Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) administers the Young Faculty Award (YFA) through its Defense Sciences Office to identify and support rising academic researchers in the early stages of their careers. This program seeks to expose promising junior faculty to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) mission and to DARPA’s role in fostering transformative technological advances that ensure national security. The YFA offers a unique combination of funding and mentorship, pairing each awardee with a DARPA Program Manager who provides technical guidance throughout the project. The YFA aims to engage early-career faculty members who have not yet received significant DARPA or DoD funding, empowering them to develop high-risk, high-reward research projects with potential to yield revolutionary DoD capabilities. Proposals must align with DARPA’s broader mission to create and prevent technological surprise, advancing the frontiers of science, engineering, and technology in areas of strategic relevance. The Research Announcement solicits proposals across multiple DARPA technical offices, including the Defense Sciences Office (DSO), Biological Technologies Office (BTO), Information Innovation Office (I2O), and Microsystems Technology Office (MTO). Each award will consist of a 24-month base period with a maximum total of $500,000 and an optional 12-month Director’s Fellowship period for up to an additional $500,000. Projects may also include an optional concurrent funding component of up to $200,000 for a U.S. Person Graduate Student, designed to broaden participation and mentorship opportunities within the research team. Awardees demonstrating exceptional progress during the base period may be nominated for the Director’s Fellowship option by their DARPA Program Manager. All awards will be issued as cooperative agreements, with active engagement between DARPA and the performer. Eligible proposers must hold a current tenure-track or recently tenured faculty position (within three years of tenure) at a U.S. institution, or an equivalent position at a non-profit research organization within twelve years of earning a Ph.D. Individuals with prior DARPA funding exceeding $500,000, or cumulative DoD funding above $1,250,000, are ineligible. Non-U.S. institutions are excluded. Participation from historically underrepresented institutions and early-career scientists is strongly encouraged. Proposals from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers or U.S. Government laboratories will not be considered. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an Executive Summary by October 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET via the DARPA Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT). Following review, DARPA will indicate whether it is interested in a full proposal submission; however, all proposers may still submit full proposals regardless of feedback. Full proposals are due January 20, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET through Grants.gov. Awards are anticipated to begin around August 2026. Proposals will be evaluated on scientific and technical merit, relevance to the DARPA mission, and cost realism. The agency expects multiple awards, with selections based on merit and available funds. DARPA will conduct a blind review process at the executive summary stage to ensure impartial evaluation. Successful applicants will participate in periodic program reviews in Washington, D.C., during the performance period. Questions regarding this Research Announcement must be submitted in writing to YFA2026@darpa.mil by January 9, 2026. This solicitation represents one of DARPA’s key investments in fostering the next generation of researchers capable of driving technological breakthroughs in defense science and engineering.

Submit an executive summary early to gauge interest; follow Heilmeier Catechism to frame research questions; proposals must demonstrate transformative innovation rather than incremental improvement.