Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through its Defense Sciences Office (DSO), has released a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for its Office-wide BAA under solicitation number HR001125S0013, dated June 3, 2025. DARPA is a prominent agency within the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for funding breakthrough technologies for national security. The Defense Sciences Office functions as DARPA’s frontier research unit, often referred to as “DARPA’s DARPA,” and focuses on advancing the limits of science and technology to secure strategic advantage for the Department of Defense (DoD). The purpose of this BAA is to solicit revolutionary research proposals that support national security through fundamental and applied scientific advancements. DARPA explicitly seeks approaches that promise disruptive innovation, not evolutionary improvements on current capabilities. The research should address areas not currently covered under other DARPA DSO programs or solicitations. Applicants are encouraged to consult existing programs and contact DSO program managers to ensure alignment with DSO’s mission. Research proposals can be aligned with one or more of four primary technical thrust areas: Materials, Manufacturing, and Structures; Sensing, Measuring, and Affecting; Math, Computation, and Processing; and Complex, Dynamic, and Intelligent Systems. The grant allows submissions in multiple phases: executive summaries, abstracts, and full proposals. While submission of executive summaries and abstracts is encouraged to assess alignment with DSO interests, they are not mandatory. Full proposals are accepted on a rolling basis until June 2, 2026, with responses evaluated based on scientific and technical merit, relevance to DARPA’s mission, and cost/schedule realism. Awards may take the form of Cooperative Agreements, Procurement Contracts, or Other Transaction (OT) agreements for either research or prototypes. Proposals under $2 million may qualify for accelerated awards within 30 days of selection if they comply with specific stipulations. Eligibility is broad, covering U.S. and non-U.S. entities, including private institutions, individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses, although FFRDCs, UARCs, and National Laboratories are excluded. Projects may involve human subjects or animal use and must comply with the applicable regulatory protocols. Proposals should also address whether their research qualifies as fundamental or non-fundamental, with DARPA having final discretion on classification. All application materials must be submitted through the Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT) or Grants.gov, depending on the desired award type. Required templates and instructions are listed in Attachments A through O, including those for executive summaries, abstracts, full technical and cost proposals, and accelerated award attestations. For questions, applicants may contact the BAA Coordinator via HR001125S0013@darpa.mil or the mailing address provided in the announcement. Additional resources like Project Spectrum and DARPAConnect are recommended for applicants to improve readiness and understanding of DARPA processes.

Applicants are encouraged to submit executive summaries and abstracts first to gauge alignment. Proposals must be original, not duplicative of current DSO programs. Use the Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT) or Grants.gov for submissions.