Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026

DARPA's Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 Research Announcement (DARPARA2502, Amendment 3) seeks proposals from junior academic and non-profit research institution faculty in the U.S. to address DoD needs and DARPA's mission. The program offers high-impact funding, including a 24-month base period (up to $500,000), a 12-month option (up to $500,000), and an additional option for a U.S. Person Graduate Student (up to $350,000). Eligibility is restricted to faculty within specific career stages, with limits on prior DARPA/DoD funding, and excludes citizens from certain countries. Proposals must align with one of 24 technical areas covering diverse fields like quantum information, AI, materials science, and biomedical sensors. Submitting an executive summary is strongly encouraged before a full proposal. Awards will be cooperative agreements, evaluated on scientific merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. The goal is to develop the next generation of researchers focused on national security.

Amendment 3 to the DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award 2026 Research Announcement (RA) primarily updates the eligibility requirements for the award. These changes are specifically noted on pages 2 and 23 of the original RA and are highlighted in yellow for easy identification. No other modifications have been made to the DARPARA2502 document, ensuring that only the eligibility criteria have been revised in this amendment.

DARPA's Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 program invites proposals from junior researchers at U.S. institutions for innovative projects aligning with DoD needs. The program offers a 24-month base period (up to $500,000) and a 12-month option period (up to $500,000), with potential additional funding for a U.S. Person Graduate Student (up to $350,000). Eligibility requires the PI to be tenure-track faculty, tenured within three years, or an equivalent at a non-profit within 12 years of their Ph.D., with restrictions on prior DARPA/DoD funding and citizenship for key personnel from certain countries. Executive summaries are due October 15, 2025, and full proposals by January 20, 2026. Research areas span quantum information, MEMS, AI, biomedical sensing, and advanced materials. Proposals are evaluated on scientific/technical merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. Awards will be cooperative agreements, with a Director's Fellowship option for exceptional performance.

Amendment 5 to DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award 2026 Research Announcement (RA) clarifies eligibility and defines key personnel. The amendment specifies that DARPA/DoD funding limits and tenure requirements apply only to the Principal Investigator (PI), not to Senior Personnel or team members. It also states that previous YFA awardees are eligible to serve as Senior Personnel. Key Personnel, Senior Personnel, and team member are now defined within Section IV of the RA. All modifications are highlighted in yellow, and no other changes have been made to DARPARA2502.

DARPA's Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 program, announced via Research Announcement DARPARA2502 Amendment 4, seeks innovative research proposals from junior faculty at U.S. institutions. The program aims to engage rising stars in academia with DoD needs, providing high-impact funding for transformative research. Multiple cooperative agreements are anticipated, each with a 24-month base period (up to $500,000) and an optional 12-month Director's Fellowship (up to $500,000), plus a potential graduate student option (up to $350,000). Eligibility is strict, focusing on early-career researchers without significant prior DARPA or DoD funding. Research topics span various DARPA technical offices, including quantum information, MEMS, AI, biomarkers, and advanced materials. Proposers are strongly encouraged to submit executive summaries by October 15, 2025, with full proposals due by January 20, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated on scientific merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism, with an emphasis on innovative approaches that avoid incremental improvements.

Amendment 4 to the DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award 2026 Research Announcement (RA) primarily clarifies eligibility requirements on pages 2 and 23 of the document. All modifications to the RA are distinctly marked with yellow highlights. Apart from these specific changes, no other alterations have been made to the original DARPARA2502 document.

DARPA's Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 Research Announcement (RA) invites proposals from junior academic and non-profit research faculty for innovative research addressing Department of Defense (DoD) needs. The program offers 24-month base awards (up to $500,000) with a 12-month option period (up to $500,000) and an additional option for a U.S. Person Graduate Student (up to $200,000). Eligibility is restricted to faculty at U.S. institutions within a specific timeframe of tenure or Ph.D. receipt, with funding limitations from DARPA or DoD. Key dates include an Executive Summary due on October 15, 2025, and a Full Proposal due on January 20, 2026. The RA details 24 specific topic areas covering various scientific and technological fields, from quantum information to AI and advanced materials. Proposals will be evaluated on scientific/technical merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism.

The DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award (YFA) Proposal Template outlines mandatory requirements for submitting Volume 1: Technical and Management proposals. Submissions must address a 36-month program, use the provided template, and adhere to specific formatting (8-1/2 by 11-inch paper, 1-inch margins, 12-point font for text, 8 or 10-point for figures/tables). The Technical and Management Volume has an 8-page limit, excluding the Cover Sheet, Table of Contents, Official Transmittal Letter, Summary Slide, and optional Bibliography. The proposal requires detailed sections covering an Executive Summary, Goals and Impact, Technical Plan, Management Plan, Personnel, Capabilities, Statement of Work (SOW), and Schedule and Milestones. Key information like PI eligibility, proposed costs, past federal awards, and team organization is mandatory. The Summary Slide (Attachment B) must be submitted separately in PowerPoint format. Failure to follow these instructions may result in a non-conforming submission.

DARPA's Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 program seeks innovative research proposals from junior faculty at U.S. institutions to address Department of Defense (DoD) needs. The program offers cooperative agreements with a 24-month base period (up to $500,000) and an optional 12-month Director's Fellowship (up to $500,000), plus an optional $350,000 for a U.S. Person Graduate Student. Key dates include an Executive Summary due October 15, 2025, and a Full Proposal due January 20, 2026. Eligibility requires U.S. institution employment, specific academic standing, and no significant prior DARPA/DoD funding. Research areas span quantum information, MEMS, biomarkers, AI, plasma measurement, underwater communication, DNA memory, advanced materials, energy harvesting, photonics, and microfluidics. Proposals are evaluated on scientific merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. Executive summaries are strongly encouraged for feedback, and all submissions must adhere to strict formatting and submission guidelines, including SAM registration.

