Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA BAA08 62
Apply for DARPA BAA08 62
- The DARPA Strategic Technology Office in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Panoptic Analysis of Chemical Traces (PACT)" 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 Oct 3, 2008 and posted on Aug 20, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 18, 2009. (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 Panoptic Analysis of Chemical Traces (PACT) opportunity is a DARPA Strategic Technology Office Broad Agency Announcement (DARPA BAA08-62) focused on developing next-generation capabilities for detecting and interpreting trace chemicals in the air. The central goal is to create technology that can analyze complex gas mixtures in a largely open-ended way, meaning it should not depend on preset libraries or predefined lists of expected chemicals. Instead of looking only for known targets, PACT is aimed at approaches that can sort through dense, messy atmospheric mixtures and still extract meaningful chemical information, even when the relevant compounds were not anticipated ahead of time.
A major intended outcome of PACT is automated, high-throughput analysis for atmospheric sampling campaigns that can scale to large areas. DARPA frames this as enabling the production of exhaustive chemical maps of environments that matter for national security, particularly urban and military settings. In practical terms, that implies systems and workflows that can take many samples (or continuous streams of air data), process them quickly with minimal manual intervention, and generate interpretable outputs that show what chemicals are present, where they appear, and how they vary over space and time. The emphasis on "panoptic" and "exhaustive chemical maps" signals interest in broad coverage, comprehensive characterization, and the ability to discover patterns rather than simply flagging a small set of known threats.
DARPA is explicitly seeking innovative research that could lead to revolutionary advances in science, devices, or integrated systems for trace-gas analysis. Proposals are expected to push beyond incremental improvements to established methods; work described as mainly evolutionary or an extension of the current state of practice is specifically discouraged. While the notice does not list the technical areas in the text provided, it indicates that the attached BAA document contains the detailed topics of interest, proposal instructions, and administrative and contracting requirements. In other words, the synopsis sets the strategic direction (open-ended chemical mixture analysis at high throughput for mapping), and the full BAA attachment defines the exact technical thrusts and how DARPA wants offerors to structure and submit their work.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary research and development funding opportunity under CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development). The opportunity lists multiple possible funding instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, other procurement contracts, and other arrangements, which is typical of DARPA BAAs where the government may select the instrument that best matches the nature of the proposed effort and the expected level of government involvement. Cost sharing or matching is not required. The eligible applicant category is listed as unrestricted, meaning the solicitation is broadly open to organizations of many types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full announcement.
Key dates and identifiers in the listing include the funding opportunity number DARPA BAA08-62, a posted date of August 20, 2008, and an original and current closing date of August 18, 2009, with an archive date of September 17, 2009. The award ceiling and floor are both shown as 0 in the record, which generally indicates that specific award sizes were not specified in that summary entry and that prospective applicants would need to consult the full BAA attachment for expected funding ranges, project duration, and any constraints on budgets or phases.
For questions, DARPA directs administrative, technical, or contractual inquiries to the email address DARPA_BAA_08_62@darpa.mil, requesting that messages include a point of contact name, address, and phone number. The notice also references an additional information link to the full BAA on FedBizOpps.gov (as it was hosted at the time) and mentions a BAA coordinator contact for assistance accessing the announcement electronically.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Panoptic Analysis of Chemical Traces (PACT) - DARPA BAA08-62
What is the PACT opportunity?
PACT (Panoptic Analysis of Chemical Traces) is a DARPA Strategic Technology Office Broad Agency Announcement (DARPA BAA08-62) aimed at developing next-generation capabilities to detect and interpret trace chemicals in the air.
What problem is DARPA trying to solve with PACT?
DARPA is seeking technology that can analyze complex, dense atmospheric gas mixtures in a largely open-ended way. The focus is on extracting meaningful chemical information from messy real-world mixtures, including compounds that were not anticipated in advance.
What does "open-ended" chemical mixture analysis mean in this program?
