The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) program is an initiative designed to support early-career researchers in academia or nonprofit research institutions, particularly those new to DARPA funding. The program aims to develop innovative research that addresses national security challenges, providing mentorship through DARPA Program Managers. This funding opportunity encourages innovative, high-risk research that contributes to transformative Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities. Awards are structured as cooperative agreements and emphasize basic and applied research across diverse technical fields.

Eligible applicants must hold a tenure-track or recently tenured faculty position at a U.S. institution or an equivalent role at a nonprofit research institution within 12 years of receiving their doctorate. Applicants must not have received more than $500,000 in DARPA funding or $1.25 million in combined DoD funding. Non-U.S. institutions and researchers employed at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers are not eligible. Full proposals are discouraged unless preceded by a recommended executive summary, which is due November 18, 2024. Full proposals are due February 5, 2025.

Research must align with one of four DARPA technical offices: Defense Sciences Office (DSO), Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), Information Innovation Office (I2O), or Tactical Technology Office (TTO). Specific areas of interest include quantum systems, photonics, artificial intelligence, and platform innovation, among others. Proposals must clearly identify a single office, technical area, and key word to ensure alignment with DARPA’s objectives. Research leading to incremental improvements to current technologies is explicitly excluded.

Awards will include a 24-month base period with a maximum funding of $500,000, followed by a potential 12-month option period (Director’s Fellowship) for exceptional performers, adding up to an additional $500,000. Progress reports and significant project achievements are required to qualify for the option period. Applicants should also budget for at least three meetings in Washington, D.C., during the base period.

Proposals will be evaluated based on scientific and technical merit, relevance to DARPA’s mission, and cost realism. DARPA seeks projects that are innovative, address key technical challenges, and support the agency’s goal of fostering transformative research. Budget details, including labor, equipment, travel, and other costs, must be provided and justified.

DARPA encourages proposers to leverage additional resources such as DARPAConnect and APEX Accelerators for guidance on proposal preparation and navigating the DoD contracting process. All proposal submissions and inquiries must adhere to strict submission guidelines outlined in the announcement, including compliance with SAM registration and the use of DARPA’s Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT) for executive summary submissions.

This program is an opportunity for early-career researchers to engage with DARPA, contributing to groundbreaking research while gaining mentorship to advance their careers. The target start date for awards is August 2025. Further details, templates, and submission instructions are available on the DARPA website.