Amendment 1 to the DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award 2026 Research Announcement (RA) primarily updates the not-to-exceed cost for the U.S. Person Graduate Student option period to $350,000. This revision, highlighted in yellow within the document, ensures consistency between page 2 and page 4 of the RA. No other changes have been made to the original DARPARA2502, except for this specific cost adjustment. This amendment is a common practice in government solicitations, ensuring clarity and accuracy in funding parameters for grant applicants.

This document outlines the terms and conditions for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Cooperative Agreement, HR0011XX2XXXX. It details the agreement's purpose to fund research for a DARPA program, specifying the recipient, period of performance (base and option phases), and total funding, including cost-share requirements. The document emphasizes substantial government involvement in the research, outlining reporting requirements such as Annual/Final Research Performance Progress Reports, Financial Status Reports, and Data Management Plans. It also addresses crucial aspects like payment procedures via Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF), public release of information (with options for fundamental vs. non-fundamental research), intellectual property, security, human subject and animal welfare, and certifications regarding debarment, drug-free workplace, lobbying, and tax liability. The agreement is subject to DoD R&D General Terms and Conditions, supplemented by DARPA-specific addendums.

The DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award (YFA) Attachment D, Volume 2, outlines mandatory administrative and national policy requirements for proposal submissions. This document ensures compliance by requiring specific information formatted for 8.5 x 11-inch paper with 1-inch margins and an 11-point font, with exceptions for figures and tables. Key sections include team member identification, disclosure of organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) with DARPA, and comprehensive details on intellectual property (IP) rights, especially for technical data, computer software, and patented inventions. Additionally, proposals must address human subjects research (HSR) and animal use, providing plans for institutional review board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approvals, respectively. Finally, proposers must affirm their status regarding unpaid delinquent federal tax liabilities or felony convictions under federal law. The template is critical for ensuring that all legal and ethical considerations are met, facilitating a transparent and compliant submission process for the YFA program.

The DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 Research Announcement (RA) DARPARA2502, Amendment 2, is a competitive funding opportunity for junior researchers in academia and non-profit institutions. The program aims to expose them to DoD needs and DARPA's mission, providing high-impact funding for innovative research in various technical areas. Multiple awards are anticipated, with a 24-month base period (max $500,000) and a 12-month option period (max $500,000), plus potential funding for a U.S. Person Graduate Student (max $350,000). Eligibility requires employment at a U.S. institution in a tenure-track or equivalent position, within specific tenure/Ph.D. dates, and limits prior DARPA/DoD funding. Proposers are strongly encouraged to submit executive summaries by October 15, 2025, with full proposals due January 20, 2026. Awards will be cooperative agreements, evaluated on scientific/technical merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. Key topic areas include quantum information, MEMS microsystems, biomarkers for psychological/neural damage, AI interactions, plasma measurement, underwater communication, DNA memory, biocondensates, magnetic physiological sensors, separations, bioprinted metamaterials, AI formal assurance, LLM control theory, AI and the future of work, informal math foundations, symbolic robotic knowledge, compiler infrastructure, molecular machines, lunar regolith energy harvesting, visible/UV photonic integrated circuits, pliable power packaging, and integrated microfluidic systems.

Amendment 2 to the DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award 2026 Research Announcement (RA) updates the original document in two key areas. First, Section III, concerning Submission Information and Award Information, has been revised to include details on DARPA YFA's survey research. Second, Section IV, which addresses Special Considerations and Additional Resources, now features a new DARPAConnect Learning resource titled, “Fueling Innovation: Applying for the DARPA Young Faculty Award.” All modifications within the RA are clearly marked with yellow highlights. Apart from these specified changes, the original DARPARA2502 document remains unaltered.

This document, DARPARA2502 – Attachment B, outlines the essential components for a government proposal, likely for a federal grant or RFP. It details the required sections for a submission: a "High Level Vision" to articulate the core idea, problem, and importance; a "Technical Approach and Risks" section for a concise, bulleted list of the technical methodology, figures, major risks, and mitigation strategies; and a "Project Impact and Potential Application" section to quantify successful project outcomes and their relevance to the DoD, if applicable. The document also specifies the inclusion of the submission title and proposer information. This structure ensures that proposals effectively communicate their technical approach, potential impact, and risk management strategies to government evaluators.

The DARPARA2502 Young Faculty Award (YFA) requires an executive summary for submissions, emphasizing a mandatory template and strict formatting. Submissions must be in .pdf, .odx, .doc, or .docx formats, written in English, and formatted for 8.5 by 11-inch paper with 1-inch margins and a 12-point font. Crucially, the executive summary itself must be anonymized for blind review, excluding identifying information of the PI, organization, or team members, which should only appear on the cover sheet. The executive summary is limited to one page, excluding the cover sheet, which can extend to two or more pages. The document outlines specific content requirements for the executive summary, including a 1-2 sentence summary of the effort, a one-paragraph introduction/background describing the problem and current limitations, a short paragraph on the project's impact, and a section detailing methodologies and approaches. The cover sheet requires information such as the YFA topic area, executive summary title, prime organization details, technical and administrative points of contact, the PI's tenure track start date, approved leaves of absence, prior YFA proposals, and a certification of PI eligibility.