Funding through DARPA

Some Important Considerations

Collaboratinginstitution

A

Collaborating institution

B

• As the “prime” contractor with DARPA, UCSF coordinates and submits proposals, budgets and reports for the project as a whole (all institutions).

• Project investigators at other institutions are affiliated with the prime DARPA agreement via subcontracts with UCSF.

Contracting Structure

Cooperative agreementor contract

Subcontract Subcontract

SubcontractorA

SubcontractorB

Invoice Invoice

Invoice Payment

PaymentPayment

• As the prime contractor, UCSF reimburses expenditures incurred by collaborators, then invoices DARPA for project-wide expenses

Funding Structure

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA):

Biological Technology Office (BTO)

http://darpabit.sainc.com/sf_bit.htmlVideo presentations from Feb 2015 SF visit from DARPA BTO – “Biology is Technology”

Adaptive Execution Office (AEO)

Defense Sciences Office (DSO)

Biological Technology Office (BTO)

Information Innovation Office (I2O)

Microsystems Technology Office (MTO)

Strategic Technology Office (STO)

Tactical Technology Office (TTO)

BTO Focus Areas• Restore and Maintain Warfighter Abilities: grounded in the development of new techniques and

therapeutic strategies for addressing current and emerging threats, but extends beyond medical applications to include exploration of complex biological issues that can impact an individual's ability to operate and interact in the biological and physical world. The research portfolio includes neuroscience to drive a deeper understanding of the human brain, how it interfaces with the body and the external world, and how it directs and coordinates behavior, including decision-making in demanding environs. BTO will extend work involving human participants and apply insights from physiology, biochemistry, psychology, sociology, and related sciences to such emerging-science domains as bioengineering, bioinformatics, and microbiomics.

• Harness Biological Systems: to establish a fundamental understanding of natural processes and the underlying design rules that govern the behavior of biological systems, and apply that knowledge to forward-engineer new systems and products with novel functionality. To support this work, BTO develops techniques at the intersection of automation, computer science, and biology to explore biological data at massive scales.

• Apply Biological Complexity at Scale: pursuing new insights derived from biological complexity and living-system dynamics with the goal of developing applications to enhance global-scale stability and human wellbeing.

• Societal Implications: DARPA pursues these technologies because of their promise, but understands

that it is important to consider ethical, legal, social, and policy issues – thus desires to serve as a ‘nucleator’ for these considerations.