewed. Full proposals must meet the objective and format guidelines as described in the PIP to be considered. The proposals shall consist of two volumes: Vol. I, Technical (not to exceed 55 pages including cover sheet, charts, figures, and appendices) and Vol. II, Cost (no page restriction). The submission cover sheet must accompany each submission. Early submission of proposals is encouraged. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Evaluation of white papers and full proposals will be by technical review using the following criteria, listed in descending order of relative importance: 1) overall scientific and technical merit of the proposed effort including feasibility of the approach and relevance of the proposed goals to the DARPA program objectives; 2) quality of the demonstration, synergy in effectively leveraging or significantly advancing the current state-of-the-art, and adequacy of the technical tasks proposed to reach this demonstration within the timeframe of the program; 3) qualifications of principal investigator and key research personnel, their record of past performance, and adequacy of current and planned equipment and facilities to accomplish the research objectives; and 4) cost realism. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION FOR BAA 00-33: POC: Mr. Tom Baranoski; E-mail: baa0033@spawar.navy.mil; Fax: (843) 218-5445; Mail: Commanding Officer, ATTN: BAA 00-33/Code 544TB, SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston, 1 Innovation Drive, Hanahan, SC 29406-4200. Posted 04/12/00 (W-SN444013). (0103)

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