Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Sciences Office is soliciting proposals under Broad Agency Announcement HR001126S0015 for innovative basic or applied research aimed at revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems for national security. The solicitation focuses on four technical thrust areas: Materials, Manufacturing, and Energy Systems; Sensing, Measuring, and Affecting; Math, Computation, and Processing; and Complex, Dynamic, and Intelligent Systems. This high-risk, high-reward initiative specifically excludes evolutionary improvements to existing practices. Potential award instruments include procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, and other transactions for research or prototypes. An accelerated award option is available for efforts not exceeding 2,000,000 dollars, targeting execution within 30 days of selection. Proposals are evaluated based on technical merit, mission relevance, and cost and schedule realism, with a strong emphasis on measurable performance metrics and the ability to deliver capabilities beyond current technology. Mandatory submission requirements include a technical and management volume limited to 20 pages, a cost volume using a specific DARPA spreadsheet, and an executive summary based on the Heilmeier Catechism. Proposers must comply with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements and provide detailed organizational conflict of interest disclosures. Submissions must be made through the Broad Agency Announcement Tool or grants.gov, depending on the requested award type, with a response deadline of August 27, 2027.