Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2025

Background
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior research positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions, particularly those without prior DARPA funding.

The program's goal is to expose these researchers to Department of Defense (DoD) needs and DARPA’s mission of creating and preventing technological surprise for national security. The YFA program provides high-impact funding to early-career researchers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoD capabilities, ultimately developing the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.

Grant Details
DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in areas of interest to its technical offices: Defense Sciences Office (DSO), Information Innovation Office (I2O), Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), and Tactical Technology Office (TTO).

Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. The YFA program seeks cooperative agreement proposals for a 24-month base period with a maximum total funding of $500,000, where each 12-month interval shall not exceed $250,000. An additional 12-month option period may be included with a maximum funding level of $500,000.

Proposals must clearly describe the relevance and impact of the proposed concept for addressing national security challenges, the current state-of-the-art technology, new insights to address key technical challenges, a credible research plan and schedule, and critical quantitative milestones.

Eligibility Requirements
Proposers must be employed at a U.S. institution in a current tenure-track faculty position or tenured faculty within 3 years of their tenure date, or an equivalent at a non-profit research institution within 12 years of receiving their doctorate.

Proposers who have received more than $500,000 from DARPA or $1,250,000 from all other DoD sources combined as either a prime or subawardee are not eligible. Individuals who have previously received a YFA Award are also ineligible.

Period of Performance
The grant will consist of a 24-month base period followed by an optional 12-month period. A target start date may be assumed for planning purposes around August 2025.

Grant Value
Each award will include a maximum total funding of $500,000 over the 24 months with each 12-month interval not exceeding $250,000. An additional option period may provide up to $500,000.

Place of Performance
The grant will be performed at U.S. institutions including those in U.S. states and territories.