Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA BAA 14 49
Apply for DARPA BAA 14 49
- The DARPA Biological Technologies Office in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biological Robustness in Complex Settings (BRICS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.910 Research and Technology Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 13, 2014 and posted on Aug 12, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 17, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Biological Robustness in Complex Settings (BRICS) opportunity was a DARPA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) issued by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Biological Technologies Office, focused on advancing science and technology to make engineered biological systems reliably function in real-world, complex environments. The central aim of the program was to solicit innovative research proposals that build the fundamental understanding and enabling component technologies needed for biological designs to remain stable, predictable, and effective despite variability, noise, uncertainty, and changing conditions that commonly cause engineered biology to fail outside controlled lab settings. In practical terms, the opportunity targeted research that could help engineered organisms, biological circuits, or biologically based devices maintain performance when faced with environmental fluctuations, biological interactions, mutations, resource constraints, or other stressors that undermine robustness.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, BRICS was offered under Funding Opportunity Number DARPA BAA 14-49, categorized as a discretionary opportunity using an "Other Procurement Contract" instrument type, aligned to the Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity category. The associated CFDA number was 12.910, which corresponds to Research and Technology Development. Cost sharing or matching was not required, which typically means proposers were not expected to contribute a mandatory portion of project costs to be eligible for award consideration.
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning the solicitation was open to essentially any type of applicant entity, with the caveat that applicants should consult the full announcement text for any specific clarifications or conditions in the eligibility section. This broad eligibility generally supports participation from universities, companies, nonprofit research organizations, federally funded research and development centers, and other qualified organizations capable of conducting advanced R&D, including interdisciplinary teams spanning biology, engineering, computation, and systems science.
The timeline for the solicitation indicates it was posted on August 12, 2014 (with a creation date of August 13, 2014). The original closing date was February 16, 2015, later extended to a current closing date of February 17, 2015. The opportunity was archived on March 18, 2015, indicating it is no longer open for submissions. For full details and official solicitation documentation, the announcement referenced an additional information link to DARPA BAA 14-49 hosted on FedBizOpps (the federal contracting portal in use at that time). The listed point of contact for access issues was Dr. Justin Gallivan, identified as the BAA Coordinator, which suggests that administrative questions or problems retrieving the full announcement were directed there rather than to programmatic staff.
Overall, BRICS was essentially a call for foundational and applied research intended to move engineered biology toward the kind of dependable, repeatable performance expected of mature engineering disciplines, particularly when deployed beyond simplified laboratory conditions and into complex, variable settings where biological systems must cope with real-world uncertainty.
BRICS (DARPA BAA 14-49) Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BRICS opportunity?
BRICS stands for Biological Robustness in Complex Settings. It was a DARPA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) issued by DARPA's Biological Technologies Office to advance science and technology that helps engineered biological systems function reliably in real-world, complex environments.
What was the main goal of the BRICS program?
The central aim was to solicit innovative research proposals that build fundamental understanding and enabling component technologies so biological designs can remain stable, predictable, and effective despite variability, noise, uncertainty, and changing conditions that commonly cause engineered biology to fail outside controlled laboratory settings.
What kinds of problems was BRICS trying to solve?
BRICS targeted the practical challenge that engineered organisms, biological circuits, and biologically based devices often work in the lab but lose performance in the real world. The solicitation emphasized robustness against factors like environmental fluctuations, biological interactions, mutations, resource constraints, and other stressors that undermine dependable performance.
What types of research did BRICS seek?
Based on the description, BRICS sought both foundational and applied research to improve robustness in engineered biology. This included research that improves understanding of why engineered systems fail in complex settings and technologies that help them maintain stable and predictable behavior under uncertainty and changing conditions.
Which DARPA office issued BRICS?
The opportunity was issued by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Biological Technologies Office.
What was the Funding Opportunity Number for BRICS?
The Funding Opportunity Number was DARPA BAA 14-49.
What kind of solicitation was BRICS (grant, contract, or something else)?
BRICS was categorized as a discretionary opportunity using an Other Procurement Contract instrument type.
What funding activity category did BRICS fall under?
It was aligned to Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity categories.
What CFDA number was associated with BRICS, and what does it represent?
The associated CFDA number was 12.910, which corresponds to Research and Technology Development.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. Cost sharing or matching was not required, meaning proposers were not expected to contribute a mandatory portion of project costs to be eligible for award consideration.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning the solicitation was open to essentially any type of applicant entity. Applicants were advised to consult the full announcement text for any specific clarifications or conditions in the eligibility section.
What types of organizations could typically participate under unrestricted eligibility?
Unrestricted eligibility generally supports participation from universities, companies, nonprofit research organizations, federally funded research and development centers, and other qualified organizations capable of conducting advanced R&D, including interdisciplinary teams spanning biology, engineering, computation, and systems science.
When was the BRICS opportunity posted?
The solicitation was posted on August 12, 2014, with a creation date of August 13, 2014.
What was the deadline to submit proposals?
The original closing date was February 16, 2015, and it was later extended to a current closing date of February 17, 2015.
Is BRICS still open for submissions?
No. The opportunity was archived on March 18, 2015, which indicates it is no longer open for submissions.
Where were official solicitation documents hosted?
The announcement referenced an additional information link to DARPA BAA 14-49 hosted on FedBizOpps, the federal contracting portal used at that time.
Who was the point of contact for issues accessing the announcement?
The listed point of contact for access issues was Dr. Justin Gallivan, identified as the BAA Coordinator.
What kinds of questions was the listed contact intended to handle?
The contact was specifically indicated for access issues, suggesting administrative questions or problems retrieving the full announcement were directed there rather than to programmatic staff.
What is the practical significance of BRICS in engineered biology?
BRICS was framed as a call to move engineered biology toward the dependable, repeatable performance expected of mature engineering disciplines, particularly when deployed beyond simplified lab conditions and into complex, variable settings where biological systems must cope with real-world uncertainty.
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