Quiness Macroscopic Quantum Communications | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

DARPA, through its Defense Sciences Office, released the Quiness Macroscopic Quantum Communications opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: DARPA BAA 12-42) to fund high-risk, high-payoff research aimed at redefining what secure communications could look like at real-world scale. The central goal is to move beyond today s typical quantum communication demonstrations, which often trade distance, rate, or practicality for security, and instead pursue approaches that can deliver quantum-grade security while also operating at the distances and data rates associated with conventional, macroscopic telecommunications. In practical terms, DARPA is looking for concepts that do not just work in carefully controlled lab setups or over short links, but could plausibly support long-range, high-throughput secure communications without sacrificing the security advantages that make quantum methods attractive in the first place.

The technical focus is on macroscopic quantum communications, meaning proposals should explore ways to harness quantum effects for security while still transmitting enough signal and information to behave more like standard telecom systems. The intent is not incremental tuning of existing quantum key distribution or related techniques, but genuinely new directions that could produce revolutionary advances in secure quantum communications. The announcement explicitly excludes work that mainly delivers evolutionary improvements to the current state of practice, so proposals centered on modest performance gains, routine engineering refinements, or straightforward scaling of known architectures are not aligned with the program. Instead, the emphasis is on innovative mechanisms, architectures, protocols, devices, or system concepts that could break through current limitations in range, rate, robustness, or deployability while maintaining strong security rooted in quantum principles.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity in the science and technology and other research and development category, associated with CFDA number 12.910 (Research and Technology Development). DARPA indicated multiple possible award instruments under the broad agency announcement framework, including cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions, and procurement contracts, giving the agency flexibility in how it structures and manages funded efforts. Cost sharing or matching was not required, and eligibility was unrestricted, meaning organizations of any type could apply (for example, universities, companies, non-profits, federally funded research and development centers, and others), subject to any additional clarifications contained in the full announcement.

Key dates define the lifecycle of the opportunity. The solicitation was posted on May 15, 2012, with the original and current closing date both listed as July 19, 2012, and an archive date of August 18, 2012. Parties needing access assistance for the full announcement were directed to contact the DARPA BAA 12-42 BAA Coordinator. Overall, the opportunity signals DARPA s interest in leap-ahead secure communications research that blends quantum security advantages with the practical performance expectations of modern telecommunications, prioritizing transformative ideas over incremental progress.

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