Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2025
ID: DARPARA2501Type: Solicitation
Overview

Buyer

DEPT OF DEFENSEDEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA)DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCYARLINGTON, VA, 222032114, USA

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

PSC

NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; BASIC RESEARCH (AC11)
Timeline
    Description

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is offering the Young Faculty Award (YFA) for 2025, aimed at supporting early-career researchers in fields pertinent to national security. This program seeks to engage promising tenure-track faculty and equivalent researchers by providing grants of up to $500,000 over a 24-month period to foster innovative research that addresses critical defense challenges. The YFA program is designed to cultivate the next generation of researchers, emphasizing the importance of revolutionary advances in technology rather than incremental improvements. Interested applicants must submit an executive summary by November 18, 2024, with full proposals due by February 5, 2025. For further inquiries, potential applicants can contact the BAA Coordinator at YFA2025@darpa.mil.

    Point(s) of Contact
    BAA Coordinator
    YFA2025@darpa.mil
    Files
    Title
    Posted
    The DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) executive summary template outlines mandatory guidelines for submissions to the program. It emphasizes that submissions must be anonymized and adhere to specific formatting requirements, including a one-page summary that excludes any identifying information of the Principal Investigator (PI) and team. The document includes a structured outline for the executive summary, which consists of four key parts: a concise summary of the project, an introduction detailing the relevant problem and its significance, an impact statement describing potential contributions to the field, and a methodological approach that outlines the research plan and innovative techniques proposed. Adhering to these guidelines is crucial to ensure compliance and successful evaluation of the proposal as part of the competitive funding process. This framework reflects the program's aim to foster innovative research from outstanding early-career faculty members, thereby strengthening the U.S. scientific and technological workforce.
    The DARPARA2501 Young Faculty Award (YFA) document outlines the mandatory structure and submission requirements for executive summaries related to research proposals. All submissions must adhere to specific formatting guidelines, including a maximum one-page limit for the executive summary (excluding the cover sheet) and a requirement for anonymity to ensure a blind review process. The cover sheet should include essential identifying information about the Principal Investigator (PI), organization, and administrative contacts. The content of the executive summary should succinctly convey a summary of the research effort and its significance, provide background information about the problem being addressed, detail the expected impact of the project, and outline the methodologies to be employed. Key aspects include articulating the innovative nature and advantages of the proposed methodologies compared to existing ones. An emphasis is placed on clarity, conciseness, and minimizing jargon, thereby facilitating a better understanding of the proposed study's aim and its relevance to the field. This document serves the purpose of guiding applicants in creating compelling and compliant proposals for federal funding under the YFA, contributing to the advancement of scientific and engineering research initiatives.
    This document outlines a government Request for Proposal (RFP) related to a project aimed at enhancing defense capabilities, with a focus on providing quantitative impacts and applications relevant to the Department of Defense (DoD). The proposal emphasizes key technical approaches, including the identification of major risks associated with the project and corresponding risk mitigation strategies. It further articulates the significance of the project, detailing the problem it seeks to address and why this is vital for national security. The structure highlights a clear vision of project objectives, technical methodologies, and the potential strategic benefits if successfully implemented. Overall, the document serves as a crucial foundation for attracting federal and state funding while emphasizing the project's relevance to enhancing national defense and operational efficacy.
    The DARPARA2501 Young Faculty Award (YFA) proposal template outlines mandatory guidelines for submitting a technical and management proposal for a comprehensive 36-month program. To ensure conformity, all submissions must adhere to specific formatting requirements, including maximum page limits and allowable file types. The Technical and Management Volume is restricted to 8 pages, excluding certain sections like figures, tables, and the transmittal letter. The content is structured to include an official transmittal letter, summary slide, executive summary, goals and impact, technical and management plans, personnel qualifications, capabilities, a detailed Statement of Work (SOW), a schedule with milestones, and an optional bibliography. Each section demands precision, clarity, and demonstration of innovation in achieving project goals. Key areas detailed include the project’s objectives, limitations of current methods, expected impacts, cost, and timeline, as well as mitigation strategies for technical and operational risks. Overall, this template serves to facilitate a clear and comprehensive presentation of proposed research aimed at advancing project goals within the context of government funding opportunities. Compliance with these instructions is critical to avoid non-conformity in proposals, emphasizing the government’s structured approach to selection and evaluation.
