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Webinar introducing DARPA's Defense Science Office

May 18, 2020

To interested faculty,

Every other year, the Defense Science Office within DARPA hosts a ‘Discover DSO Day’ to introduce researchers to working with DARPA and DSO’s research aims. This year, they’re hosting a webinar (June 24-25) instead of an in-person meeting. This is a good opportunity for you to learn about a new sponsor that you may not have worked with yet.

DSO research is currently focused on sensors, materials, complex systems, and some facets of AI. A more detailed description of the office is included below this message.

After the webinar, Jamie Winterton's team will host a workshop, a debrief of sorts, for ‘Discover DSO’ attendees on next steps: How to contact a program manager and start a conversation. They will also help interested parties hone their introductory materials so they are resonant with the Office’s interests.

The link to the DARPA meeting is here: https://events.sa-meetings.com/ehome/537330/1048173/

If you plan to attend, please let Jamie know so her team can invite you to the subsequent workshop. She is happy to discuss further if there is interest. She can be contacted at: Jamie.Winterton@asu.edu.

DSO Objectives and Office-wide BAA Description

The mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is to identify and create the next generation of scientific discovery by pursuing high-risk, high-payoff research initiatives across a broad spectrum of science and engineering disciplines and transforming these initiatives into disruptive technologies for U.S. national security. In support of this mission, the anticipated DSO Office-wide BAA will invite proposers to submit innovative basic or applied research concepts in one or more of the following technical thrust areas:

Frontiers in Math, Computation and Design

The increasingly complex, technologically sophisticated, and dynamic military operational environment leads to fundamental challenges in how we design and plan for future military needs. The DoD implications of these trends drive a need for new math, computation, and design tools that enable trusted decision making at increased speed and with known confidence levels. Topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) mathematical, computational, and design frameworks and tools that provide robust solutions to challenging planning and optimization problems important to DoD; (2) fundamental scientific underpinnings and limits of machine learning; and (3) alternative computing models, architectures, and substrates for faster, more robust decision making.

Limits of Sensing & Sensors

Sensing and measurement of signals ranging from “DC to daylight” are ubiquitous to military systems and missions. Surveillance, navigation, warfighter health monitoring, and target ID/tracking are just a few examples of missions and/or applications that rely on various sensing modalities. Topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) new sensing modalities, (2) fundamental sensing limits, (3) engineered materials that enable novel optics and imaging capabilities, (4) fundamental and practical limits of quantum enabled sensing and metrology, and (5) practical and deployable sensing and sensor designs.

Complex Social Systems

Understanding social behavior and the dynamics of complex social networks is critically important for many military operations including stability, deterrence, compellence, counter-terrorism, shaping the environment, training, and mission planning. Additionally, increasingly robust machine capabilities in the form of automation, platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally change how human teams frame problems, plan, and operate at tempo and manage complexity. Topics of interest under this domain include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) accurate and scientifically validated models of the social dynamics underlying different kinds of conflict; (2) capabilities to improve understanding of causality in complex social systems; (3) tools that enable improved human-machine symbiotic decision-making; and (4) new concepts in war-gaming and conflict simulation.

Anticipating Surprise

Ultimately, the goal of DSO Research and Development (R&D) investments is to ensure that U.S. warfighters have access to the most advanced technologies. Research funded under this thrust area supports scientific and technological discovery that leads to leap-ahead capabilities across multiple technology domains to ensure enhanced military readiness against specific existing, emerging and/or future threats to national security. Example topics of interest under this thrust area include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) novel functional and structural materials and manufacturing processes; (2) materials for harsh environments; (3) defense against Weapons of Mass Destruction/Weapons of Mass Terror (WMD/WMT) threats; (4) energetic materials; (5) new propulsion concepts; and (6) novel approaches to energy storage and power generation.