GRAIL Draft Tech Requirement for PD_C.pdf

DRAFT

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Gaseous Radioisotope Analysis In situ Laboratory (GRAIL) Program

Release Date: TBD

INSTRUCTIONS

This Draft Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is NOT a formal request for proposal.

Proposals are NOT being requested or evaluated at this time. A Final BAA will be released at a later date for which interested parties may submit proposals.

The Intelligence Advance Research Projects Activity (IARPA) is seeking interested parties to thoroughly review this Draft BAA Funding Opportunity Description and provide comments, questions, suggested changes, and feedback by TBD in the format provided below.

IARPA does not anticipate posting responses to any comments, questions, suggested changes, and/or feedback received; however, all input will be considered in developing the Final BAA.

Additionally, this Draft BAA Funding Opportunity Description is subject to change in the development of the Final BAA as a result of IARPA’s consideration of the input received from interested parties in response to the Draft BAA.

Please submit all comments, questions, suggested changes, and feedback to the designated Proposers’ Day email address: dni-iarpa-GRAIL-proposersday@iarpa.gov using the below format.

Interested parties will be given the opportunity to submit questions and comments in writing for IARPA response once the Final BAA is issued.

COMMENT SHEET FOR DRAFT FUNDING OPPORUTNITY DESCRIPTION

BAA # IARPA-BAA-XX-XX____

BAA

Section/Sub- Section

Subject/Title Page Number Contractor Comment/Question

Contents

SECTION 1: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1. Program Overview

Program Concept

1.2 The problem of low-level environmental tritium monitoring

1.3 Existing Tritium Detection Methods and Limitations

2 Program Structure

2.1 Technical Areas

2.2 Program Phases

3 Program Scope and Limitations

4 Program Metrics

4.1 TA-1 Sampling - Program Metrics

4.2 TA-2 Measurement - Program Metrics

4.3 TA-3 Integration - Program Metrics

5 Program Testing & Evaluation

6 Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)

7 Program Milestone, Deliverable, and Waypoint Timelines

8 Team Expertise

9 Meeting and Travel Requirements

9.1 Program Phase Kickoff Workshop and Phase Midpoint Review Meetings

9.2 Site Visits

9.3 Remote Monthly Meetings

9.4 Test & Evaluation Field Demonstration

10 Period and Place of Performance

12 Research Conferences and Publications

References 22

OVERVIEW

SECTION 1: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) often selects its research efforts through the BAA process. The use of a BAA solicitation allows a wide range of innovative ideas and concepts. The BAA will appear on https://sam.gov. The following information is for those wishing to respond to this Program BAA.

This BAA is for the Gaseous Radioisotope Analysis In situ Laboratory (GRAIL) program. IARPA is seeking innovative solutions for the GRAIL program in this BAA.

1. Program Overview

Program Concept

Effective atmospheric monitoring of tritium is of high value for the Intelligence Community (IC) because of its roll as a signature of nuclear activity. An in situ tritium measurement system capable of laboratory-level sensitivity has long been desired but has remained technologically out of reach due to the difficulties in sample collection, isolation, and technical requirements for measurement sensitivity. The GRAIL program seeks to replace fixed-site laboratory sample isolation and measurement infrastructure with a self contained, fieldable system. This goal necessitates aggressively pursuing a leap in both sampling and measurement technology that, when integrated, will yield a fieldable system capable of new sample generation and measurement every 24 hours.

The concept of the GRAIL program is a represented in Figure 1. The program will research new ways of: (1) sampling atmospheric tritium in the field, (2) measuring tritium concentration in those field samples, and (3) integrating these new technologies into a self contained, autonomous, fieldable collection-measurement system.

Figure 1. A GRAIL concept illustrating tritium sampling and measurement system component and integration research and development into a fieldable system providing daily results that match sensitivity achievable only at fixed-site measurement laboratories.

1.2 The problem of low-level environmental tritium monitoring

Quantitative field measurements of tritium at very low environmental levels are currently not feasible. Tritium concentrations are most often discussed in terms of units of radioactivity. The SI derived unit of radioactivity is the becquerel (Bq), which has units of reciprocal seconds (s-1) representing the activity of material where one nucleus decays per second.* While it is a straightforward calculation to convert radioactivity for a specified sample mass to mass units,† the language in this BAA will primarily rely upon Bq for discussion of tritium concentration.

Environmental activity levels for tritium are commonly <1 Bq/kg. Typical environmental concentrations of hydrogenated samples are known to be extremely low, <1 Bq/L in water vapor and ~1-2 Bq/kg in biological samples. Atmospheric tritium concentrations of the different chemical forms, HTO (water vapor), HT (molecular gas), and CH3T (methanes and hydrocarbons) and have been reported in literature, with values typically <15 mBq/m3 [1].

1.3 Existing Tritium Detection Methods and Limitations

High-sensitivity tritium measurements are typically performed in a two-step process: (1) collection of a pure sample, and (2) a quantification measurement. There is a strong coupling between the sample collection/preparation step and the technique used to quantify tritium concentration.

* In the United States, the non-SI unit curie (Ci) is often used. 1 Bq ~ 2.703e-11 Ci ~ 27 picocuries.

