Silicon based Photonic Analog Signal Processing Engines with Reconfigurability (Si PhASER) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the name of this DARPA funding opportunity?

The opportunity is a DARPA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) titled "Silicon based Photonic Analog Signal Processing Engines with Reconfigurability (Si PhASER)" under DARPA BAA 08-38.

2. Which DARPA office is sponsoring Si PhASER?

The program is issued by DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO).

3. What is the main goal of the Si PhASER program?

The stated goal is to push beyond the performance and power limits of conventional electronic digital signal processing (DSP) by using silicon photonics, with a focus on chip-scale photonic hardware that can process very high-throughput signals at lower power and can be tuned or reconfigured for different signal-processing functions.

4. What kind of work is DARPA looking to fund under this BAA?

The BAA seeks research and development proposals aimed at creating new silicon Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) building blocks and related programmable (reconfigurable) filter-array concepts.

5. What is the core technical objective described in the announcement?

The core technical objective is to develop silicon photonic PIC building blocks and programmable (reconfigurable) filter-array concepts that can be manufactured in a CMOS-compatible process.

6. Does the program emphasize analog or digital signal processing?

Based on the program title and description, the emphasis is on photonic analog signal processing engines while addressing limitations of conventional electronic digital signal processing by shifting the processing approach into silicon photonics.

7. What does "reconfigurability" mean in the context of this program?

Reconfigurability refers to the ability for the photonic hardware and/or filter-array concepts to be tuned or programmed so they can perform different signal-processing functions, rather than being fixed to a single configuration.

8. What is meant by "CMOS-compatible process" in this opportunity?

It means the photonic integrated circuit concepts and building blocks should be manufacturable using processes compatible with standard CMOS fabrication approaches, as described in the opportunity summary.

9. What funding instrument types may DARPA use for awards under this BAA?

The listing indicates multiple instrument types, including cooperative agreements and grants, and also notes that other arrangements such as procurement contracts may be used.

10. Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

11. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the solicitation is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional clarifications that may appear in the full BAA text.

12. What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 12.910, labeled as Research and Technology Development.

13. How is this opportunity categorized?

The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

14. Were award funding amounts (ceiling and floor) specified in the summary?

The award ceiling and award floor are both listed as 0 in the summary fields. This typically indicates that specific award amounts were not specified in the top-line listing and would instead be determined by DARPA based on proposal scope, merit, and available funds.

15. When was the opportunity posted, and when was it archived?

The notice indicates the opportunity was posted on May 30, 2008, and has an archive date of June 30, 2009, which reflects the period during which the announcement and related materials were available.

16. What close date change was made to the solicitation?

The posted notice includes an administrative modification to the solicitation close date, changing it from May 30, 2009 to June 1, 2009.

17. What proposal due date is listed in the provided information?

The source data provided lists a proposal due date of July 14, 2008.

18. Why do the close date and proposal due date look inconsistent?

Based on the information provided only, the notice shows a close date modification in 2009 while the listed proposal due date remains July 14, 2008. The materials presented do not explain the discrepancy, so applicants would typically confirm the controlling deadlines in the full BAA documentation and any amendments.

19. Where can applicants find additional information about the solicitation?

The notice points offerors to the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) solicitations page for additional information.

20. What email address is provided for submissions and administrative questions?

The dedicated email address provided is BAA08_38@darpa.mil.

21. Who is listed as a contact for problems accessing the full announcement electronically?

For issues accessing the full announcement electronically, the contact listed is Dr. Michael Haney. The notice also references a fax number and a BAA coordinator, indicating standard DARPA BAA administrative support channels for proposers.

22. What is the practical outcome DARPA is aiming for?

In practical terms, the program description points to chip-scale photonic hardware capable of very high-throughput signal processing with lower power consumption than traditional electronic DSP, plus the ability to be tuned or reconfigured for different signal-processing tasks.

23. Is this opportunity strictly limited to a single award type?

No. The summary explicitly indicates multiple possible award instrument types (including cooperative agreements and grants, and potentially procurement contracts), which suggests flexibility in how awards may be structured.

24. Does the provided summary specify any mandatory cost-sharing percentage or minimum applicant contribution?

No. The provided information states that no cost sharing or matching requirement is listed.

25. What is the official solicitation identifier?

The official solicitation identifier in the provided information is DARPA BAA 08-38.