Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714

A -- EVOLUTIONARY DESIGN OF COMPLEX SOFTWARE (EDCS) SOL BAA95-40 DUE 110195 POC Dr. John Salasin, ARPA/SSTO, FAX: (703)522-6367. ARPA is seeking innovative proposals to support the concurrent evolution of all artifacts describing a software system's design and implementation both during and after deployment. The accompanying description of EDCS outlines the program along with some of the technology challenges currently envisioned. Offerors are encouraged to include other technology in their proposals that they feel addresses the EDCS problem. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches and techniques that lead to or enable revolutionary advances in the state-of-the-art. Specifically excluded is research which primarily results in evolutionary improvement to the existing state of practice or focuses on a specific system or hardware solution. The objective of EDCS is to provide economic methods for systems to keep up with changed requirements and operating environments over their lifetimes through: 1. Providing a strong information base for evolution -- e.g., by supporting the capture, modular structuring, and effective access of design rationale information (in both formal and informal formats), managing relationships among all different aspects of information, and providing enhanced automated support for software /system understanding. 2. Enabling analysis of impacts of intended changes -- e.g., through static analysis of impacts of change on performance, function, and other system attributes such as reliability and safety, dynamic analysis of change through modeling, rapid prototyping and improved testing capabilities. 3. Enabling design and implementation of more adaptable systems -- e.g., through the use of: improved system and software architecture notations and representations, technology to effect system changes through changes to a (hardware or software) architectural description, incremental verification and validation, very high level domain specific languages, architecture-based component selection and code generation, reengineering of legacy systems, and use of dynamic implementation languages that enhance the capability to make changes to operational systems. Efforts that promise to both provide these types of capabilities and to reduce the cost of developing the ''infrastructure'' (e.g., languages, tools, data access mechanisms) required to support the capabilities are particularly encouraged. Proposals are elicited for either or both of two types of effort: Type A (Technology Investigation Projects): Type A proposals are for technical R&D to address one or more of the EDCS technology challenges. Type B (Capability Packaging Projects): Proposers of Type B efforts are to address the packaging of capabilities suitable for use in Application Demonstrations with a possibility of eventual productization. Information defining and explaining Technology Investigation Projects, Capability Packaging Projects, Foundation Technology Projects, and Application Demonstrations (the last two are not part of this BAA) is contained in the EDCS Proposer Information Packet. PROPOSAL INFORMATION: In order to minimize unnecessary effort in proposal preparation and review, proposers are strongly encouraged to submit brief proposal abstracts in advance of full proposals. An original and three (3) copies of the proposal abstract must be submitted to: BAA 95-40, ARPA/SSTO, 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22203, on or before 4:00 PM, September 15, 1995. Proposal abstracts received after this date may not be reviewed. Upon review, ARPA will provide written feedback on the likelihood of a full proposal being selected. Proposers must submit an original and six (6) copies of full proposals by 4:00 PM, November 1, 1995, in order to be considered. Proposers must obtain a pamphlet, BAA 95-40 Proposer Information, which provides background information on EDCS and further information on the submission, evaluation, funding processes, proposal and proposal abstract formats. This pamphlet may be obtained by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below, as well as at URL address: http://www.arpa.mil/sisto/solicitations Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. This notice, in conjunction with the pamphlet BAA 95-40, Proposer Information Packet, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. Issuance of this BAA does not obligate the government to pay any proposal preparation costs. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal which shall be considered by ARPA. Teaming is encouraged, e.g. Industry and US Universities. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Institutions (MI) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals, however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable tasks in these areas of computer science research. Proposals identified for funding may result in a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between parties, and other factors. Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a scientific review of each proposal using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance, except that factors (3) and (4) are of equal value: (1) overall scientific and technical merit, (2) potential contribution and relevance to ARPA mission, (3) offeror's capabilities and related experience, (4) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, and (5) cost realism. Proposals will not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement. ARPA's intent is to review proposals as soon as possible after they arrive, however, proposals may be reviewed periodically for administrative reasons. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal abstract or proposal to this BAA, must be directed to one of the administrative addresses below by 4:00 PM, October 25, 1995, e-mail or fax is preferred. ARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 95-40. The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax:703-522-6367, Address to: ARPA/SSTO, BAA 95-40, Electronic Mail: baa9540@arpa.mil, Mail: ARPA/SSTO, ATTN: BAA 95-40, 4301 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22203. (0213)

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