SAM #DARPA-SN-26-58

DARPA O-Circuit Proposers Workshop for Organoid Cytomorphic Intelligence Program

DARPA's Biological Technologies Office is launching a Proposers Workshop for the O-Circuit program, targeting innovative biological processing units for edge AI applications. - Event Details: - Workshop date: April 10, 2026 - Location: Executive Conference Center, Arlington, VA (with virtual attendance option) - Hosted by DARPA/BTO, led by Dr. Jeffrey Zaleski - Program Focus: - Development of integrated biological processing units (BPUs) for edge computing - Applications include odorant sensing and drone navigation - Seeks to improve learning, inference, and computational memory in neural tissue systems - Acquisition Approach: - Other Transaction (OT) prototype awards - 32-month period: 18-month Phase 1 base, 14-month Phase 2 option, possible 10-month Phase 3 superteam - Participation: - Open to businesses, research institutions, and select government entities - Advance registration required - Opportunities for teaming profiles and lightning talks (limited slots) - No specific OEMs, products, or part numbers listed - Key requirements: Collaboration, proposal development, and networking - Place of performance and contracting office: - Executive Conference Center, 4075 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300, Arlington, VA - DARPA, 675 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA

Description

The Biological Technologies Office (BTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is hosting a Proposers Workshop in support of an anticipated Program Solicitation (PS) for the Organoid Cytomorphic Intelligence Resulting from Convergent Understanding and Information Transfer (O-Circuit) program. The Proposers Workshop will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Executive Conference Center in Arlington, VA (4075 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300). A virtual attendance option will also be available. Advance registration is required. Registrants will have the opportunity to provide teaming profiles and give a lightning talk. There are a limited number of timeslots for lightning talks, so they must be scheduled upon registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Note, all times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.While semiconductor-based computation is readily deployed in well-resourced environments, it is challenged by sustained applications ‘at the edge’ due to inherent power inefficiencies. This is a particular limitation for the Department of War (DoW) when operating in austere environments, especially when using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) applications with high energy demands for both training and inference. New unconventional computing concepts, such as synthetic biological intelligence, have the potential to fundamentally address these limitations but do not yet possess the necessary training and inference capabilities for practical applications. To meet these needs, the O-Circuit program will explore methods for improving the learning, inference, and computational memory of neural tissue systems to develop an integrated biological processing unit (BPU) that establishes a new paradigm for sense-compute-act for edge applications.

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