Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026
Dept of Defense · DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA)
This notice is not accepting responses (deadline was Jan 20, 2026, 4:00 PM EST).
Page kept for research and related open opportunities below. For current work in this category, use the related notices or browse hubs.
- Response deadline
- Jan 20, 2026, 4:00 PM EST
- Posted
- Dec 8, 2025
- Solicitation
- DARPARA2502
- Set-aside
- None listed
- Place of performance
- —
- Contracting office
- DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY · ARLINGTON · VA
- Source
- SAM.gov · updated Jul 5, 2026
Description
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 Defense (DoD) needs and DARPA�s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program will provide high-impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoD capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program is developing the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.
What similar awards have paid
Real federal awards already on the books in a similar lane — so you can size the opportunity, not guess. This is public history, not a bid price, cost estimate, or prediction that you will win.
Typical award size
$552,704
Middle of the pack for similar past awards
Most similar awards fall between $149,922 and $1.98M
Who has won work like this
Public awardees in this lane — useful for competitor scan or teaming ideas, not a ranked list of “best” firms.
- 1CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY502 awards$17.96B
- 2FLUOR MARINE PROPULSION, LLC1 award$13.40B
- 3SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.2 awards$3.06B
- 4LEIDOS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INC115 awards$2.89B
- 5AMENTUM TECHNOLOGY, INC.53 awards$1.81B
- 6THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC74 awards$1.78B
- 7FERMI FORWARD DISCOVERY GROUP, LLC1 award$1.73B
- 8BLUE ORIGIN WASHINGTON, LLC1 award$1.69B
Drawn from official USAspending contract records in our index. Always confirm requirements on the SAM.gov notice before you bid.
Intelligence only — not legal advice or a guarantee of award. Always verify requirements on the official SAM.gov notice. Past award amounts are public history, not a suggested bid or prediction. Notice ID db4e30929dad4015bf262d652ecc91e4.