In the PACT context, "open-ended" means approaches should not rely on preset libraries or predefined lists of expected chemicals. Instead of only checking for known targets, the goal is to interpret complex mixtures and still identify useful chemical signatures and patterns even when relevant compounds were not expected ahead of time.
Is PACT only about detecting known chemical targets?
No. A key intent of PACT is to move beyond only looking for known targets. The program emphasizes the ability to process complex atmospheric mixtures and extract insights even when the relevant chemicals were not pre-specified.
What is a major intended outcome of PACT?
A major intended outcome is automated, high-throughput analysis for atmospheric sampling campaigns that can scale to large areas, enabling the production of exhaustive chemical maps for environments relevant to national security.
What does DARPA mean by "panoptic" and "exhaustive chemical maps"?
Based on the synopsis, these terms signal interest in broad coverage and comprehensive characterization of environments, with systems that can discover patterns and provide interpretable mapping outputs rather than simply flagging a short list of known threats.
What kinds of environments are emphasized for mapping and analysis?
The synopsis highlights environments that matter for national security, particularly urban and military settings.
What types of outputs does DARPA seem to want from PACT technologies?
The opportunity description implies outputs that show what chemicals are present, where they appear, and how they vary over space and time. It also emphasizes interpretable results suitable for large-scale campaigns.
What is meant by "automated, high-throughput analysis" in this context?
It implies systems and workflows capable of taking many samples (or continuous air-data streams), processing them quickly, minimizing manual intervention, and producing usable, interpretable chemical characterization outputs at scale.
What kind of research is DARPA seeking?
DARPA is explicitly seeking innovative research that could lead to revolutionary advances in science, devices, or integrated systems for trace-gas analysis.
Are incremental or evolutionary improvements competitive under PACT?
The synopsis indicates that proposals should push beyond incremental improvements to established methods. Work described as mainly evolutionary or an extension of the current state of practice is specifically discouraged.
Where are the detailed technical topics and proposal requirements described?
The synopsis states that the attached BAA document contains the detailed topics of interest, proposal instructions, and administrative and contracting requirements. The listing references an additional information link to the full BAA on FedBizOpps.gov (as it was hosted at the time).
What is the funding opportunity number for PACT?
The funding opportunity number is DARPA BAA08-62.
Which DARPA office is associated with this BAA?
It is described as a DARPA Strategic Technology Office Broad Agency Announcement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The synopsis lists CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development).
What types of funding instruments may be used for awards?
The opportunity lists multiple possible instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, other procurement contracts, and other arrangements. The synopsis notes this is typical of DARPA BAAs where the government may select the instrument that best matches the proposed effort and expected government involvement.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The synopsis states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant category is listed as unrestricted, meaning the solicitation is broadly open to organizations of many types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may appear in the full announcement.
What are the key dates listed for this opportunity?
The listing shows a posted date of August 20, 2008; an original and current closing date of August 18, 2009; and an archive date of September 17, 2009.
Does the summary entry specify award amounts (ceiling or floor)?
The record shows an award ceiling of 0 and an award floor of 0, which generally indicates that specific award sizes were not specified in that summary entry. The synopsis suggests applicants would need to consult the full BAA attachment for expected funding ranges, project duration, and any budget or phasing constraints.
Where should administrative, technical, or contractual questions be sent?
DARPA directs inquiries to DARPA_BAA_08_62@darpa.mil.
What information should be included when emailing DARPA with questions?
The synopsis requests that messages include a point of contact name, address, and phone number.
Is there a contact for help accessing the full announcement electronically?
Yes. The notice mentions a BAA coordinator contact for assistance accessing the announcement electronically, and it also references an additional information link to the full BAA on FedBizOpps.gov (as it was hosted at the time).
What is the main strategic direction described in the synopsis?
The synopsis frames the strategic direction as open-ended trace-gas mixture analysis at high throughput for large-area mapping, with the full BAA attachment defining the exact technical thrusts and submission structure.
Is this opportunity described as discretionary funding?
Yes. The synopsis characterizes it as a discretionary research and development funding opportunity under CFDA 12.910.
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