Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA BAA 16 25
Apply for DARPA BAA 16 25
- The DOD-DARPA-DSO in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fundamental Limits of Photon Detection (Detect)" 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 Jan 21, 2016 and posted on Jan 21, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 29, 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The DARPA Defense Sciences Office (DSO) grant opportunity titled "Fundamental Limits of Photon Detection (Detect)" (Funding Opportunity Number: DARPA BAA 16-25) seeks research proposals aimed at pushing photon detector technology beyond incremental improvements and into genuinely new capability. The program is focused on innovative approaches that could deliver revolutionary advances in how photon detectors are modeled and fabricated, with an emphasis on exploring the fundamental limits that constrain detection performance. In practical terms, DARPA is looking for ideas that rethink the underlying physics, materials, device architectures, and manufacturing methods used to detect photons, rather than proposals that mainly refine existing detector designs through routine optimization.
A key point in the announcement is what it does not want: work that is primarily evolutionary, meaning straightforward upgrades to the current state of practice (for example, modest gains in efficiency, noise reduction, or speed using well-established techniques without introducing a transformative concept). Instead, proposed research should be novel and high-risk/high-payoff, potentially redefining what is achievable in photon detection. While the posting does not enumerate specific technical metrics or application domains, the framing suggests interest in breakthroughs that could change detector performance ceilings, such as new ways to model detector behavior at fundamental levels, new fabrication routes that enable previously impractical device structures, or new detector concepts that overcome long-standing tradeoffs.
The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding and may be supported through multiple award mechanisms, including cooperative agreements, grants, “other” arrangements, or procurement contracts, giving DARPA flexibility in how it structures performer relationships and program management. The activity category is science and technology and other research and development, and it is associated with CFDA 12.910. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to qualified applicants of any organizational type, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may appear in the full solicitation text (which is typical for DARPA BAAs, where details can matter).
The solicitation was created and posted on January 21, 2016, and the closing date for submissions was March 29, 2016 (with no difference between the original and current closing dates in the provided data). The listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the supplied fields, implying that those details may either be unspecified in the summary record or provided elsewhere in the full BAA documentation. Overall, the Detect opportunity is best understood as DARPA inviting the research community to propose fundamentally new detector paradigms and enabling fabrication/modeling strategies that could reset the baseline for photon detection performance rather than simply extending today’s technologies a little further.
FAQs: DARPA DSO - Fundamental Limits of Photon Detection (Detect) (DARPA BAA 16-25)
What is the title of this DARPA grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Fundamental Limits of Photon Detection (Detect)."
Which DARPA office is sponsoring this opportunity?
The sponsoring office is DARPA's Defense Sciences Office (DSO).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DARPA BAA 16-25.
What is the main goal of the Detect program?
The program seeks research proposals that push photon detector technology beyond incremental improvements and toward genuinely new capability, with a focus on exploring the fundamental limits that constrain photon detection performance.
What kind of research is DARPA looking for?
DARPA is looking for novel, high-risk/high-payoff ideas that rethink photon detection at a fundamental level. The emphasis is on innovative approaches that could deliver revolutionary advances in how photon detectors are modeled and fabricated, including new physics-based concepts, materials approaches, device architectures, and manufacturing methods.
What types of proposals are explicitly discouraged?
Proposals that are primarily evolutionary are discouraged. This includes straightforward upgrades to existing detector designs or routine optimization using well-established techniques (for example, modest improvements in efficiency, noise reduction, or speed that do not introduce a transformative concept).
Does the opportunity specify particular technical performance metrics?
No. The provided summary does not enumerate specific technical metrics for detector performance.
Does the opportunity list specific application domains for the detectors?
No. The provided summary does not specify application domains; it frames the effort around breakthroughs that could reset performance ceilings and overcome long-standing tradeoffs in photon detection.
What kinds of breakthroughs does the announcement suggest DARPA may be interested in?
Based on the framing, DARPA appears interested in ideas such as new ways to model detector behavior at fundamental levels, new fabrication routes enabling previously impractical device structures, and new detector concepts that can overcome long-standing tradeoffs that constrain detection performance.
What is the funding type for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding.
What award mechanisms might DARPA use for this program?
The summary indicates DARPA may use multiple award mechanisms, including cooperative agreements, grants, "other" arrangements, or procurement contracts. This provides DARPA flexibility in structuring relationships with performers and managing the program.
What is the activity category associated with this opportunity?
The activity category is "Science and Technology and other Research and Development."
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 12.910.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to qualified applicants of any organizational type, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may appear in the full solicitation text.
When was the solicitation created and posted?
The solicitation was created and posted on January 21, 2016.
What was the submission closing date?
The closing date for submissions was March 29, 2016.
Were there different original and current closing dates?
No. In the provided information, the original and current closing dates are the same (March 29, 2016).
Does the summary provide an award ceiling?
No. The listing does not provide an award ceiling in the supplied fields, suggesting that detail may be unspecified in the summary record or available in the full BAA documentation.
Does the summary state the expected number of awards?
No. The expected number of awards is not provided in the supplied fields, implying it may be unspecified in the summary record or addressed in the full solicitation.
How should applicants interpret DARPA's emphasis on "fundamental limits"?
Based on the summary, applicants should interpret "fundamental limits" as an invitation to explore the underlying constraints that set the ceiling on photon detection performance, and to propose new paradigms that could change those ceilings rather than extending current technologies through incremental refinement.
What is the overall takeaway for potential applicants?
The Detect opportunity is best understood as DARPA inviting the research community to propose fundamentally new photon detector paradigms and enabling modeling and fabrication strategies that could redefine what is achievable, rather than proposals that simply improve today's detectors a little further.
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