High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays (HOT MWIR)

The summary for the High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays (HOT MWIR) grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays (HOT MWIR): Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays (HOT MWIR), addressing infrared detectors and focal plane arrays with spectral response beyond 3 microns, operating at or near room temperature. The proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, materials, detectors and focal plane arrays leading to high operating temperature mid-wave infrared arrays. Specifically excluded is research, which primarily results in evolutionary improvement to the existing state-of-practice. The primary goal of this program is to establish the technology for high-speed sampling and high spatial resolution infrared focal plane arrays that operate without cryogenic cooling. Designs should have broadband response over the three-to-five micron spectral band and narrow-band response suited to the application. Applications include affordable sensor arrays for threat detection and imaging. For imaging, long wave response may be desired in some applications. The threat detection and imaging functions may be designed into separate arrays or combined into a single array. The program focuses on innovative concepts and approaches to realize detector technology, which may be either thermally or photon sensitive and will include large area, low defect density material, unique thermally sensitive microstructures, and detector concepts and focal plane read-outs required for wide field-of-regard integrated imaging micro-systems. For threat warning, the design of the focal plane array must be consistent with processing to distinguish threats from false alarms and to identify the various types of threats. The characteristics of the detector technology must also be compatible with this goal. Various types of target discrimination techniques may be considered, for example time sampling, spectral band discrimination, spatial content and target characteristics with time. The time and spectral response of the detector and focal plane array components must be compatible with these goals.In addition, applications of room temperature mid-wave focal planes cover a wide range of platforms, both high and medium performance systems. In the high performance systems, an increase in operating temperature serves to reduce cost, increase reliability, and provide the enabling technology to produce an increased number of sensors for particular application. In medium performance systems, the operating temperature may be increased to room temperature, while meeting performance goals. The room temperature mid wave infrared has the capability to be the enabling technology, creating new classes of systems, significantly enhancing military capability and leading the way to new applications. PROGRAM SCOPEThe High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays program will consist of a Phase I (approximately 12 months) followed by a Phase II (approximately 12 months) and Phase III (approximately 12 months) for those efforts that appear to have the greatest potential for production, insertion, transition or overall benefit to DoD. Awards are expected to be made during the third quarter of fiscal year 2005. Organizations wishing to participate in Phase II and Phase III should include them as options in their proposal (separate options for each phase). Multiple awards are anticipated. Collaborative efforts/teaming are encouraged. A web site - http://teaming.sysplan.com/BAA-05-07/ - has been established to facilitate formation of teaming arrangements between interested parties. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibility of the participants. Neither DARPA nor the Department of Defense (DoD) endorses the destination web site or the information and organizations contained therein, nor does DARPA or the DoD exercise any responsibility at the destination. This web site is provided consistent with the stated purpose of this BAA. Cost sharing is not required and is not an evaluation criterion but is encouraged where there is a reasonable probability of a potential commercial application related to the proposed research and development effort. The technical POC for this effort is Dr. Raymond Balcerak, fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail: [email protected]. GENERAL INFORMATIONProposers must obtain a pamphlet entitled BAA 05-07, High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays Proposer Information Pamphlet which provides further information on High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays the submission, evaluation, and funding processes, proposal abstract formats, proposal formats, and other general information. This pamphlet may be obtained from the FedBizOpps website: http://www.fedbizopps.gov/, World Wide Web (WWW) at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ or by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. In order to minimize unnecessary effort in proposal preparation and review, proposers are strongly encouraged to submit proposal abstracts in advance of full proposals. An original and (9) copies of the proposal abstract and two electronic copies (i.e., two separate disks) of the abstract [in PDF (preferred), MS-Word readable, HTML, or ASCII format each on a single 3.5 inch High Density MS-DOS formatted 1.44 Megabyte (MB) diskette, a single 100 MB Iomega Zip?? disk, or a CD-ROM] should be submitted. Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 05-07, proposer organization, proposal title (short title recommended) and Copy __ of 2. The proposal abstract (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 05-07), and it must be received by DARPA on or before 12:00 p.m., local time, Thursday, December 09, 2004. Proposal abstracts received after this time and date may not be reviewed. Upon review, DARPA will provide written feedback on the likelihood of a full proposal being selected and the time and date for submission of a full proposal. Proposers not submitting proposal abstracts must submit an original and (9) copies of the full proposal and two electronic copies (i.e., two separate disks) of the full proposal [in PDF (preferred), MS-Word readable, HTML, or ASCII format, each on a single 3.5 inch High Density MS-DOS formatted 1.44 Megabyte (MB) diskette, a single 100 MB Iomega Zip?? disk, or a CD-ROM]. Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 05-07, proposer organization, proposal title (short title recommended) and Copy __ of 2. The full proposal (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 05-07), and must be received by DARPA on or before 12:00 p.m., local time, Wednesday, February 16, 2005, in order to be considered during the initial round of selections; however, proposals received after this deadline may be received and evaluated up to one year from date of posting on FedBizOpps. Full proposals received after the due date specified in the BAA or due date otherwise specified by DARPA after review of proposal abstracts may be selected contingent upon the availability of funds. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 05-07 Proposer Information Pamphlet, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received and to make awards without discussions. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal which shall be considered by DARPA. Input on technical aspects of the proposals may be solicited by DARPA from non-Government consultants/experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Non-Government technical consultants/experts will not have access to proposals that are labeled by their offerors as Government Only. 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 in High Operating Temperature Mid-Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays.All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal abstract or full proposal to this BAA, should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 05-07. Proposals and proposal abstracts may not be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded. DARPA encourages use of the WWW for retrieving the Proposer Information Pamphlet and any other related information that may subsequently be provided.EVALUATION CRITERIAEvaluation of proposal abstracts and full proposals will be accomplished through a technical 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 DARPA mission, (3) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, (4) offeror's capabilities and related experience, and (5) cost realism. Note: cost realism will only be significant in proposals which have significantly under or over-estimated the cost to complete their effort. The administrative addresses for this BAA are:Fax: (703) 351-8710 (Addressed to: DARPA/MTO, BAA 05-07), Electronic Mail: [email protected]: DARPA/MTO, ATTN: BAA 05-07 3701 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203-1714 This announcement and the Proposer Information Pamphlet may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the solicitations area.