Young Faculty Award 2027 topics open; meet 2026 class

DARPA's 2027 Young Faculty Award (YFA) research announcement (RA) is now open, seeking innovative proposals across an array of technical areas representing research and development efforts across DARPA. This year, Executive Summary submissions - due by Nov. 5, 2026 - are required to be eligible to submit a full proposal.

The YFA program seeks to identify and engage early-career scientists at U.S. academic institutions - emphasizing individuals without prior DARPA funding - and expose them to national security needs and DARPA's program development process.

For a list of technical areas, full eligibility information, submission guidelines, and key deadlines, visit the 2027 YFA RA on sam.gov or grants.gov . In addition to 24-month base funding of up to $500,000, the 2027 YFA cycle includes an experimental incentive: an option to provide up to $225,000 over the base award to fund a U.S. citizen graduate student in a supporting capacity on a YFA project. YFA applicants are highly encouraged to include this option in their proposals to broaden participation of domestic talent in national security research. DARPA looks forward to seeing the quality of the work and performance of these graduate students.

2026 YFA recipients

DARPA has selected 21 academic researchers representing U.S. institutions for the 2026 YFA class. They extend a 20+ year history of academic collaboration under the YFA program. See all YFA recipients from 2006 - 2026 , their institutions, and the titles of their research. Their work has been exceptional, and for many, their ongoing research continues to have the potential to be transformative for national security.