Multi Modal Materials Analysis (MMoMA)
DARPA seeks innovative methods for analyzing material composition and structure under normal conditions without special sample prep, aiming for breakthroughs beyond current technologies.
Funder: DARPA - Defense Sciences Office
Due Dates: July 8, 2026 (Proposal Abstract) | September 21, 2026 (Full Proposal)
Funding Amounts: Multi-year awards; FDRTA option up to $150,000/year for grad student/postdoc; total program funding not specified.
Summary: Supports innovative research in ambient, multi-modal materials analysis using configurable single-source excitation and in-situ data fusion for defense applications.
Key Information: Abstract submission is mandatory and only invited proposers may submit a full proposal.
Description
This program seeks revolutionary advances in materials analysis by developing systems capable of extracting maximum information from diverse samples (organic, inorganic, special nuclear materials) under ambient conditions, with no special sample preparation. The effort focuses on integrating a single, tunable excitation source with multiple detection modalities and in-situ data fusion, enabling rapid and comprehensive surface and bulk analysis—including molecular structure, elemental and trace composition, and isotope ratios. The program is structured in two phases over 36 months, culminating in laboratory demonstrations and groundwork for future field-deployable capabilities. Research that only incrementally improves existing practices is explicitly excluded.
