Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA BAA 16 43
Apply for DARPA BAA 16 43
- The DOD-DARPA-I2O in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Data-Driven Discovery of Models (D3M)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.910.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 15, 2016 and posted on Jun 15, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 12, 2016. (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.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The Data-Driven Discovery of Models (D3M) opportunity (DARPA BAA 16-43) is a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency solicitation focused on pushing the boundaries of automated model discovery. The core idea is to develop systems that can take data from real, complex processes and automatically produce empirical models that explain or predict how those processes behave. In practical terms, DARPA is looking for methods that move beyond standard, incremental machine learning workflows and instead aim for major leaps in how models are discovered, constructed, and validated from data, especially in messy real-world settings where the underlying mechanisms may be complicated, partially observed, or poorly understood.
The research emphasis is on innovative approaches that could unlock revolutionary advances across science, devices, or engineered systems. That language is important: proposals are expected to target high-impact outcomes, such as enabling new scientific discovery, dramatically improving the design or control of complex systems, or creating capabilities that were not feasible with existing modeling techniques. The solicitation explicitly rules out work that mainly delivers evolutionary or incremental improvements to current practice, meaning a proposal that mostly tweaks existing algorithms or marginally improves performance on familiar benchmarks would not align well with the intent. DARPA wants proposals that clearly articulate what is fundamentally new about the approach and why it could change what is possible in automated modeling.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and supports multiple funding instruments, including cooperative agreements, procurement contracts, and other transaction-like mechanisms (listed as "Other"). It falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA number 12.910. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is generally open to a wide range of applicant types (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations), subject to any additional eligibility constraints that might appear in the full announcement text. The issuing organization is DOD-DARPA-I2O, indicating it was released through DARPA's Information Innovation Office.
Key dates provided in the posting show it was created and posted on June 15, 2016, with an original and current closing date of August 12, 2016. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided fields, so those details would typically require consulting the full BAA documentation. Overall, D3M is best understood as a DARPA effort to catalyze a step-change in automated, data-driven model discovery, prioritizing bold technical innovation and transformative downstream impact over incremental refinements of established modeling methods.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Data-Driven Discovery of Models (D3M) (DARPA BAA 16-43)
What is the Data-Driven Discovery of Models (D3M) opportunity?
D3M is a DARPA solicitation (BAA 16-43) focused on advancing automated model discovery. The goal is to create systems that can take data from real, complex processes and automatically produce empirical models that explain or predict how those processes behave.
What is the main purpose of this DARPA solicitation?
The main purpose is to push beyond typical, incremental machine learning workflows and achieve major leaps in how models are discovered, constructed, and validated from data. The emphasis is on automating model discovery in messy real-world settings where mechanisms can be complicated, partially observed, or poorly understood.
What does DARPA mean by "automated model discovery" in this context?
In this context, automated model discovery refers to methods and systems that can ingest data and automatically generate empirical models that either explain the underlying process or accurately predict its behavior, without relying on standard step-by-step, human-driven modeling workflows.
What kind of impact is DARPA expecting from D3M research?
DARPA is expecting high-impact, potentially transformative outcomes, such as enabling new scientific discovery, dramatically improving the design or control of complex systems, or creating capabilities that are not feasible using existing modeling techniques.
What type of approach is DARPA looking for?
DARPA is looking for innovative approaches that could produce revolutionary advances across science, devices, or engineered systems. Proposals should clearly explain what is fundamentally new about the approach and why it could change what is possible in automated modeling.
Are incremental improvements to existing machine learning methods responsive to this opportunity?
No. The solicitation explicitly rules out work that mainly delivers evolutionary or incremental improvements to current practice. A proposal that primarily tweaks existing algorithms or shows marginal performance gains on familiar benchmarks would not align well with the intent described in the opportunity summary.
What are examples of the types of settings D3M is concerned with?
D3M is especially concerned with real-world environments where the underlying mechanisms may be complicated, partially observed, or poorly understood, and where data-driven modeling is challenging due to complexity and "messy" conditions.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The issuing organization is DOD-DARPA-I2O, meaning the solicitation was released by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through DARPA's Information Innovation Office (I2O).
