ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers are asking industry to develop ultra-low power in-memory computing architectures for application to scientific modeling, simulation, and analysis.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va. have issued a broad agency announcement (HR001123S0024) for the NanoWatt Platforms for Sensing, Analysis, and Computation (NaPSAC).
NaPSAC aims to develop in-memory computing architectures capable of transformative advances in computing accuracy, scalability, and power efficiency.
Performers will validate and benchmark compact efficient in-memory computing engines capable of performance beyond conventional von Neumann approaches in scientific modeling of complex, multi-spatiotemporal, and nonlinear problems.
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Examples of such problems include advanced materials discovery, chemical synthesis, radiation electrodynamics, fluid dynamics, energy or mass transport through heterogeneous media, semiconductor device design and fabrication, and Earth-system models.
In-memory computation runs calculations entirely in computer memory, and implies large-scale, complex calculations that require specialized systems software to run the calculations on computers working together in a cluster.
NaPSAC seeks to develop devices that can demonstrate advanced in-memory computing performance in increased computing accuracy; improved scalability; and enhanced parallelism. Researchers particularly are interested in in-memory computing engines based on nanophotonic or nano-electromechanical (NEMS) resonator arrays.
Proposals should revolve around peripheral architectures that interface with their computing cores to maintain the requisite power budget within a manageable footprint.
Proposals also may focus primarily on innovations of the computing core if they can demonstrate that peripheral circuitry is compatible with electronic components like digital-to-analog converters, switches, multiplexers, and analog-to-digital converters.
NaPSAC is a four-year program with a two-year first phase and a two-year second phase. The project should begin around November 2023. DARPA researchers say they plan to make several contract awards.
Companies interested should upload proposals no later than 4 April 2023 to the DARPA BAA website at https://baa.darpa.mil.
Email questions or concerns to Mukund Vengalattore, the DARPA NaPSAC program manager, at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/11196ccdd2e94c929fb9292e1e62e315/view.
