Special Notice

DARPA-SN-16-62 EXTREME Proposers Day 1
Special Notice (SN) DARPA-SN-16-62
Extreme Optics and Imaging (EXTREME)
Proposers Day
September 1, 2016

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring a Proposers Day to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Extreme Optics and Imaging (EXTREME) program. The Proposers Day will be held on September 1, 2016 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This event will be conducted solely via webcast and advance registration is required. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.

The goals of the EXTREME Proposers Day are to: (a) introduce the research community (Proposers, Academia, and Government) to the EXTREME program vision and goals; (b) explain the mechanics of a DARPA program and the milestones of this particular effort, and (c) encourage and promote teaming arrangements among potential organizations that have the relevant expertise, facilities, and capabilities for executing a research and development program responsive to the EXTREME program goals.

DARPA anticipates releasing the EXTREME BAA in late August 2016. If released, the BAA will be available on the Federal Business Opportunities website at https://www.fbo.gov and on http://www.grants.gov/. Following the event, presented materials may be posted to http://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities.

To maximize the pool of innovative proposal concepts, DARPA strongly encourages participation by non‐traditional performers (including small businesses, academic and research institutions, and first‐time Government contractors) in events such as this and any subsequent solicitations.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION

The EXTREME program aims to reinvent optical components, devices, systems, architectures, and design tools in the context of Engineered Optical Materials (EnMats), which derive their optical properties from their structure. EnMats are broadly defined to include, but are not limited to, metamaterials (both metallic and dielectric), scattering surfaces and volumes, holographic structures, and diffractive elements.

The potential of EnMats is beginning to be demonstrated, due in large part to advanced modeling and fabrication techniques. Early examples have demonstrated, under constrained conditions, the ability to break away from the standard "laws" of reflection and refraction, design and build multifunctional optical elements, and enable volumetric and dynamic control of light. Volumetric EnMats are far less explored in comparison to surface-based EnMats, and represent a frontier challenge in this space, with huge potential for revolutionary breakthroughs. In addition, recent developments in modeling approaches and concepts for classifying the building blocks of engineered materials are providing new insights and design methodologies. The overarching goal of the EXTREME Program is to develop new optical architectures designed in concert with the maturation of practical EnMats (i.e., wide spectral bandwidth, low loss, etc.) to enable new functionality and/or vastly improve Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) characteristics of traditional optical systems. If successful, the EXTREME program will open up a heretofore unexplored optical design space, redefining (if not completely breaking), trade-offs and limitations that are inherent to traditional optical design processes.

DARPA anticipates that reaching the objectives of the EXTREME program will require formation of multi-disciplinary teams that will bring together expertise from disparate communities and fields, including, but not limited to, engineered material design and fabrication, multiscale modeling/simulation/optimization, and optical system design. The program’s anticipated three technical areas (TA) and challenge problems will be designed in such a way that cross-connected teams will be best positioned to solve them. DARPA anticipates the first two TAs will focus on EnMat development and incorporation into relevant optical systems. The third TA will focus on modeling, design, and optimization, providing novel tools and approaches to support work in TA1 and TA2. These new
EnMat-based architectures are expected to achieve at least an order of magnitude SWaP reduction and/or revolutionary performance improvement over equivalent state-of-the-art systems.

QUESTIONS &ANSWERS (Q&A)

Proposers Day participants will be afforded the opportunity to submit technical and administrative questions prior to and during the event. Questions should be emailed to EXTREME@darpa.mil and reference the EXTREME Proposers Day (DARPA-SN-16-62) in the subject line. Questions will be answered and posted to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on the DSO Solicitations website (http://www.darpa.mil/Opportunities/Solicitations/DSO_Solicitations.aspx) following the conclusion of the webcast.

TEAMING

DARPA highly encourages teaming before proposal submission and, as such, will facilitate the formation of teams with the necessary expertise. Proposers Day registrants may choose to participate in either, none or both of the following options:

1. Attendee List (Publicly available): participant contact information (name, organization, email address) will be included on an EXTREME Proposers Day Attendee List published on the DSO Solicitations website. The registration website will ask registrants to indicate whether they approve publication of their contact information.
2. Proposer Profile List (Limited distribution): interested parties shall submit a one-page profile consisting of their contact information (name, organization, email, telephone number, mailing address and, if applicable, organization website); a brief description of their technical competencies; and, if applicable, their desired expertise from other teams/organizations. All profiles must be emailed to
EXTREME@darpa.mil no later than 3:00 PM on September 2, 2016. Following the deadline, the consolidated teaming profiles will be sent via email to the proposers who submitted a valid profile. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibility of the participants. Neither DARPA nor the DoD endorses the information and organizations contained in the consolidated teaming profile document, nor does DARPA or the DoD exercise any responsibility for improper dissemination of the teaming profiles.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The EXTREME Proposers Day will be held on September 1, 2016 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This event will be conducted solely via webcast. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time. There is no registration fee for the Proposers Day or the webcast. Potential proposers may register to attend this Proposers Day. The event is closed to the general public and media.

Registration opens: As of publication of this announcement.
Registration closes: August 25, 2016 at 2:00 PM or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first.

Advance registration is required in order to receive access to the webcast and is mandatory for every individual intending to view the webcast either alone or as part of a group. Participants must register through the Proposers Day website.

ELIGIBILITY

Attendance is open to individuals who are U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, and Foreign Nationals. All registrants who are not U.S. Citizens must complete and submit a DARPA Form 60 (U.S. Permanent Resident and Foreign National Visit Request) no later than 2:00 PM on August 22, 2016. This form and submission instructions are provided on the registration website and in the registration confirmation email.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please refer to the EXTREME Proposers Day in all correspondence.
• Technical Point of Contact: Predrag Milojkovic, Program Manager, EXTREME@darpa.mil.

DISCLAIMERS AND IMPORTANT NOTES

Viewing of the EXTREME Proposers Day Webcast is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated EXTREME BAA. Interested parties to this notice are cautioned that nothing herein obligates the Government to issue a solicitation. The Proposers Day does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. This announcement is issued solely for information and program planning purposes and is not a Request for Information (RFI). Since this is not an RFI, no submissions against this notice will be accepted by the Government. No classified, ITAR controlled, or proprietary information shall be included in submitted materials or shall be presented or discussed at the Proposers Day. DARPA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred to participate in this Proposers Day. Recording the Proposers Day is not permitted.