Biological Technologies

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office (BTO) has issued Broad Agency Announcement HR001126S0003 to solicit transformative research proposals that leverage biological properties and processes to enhance warfighter protection. The solicitation focuses on high-impact science, specifically targeting areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning for biological modeling, novel bio-inspired materials and sensors, combat casualty care, human performance optimization, and agricultural or environmental security. Research that offers only evolutionary improvements to existing practices is explicitly excluded. DARPA intends to award projects through various instruments, including procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, and Other Transaction Agreements for both research and prototypes. Proposers must follow a multi-stage submission process, beginning with a mandatory two-page abstract submitted via the Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT). If invited, full proposals must be submitted by September 30, 2026, with technical and management volumes limited to 20 pages. For procurement contracts and Other Transactions, submissions must be made through BAAT, while cooperative agreements are submitted via Grants.gov. Evaluation criteria prioritize scientific and technical merit, relevance to the DARPA mission, and cost and schedule realism. The solicitation includes provisions for an accelerated award option for efforts not exceeding $2,000,000 and mandates strict compliance with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) protections and cybersecurity requirements. All cost proposals must utilize the provided DARPA Streamlined Cost Proposal Spreadsheet to ensure traceability and rapid analysis.