† The following page offers helpful details on conversions: https://www.perkinelmer.com/lab-products-and-services/application-support-knowledgebase/radiometric/radiochemical-calculations.html

Quantification measurements most often rely upon tritium’s radioactive decay. The extremely low tritium levels in the environment are typically measured by detecting tritium decay events via low energy electron counting in proportional counters or liquid scintillation cocktail. Other isotopic methods such as mass spectrometry can be used to quantify the presence of tritium.

1.3.1 Existing High-Sensitivity Tritium Sampling Methods and GRAIL Program Needs While tritium can be monitored in real-time by flowing air through measurement chambers that employ either ionization or proportional counters to measure tritium’s beta decay electron, this method is negatively affected by several technical factors, including ambient background contamination of other radioactive gases and sensitivity to pressure changes [2]. Thus, the most sensitive tritium sample collection and concentration approaches typically rely upon the creation of an aqueous sample by oxidizing molecules containing hydrogen isotopes in one or more chemical form of tritium. Atmospheric tritium is typically collected passing whole air through a system to capture HTO, HT, and/or CH3T, depending on the method used.

An early method for in situ tritium sampling (but not measurement) is reported by Ostlund [3] and based on two principles: (1) absorption of water vapor with 100% efficiency using a molecular sieve, and (2) catalytic combustion of hydrogen gas on palladium metal. In this approach, air is first passed through the sieve trap to remove all water species at rates of ~1 L/min or higher. The dried air is then passed through a second step that is referred to as a combustion trap. In the combustion trap, hydrogen species are oxidized by atmospheric oxygen into water (H2, HTO, HDO‡) and are absorbed in situ on a sieve carrying palladium metal. This approach yields sieve traps that require subsequent laboratory processes to extract samples for measurement. Aqueous sample volumes extracted from this approach are typically ~10-15 mL [1]. When conducted at ambient temperatures, hydrocarbons are not combusted and trapped by this method. Methods for oxidizing hydrocarbons on palladium require elevated temperatures.

More sophisticated approaches have been explored to increase tritium concentration in water samples. A prominent approach uses a multi-step electrolysis cell apparatus which permits sample volume reduction and increases sensitivity for certain measurement techniques [4]. In this approach, H2 is preferentially discharged from a cathode relative to deuterium or tritium, which allows the tritium to be concentrated in the remaining water sample. This approach requires applied charge but also a cooling bath and other laboratory assemblies. Typically, these enriched tritium samples are measured using liquid scintillation methods [5].

The GRAIL program goals include tritium sample collection and concentration techniques that do not require either, (1) a separate step for sample extraction requiring a sample processing laboratory setup, or (2) a separate laboratory-based measurement apparatus. An ideal GRAIL system will have the capability to prepare and measure individual, daily samples to distinguish all three tritium chemical forms that meet or exceed the program’s sensitivity goal for tritium concentration measurements. Furthermore, ideal GRAIL systems will have limited requirements for consumables and/or sample waste processing or disposal so that the system can function without resource replenishment or maintenance for many months.

‡ HDO is water containing deuterium.

1.3.2 Existing High-Sensitivity Tritium Measurement Methods and GRAIL Program Needs

The measurement of tritium samples can be grouped into two general categories: (1) direct radiation measurement of its decay that can be conducted using several radiation detection technologies, and (2) isotopic measurement techniques.

Presently, tritium is measured at very low concentrations and with high sensitivity using radiometric methods due to tritium’s high specific activity of 3.57e14 Bq/g (9650 Ci/g). However, as a pure beta emitter with a low endpoint energy of 18.6 keV and a mean beta energy of ~5.7 keV, the low energy measurement presents a significant technical challenge, especially when pursued outside a laboratory setting.

Depending on the final tritium sample form (HT or HTO) the methods that have demonstrated the most sensitivity are liquid scintillation (LSC) [6] or gas proportional counters [7] [8]. For the low energy beta in tritium decay, LSC has the advantage of the sample being fully immersed so the beta can directly interact with the scintillator to produce the light required to measure the decay.

The use of gas proportional counters is given detailed treatment by Bowman [9]. The proportional counters are made from commercially available tube fittings with a counter volume of about 1 L.

The counters are typically housed in a passive steel shielding vault and operated at ~3000 V with rack-mounted pulse shape analyzer electronics. In addition to passive shielding, plastic scintillators are used for active cosmic ray vetoes. Count times are ~1000 minutes. This method has demonstrated an impressive overall sensitivity for tritium in water samples of 0.02 pCi/g.

Other methods employing beta counting can be found in the literature, such as silicon avalanche photodiodes [10], plastic scintillators [11]. Additionally, silicon charge couple devices (CCDs) potentially offer unique advantages in the pursuit of low energy beta measurements (see discussion on the Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE) detector module described in Section 6). As the tritium beta decay measurement offers a number of technical challenges, a leap in existing technology is needed to meet the GRAIL program goal of measuring tritium at environmental levels in the field.

When considering non-radiometric approaches, two mass spectrometry (MS) methods are commonly reported for measuring tritium. The first uses the accumulation of tritium decay products in a closed vessel, namely 3He, that is measured using MS [12]. The second MS method is accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) using specially prepared tritium sources [13] [14]. At present these existing high-sensitivity approaches require large fixed-site laboratory equipment, significant shielding, and extensive sample preparation equipment.

