Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026

DARPA is issuing a solicitation for innovative research proposals that address the technical interests of the Defense Sciences Office, Biological Technologies Office, Information Innovation Office, and Microsystems Technology Office. Proposals must pursue revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems—evolutionary improvements are expressly excluded—and should clearly define the key technical challenges, the novel technologies proposed to overcome them, and the anticipated quantitative and qualitative impact. Respondents must include a concise executive summary (aligned with the Heilmeier Catechism), a one‑slide PowerPoint overview, and a detailed description of goals, impact, deliverables, and any commercialization or transition plans. All submissions must be in English and follow the Administrative and National Policy Requirements (DARPARA2502) format, including a cover sheet, a minimum 120‑day validity period, and sections on team member identification, organizational conflict‑of‑interest affirmations, intellectual property, human‑subjects and animal‑use compliance, and budget justification (SF‑424 Research‑Related Budget). Budget justifications must detail direct labor commitments and provide justification for any equipment exceeding $5,000. Additional requirements cover training and professional‑development opportunities, and all required attachments and templates are available via the DARPA grant/cooperative‑agreement portal.

Notice ID

59d6cb767149455da3062831f609fa33

Solicitation Number

DARPARA2502

NAICS Code

541715

Classification Code

AC11