Mechanisms for Amplification of fusion Reaction Rates in Solids (MARRS)
DARPA seeks innovative research to dramatically boost nuclear fusion reaction rates in solids at or near room temperature, excluding incremental improvements.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
DARPA - Defense Sciences Office has archived this opportunity.
Funder: DARPA - Defense Sciences Office
Due Dates: January 26, 2026 (Abstracts strongly encouraged) | March 12, 2026 (Full proposals)
Funding Amounts: Multiple awards anticipated; award size and duration determined by proposed scope; no minimum or maximum specified.
Summary: Supports innovative research to amplify nuclear fusion reaction rates in solids at or near room temperature, aiming for revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems.
Key Information: Open to all responsible sources; proposals must emphasize transformative, not incremental, advances.
Description
This opportunity from DARPA's Defense Sciences Office seeks bold, multidisciplinary research to explore and implement mechanisms that significantly increase nuclear fusion reaction rates in solids at and near room temperature. The program, titled MARRS, is motivated by recent theoretical and experimental advances suggesting that fusion rates in solids could be amplified far beyond previous expectations, potentially enabling new applications such as distributed power generation and novel radiation sources. Research proposals should combine theory, modeling, and experimental approaches to identify, optimize, and demonstrate mechanisms for fusion rate amplification, with an emphasis on predictive understanding and quantitative progress toward practical application.
Proposed work should be revolutionary, not incremental, and may span materials science, nuclear physics, modeling and simulation, diagnostics, and related fields. The program is structured in two 18-month phases, with clearly defined performance metrics and milestones. Collaborations across disciplines and organizations are encouraged.