Demonstrated tritium measurement sensitivity levels for a few different methods are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of tritium measurement capabilities Measurement Method Demonstrated Sensitivity Technical Limitations relevant to GRAIL program goals Proportional counters 0.02 pCi/g (water) [9] Sample preparation and transfer, required shielding, fragility of measurement

2 Program Structure

The GRAIL program is anticipated to have a duration of four years, structured into two, two-year phases. Both phases are being solicited under this BAA. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 are comprised of three Technical Areas (TAs) described below. Given the inherent interdependencies between the three TAs, proposals must fully describe the offeror’s combined technical approach addressing each of the three listed TAs. Anticipated developments by program phase are discussed in Section 2.2. Associated metrics for each TA and associated program phase are provided in Section 4.

2.1 Technical Areas

The GRAIL program is focused on research to develop technologies that will permit in field measurements, to include a proof-of-concept integration; however, the program is not pursuing the development and delivery of final, ruggedized, field prototypes. All three identified chemical forms of tritium are of interest to GRAIL, and an ideal system will provide sampling capability for separate HT, HTO, and CH3T measurements. The minimum capability for the program is a system providing measurement results from HT samples.

As highlighted in the GRAIL concept figure (Figure 1), the GRAIL program is organized into three technical areas: TA-1 Sampling, TA-2 Measurement, and TA-3 Integration. High-level scope for the three TAs is outlined in the following subsections.

2.1.1 TA-1 Sampling

The goal of TA-1 is to research and develop component technologies to collect, isolate, and concentrate tritium samples from air sampling§ that meet program metrics identified in Section 4.

These GRAIL program metrics require development of methods for obtaining a single sample at least every 24-hours repeatably over many months to enable field measurements within the same system without human intervention.

Because there are a variety of approaches to produce tritium samples for different measurement methods that could potentially satisfy program goals, it is not necessary or desirable to constrain certain aspects of TA-1 for GRAIL. Additionally, given the interdependency between TA-1 sampling and TA-2 measurement, it is anticipated that TA-1 sampling approaches are strongly coupled to the TA-2 measurement method. Therefore, successful technical approaches will clearly

§ Nominal air flow rates will depend on the proposed technology, but expected rates range from 1-10 L/min.

equipment Liquid scintillator 12.5 mBq, 2.5e-8 ng [14]

0.95 Bq/kg in 10 ml sample

50 mBq (1e-16 g) [4]

Sample preparation and transfer, required measurement time

Accelerator Mass Spec (AMS) using 3He

0.5 mBq per ml [14] Long analysis time, sample preparation, availability of an AMS system with appropriate SWaP

AMS (3H/1H) 1 mBq [14] Small sample size, but complicated sample preparation, availability of AMS system indicate sample properties and related, potential methods of TA-2 measurement in the context of relevant program metrics. Proposals should outline technical details and concerns for compatibility of sample transfer into and out of potential measurement technologies. The list below outlines a set of critical TA-1 technical topics that must be addressed in proposals.

• Expected whole air flow rate requirements (liter/minute) and implementation.

• Description of water isolation methods.

• Description of tritium concentration methods and expected concentration of samples.

• Explanation of expected sample volume.

• Explanation of expected chemical forms of tritium in final sample(s).

• Expected total power requirements for equipment.

• Expected physical size of system and challenges/limitations imposed by the program metrics.

• Sensitivity/fluctuations to external environmental conditions, temperature/pressure, etc.

• Compatibility of the technology to autonomous operation.

• Waste byproducts requiring disposal or regeneration.

• Engineering gaps in the proposed sample transfer process.

TA-1 sampling deliverables include sampling component technologies that are capable of producing tritium samples in a standalone mode or as part of a TA-1/TA-2/TA-3 integrated system.

TA-1 sampling technologies will be evaluated by the Government Testing and Evaluation (T&E) Team using the GRAIL sample test-bench outlined in Section 5 and according to the schedule outlined in Figure 3.

2.1.2 TA-2 Measurement

The goal of TA-2 is to research and develop measurement component technologies capable of measuring TA-1 samples to meet identified GRAIL program metrics. These metrics include likely tritium measurement sensitivity for a specified measurement time, material compatibility with likely sample phase, chemical properties, size, weight, and power limitations.

The GRAIL program is agnostic to a specific measurement technique, and any technology that can demonstrate potential to achieve GRAIL program goals will be considered. This includes the use of either gaseous or aqueous samples derived from whole air processing. Successful TA-2 approaches will clearly outline expected TA-1 sample form, placement, and removal from the TA- 2 measurement component, to include potential/likely issues that will require research to mitigate potential development challenges.

The list below outlines a set of critical TA-2 technical topics that must be addressed in proposals:

• Requirements for tritium sample. For radiation measurements details considering challenges facing low energy beta measurements should be thoroughly described. For isotopic methods, such as mass spectrometry, challenges related to sample preparation, usage, and efficiency must be described.

• Method for introduction and removal of sample.

• Method of measurement, including measurement duration, expected sensitivity.

• Likelihood of contamination from sample in repeated measurement.

• Description of detection technology basis, expected tritium sensitivity lower bound.

• Expected detector technology background sources and levels and methods for mitigation.

