Michael Cooney
Senior Editor

DARPA issues call for computer science devotees

Opinion
Jul 14, 20103 mins

DARPA wants university-based researchers to come up with the next big computer science idea – for the military

Diverse Multiethnic Group of Female and Male Students Sitting in College Room, Learning Computer Science. Young Scholars Study Information Technology on Computers in University, Writing Code in Class.
Credit: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking for a few good computer science researchers who might be interested in developing systems for the US military.  The move is seen, in part anyway, as a way for the agency to win more heart and minds of the advanced science community.

Specifically, DARPA said proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems.

Anyone it picks would join the 2011 Computer Science Study Group (CSSG) which meets at varying times during the year to “rapidly identify ideas in the field of computer science that will provide revolutionary advances, rather than incremental benefit, to the Department of Defense(DoD).”  DARPA says up to 12 participants selected for the 2011 CSSG. As of calendar year 2010, 59 professors from 39 universities are either CSSG participants or alumni, DARPA added.

DARPA said: “Participants in this 2011 CSSG will be encouraged to consider their research interests in light of DoD challenges in the field of computer science, and then to further explore the synergies in their research programs to develop novel ideas and applications that will lead to fundamental advances in the field rather than incremental change.”

The CSSG will consist of a Base Period of twelve months followed by two Option Periods. Option Period 1 is for a period of time from 12 to up to 24 months. DARPA said it anticipates an additional Option Period 2 for a period of time of up to 12 months. For base period performance commencing around April 2011, funding will be in an amount not to go over $100,000.

The restrictions? An eligible participant must be a junior faculty member at a US  higher education institution. Participants should be no more than seven years beyond receiving a doctoral degree, pretenure junior faculty, with demonstrated exceptional potential for world‐class contributions to the field of computer science.