Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through its Defense Sciences Office, has announced the Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 under research announcement number DARPARA2502. This program is designed to identify and engage rising academic researchers in tenure-track and recently tenured positions, as well as equivalent roles in non-profit research institutions, who have not previously received significant DARPA funding. The YFA seeks to connect early-career researchers with Department of Defense (DoD) challenges and DARPA’s mission of creating and preventing technological surprise for national security. Awardees are expected to receive mentorship from DARPA program managers and participate in structured professional development. The YFA program provides funding to support bold and innovative research with potential to yield transformative DoD capabilities. DARPA specifies that projects must focus on new approaches that deliver revolutionary advances rather than incremental improvements. Research must address specific topic areas of interest identified within the announcement across DARPA’s technical offices, including Defense Sciences Office, Biological Technologies Office, Information Innovation Office, and Microsystems Technology Office. Each proposal must align with one topic area and include a clear research plan, milestones, and demonstration of scientific impact relevant to national security. Each award includes a 24-month base period with funding of up to $500,000, capped at $250,000 per year. In addition, there is an optional 12-month “Director’s Fellowship” extension worth up to $500,000, reserved for those demonstrating exceptional performance during the base period. Awardees may also request a concurrent option to support a U.S. Person Graduate Student, with costs not to exceed $350,000, to help expand the pool of clearable researchers for future DoD needs. The funding instrument will be cooperative agreements, with DARPA program managers actively involved in guiding awardees’ projects. Eligibility is restricted to U.S.-based faculty members in current tenure-track roles, recently tenured faculty within three years of tenure, or equivalent researchers at non-profit institutions within 12 years of completing their doctorate. Applicants must not have previously received more than $500,000 from DARPA or $1.25 million from all DoD sources combined. Non-U.S. organizations and individuals, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, University Affiliated Research Centers, National Laboratories, and government researchers are not eligible. Proposers who have already received a YFA or who are former DARPA program managers are excluded from consideration. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an executive summary before preparing a full proposal. Executive summaries are due by October 15, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. ET and must be submitted through DARPA’s Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT). Full proposals are due by January 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET and must be submitted through Grants.gov. Questions may be submitted until January 9, 2026. Executive summaries and proposals must follow DARPA’s provided templates and instructions. Evaluation will focus on scientific and technical merit, contribution to DARPA’s mission, and cost realism. Awards are expected to begin around August 2026, with required performer meetings taking place in Washington, D.C. DARPA emphasizes that the YFA program is not only a funding mechanism but also a mentorship and development opportunity, designed to cultivate the next generation of researchers capable of contributing to national security. Awardees will receive direct mentorship from DARPA program managers, participate in program meetings, and be evaluated based on technical progress and expenditure of funds. The program is open to researchers nationwide at eligible U.S. institutions, with the goal of bringing new talent and perspectives into DARPA’s research ecosystem. Contact for this announcement is provided through the program’s official email address, YFA2026@darpa.mil.