DARPA Research Solutions Opening

The DARPA Research Solutions Opening (RSO), solicitation number DARPA-PA-26-08, is a long-term open call for Other Transaction (OT) research awards designed to strengthen the DARPA Program Manager community. This initiative specifically targets accredited U.S. colleges and universities and Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) candidates to address complex technical challenges and pioneer revolutionary solutions for U.S. national security. The program seeks to fund independent research ideas and utilizes the IPA Mobility Program for the temporary assignment of academic personnel to DARPA. The solicitation remains open for responses until June 2, 2027, with a final closing date of June 1, 2027. The award process is a two-phase effort requiring the initial submission of either a written abstract, limited to four pages, or an oral abstract request via the Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT). Full proposals are only submitted upon a written invitation from the Government. Evaluation is based on a scientific review process focusing on overall scientific and technical merit, potential contribution to the DARPA mission and national security technology base, and the realism of proposed costs. Key requirements include the nomination of at least one IPA Mobility Program candidate, who must be a U.S. citizen eligible for security clearance. Administrative management for resulting awards follows a streamlined OT approach, often utilizing fixed milestone payments for agreements valued at two million dollars or under. Performers must use the Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) system for invoicing and receiving reports, with payments typically issued within 30 calendar days of acceptance. Strict guidelines are in place for the marking of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and proprietary data, and all performers must comply with federal nondiscrimination, drug-free workplace, and cyber incident reporting requirements.