BAA Coordinator

The BAA Coordinator at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plays a pivotal role in advancing the agency’s mission of enabling transformative military technologies through high-risk, high-reward research. Responsible for managing the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process, they oversee the solicitation, evaluation, and award of competitive research contracts across physical, engineering, and life sciences domains. This role is central to DARPA’s innovation pipeline, ensuring that cutting-edge scientific proposals from academia, industry, and national labs are rapidly translated into viable technology prototypes. Their acquisitions are primarily non-commercial, performance-based research and development efforts aligned with strategic priorities such as autonomous systems, next-generation computing, and bio-integrated technologies. The BAA Coordinator maintains consistent partnerships with leading R&D-focused contractors including AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC, and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC., reflecting a preference for organizations with proven expertise in advanced scientific innovation. These relationships are characterized by collaborative, agile contracting approaches suited to fast-moving technical programs like VITAL and PICASSO, often involving rapid prototyping, milestone-driven deliverables, and flexible intellectual property terms. There is no preference for socioeconomic set-asides; all awards are competed openly under full and open competition, consistent with DARPA’s mission to source the most technically capable solutions regardless of vendor size or status. This reflects a singular focus on technical merit and mission impact over socioeconomic criteria. The coordinator’s procurement activity is exclusively focused on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—supporting advanced materials, neurotechnologies, quantum systems, and other frontier domains critical to U.S. defense superiority. Their work bridges fundamental science with operational capability, ensuring that DARPA’s investments yield tangible technological leaps.