Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA BAA 11 42

  • The DARPA Defense Sciences Office in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chronicle of Lineage Indicative of Origins (CLIO)" 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 May 11, 2011 and posted on Mar 16, 2011.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2011. (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.
Apply for DARPA BAA 11 42

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Opportunity Summary:

The Chronicle of Lineage Indicative of Origins (CLIO) opportunity (DARPA BAA 11-42) was a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office research solicitation aimed at improving biosecurity and biosafety in a way that could ease some facility-based restrictions on genetic engineering and synthetic biology. The central idea behind the program was to shift certain safeguards away from relying primarily on where work is performed (the containment level and security posture of the laboratory or facility) and toward intrinsic, pathogen-level approaches that make engineered organisms safer and more traceable by design. In practical terms, the opportunity sought research that could help ensure that if genetic engineering is performed, the resulting biological materials themselves carry features that reduce misuse, improve accountability, and support safer handling, thereby enabling responsible research while lowering dependence on blanket facility restrictions.

The program was positioned as science and technology and other research and development, and it invited innovative proposals consistent with DARPA's high-risk, high-reward style. The solicitation was open to a broad, essentially unrestricted set of applicants (with final eligibility governed by any clarifications in the full announcement text), and it did not require cost sharing or matching. DARPA indicated multiple possible funding instruments under this announcement, including cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions, and procurement contracts, reflecting flexibility in how projects could be structured and managed depending on technical goals and the nature of performer-government collaboration.

Administratively, the announcement was posted on March 16, 2011, with an original and final closing date of May 25, 2011, and it was later archived on July 25, 2011. The associated CFDA listing was 12.910 (Research and Technology Development). For access issues related to the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Michael Callahan, identified as the BAA Coordinator. Overall, CLIO can be read as an effort to encourage technical solutions that embed biosafety and biosecurity into the biological systems themselves, with the broader policy implication of enabling more research activity without relying solely on increasingly restrictive facility-level controls.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DARPA CLIO (BAA 11-42)

What is the CLIO opportunity (DARPA BAA 11-42)?

CLIO stands for "The Chronicle of Lineage Indicative of Origins." It was a DARPA Defense Sciences Office research solicitation (BAA 11-42) focused on improving biosecurity and biosafety for genetic engineering and synthetic biology.

Which DARPA office ran this solicitation?

The solicitation was issued by DARPA's Defense Sciences Office.

What problem was CLIO trying to address?

CLIO aimed to improve biosecurity and biosafety in ways that could reduce reliance on facility-based restrictions (such as laboratory containment level and facility security posture) by shifting safeguards toward intrinsic, pathogen-level approaches.

What does "shifting safeguards from facilities to intrinsic approaches" mean in this program?

It refers to moving some protections away from depending mainly on where work occurs (the lab or facility controls) and toward designing biological materials so they are safer and more traceable by design, meaning the organisms or materials themselves carry features that support safer handling, accountability, and reduced misuse.

What kinds of research did CLIO seek?

The opportunity sought research intended to make engineered organisms safer and more traceable by design, helping reduce misuse, improve accountability, and support safer handling of engineered biological materials.

How does CLIO relate to genetic engineering and synthetic biology?

CLIO was framed around situations where genetic engineering is performed and focused on ensuring the resulting biological materials include built-in features that improve biosafety and biosecurity.

Was the goal to eliminate facility controls entirely?

No. The stated concept was to ease some facility-based restrictions by adding intrinsic safeguards within the biological systems themselves, lowering dependence on blanket facility restrictions rather than removing facility controls altogether.

What broader outcome or policy implication did DARPA associate with CLIO?

CLIO was presented as encouraging technical solutions that embed biosafety and biosecurity into biological systems, with the broader implication of enabling more responsible research activity without relying only on increasingly restrictive facility-level controls.

What type of funding opportunity was this (research area/category)?

It was positioned as science and technology and other research and development.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA listing associated with CLIO was 12.910 (Research and Technology Development).

What kind of solicitation was CLIO?

CLIO was a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), identified as DARPA BAA 11-42.

Was CLIO described as high-risk, high-reward?

Yes. The solicitation invited innovative proposals consistent with DARPA's high-risk, high-reward style.

Who could apply to the CLIO solicitation?

The solicitation was open to a broad, essentially unrestricted set of applicants, with final eligibility governed by any clarifications in the full announcement text.

Did CLIO require cost sharing or matching funds?

No. The information provided indicates that cost sharing or matching was not required.

What funding instruments could DARPA use under this announcement?

DARPA indicated multiple possible funding instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions, and procurement contracts. This reflects flexibility in how projects could be structured and managed depending on technical goals and the nature of performer-government collaboration.

When was the announcement posted?

The announcement was posted on March 16, 2011.

What were the closing dates for submissions?

The original closing date and the final closing date were both May 25, 2011.

When was the opportunity archived?

The opportunity was archived on July 25, 2011.

Is this opportunity still open?

Based on the dates provided (final closing date of May 25, 2011, and archived on July 25, 2011), the opportunity is not open.

Who was the point of contact for access issues related to the full announcement?

The listed point of contact for access issues was Michael Callahan, identified as the BAA Coordinator.

What should someone do if they had trouble accessing the full announcement?

The announcement listed Michael Callahan (the BAA Coordinator) as the contact for access issues related to the full announcement.

How did DARPA describe the practical intent of CLIO-funded research?

In practical terms, the intent was to support research that helps ensure engineered biological materials carry features that reduce misuse, improve accountability, and support safer handling, enabling responsible research while lowering reliance on blanket facility restrictions.

What does the name "Chronicle of Lineage Indicative of Origins" suggest about the program focus?

Based on the description provided, the name aligns with the theme of making engineered organisms more traceable and accountable by design, supporting the idea that biological materials could carry intrinsic features that indicate origin or lineage.

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