• Capability for multiple measurements performed serially.

• Operating conditions of the detection sensor, requirements for cooling/heating, maintenance.

• Sensitivity/fluctuations to external environmental conditions, temperature/pressure, etc.

• Expected power requirements.

• Expected physical size of system and challenges/limitations imposed by the program metrics.

• Required calibration methods and expected intrinsic stability.

• Detection technology data readout/extraction and processing requirements, to include required computational needs and data format and volume.

• Compatibility of the technology to autonomous operation.

TA-2 component system deliverables included measurement technologies will be evaluated by the T&E Team using the GRAIL sample test-bench outlined in Section 5.

2.1.3 TA-3 Integration

The goal of TA-3 is to assess the engineering required for fieldability, maintenance, and long term performance of the research products developed in TA-1 and TA-2. The development of an integrated technological device will need to ensure minimal degradation of integrated performance or between the components of TA-1 and TA-2. Engineering integration will take into account selection of mechanical components with intent to maximize performance between maintenance cycles. Packaging of the integrated system should adopt a philosophy that seeks:

• robustness for system shipability,

• ease of set-up in the field by minimally trained personnel,

• ease of performance after system set-up, and

• ease of long term maintenance in the field.

Successful proposals will address all expected technical challenges involving the integration of TA-1 and TA-2 into a single TA-3 GRAIL system. A particular technical challenge that must be specifically and fully addressed in the proposal include sample transfer from TA-1 to TA-2 in an integrated system. Additionally, yhe system must be able to provide accurate, repeatable daily measurements with limited waste products and in such a way that the release of the analyzed sample does not impact future sample measurement results (e.g., contamination).

While TA-1 and TA-2 systems may generate component-level data, it is anticipated that TA-3 is responsible for final data output and reporting, to include the integration of any ancillary data into a final result analysis.

The list below outlines a non exhaustive set of critical TA-3 technical topics that must be addressed in proposals.

• Total system size, weight, and power required.

• Details regarding final data output.

• Technical development required to target one measurement meeting program metrics for time and sensitivity.

• Duration of autonomous operation.

• Result report periodicity.

• Sound/noise generation (e.g., pumps, chillers).

• Environmental conditions for integrated operations, temperature, humidity, etc.

The final TA-3 system deliverable is an integrated test system capable of demonstrating measurements according to the program phase progression in Section 2.2. TA-3 integrated systems will be evaluated by the T&E Team using the GRAIL sample test-bench outlined in Section 5.

Figure 2. Concept figure for GRAIL Technical Area relationships. The concept figure from Figure 1 (on top) is represented in a diagram (below) that is a notional schematic representation and not intended to be strictly prescriptive for proposed concepts.

Figure 2 provides a GRAIL concept figure of the relationship between the three technical areas. It is expected that program success will require all three technical areas to work in concert from the beginning of the program. However, specifications for TA-1 and TA-2 that are compatible within an integrated TA-3 concept will permit parallel, coordinated work in each TA in order to meet program milestone and completion deadlines. Milestones for each TA and expected T&E events are described in the section on program phases.

Challenges associated with system integration of sampling and measurement technologies will depend upon the technologies pursued. Regardless, there are common concerns that can be identified that involve incorporation into an integrated GRAIL system. If a proposed system requires transfer of the sample component to the measurement component, this transfer must be done in a repeatable manner over all measurements. In this case, metrics must be developed to quantify the efficiency of the sample transfer and removal process. It is worth noting that compatibility between sample methods and measurement components, and the particular chemistry of tritium, could present challenges involving material compatibility and robustness to avoid buildup of contamination.

2.2 Program Phases

As previously stated, the GRAIL program is anticipated to be four years duration structured into two, two-year phases. Both phases are being solicited under this BAA.

As presented, both Phase 1 and Phase 2 are comprised of three Technical Areas (TAs). Offers must address both phases and all three TAs in their proposals; however, teams can be composed of contributors in the separate TAs.

The two-phase program structure is designed to capture the natural progression technology R&D from initial component development in the TA-1 and TA-2 areas, to the incorporation of these technologies in an integrated system for TA-3. The following sections provide a high-level description of program phase activities to aid in proposal development and are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2. GRAIL program phase activities and major milestones for the technical areas and T&E.

Activity TA-1 Sampling

TA-2

Measurement

TA-3

Integration

T&E Activity

Phase 1 activity description

Sampling component system design and research

Measurement component system design and research

Component integration risk study

Monthly status meetings

Phase 1 midpoint milestone

12-month R&D sampling metrics review

12-month R&D measurement metrics review

Attendance of the 12-month TA-1 and TA-

2 review.

TA-1 & 2 metric evaluation and TA-3 design review End-of-Phase 1 go/no-go milestone

Deliverable:

sampling component to T&E

Deliverable:

measurement component to T&E

Deliverable:

integration risk study

TA-1 & 2 metric evaluation

Phase 2 activity description

Continued development of sampling component for integration into

TA-3 system

Continued development of measurement component for integration into TA-3 system

Integration development and engineering using

Phase 1 component system prototypes.

