Grant opportunity
Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2027
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, to expose them to Department of War (DoW) needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program provides high-impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoW capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program developes the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.
- Funder
- DARPA - Defense Sciences Office
- Applications close 2027-01-13
- Applications close 2027-01-13: Jan 13, 2027
- Award
- See official notice
- Applicant
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Discipline
- Social Sciences, Policy and Governance
- Region
- United States
- Posted
- Oct 27, 2026
Call summary
Overview
Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2027 is an official Grants.gov notice published between 30 September and 27 October 2026. Opportunity number: DARPARA2701
Who can apply
Eligible applicant types listed by the agency: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification). Applicants must also satisfy every programme-specific condition in the official notice.
What it supports
- 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, to expose them to Department of War (DoW) needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program provides high-impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoW capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program developes the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.
- Opportunity number: DARPARA2701
Funding and duration
- Award ceiling: See official notice
Applications close 2027-01-13
Applications close 2027-01-13: Jan 13, 2027
How to apply
Open the official Grants.gov record, review the full notice and attachments, and use the application package or agency route stated there.
Call details
Source-based overview
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, to expose them to Department of War (DoW) needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program provides high-impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoW capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program developes the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues. The official record contains the controlling eligibility, budget, attachment and submission requirements for opportunity DARPARA2701.
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types listed by the agency: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification). Applicants must also satisfy every programme-specific condition in the official notice.
Funding and benefits
Award ceiling: See official notice
Themes and supported activities
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, to expose them to Department of War (DoW) needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program provides high-impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoW capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program developes the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.
Opportunity number: DARPARA2701
Deadline and timeline
Applications close 2027-01-13: Applications close 2027-01-13: Jan 13, 2027.
Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.
How to apply
Open the official Grants.gov record, review the full notice and attachments, and use the application package or agency route stated there.
Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.