Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2027
DARPA's 2027 Young Faculty Award funds early-career researchers in academia and nonprofit institutions to develop innovative research for national security, particularly those without prior DARPA funding.
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Funder: DARPA – Defense Sciences Office
Due Dates: November 5, 2026 (Executive summary) | January 5, 2027 (Questions) | January 13, 2027 (Full proposal); all at 4:00 p.m. ET
Funding Amounts: Up to $500,000 over 24 months; up to $1,225,000 including fellowship and graduate-student options
Summary: Supports early-career researchers pursuing revolutionary fundamental research with national security applications.
Key Information: A conforming executive summary is mandatory before submitting a full proposal; single-PI proposals only.
Description
DARPA’s Young Faculty Award program identifies rising researchers in junior academic positions and equivalent positions at nonprofit research institutions, particularly those without prior DARPA funding. Administered by the Defense Sciences Office, it supports innovative research that could enable transformative Department of War capabilities and develops the next generation of researchers focused on national security.
The program seeks revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems—not primarily evolutionary improvements. Research must address exactly one of 18 specified topic areas spanning mathematics, computing, materials, biology, medicine, communications, and sociopolitical modeling. Only fundamental research is supported; applied research and work requiring Controlled Unclassified Information restrictions are excluded. Each awardee receives a DARPA Program Manager who serves as project manager and mentor.