Monthly status meetings

Phase 2 midpoint milestone

Delivery of Final TA- 1 prototype component for integration into TA-3

Delivery of final TA-2 prototype component for integration into

TA-3

Deliverable:

Integrated system development review

TA-1 & 2 metric evaluations

End-of-Phase 2 milestone

Deliverable: Final component T&E as part of full GRAIL

System

Deliverable: Final component T&E as part of full GRAIL

System

Full integration and testing, field measurement

Execution of final system test exercise

Figure 3. GRAIL summary schedule for a 48-month, two phase program with three technical areas with major milestones and testing and evaluation activities as described in Table 2.

2.2.1 Phase 1 Description

The goal of the 24-month GRAIL Phase 1 is to develop TA-1 sampling and TA-2 measurement components. At the end of Phase 1, TA-1 and TA-2 performers shall deliver component system prototypes designed to meet specified GRAIL milestones and metrics (Tables 3 and 4).

Subsequently in Phase 2, TA-3 will deliver an integrated GRAIL system design based on the team’s TA-1 and TA-2 methods.

A Phase 1 midpoint 12-month review of TA-1 and TA-2 performers will evaluate status and satisfactory progress of the component systems performance against Phase 1 goals. At the end of Phase 1, the Offerors will provide both TA-1 and TA-2 component systems capable of performance that can be evaluated against Phase 1 program metrics by the GRAIL T&E Team. At the same time, TA-3 performers will submit a technical plan for a fully integrated system incorporating the offeror’s TA-1 and TA-2 component systems. TA-3 Phase 1 work will not include integration engineering but an assessment of the proposed integration approach and anticipated technical issues for integration in Phase 2. The GRAIL T&E will evaluate the technical plan for the likely outcome of integration success. Combined T&E results for all technical areas in Phase 1 will be considered in a go/no-go decision for progression to Phase 2.

2.2.2 Phase 2 Description

The goal of the 24-month GRAIL Phase 2 is to transition from component system design for TA-1 and TA-2 to the full system integration effort of TA-3. Development of TA-1 and TA-2 component systems should be finalized by the 12-month midpoint review of Phase 2. Phase 2 will culminate with a full system integration for a series of T&E exercises. Final TA-3 system function will be evaluated against program goals listed in Section 4.

3 Program Scope and Limitations

Proposals shall explicitly address all elements listed below.

• Underlying theory: proposed strategies to meet program-specified metrics must have firm theoretical bases that are described with enough detail that reviewers will be able to assess the viability of the proposed approaches. Proposals shall properly describe and reference previous work upon which their approach is founded.

• Research & Development approach: proposals shall describe the technical approach to meeting program metrics.

• Technical risks: proposals shall identify technical risks and proposed mitigation strategies for each.

• Analysis Software development: if used, proposals shall describe the approach to software architecture and integration required to extract sample measurement results for reporting.

The following areas of research are out of scope for the GRAIL program:

• Research that does not have strong theoretical and experimental foundations that support reaching the measurement sensitivity goals of the GRAIL program.

• Approaches that are likely to result in only incremental improvements over the state of the art.

• Approaches with significantly limited operation parameters relative to the GRAIL program metrics that will limit achieving program goals.

• Development of component technologies that does not advance the offeror’s proposed approach.

• Approaches that are not fully integratible by the end of Phase 2.

4 Program Metrics

Achievement of metrics is a key performance indicator under IARPA research programs. IARPA has defined GRAIL program metrics to evaluate effectiveness of the proposed solutions in achieving the stated program goal and objectives, and to determine whether satisfactory progress is being made throughout the life of the program. The metrics described in this BAA are shared with the intent to scope the effort, while affording maximum flexibility, creativity, and innovation to offerors proposing solutions to the stated problem. Proposals with a plan to exceed the defined metrics in one or more categories are desirable, provided that all of the other metrics are met, and provided that the proposals provide clear justification as to why the proposed approach will be able to meet or exceed the enhanced metric(s).

The final GRAIL T&E protocols and evaluation methodology are currently under development, and additional details will be provided at program kickoff. Program metrics may be refined during the various phases of the GRAIL program; if metrics change, revised metrics will be communicated in a timely manner to performers. The evaluation methodology may be revised by the Government at any time during the program lifecycle to better meet program needs.

In accordance with professional project management principles, proposals must include a section that identifies and documents technical and project implementation risks relevant to meeting program goals identified in this BAA. This information should be presented in the form of a risk register. Technical risk identification includes elements of technical research and development that indicate development objectives that are particularly at risk. Proposal implementation risks include elements such as cost, schedule, and risk management.** Proposals that do not fully address technical risks in their narrative will be considered non-responsive.

4.1 TA-1 Sampling - Program Metrics

The GRAIL program is targeting whole air sampling to prepare a final liquid or gas tritium sample.

These metrics require the minimization of isotopic disturbances as the sample enrichment process is conducted. The basic approach to evaluate TA-1 is to perform side-by-side testing of an existing “gold standard” methodology that relies upon an existing laboratory-based capability. An independent laboratory test bench system will also be established to measure absolute sample extraction from a fixed source amount determined by the T&E Team to be appropriate for each proposed technology.

