Description
DARPA is soliciting innovative medical therapeutic research proposals in two areas: Soldier Protection and Biodefense. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches and revolutionary advances in science, devices, and/or systems. Specifically excluded are evolutionary or incremental improvements to existing practices.In recent years global surveillance networks have determined that the frequency and diversity with which new infectious microorganisms are emerging is increasing. While these increases are in part due to better reporting, there are multiple examples demonstrating this increase is promulgated by changes in natural systems, and potentially the activities of humans. Examples of factors implicated in the increase in new, emerging and re-emerging pathogens include: increased animal-human interface; increased population densities and co-location of vulnerable species with pathogen reservoirs; climate change, particularly affecting migration and spread of vectors; and narrowing of genetic diversity among food animal stocks. The expansion of biomedical technologies on the global stage is also suspected to increase the risk of orthogonal and highly diverse microorganisms. One growing concern is the potential risk posed by the proliferation of genetic engineering technologies that can be easily redirected from beneficent to offensive purposes or for covert biological industrial sabotage of food animals. Together, these natural occurring and synthetic threat agents challenge current detection methods and could possibly defeat traditional medical countermeasures. No group is at greater risk of exposure to new international pathogens, to bio-sabotage of food supply lines, or of attack from biological threat agents, then the U. S. Military. The traditional medical response for responding to large scale infectious disease outbreaks is to 1) quarantine exposed personnel (hours to weeks); 2) identify and characterize the agent (usually within 0-90 days); 3) develop a vaccine or therapeutic (1-14 years); and 4) to stockpile, distribute, and administer treatment. In cases where the pathogen is unknown or difficult to characterize, victims are likely to succumb before an effective therapy or vaccine can be developed, distributed and administered. DARPA/DSO is soliciting research proposals that seek to develop highly innovative approaches to counter any known, unknown, naturally occurring or engineered pathogen. Proposed research will investigate novel technologies to prevent infection, extend survival until a curative response is available, provide transient immunity, or speed the onset of adaptive immunity. Methods proposed should not require prior knowledge of the pathogen and should be broadly applicable to multiple unrelated infectious agents.7-Day Biodefense is a two phase program focused on four Technical Areas: 1) Prevent Infection; 2) Sustain Survival; 3) Provide Transient Immunity; and 4) Create Persistent Immunity. Each proposal must respond to only one of these technical areas and provide an aggressive research schedule with milestones that demonstrate a clear path to achieving the end of phase metric. There will be a Live Fire Test in Areas Three (Provide Transient Immunity) and Four (Create Persistent Immunity) to demonstrate capability against a DARPA-designated unknown biological agent in an animal model (details provided in these technical area descriptions).Novel approaches that obviate traditional and rate-limiting steps are of particular interest (e.g. pathogen isolation, culture, identification, antigen processing by the immune system, and onset of adaptive immunity). This BAA is seeking pre-clinical validation only. Human clinical trials are specifically excluded. Also excluded from consideration is research that results in incremental and evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice (e.g. ventilator/mask technologies, use of traditional post-exposure antibiotics).