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Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT) - FAQ

What is the Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT) opportunity?

NJTT is a DARPA Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeking research proposals to dramatically improve how heat is transported away from the immediate vicinity of the active region (the "near-junction" area) in high-power electronic devices.

What problem is DARPA trying to solve with NJTT?

The opportunity targets the limitation that many conventional thermal management approaches remove heat only after it has already spread through device layers and packaging. This can leave the hottest spots near the junction as a fundamental limiter on power density, reliability, and performance. NJTT aims to address thermal transport closer to where heat is generated.

What does "near-junction" mean in this context?

In the NJTT description, "near-junction" refers to the immediate vicinity of the active region of a high-power electronic device where heat is generated and where peak temperatures ("hot spots") can form.

What types of results is DARPA looking for?

DARPA is seeking step-change (revolutionary) improvements in thermal transport near the junction, with the potential to unlock major advances in electronic devices, components, and larger systems that depend on them.

Is this program focused on incremental improvements to existing thermal management?

No. The solicitation emphasizes revolutionary progress rather than incremental progress. Work mainly aimed at evolutionary improvements to existing practices is explicitly excluded.

What kinds of approaches are described as not being a fit?

Proposals that primarily refine standard heat sinking, make conventional packaging tweaks, or perform straightforward optimizations of well-established approaches are described as not aligning with the program's intent.

What kinds of approaches does the announcement encourage?

The program framing points to innovative thermal management methods that substantially shift the state of the art, potentially including new materials, new device or package architectures, new heat spreading or heat extraction mechanisms, or other unconventional strategies that meaningfully change near-junction thermal behavior.

What is the official funding opportunity number and title?

The funding opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number DARPA BAA 11-09, titled "Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT)."

Which DARPA office is sponsoring this BAA?

The opportunity is sponsored by DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO).

What category of funding activity does NJTT fall under?

The synopsis places NJTT under Science and Technology / Research and Development.

Is there a CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

Yes. The synopsis associates the opportunity with CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development).

What types of award instruments may be used?

The synopsis lists cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions, and procurement contracts, indicating DARPA's flexibility in selecting an instrument depending on the proposed work and performer.

When was the NJTT opportunity posted?

The synopsis indicates the announcement was posted on November 9, 2010.

Was a proposal abstract required, and when was it due?

Yes. A proposal abstract was due no later than 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time on December 14, 2010.

What was the full proposal due date?

The synopsis shows the original full proposal due date was February 24, 2011 (by 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time), and that amendments later extended the deadline. The final current closing date listed is March 8, 2011, by 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time.

Were there amendments that changed the proposal due date?

Yes. Amendment 01 revised the full proposal due date, and Amendment 02 extended it further. The final "current closing date" shown is March 8, 2011.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of applicant could apply (for example, industry, universities, nonprofit research organizations, federally funded research and development centers, or others), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full BAA text.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

The public synopsis lists no required cost sharing or matching requirement.

Is there an award minimum or maximum listed?

The synopsis lists the award ceiling and floor as 0, which typically indicates that specific funding ranges were not provided in the summary record and would instead be defined in the detailed solicitation or negotiated based on scope and DARPA priorities.

Where are the governing details and requirements described?

The synopsis indicates that the governing details are contained in the attached full announcement (DARPA BAA 11-09), and that updates were communicated via amendments with changes highlighted in the revised document.

Where could applicants find additional information links related to the opportunity?

An additional information link in the synopsis points to the MTO solicitations page.

Who is the point of contact for NJTT?

The synopsis lists Dr. Avram Bar-Cohen as the Program Manager and point of contact, with a note to reach out if there were problems accessing the full announcement electronically.

What should an applicant do if they cannot access the full announcement electronically?

The point-of-contact note indicates applicants should reach out to Dr. Avram Bar-Cohen if there are problems accessing the full announcement electronically.