Since the GRAIL program is agnostic to proposed technical solutions, the metrics are defined to apply to any proposed approach. In addition, the requirements of specific technologies for TA-2 will strongly determine required performance for sample volume and phase. Until the approaches for TA-1 and TA-2 are identified, it is not possible to identify specific target values for sample volume and phase. Proposals should include this information as part of the narrative addressing proposed TA-1 technology and expected ability address GRAIL program goals. Table 3 outlines program metricas for TA-1.

Table 3. TA-1 Sampling – Program Metrics

Metric Phase 1 Goal Phase 2 Goal Stretch Goal Sample collection time – maximum duration 36 hours 24 hours 12 hours

Whole air flow rate Any amount permitted incorporated into total

SWaP metrics

Any amount permitted incorporated into total

SWaP metrics N/A

Sample phase or maximum volume

As required by TA-2 approach

As required by TA-2 approach

As required by TA-2 approach

Total sampling component, system maximum weight

20 kg 15 kg 10 kg

Total sampling component system maximum size

0.5 m3 0.25 m3 0.15 m3

Efficiency of tritium extraction 50% 90% 90+%

TA-1 System Power wall power 20 A circuit wall power 20 A circuit wall power 15 A circuit External Operating Temperature Indoor laboratory Outdoor testing TBD

** Additional information can be found in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK

Guide) (6th ed.) Project Management Institute.

Additional explanation of TA-1 specific metrics:

• SWaP – Size, weight, and power goals are associated with the program goal of developing in situ capabilities. The values for weight and size are approximate and will be evaluated according to proposed technology. The ability for the TA-1 system to run from a single 20 A circuit is a strict goal.

• Sample collection time represents the total time of whole air sampled. Whole air flow rates (for instances in L/min) are not specifically stated and are assumed to be incorporated into SWaP. As previously noted, anticipated air flow rates will depend on the proposed technology, but expected rates range from 1 to 10 L/min.

• Tritium extraction efficiency is evaluated through an independent bench test and along side an existing laboratory capability.

4.2 TA-2 Measurement - Program Metrics

As outlined in Section 1.3, under certain conditions several technical approaches are capable of measuring tritiated samples. Since the GRAIL program is agnostic to proposed technical solutions, the metrics are defined to apply to any proposed approach for TA-2. The GRAIL TA-2 measurement goal is adopted from the standard beta decay measurement sensitivity readily demonstrated in an existing laboratory. This sensitivity level can then be converted from pCi/SCM†† to a measure of number of tritium atoms per unit mass of sample per SCM.

Program metrics for TA-2 are listed in Table 4. The TA-1 permitted sample collection time of 24-hours is implicit in the delivery of a sample to TA-2. The separate maximum measurement time of the TA-1 sample for TA-2 is also 24-hours. The TA-2 component is expected to define sample purity and volume requirements that feed back to TA-1 development.

Table 4. TA-2 Measurement - Program Metrics

TA-2 sample measurement time – maximum duration 36 hours 24 hours 12 hours

Measured TA-2 mass sensitivity from TA-1 sample 1e-16 g/SCM ± 10% 1e-17 g/SCM ± 10% 5e-18 g/SCM ± 10%

Total TA-2 component system weight 20 kg 15 kg 10 kg

Total TA-2 component system size 0.5 m3 0.25 m3 0.15 m3

TA-2 System Power wall power 20-amp circuit wall power 20-amp circuit wall power 15-amp circuit

External Operating Temperature Indoor laboratory Outdoor testing

Additional explanation of TA-2 specific metrics:

in situ capabilities. The values for weight and size are approximate and will be evaluated

†† picoCurie per standard cubic meter (SCM) of sampled whole air according to proposed technology. The ability for the TA-2 system to run from a single 20 A circuit is strict goal.

• Mass sensitivity is derived from a ~1 pCi/SCM sensitivity and converted to mass/SCM so that non-radiation measurement approaches can define sensitivity in technology appropriate units. Proposal details for TA-2 should provide a clear description of expected technology performance with a clear tie to stated program metrics and a detailed description of how unit conversions are calculated to extract mass sensitivity in g/SCM.

4.3 TA-3 Integration - Program Metrics

Program metrics for TA-3 are listed in Table 5. The key development of TA-3 is the integration of TA-1 and TA-2 technologies to permit sample collection, transfer, measurement, and reporting.

GRAIL is seeking technologies capable of demonstrating long duration functionality without human operation. The desired endurance is six months in ambient indoor room temperature environments.

Table 5. TA-3 Integration – Program Metrics

Duration of autonomous operation - One month Three months

TA-3 integrated system tritium sensitivity - 1e-17 grams/SCM ± 10% 5e-18 grams/SCM ± 10%

Result report periodicity - 24-hours 12-hours TA-3 System mass - 30 kg 20 kg TA-3 System volume - 0.25 m3 0.15 m3 TA-3 System Power - Two 20 A circuits Two 15 A circuits Data format - TBD TBD Sound generation - 60 dB 50 dB

Additional explanation of TA-3 specific metrics:

in situ capabilities. The values for weight and size are approximate and will be evaluated according to proposed technology. The ability for the TA-3 system to run from two 20 A circuits is strict goal.

• Mass sensitivity is derived from TA-2.

• Result report periodicity assumes a 24-hour result after the production of the first sample within a previous 24-hour period.

