Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC)

Solicitation Number: DARPA-BAA-11-64
Agency: Other Defense Agencies
Office: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Location: Contracts Management Office

 DARPA's more than 50 years old. Wow. You know they have a teleporter on their coffee machines. Just for the water to get from the reservoir to the filter. Yeah, they pretty much beam everything everywhere.

And look at this thing

DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of social media in strategic communication. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems.

Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

Research that results in evolutionary improvements. This is not explained any better in the 40 page document; an emphasis is given to pecuniary considerations, such as how the bidder might commercialize the results of the study upon its completion. 

The purpose of the inquiry is given as development of strategies to:

1. Detect, classify, measure and track the (a) formation, development and spread of ideas and concepts (memes), and (b) purposeful or deceptive messaging and misinformation.
2. Recognize persuasion campaign structures and influence operations across social media sites and communities. 
3. Identify participants and intent, and measure effects of persuasion campaigns. 
4. Counter messaging of detected adversary influence operations.
 

We'll be watching this closely. 

The contact for this solicitation:

Technical POC: Dr. Rand Waltzman, Program Manager, DARPA I2O
 
Email: DARPAâ€ÂBAAâ€Â11â€Â64@darpa.mil
 
Mailing address:
DARPA I2O
ATTN: DARPAâ€ÂBAAâ€Â11â€Â64
3701 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203â€Â1714
 
Website: http://www.darpa.mil/Opportunities/Solicitations/I2O_Solicitations.aspx