NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 216, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- NASA CENTER FOR BIOLOGY INSPIRED TECHNOLOGY (NCBIT) DUE 051900 POC Lori M. Levine, Contract Specialist, Phone (301)286-7164, Fax (301)286-1773, Email llevine@pop200.gsfc.nasa.gov -- Leigh Anne C. Giraldi, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-3318, Fax (301)286-1773, Email Leigh.Anne.C.Giraldi.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=51#10-03 498. E-MAIL: Lori M. Levine, llevine@pop200.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) intends to award a Cooperative Agreement to develop a NASA Center for Biology Inspired Technology (NCBIT). The procurement will be conducted on a full and open competition basis in accordance with NPG 5800.1, Grant & Cooperative Agreement Handbook and NPG 5000.1, Establishing Science & Research Institutes. The primary purpose of the NCBIT is to focus and develop world-class interdisciplinary research leading to technology development based on concepts derived from, or inspired by, biology. An objective of the NCBIT is to develop an understanding of where and how the unique attributes of biological systems can be applied to challenges of spacecraft design and operations as well as the development of tools to promote safe and effective human work in the exploration of space. These technologies will enable novel missions and research capabilities, hitherto not envisioned, and will dramatically impact the human safety and productivity, affordability, and scientific outcome of space exploration. It is also anticipated that such technologies will have broad applicability to the solution of health, safety and improved human performance in different hazardous and medical care activities on Earth. Achieving these systems requires innovative research efforts designed to emulate biological solutions to sensory perception, communication, adaptation, and motor control. Intelligent autonomous systems will need to learn from their interactions with their environment and adapt appropriately in real time. Like biological systems, these future autonomous systems will incorporate significant capability at the molecular level such as detection of signatures of life and/or disease, delivery of targeted prevention and curative therapeutics, healing of wounds, making decisions based on acquired experience, etc. Some attributes of these systems include the following capabilities: Anticipatory (ability to anticipate future events on basis of current data) Collaborative (ability to cooperate with other systems) Curious (motivation to explore, investigate, and discover) Self-modeling (ability to reason about its own changing status) Adaptive (functionality change over time to meet changing needs) Self-diagnosing (ability to check its health status) Self-Repairing (ability to reconfigure and/or repair itself autonomously) Biologically-inspired sensor fusion & sensory-guided response control Self-replicating and error correcting systems Portability (ability to be mobile with no compromise of function) Examples of systems of interest to NASA include, but are not restricted to: 1. Medical Monitor and Intervention Systems (non-invasive, automated, etc.) 2. Sensor Systems for Life and Environmental Detection 3. Closed loop Life Support Systems 4. Human-centered Information Processing Systems 5. Human-centered prognostic and self-correcting systems 6. Spacecraft Guidance and Data Acquisition Systems 7. Spacecraft Repair Systems Advances in materials, processes, and systems designs that meet these space exploration goals will have enormous terrestrial benefits in research and commercial arenas. An "unofficial" draft of the Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) will soon be available for review on the following Website until the official CAN is released. http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ncbit/home.html An aggressive schedule has been established with the official CAN planned to be issued in late May 2000 and a pre-proposal conference may be held approximately one week after issuance. Proposals will be due approximately 37 days after the CAN is issued. The anticipated Cooperative Agreement award is expected to occur in September 2000. Questions and comments about the CAN are welcome and encouraged. Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the CAN and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the CAN and amendments (if any). Posted 04/25/00 (D-SN448543). (0116)

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