5 Program Testing & Evaluation

The GRAIL program will pursue rigorous and comprehensive T&E to ensure that research outcomes are well characterized, deliverables are aligned with program objectives. T&E activities will not only inform Government stakeholders on GRAIL research progress but will also serve as valuable feedback to the Performers to improve their research approaches, and system development. The GRAIL program will work closely with Government stakeholders to ensure relevance of T&E methodologies.

T&E will be conducted by an independent Government team (that may include UARCs and FFRDC team members) carrying out evaluation and analyses of performer research deliverables using program goals, metrics, and protocols established for the program. These protocols will be shared at the program kickoff workshop and communicated during regular or specially scheduled meetings with performers.

Performers have deliverables and milestones at which all hardware, system algorithms and software will be delivered to IARPA and its designated T&E Team. The T&E Team will then conduct evaluations at the direction of the GRAIL Program Manager (PM) and with the objective of characterizing the quality, functionality, and performance of the identified GRAIL deliverables against program goals and metrics. In addition to quantitative measurements, T&E will be carried out to establish a thorough understanding of the progress, status, and limitations of the performer’s research.

T&E results and feedback will be provided to performers at regular intervals to keep them abreast of current independent performance measurements and to inform and improve their R&D approaches and methods. T&E results from all performers will be presented at program workshops; T&E results will also be shared with USG external stakeholders, including their contractors, for Government purposes only. IARPA may conduct other supplemental evaluations or measurements in its sole discretion to evaluate the Performers’ research and deliverables.

As described in the GRAIL program Phase and milestone sections, it is expected that each TA team will provide separate results in Phase-1 and an integrated prototype in Phase-2.

The end-of-Phase-1 T&E event will consist of quantitative performance evaluations of TA-1 and TA-2 capabilities developed in the phase. The T&E capability to do this will leverage an existing laboratory-based gold-standard technology (to be defined) for direct comparison of performance.

Test benches for TA-1 and TA-2 technology evaluation will also be established and protocols communicated to performers at program or phase kickoff.

The Phase-2 end-of-program T&E events will be conducted on fully integrated TA-1-2-3 systems.

Phase 2 will consist of a lab demonstration milestone and an outdoor demonstration test series that will be planned and shared at the Phase-2 kickoff workshop.

6 Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)

The Government will make available a TA-2 measurement component technology to all performer teams. This technology will be based on large area, highly pixelated charge-coupled devices (CCD) capable of measuring low energy electrons tritium’s beta decay. As outlined in the literature[15], these CCDs are thick (675 micron) fully depleted silicon that have been back-thinned to improve low energy beta detection efficiency. As part of the GFE development effort in GRAIL, the program will make available TA-2 prototypes to performer teams according to the same milestone and waypoint schedule outlined for non GFE TA-2 performers.

Details of the CCD GFE element of the GRAIL program will be communicated to all interested offerors during the proposers day meeting. Teams desiring to incorporate TA-2 GFE technology into their full GRAIL proposal are required include this information in the initial proposal and outline the compatibility of proposed TA-1 and TA-3 plans to the GFE technology.

7 Program Milestone, Deliverable, and Waypoint Timelines

Milestones, deliverables, and waypoints are program events that are established at the program’s onset to ensure alignment with GRAIL program goals. These events organize research activities in a logical and reportable manner and facilitate consistent and efficient communication among all stakeholders – IARPA, the GRAIL T&E Team, USG Stakeholders, and Research Performers. A preliminary schedule of key program Milestones and Deliverables is shown in Table 6.

Table 6. GRAIL Program schedule including government defined program milestones, deliverables, and waypoints

Phase Program Month Event Type Description Comments Performer

Deliverables

1 & 2 All Waypoint Written Monthly

Status Report

(MSR)

Due on 15th of each month;

Technical and cost MSR

1 & 2 All Waypoint Progress and Status Meeting

Monthly teleconference with GRAIL Government Team N/A

1 1 Waypoint Program Kickoff Workshop

Performers present Phase-1 plans and T&E outlines guidelines for planned metric evaluation N/A

1 6 Waypoint Site Visit At performer site N/A

1 11 Deliverable Phase-1 midpoint progress report All TAs Written report

1 12 Milestone Phase-1 midpoint progress review

Both a technical and program management review against schedule, milestones, and waypoints

N/A

1 18 Waypoint Site Visit At performer site N/A

1 23 Deliverable Phase-1 T&E Event

T&E team reports performer performance against Phase 1 program metrics and goals

TA-1, TA-2

component systems, Integrated

TA-3 design 1 24 Waypoint Site Visit At performer site N/A

1 24 Deliverable Phase-1Technical report All TAs Report

2 25 Waypoint End of Phase-1 and start of Phase-2 workshop

Review of Phase-1 T&E results, Performers present Phase-2 plans and T&E outlines guidelines N/A

2 30 Waypoint Site Visit At performer site N/A 2 36 Waypoint Site Visit At performer site N/A

2 37 Milestone Phase-2 midpoint progress review

Both a technical and program management review against schedule, milestones, and waypoints

N/A

2 42 Waypoint Site Visit At performer site N/A

2 46 Deliverable Phase-2 T&E Events

T&E team reports performer performance against Phase 2 program metrics and goals

TA-1, TA-2

component systems, Integrated

TA-3 design 2 47 Deliverable Final report All TAs Report

2 48 Waypoint Program Closeout Meeting Location TBD N/A

8 Team Expertise

Collaborative efforts and teaming among Offerors are highly encouraged. It is anticipated that performer teams will be multidisciplinary and may include expertise and experience in multiple fields related to the GRAIL program goals. Proposals should include a description and the mix of skills and staffing that the Offeror determines will be necessary to carry out the proposed research and achieve program metrics.

