Opportunity Information: Apply for HR001118S0029
The Department of Defense, through DARPA's Biological Technologies Office (BTO), released a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) called Next-Generation Non-Surgical Neurotechnology (N3), Funding Opportunity Number HR001118S0029. The central goal of the program is to push neural interface technology beyond today’s largely surgical, implanted approaches by funding efforts to design, build, demonstrate, and validate a non-surgical neural interface system. In practical terms, DARPA is looking for systems that can interact with the nervous system without open surgery, so that neural interfaces could be used more broadly, including by able-bodied warfighters rather than only by patients who might accept invasive implants for medical reasons.
What makes the solicitation technically ambitious is the performance target: the intended end-state technology should enable both neural recording (reading neural activity) and neural stimulation (writing information back into the nervous system) at sub-millimeter spatial resolution. That level of spatial precision is important because it implies the ability to isolate activity from small neural populations and to stimulate targeted regions in a controlled way, which is a key requirement for high-fidelity, high-bandwidth human-machine interaction. The emphasis on “design, build, demonstrate, and validate” signals that DARPA is not only interested in conceptual ideas; proposers are expected to mature their approaches into working prototypes and provide experimental evidence that the systems meet meaningful performance criteria in relevant demonstrations.
Administratively, this is a discretionary research and development opportunity under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 12.910). The BAA allows for multiple possible funding/contracting pathways, including cooperative agreements, other transaction-type instruments (listed as “Other”), and procurement contracts, which is typical for DARPA and gives the agency flexibility to match the instrument to the nature of the effort and the performer. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning essentially any type of entity could apply (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, or teams and consortia), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full BAA text.
The opportunity was created on March 23, 2018, with an original closing date of June 5, 2018 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. DARPA indicated an expectation of roughly 20 awards, suggesting an intent to fund multiple competing technical approaches or teams in parallel rather than selecting a single winner. The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which usually means the ceiling was not specified in the summary record and that funding levels, limits, and any phase structure would be defined in the attached BAA package and subsequent negotiations.
Overall, the N3 solicitation is best understood as DARPA’s attempt to catalyze a new class of practical, high-resolution, non-surgical neural interfaces suitable for operational contexts. The focus on applicability to able-bodied personnel, combined with the demand for sub-millimeter recording and stimulation, highlights a push toward systems that can be used more routinely and with fewer barriers than implanted interfaces, while still providing the precision needed for advanced neurotechnology applications. For the full set of technical requirements, program structure, deliverables, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions, DARPA directs applicants to the attached BAA package referenced in the announcement.Apply for HR001118S0029
- The Department of Defense, DARPA - Biological Technologies Office in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Next-Generation Non-Surgical Neurotechnology (N3)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.910.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 05, 2018 400 PM ET. (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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FAQs: DARPA BTO Next-Generation Non-Surgical Neurotechnology (N3) BAA (HR001118S0029)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Department of Defense, issued by DARPA's Biological Technologies Office (BTO), titled "Next-Generation Non-Surgical Neurotechnology (N3)." The Funding Opportunity Number is HR001118S0029.
What is the central goal of the N3 program?
The central goal is to advance neural interface technology beyond primarily surgical, implanted approaches by funding efforts to design, build, demonstrate, and validate a non-surgical neural interface system.
What does DARPA mean by "non-surgical neural interface" in this announcement?
In practical terms, DARPA is looking for systems that can interact with the nervous system without open surgery, with the intent of enabling broader use cases beyond scenarios where patients might accept invasive implants for medical reasons.
Why is DARPA emphasizing non-surgical approaches instead of implanted systems?
The program aims to reduce the barriers associated with invasive, implanted neural interfaces so that neural interface capabilities could be used more broadly, including by able-bodied warfighters, not only by patients with medical indications.
What capabilities must the intended end-state technology provide?
The intended end-state technology should enable both neural recording (reading neural activity) and neural stimulation (writing information back into the nervous system).
What performance target is highlighted in the summary?
The solicitation highlights a target of sub-millimeter spatial resolution for both recording and stimulation.
Why is sub-millimeter spatial resolution important for this program?
Sub-millimeter spatial precision implies the ability to isolate activity from small neural populations and stimulate targeted regions in a controlled manner, which is described as a key requirement for high-fidelity, high-bandwidth human-machine interaction.
Is DARPA looking for conceptual ideas only, or working systems?
The language "design, build, demonstrate, and validate" indicates DARPA is not only interested in conceptual ideas. Proposers are expected to mature approaches into working prototypes and provide experimental evidence that systems meet meaningful performance criteria in relevant demonstrations.
What kinds of project activities are emphasized?
The emphasis is on designing the approach, building it into a prototype or system, demonstrating it through relevant demonstrations, and validating performance with experimental evidence.
Who is administering this opportunity?
The Department of Defense is the issuing department, and DARPA's Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is the DARPA office associated with the program.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is HR001118S0029.
What is the assistance listing / CFDA information provided?
The summary describes this as a discretionary research and development opportunity under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, with CFDA 12.910.
What funding or contracting instruments may be used under this BAA?
The BAA allows multiple possible pathways, including cooperative agreements, other transaction-type instruments (listed as "Other"), and procurement contracts.
Why does DARPA offer multiple instrument types?
The summary notes this is typical for DARPA and provides flexibility to match the funding/contracting instrument to the nature of the effort and the performer.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning essentially any type of entity could apply (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, or teams and consortia), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full BAA text.
Are teams or consortia allowed?
Yes. The summary explicitly includes teams and consortia as examples of entity types that could apply under unrestricted eligibility, subject to the full BAA's details.
When was the opportunity created?
The listing shows the opportunity was created on March 23, 2018.
What was the original closing date and time?
The original closing date is listed as June 5, 2018 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time.
How many awards did DARPA expect to make?
DARPA indicated an expectation of roughly 20 awards, suggesting multiple technical approaches or teams could be funded in parallel.
Is there a maximum award amount (ceiling) stated in the summary record?
The listing shows an award ceiling of 0. The summary explains this usually means the ceiling was not specified in the summary record and that funding levels, limits, and any phase structure would be defined in the attached BAA package and subsequent negotiations.
Where can applicants find the full technical requirements and submission instructions?
DARPA directs applicants to the attached BAA package referenced in the announcement for the full set of technical requirements, program structure, deliverables, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions.
What is the broader purpose of the N3 solicitation as described in the summary?
It is described as an attempt to catalyze a new class of practical, high-resolution, non-surgical neural interfaces suitable for operational contexts, with a focus on applicability to able-bodied personnel and precision sufficient for advanced neurotechnology applications.
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