Opportunity Information: Apply for DARPA BAA 14 60
Apply for DARPA BAA 14 60
- The DARPA Information Innovation Office in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Space/Time Analysis for Cybersecurity (STAC)" 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 Sep 25, 2014 and posted on Sep 5, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 28, 2014 Important Dates Posting Date September 5, 2014 Proposal Due Date October 28, 2014, 1200 noon (ET) Proposers Day September 22, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- 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 Space/Time Analysis for Cybersecurity (STAC) opportunity is a DARPA Information Innovation Office (I2O) research program aimed at finding a particular class of software weakness: algorithmic resource usage vulnerabilities. These are issues where software can be pushed into extreme time or memory consumption based on specific inputs or conditions, creating practical denial-of-service style failures or other reliability and security breakdowns. The core goal is to make it possible for analysts to detect these vulnerabilities with enough speed and scale to support a systematic, repeatable search across the kinds of large, complex codebases that underpin U.S. government systems, military capabilities, and critical economic infrastructure.
The emphasis of STAC is on research that can produce genuinely new capabilities rather than incremental tuning of existing tools. DARPA is explicitly looking for innovative approaches that deliver revolutionary advances in the science, devices, or systems used to analyze software behavior over space (resources like memory, storage, bandwidth, or other capacity measures) and time (runtime, algorithmic complexity, scheduling effects, worst-case execution, and related performance limits). Proposals that mainly offer evolutionary improvements to current best practices are called out as out of scope, which signals that DARPA expects high-risk, high-reward ideas such as new analysis paradigms, fundamentally stronger modeling techniques, or novel combinations of static and dynamic methods that change what is feasible at scale.
From an administrative and funding perspective, the announcement is listed as DARPA BAA 14-60 under the activity category of Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The opportunity allows multiple award and funding mechanisms, including grants, cooperative agreements, other transactions, and procurement contracts, giving DARPA flexibility to select the instrument that best fits each proposed effort. The solicitation indicates an expected total of around 20 awards. No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated, and eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply as long as they meet any additional conditions described in the full announcement.
The key timeline for the original solicitation is straightforward: it was posted on September 5, 2014, with a Proposers Day held on September 22, 2014, and proposals due on October 28, 2014 at 12:00 noon Eastern Time. The archive date is April 28, 2015, which reflects when the opportunity was formally closed out in the posting system, even though awards and performance would proceed afterward according to negotiated schedules.
Two amendments refine the program structure rather than changing its fundamental technical intent. Amendment 1 extends the period of performance from 42 months to 48 months, giving selected teams additional time to execute research, mature prototypes, and demonstrate results at the required scale. Amendment 2 updates wording on pages 24-25 of the announcement by changing references from "contract years" to "phases," which typically clarifies how DARPA expects performers to organize work into staged segments with distinct goals, reviews, and decision points.
Overall, STAC is designed to push the state of the art in analyzing how software consumes computational resources, with the practical objective of enabling broad, methodical vulnerability discovery across critical systems. The solicitation is managed by DARPA I2O, with program management contact listed as Mr. Timothy Fraser, and additional solicitation access provided via the I2O solicitations page referenced in the announcement.
Space/Time Analysis for Cybersecurity (STAC) - FAQs
What is the STAC opportunity?
Space/Time Analysis for Cybersecurity (STAC) is a DARPA Information Innovation Office (I2O) research program focused on creating new ways to find a specific class of software weakness: algorithmic resource usage vulnerabilities.
What problem is STAC trying to solve?
STAC targets vulnerabilities where software can be forced into extreme time or memory consumption under particular inputs or conditions. These behaviors can cause practical denial-of-service style failures, as well as broader reliability and security breakdowns.
What are "algorithmic resource usage vulnerabilities" in this context?
They are software weaknesses tied to how algorithms and implementations consume computational resources. Under certain triggers, the software may use far more runtime (time) or capacity (space/resources) than intended, potentially making the system unusable or unstable.
What does "space" and "time" mean for STAC?
"Space" refers to resource usage such as memory, storage, bandwidth, or other capacity measures. "Time" refers to runtime-related behavior such as algorithmic complexity, scheduling effects, worst-case execution, and related performance limits.
What is the main goal of the program?
The core goal is to enable analysts to detect these vulnerabilities with enough speed and scale to support a systematic, repeatable search across large, complex codebases used in U.S. government systems, military capabilities, and critical economic infrastructure.
What kind of research is DARPA looking for under STAC?
DARPA is seeking innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that delivers revolutionary advances in the science, devices, or systems used to analyze software behavior over space and time.
Are incremental improvements to existing tools considered responsive?
No. The announcement emphasizes that proposals mainly offering evolutionary improvements to current best practices are considered out of scope. The program is positioned toward genuinely new capabilities rather than incremental tuning.
What types of technical approaches appear to be encouraged?
The description signals interest in new analysis paradigms, fundamentally stronger modeling techniques, or novel combinations of static and dynamic methods that change what is feasible at scale.
Who is the sponsoring/issuing organization?
The program is managed by DARPA's Information Innovation Office (I2O).
What is the solicitation identifier for this opportunity?
The announcement is listed as DARPA BAA 14-60.
What is the activity category of the opportunity?
The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What funding/award mechanisms are available?
The solicitation allows multiple mechanisms, including grants, cooperative agreements, other transactions, and procurement contracts. This provides DARPA flexibility to select the instrument that best fits each effort.
How many awards were expected?
The solicitation indicates an expected total of around 20 awards.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the provided opportunity summary.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply as long as they meet any additional conditions described in the full announcement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The solicitation was posted on September 5, 2014.
Was there a Proposers Day for STAC?
Yes. A Proposers Day was held on September 22, 2014.
When were proposals due?
Proposals were due on October 28, 2014 at 12:00 noon Eastern Time.
What does the archive date mean here?
The archive date (April 28, 2015) reflects when the opportunity was formally closed out in the posting system, even though awards and performance would proceed afterward according to negotiated schedules.
Did the solicitation have amendments?
Yes, two amendments are described, and both refine program structure rather than changing the fundamental technical intent.
What did Amendment 1 change?
Amendment 1 extended the period of performance from 42 months to 48 months, providing additional time for research execution, prototype maturation, and demonstration at the required scale.
What did Amendment 2 change?
Amendment 2 updated wording on pages 24-25 of the announcement by changing references from "contract years" to "phases," clarifying how DARPA expects work to be organized into staged segments with goals, reviews, and decision points.
How long is the period of performance under the amended structure?
The period of performance is 48 months, as extended by Amendment 1.
How is work expected to be organized over the program?
The amended wording indicates the work is structured into "phases" (rather than "contract years"), which typically implies staged execution with specific goals and formal reviews that can serve as decision points.
What practical impact does STAC aim to have?
STAC aims to push the state of the art in analyzing software resource consumption with the practical objective of enabling broad, methodical vulnerability discovery across critical systems.
Who is the program management contact listed for STAC?
The program management contact listed is Mr. Timothy Fraser.
Where is additional solicitation access referenced?
Additional solicitation access is referenced via the I2O solicitations page mentioned in the announcement.
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