9 Meeting and Travel Requirements

Offerors are expected to assume responsibility for administration of their projects and to comply with contractual and program requirements for reporting, attendance at program workshops, meetings, and site visits. The following paragraphs describe expectations for program related meetings and travel for GRAIL, as well as the contemplated frequency and locations of such meetings.

9.1 Program Phase Kickoff Workshop and Phase Midpoint Review Meetings

All Performer teams are expected to attend kickoff and review meetings, to include key personnel from prime and subcontractor organizations. The 48-month duration GRAIL program intends to hold the following in-person workshops and review meetings occurring annually:

• A program kickoff meeting workshop for Phase-1 held in the first month of the program.

• A program review meeting in approximately month 12 of Phase-1.

• An end of Phase-1/Phase-2 kickoff workshop in the first month of Phase-2.

• A program review meeting in approximately month 12 of Phase-2 (program month 36).

The dates and locations of these meetings will be set at a later date by the Government. For planning purposes, offerors should use the preliminary dates outlined in Table 6. Both workshop and review meetings will likely be held in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, but IARPA may opt to co-locate the meeting with a relevant external conference or workshop to increase synergy with stakeholders. IARPA reserves the right to hold the meeting virtually for logistical or health and safety reasons.

The initial kickoff meeting will be one day in duration and will focus on program plans for Phase-1, performer planned research, and internal program discussions. The midpoint phase program review meetings (program months 12 and 36) will typically be two days in duration and will have a greater focus on communicating program progress and plans.

Both the phase kickoff and midpoint review meetings will focus on technical aspects of the program and on facilitating open technical exchanges, interaction, and sharing among the various program participants and interested government stakeholders. Program participants will be expected to present the technical status and progress of their projects to other participants and invited guests. To the maximum extent possible, the research and data presented at these collaboration meetings will not include proprietary information. However, the government will offer the opportunity for proprietary information to be privately shared with government transition partners in closed sessions.

9.2 Site Visits

Site visits by the Government Team (IARPA & T&E) are anticipated to take place semiannually during the life of the program. These visits will occur at the Performer’s facility. Reports on technical progress, details of successes and issues, contributions to the program goals, and technology demonstrations will be expected at such site visits. IARPA reserves the right to conduct additional site visits on an as-needed basis or reduce the number of site visits for logistical or health and safety reasons.

9.3 Remote Monthly Meetings

To ensure that all necessary details of developed hardware, software, and operational instructions are clear and complete, each Performer will be required to be available for questions and troubleshooting from the T&E Team in Performer status meetings.

Virtual monthly meetings will be established after the GRAIL kickoff to facilitate regular communication with IARPA. These meetings will present the previous month’s research activities, review open action items, discuss upcoming research, and identify any concerns or issues which could impact the program. If IARPA or a performer determines it is beneficial to program goals, virtual meetings may be established every two weeks.

9.4 Test & Evaluation Field Demonstration

Delivery of Phase-2 integrated systems will coincide with an outdoor test at a government site to test and evaluate GRAIL developed in situ tritium measurement technologies. Additional details will be developed during the program. Performers should anticipate one extended domestic on-site trip (approximate duration of one week) for a few key team individuals to facilitate T&E of final GRAIL prototypes. GRAIL prototypes will be tested by comparison of existing gold-standard environmental level tritium measurement capabilities at a domestic location to be determined.

10 Period and Place of Performance

Technical Area R&D performance will be conducted at the Performers’ sites. T&E events will be held at the T&E team site at the end of Phase 1 and Phase 2.

12 Research Conferences and Publications

Performers may plan to publish their research to academic journals or present their research at appropriate research conferences and may include in their proposal an expectation to participate in these events. During the program, a request to travel must be submitted to the contracting officer (CO), contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR), and IARPA technical team. IARPA will expect a courtesy copy of publications, posters or presentations associated with GRAIL research at least ten (10) days in advance of the submission deadline. All published material shall include the proper acknowledgement to IARPA and the contracting organization, including contract information. IARPA and/or the Contracting Agent will provide appropriate language to use for acknowledgement of papers, presentations, and/or posters.

References

[1] N. Akata, H. Kakiuchi, N. Shima, T. Iyogi, N. Momoshima and S. Hisamatsu, "Tritium concentrations in the atmospheric environment at Rokkasho, Japan before the final testing of the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant," Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, vol.

102, no. 9, pp. 837-842, 2011.

[2] T. Aoyama, H. Sugiura and T. Watanabe, "Application of air proportional counters to a tritium-in-air monitor," Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, vol. 254, no. 3, pp. 620-626, 1987.

[3] H. Ostlund, "A Sampling System for Atmospheric HT and HTO," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 510-512, 1974.

[4] W. Plastino, I. Chereji, S. Cuna, L. Kaihola, P. De Felice, N. Lupsa, G.