The \simeq 100 kg highly radiopure NaI ( Tl ) set-up of the DAMA project ( DAMA/NaI ) took data over seven annual cycles up to July 2002 and has achieved results on various rare processes .
Its main aim has actually been the exploitation of the model independent WIMP annual modulation signature .
After this conference the total exposure , collected during the seven annual cycles , was released .
This cumulative exposure ( 107731 kg \times day ) has given a model independent evidence for the presence of a Dark Matter particle component in the galactic halo at 6.3 \sigma C.L .
; this main result is summarised here .
Some of the many possible corollary model dependent quests for the candidate particle are mentioned .
At present , after about five years of new developments , a second generation low background set-up ( DAMA/LIBRA with a mass of \simeq 250 kg NaI ( Tl ) ) was built and is taking data since March 2003 .
New R & D efforts toward a possible NaI ( Tl ) ton set-up , we proposed in 1996 , have been funded and started in 2003 .