What is the solicitation identifier for this opportunity?
The opportunity is identified as DARPA BAA 16-43.
What type of funding opportunity is this categorized as?
It is categorized as a discretionary funding opportunity.
What funding instruments are supported under this opportunity?
The posting indicates multiple instrument types may be used, including cooperative agreements, procurement contracts, and "Other" mechanisms (described as other transaction-like mechanisms).
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 12.910.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, which generally means a wide range of applicant types may be able to apply (such as companies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations), subject to any additional constraints that may appear in the full announcement text.
When was this opportunity posted?
The listing indicates it was created and posted on June 15, 2016.
What is the closing date for this opportunity?
The original and current closing date shown in the posting is August 12, 2016.
Does the posting include an award ceiling?
No. The provided fields do not specify an award ceiling, so that detail would typically require consulting the full BAA documentation.
Does the posting state how many awards are expected?
No. The provided fields do not list an expected number of awards, and that information would generally be found in the full BAA documentation if it is available there.
What should a strong proposal emphasize based on the opportunity description?
Based on the description, a strong proposal should emphasize bold technical innovation, explain what is fundamentally new about the approach, and connect the work to transformative downstream impact rather than incremental refinement of established modeling methods.
Where would applicants typically find missing details like funding limits or number of awards?
The summary notes that details not shown in the listing fields (such as an award ceiling or expected number of awards) would typically require consulting the full BAA documentation.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Next opportunity: Strengthening of Public Health Programs to address Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases in the Republic of Kenya including the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Previous opportunity: National Accessibility Technical Assistance and Support
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for DARPA BAA 16 43
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DARPA BAA 16 43) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III 3D Microelectronics for Information Protection Program Apply for FOA AFRL RQKM 2016 0017 Funding Number: FOA AFRL RQKM 2016 0017 Agency: DOD-AFRL Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Prometheus Apply for DARPA BAA 16 42 Funding Number: DARPA BAA 16 42 Agency: DOD-DARPA-BTO Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Magnetic Miniaturized and Monolithically-Integrated Components (M3IC) Apply for DARPA BAA 16 36 Funding Number: DARPA BAA 16 36 Agency: DOD-DARPA-MTO Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| ROSES 2016: Atmospheric Composition: Aura Science Team and Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis Program Apply for NNH16ZDA001N ACMAP Funding Number: NNH16ZDA001N ACMAP Agency: NASA-HQ Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NATIONAL SECURITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FACULTY FELLOWSHIP Apply for N00014 16 R FO12 Funding Number: N00014 16 R FO12 Agency: DOD-ONR Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Fort Huachuca Environmental Training Apply for W9124A 16 0001 Funding Number: W9124A 16 0001 Agency: Department of Defense, ACC-APG-Fort Huachuca Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU Apply for G16AS00108 Funding Number: G16AS00108 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $66,451 |
| Partnerships for International Research and Education Apply for 16 571 Funding Number: 16 571 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU Apply for G16AS00105 Funding Number: G16AS00105 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $19,740 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests, CESU Apply for G16AS00101 Funding Number: G16AS00101 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $499,999 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU Apply for G16AS00099 Funding Number: G16AS00099 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Chesapeake Watershed CESU Apply for G16AS00100 Funding Number: G16AS00100 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $43,400 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida Caribbean CESU Apply for G16AS00107 Funding Number: G16AS00107 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU Apply for G16AS00096 Funding Number: G16AS00096 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $9,100 |
| Smallpox Research Oversight Activities: WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research Apply for EP IDS 16 007 Funding Number: EP IDS 16 007 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| DoD Prostate Cancer Clinical Consortium Research Site Award Apply for W81XWH 16 PCRP CCRSA Funding Number: W81XWH 16 PCRP CCRSA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU Apply for G16AS00104 Funding Number: G16AS00104 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $137,400 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Desert Southwest CESU Apply for G16AS00110 Funding Number: G16AS00110 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $113,000 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU Apply for G16AS00109 Funding Number: G16AS00109 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $499,999 |
| Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North Atlantic Coast CESU Apply for G16AS00102 Funding Number: G16AS00102 Agency: Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $93,389 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DARPA BAA 16 43", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.