Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2027

The DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2027 seeks innovative, high‑impact research proposals from early‑career faculty or equivalent researchers at U.S. academic or non‑profit institutions. Up to multiple awards will be made, each consisting of a 24‑month base period (max $500,000) with optional 12‑month Director’s Fellowship ($500,000) and a 12‑month U.S. citizen graduate‑student option ($225,000), for a total possible funding of $1,225,000 per award. Proposals must address one of several advanced technical topic areas (e.g., iterative prompt engineering, plasma‑enhanced electron emission, thermomechanical resilience, low‑precision computing stability, mixed‑precision quantum algorithms, multimodal knowledge completion, non‑invasive deep‑tissue modulation, programmable biological time). Eligibility is limited to tenure‑track or recently tenured faculty (or equivalent) who have not previously received a DARPA award exceeding $500k and who meet strict citizenship restrictions. The solicitation follows a two‑step submission process: an executive summary due November 5 2026, followed by a full proposal due January 13 2027. The award is a cooperative agreement, and the PI will receive mentorship from a DARPA program manager. • Open to U.S. institutions only; non‑U.S. entities are ineligible. • Funding: up to $1.225 M per award (base + optional periods). • Duration: up to 36 months total performance. • Submission: executive summary (Nov 5 2026) → full proposal (Jan 13 2027). • Contact: BAA Coordinator, [email protected], (571) 218‑4565.