PROPOSER’S DAY CONFERENCE DARPA will host a Proposer’s Day Workshop in support of the Wireless Network after Next program on September 15th, 2005 at George Mason University, Arlington Campus Professional Center, 3401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 244, Arlington, VA; beginning at 8:30am and lasting until 2:30pm. The purpose of this Conference is to provide information on the Wireless Network after Next (WNaN) program, promote additional discussion on this topic, address questions from potential proposers, and provide a forum for potential proposers to present their capabilities for teaming opportunities. It is anticipated that a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the program will be released prior to the conference. The WNaN program seeks to develop and demonstrate technologies and system concepts that will enable intelligent adaptive wireless networks consisting of densely deployed low cost wireless nodes. The premise of the WNaN program is that significant advantages can be realized by densely deploying low cost nodes which have been jointly optimized with network operations. WNaN networks should adapt to changing conditions by adjusting the topology of the network and the operational mode of the nodes to reduce the demands on the nodes, in particular on the physical and link layers. By working around the limitations of the low-cost nodes that form the network, and by utilizing the rich interconnection fabric created by dense deployment, the WNaN network should provide reliable and highly available battlefield communications at a low system cost. Previous practice has been to build high cost and hence sparsely deployed nodes, and to organize the network around these nodes. This program aims to shift the approach used to design military wireless networks from design for radio range to design for node density. The objective of Phase 1 is the development of a proof-of-concept wireless demonstration platform using readily-available low cost hardware components. Later phases will refine the platform using new components as they become available. WNaN wireless nodes should be based on an RF processing circuit which can be replicated to form a variety of network radio capabilities, such as MIMO, dynamic spectrum, multiple-channel beam-forming, and nulling. Although this phase will not require the development of new networking technology, WNaN nodes developed in Phase 1 should be able to form a small ad hoc wireless network and simultaneously participate in a 100BaseT network. In addition, WNaN wireless nodes should serve as platforms for subsequent development of adaptive network technology in later phases. Phase 1 proof-of-concept wireless nodes should be traceable to a production unit with an expected large quantity procurement cost to the Government of no more than $500 per unit. Later phases of this program will integrate these wireless nodes and follow-on designs with technologies developed in other DARPA programs: control/adaptive technologies developed by Control-Based Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (CB-MANET); spectrum agility technologies developed by neXt Generation Communications (XG); spatial diversity, beam-forming, and other MIMO technologies developed by Mobile Network MIMO (MNM); rapid link acquisition technologies developed by Connectionless Networking (CN); and the store-and-forward and routing technologies developed by Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN); as well as other DARPA-developed technologies such as MEMS filters. The specific objectives of Phase 1 and the program concept for later phases will be presented at the Proposer’s Day meeting. DARPA currently plans to solicit proposals for wireless platforms for Phase 1 only at this time. DARPA anticipates that Phase 1 of the Wireless Network after Next program will be unclassified. Workshop Registration Instructions: Workshop Participants are requested to register NLT 7 Sep 05, at the following website: https://enstg.com/signup/passthru.cfm?ConferenceCode=WIR41745 Directions to the facility, local hotels and transportation information, and other materials are also available on the website. The attendee list will be available at the meeting. If you do not wish to be included on the attendee list you must send email notification to
[email protected] or call Karen Martin at 703-522-5123 before 9 Sep 05. Interested offerors are not required to attend the Proposer’s Day Conference in order to respond to any upcoming BAA. Presentation Instructions to Workshop Participants: Additionally, attendees who would like to present company overviews during the conference, discuss their technology expertise, and/or discuss teaming opportunities in scheduled presentations at the conference may request to do so. Presentations may contain up to 5 slides and are limited to five (5) minutes each (including logistical issues). Attendees desiring to reserve a time to present at the meeting should send the presentation in a PowerPoint or PDF electronic format NLT 2 Sep 05 to
[email protected]. All material to be displayed at the conference must be must be approved in advance by both the organization that funded the research and the DARPA Program Managers. The DARPA Program Managers will screen the proposed material for sensitive but unclassified material and approve in advance. The meeting will be open to the public. Poster Instructions for Meeting Participants: Attendees who would like to share information at the conference may bring posters to display outside of the conference room. These posters will facilitate “poster sessions,” during which interested parties may meet to discuss your teaming capabilities and innovations related to this topic. Posters should be emailed to
[email protected] or Karen Martin at 703-522-5123 when registering for the WNaN meeting. Citizenship and non-Permanent Resident Instructions for Workshop participants: All US Citizens must submit a US Citizenship Verification form to attend this conference. Non-permanent residents must submit DARPA Form 60 “Foreign National Visit Request”. These documents can be found on the registration website and should be faxed (Attention: Pamela Jackson) to 703-696-9781 prior to the meeting. NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IDENTIFIED BELOW WITH RESPECT TO THIS PROPOSER’S DAY ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT INSTEAD ADDRESS ALL INQUIRIES AS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED HEREIN.