Application Template
Click here to download the application template.
Application Format
Respondents to this request for applications are encouraged to be as succinct as possible, while also providing actionable insight. Page limits for each section are indicated below. Format specifications for responses include 12-point font, single-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 by 11-inch paper, with 1-inch margins in a Word file.
Respondents are responsible for clearly identifying proprietary information. Responses containing proprietary information must have each page containing such information clearly marked with a label such as “Proprietary” or “Company Proprietary.” DO NOT INCLUDE ANY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN THE RESPONSE.
A. Cover Sheet (1 page): Provide the following information.
1. Response Title
2. Technical point of contact name, organization, telephone number, and email address
B. Capabilities Summary (max 500 words)
C. CVs or resumes for team members (1 page per team member)
D. Acknowledgements (max 200 words)
E. Bibliography/References (max 2 pages)
The specifics of the Hackfest Missions will remain unknown until the opening of the Hackfest on November 13, so the application should focus on showing the team’s capabilities to address technology and development challenges. Teams should, in the Capabilities Summary section, showcase the strength of the team to work with software defined radios and UAVs. Teams should also indicate strengths and background capabilities in engineering and software design and development. The intent of the Hackfest is not to solve or win a challenge but to approach complicated Missions in new ways. Teams should prepare to continue efforts to address more complicated Mission requirements from the work started at the Hackfest. A team plan for future efforts through possible DARPA program funds or other commercialization strategies should be made clear.
Through the Capabilities Summary and CVs/resumes, teams should express a wide range of capabilities in multiple fields. With the combination of software radio and UAVs, teams should include expertise in areas such as software radio (e.g., GNU Radio), UAV control (i.e., familiarity with MavLink and/or using the Pixhawk or other flight controllers), embedded system development (i.e., using Open Embedded and cross compiling software development kits (SDKs)), and protocol development and analysis (e.g., MavLink, NMEA, and TCP/IP). Furthermore, the Hackfest is dedicated to showing the quick response to new challenges by advancing on top of existing work. Therefore, teams should express a history with working with other tools, especially in the free and open source software (FOSS) areas. Such as history could include participation in previous hackfests or hackathons, working with FOSS projects (i.e., by interactions via mailing lists, attending FOSS projects conferences, or a source code collaboration system such as Github).