    The DARPARA2501 Young Faculty Award (YFA) document outlines mandatory administrative and national policy requirements for proposal submissions related to federal funding opportunities. Specifically, it emphasizes the need for a correctly formatted Administrative and National Policy Requirements document, which must be included in full with no deletions. This document requires details on team member identification, potential organizational conflicts of interest, intellectual property disclosures, and considerations for human subjects and animal research. Key elements include a cover sheet listing pertinent proposal details and team contacts, sections on organizational conflict of interest affirmations, intellectual property rights assertions, and compliance with research oversight committees. Additionally, proposers must declare any unpaid federal tax liabilities or felony convictions within the past two years, ensuring transparency and ethical compliance. The lack of a specified page limit for the requirements document indicates an expectation for thoroughness in addressing these stipulations. Overall, this document serves as a critical guideline for applicants seeking funding under the YFA initiative, reinforcing adherence to administrative regulations and ethical research standards.
    Amendment 1 to the DARPARA2501 Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2025 Research Announcement (RA) aims to clarify specific instructions and technical interest areas within the grant documentation. Key changes include the renumbering of items from “A through F” to “1 through 4” in Attachment A, alongside punctuation adjustments to delineate key subjects in the Microsystems Technology Office’s Photonics area. These subjects include high harmonic generation, attosecond spectroscopy, high-energy radiation sources, electrically-injected small form factor optical sources (e.g., nanolasers), and extreme environments. The Amendment highlights all modifications in yellow within the RA. Importantly, no other changes were enacted to the DARPARA2501 framework. This update contributes to enhancing the clarity and precision of the application process for prospective awardees.
    The purpose of Amendment 2 to the DARPARA2501 Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2025 Research Announcement (RA) is to address two specific corrections: the Key Areas of Interest within the TTO Managing Complexity thrust area have been updated, and a typo in the term "non-planer integration of piezoelectric transducers" in the DSO Materials Science key technical interest area has been rectified. All modifications in the RA are highlighted in yellow for easy identification. Apart from these amendments, no other changes have been made to DARPARA2501. This amendment aligns with the government's ongoing efforts to refine research funding opportunities and ensure clarity in communication for potential applicants.
    The DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2025 program aims to engage early-career researchers in technical fields relevant to national security by providing funding for innovative research. The YFA, under DARPA's Defense Sciences Office, invites proposals that address national security challenges with a focus on revolutionary advances rather than incremental improvements. Multiple awards totaling up to $500,000 over a 24-month base period are anticipated, with eligibility limited to U.S. tenure-track faculty or equivalent researchers with recent doctorate degrees. Proposers must initially submit an executive summary, which will guide the acceptance of full proposals. Submissions should align with specific DARPA technical office topics, ranging from physical sciences to information innovation. Evaluation criteria include scientific merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. Proposals must adhere to strict guidelines, including compliance with governmental regulations and non-disclosure requirements. The program encourages participation from diverse institutions while stressing the importance of innovative approaches. This initiative is part of DARPA's broader mission to advance technology and prepare the nation for potential security challenges, emphasizing collaboration between academia and government to drive transformative research.
    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced the Young Faculty Award (YFA) program for 2025, aimed at engaging promising early-career researchers from U.S. academic institutions and nonprofit research organizations. The funding opportunity provides grants of up to $500,000 over two years, with the aim of fostering innovative research aligned with national security needs. Eligible proposers include tenure-track faculty and certain tenured researchers within specific time frames post-Ph.D. The program seeks proposals in various technical areas, including physical sciences, materials science, microsystems, information innovation, and tactical technology. Before submitting full proposals, researchers are encouraged to submit executive summaries by November 18, 2024. Proposals must demonstrate scientific merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and realistic cost estimates, with a submission deadline set for February 5, 2025. The program emphasizes mentorship, with a DARPA Program Manager assigned to guide successful researchers. Additionally, multiple awards are anticipated based on the quality of submissions. Attention to detail in the submission format is crucial to avoid nonconformance issues. The program represents DARPA's commitment to identifying and supporting innovative academic research for defense and technological advancement.
    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announces the Young Faculty Award (YFA) for 2025, aimed at supporting early-career researchers in fields relevant to national security. This program seeks to foster connections between academia and DoD needs by providing grants of up to $500,000 over 24 months, along with a 12-month option for additional funding based on performance. Eligible applicants must hold tenured or tenure-track faculty positions at U.S. institutions or equivalent roles at non-profit research organizations. Submissions must focus on innovative research that significantly advances science and technology applicable to defense capabilities, under specific technical interests defined by DARPA's offices. Key deadlines include an executive summary due by November 18, 2024, and full proposal submissions by February 5, 2025. Evaluation will emphasize scientific merit, relevance to DARPA's mission, and cost realism. The YFA program intends to cultivate the next generation of researchers by assigning Program Managers for mentorship and guidance. Proposers are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with DARPA’s current program goals to ensure relevance. Participation is restricted to U.S.-based entities, with stringent rules regarding past funding and other eligibility criteria to encourage new innovators in defense-related research.
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