Materials with Controlled Microstructural Architecture (MCMA) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the MCMA opportunity (DARPA BAA 10-16)?

The Materials with Controlled Microstructural Architecture (MCMA) opportunity is a DARPA Defense Sciences Office effort to push structural materials beyond current performance limits by deliberately designing and manufacturing the material's internal (microstructural) architecture.

Which DARPA office is running this effort?

MCMA is run through DARPA's Defense Sciences Office.

What is the main technical goal of the program?

The central goal is to make microstructural architecture a primary design variable for structural materials, using validated architectural design principles and manufacturable processes to achieve major improvements in mechanical and structural performance.

How is MCMA different from conventional materials development approaches?

Instead of relying mainly on chemistry tweaks or standard processing, MCMA focuses on controlling microstructural features at the right length scales so internal structure is intentionally engineered to deliver significantly improved properties.

What does "controlled microstructural architecture" mean in this context?

It refers to deliberately designing and building specific internal arrangements of microstructural features (for example phases, grains, pores, reinforcements, or hierarchical features across multiple scales) so that the resulting architecture predictably produces targeted performance improvements.

What types of materials are the focus of MCMA?

The program is focused on structural materials, meaning materials intended for load-bearing or mechanically demanding applications.

What performance improvements is DARPA interested in for MCMA?

Target outcomes include improvements in properties important for load-bearing applications, such as strength-to-weight, stiffness-to-weight, toughness, fatigue resistance, and damage tolerance. Depending on the technical approach, performance under harsh environments may also be relevant.

What kinds of research is DARPA looking for under this opportunity?

DARPA is seeking innovative, multidisciplinary research that develops and demonstrates the capability to design, fabricate, and validate microstructural architectures that deliver measurable property improvements.

Is this opportunity purely theoretical, or does it require experimental work?

It is not purely theoretical. Proposers are expected to go beyond theory by showing credible pathways to fabrication and validation, including experimental verification of resulting properties.

What does DARPA mean by "validated architectural design principles"?

It implies establishing design rules at the microstructural level that are predictive and testable: proposing how a specific architecture leads to measurable performance gains, then demonstrating the ability to build that architecture reliably and verify the results experimentally.

What is the emphasis on linking microstructure to performance?

A key emphasis is proposing a clear, predictive connection between specific microstructural architectures and material performance, then validating that link through fabrication and experimental testing.

What award instruments may be used for MCMA?

The solicitation allows multiple award instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions, and procurement contracts. This provides DARPA flexibility in structuring collaborations and deliverables.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the provided information.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to essentially any type of entity (such as universities, companies, nonprofits, and research organizations), subject to any clarifications in the full announcement.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The associated CFDA number is 12.910, Research and Technology Development.

What are the key dates for this opportunity?

The opportunity was posted on December 16, 2009. The original closing date was February 8, 2010, and it was later extended to a current closing date of March 31, 2010. The archive date is April 30, 2010.

Where can applicants find the full announcement?

Applicants were directed to the full announcement via the additional information link identified as DARPA BAA 10-16.

Who should be contacted for access issues related to the announcement?

The point of contact for access issues is the BAA Coordinator.

What is DARPA ultimately trying to demonstrate through MCMA?

MCMA is intended to pair new microstructural design rules with manufacturable processes and proof through demonstration and validation, showing that engineered microstructural architectures can reliably produce major advances in structural material performance.

Does the program specify particular microstructural features or architectures to use?

The provided information gives examples of microstructural features (phases, grains, pores, reinforcements, and hierarchical features across scales) but does not limit the program to a single specific architecture.