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 strategic research and development acquisitions. Responsible for managing the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process, they facilitate the solicitation, evaluation, and award of non-traditional and high-risk/high-reward 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 non-traditional defense contractors are rapidly translated into viable prototypes and experimental systems. Their acquisitions typically support early-stage R&D efforts with high technical uncertainty, emphasizing agility, technical novelty, and rapid prototyping over conventional procurement frameworks. The BAA Coordinator maintains close working relationships with a select group of high-caliber research and technology firms, including AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC, and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC., alongside specialized entities like PENNSYLVANIA & SOUTHERN RAILWAY LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for organizations with proven expertise in advanced computing, autonomous systems, bio-integrated technologies, and next-generation materials. The working model emphasizes collaborative, milestone-driven engagements with flexible contract structures, often incorporating cost-reimbursement and other non-fixed-price mechanisms suited to exploratory research. There is no set-aside preference in this coordinator’s portfolio; all awards are competed openly under full and open competition. This reflects DARPA’s strategic focus on securing the most technically capable performers regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing innovation over compliance-driven procurement mechanisms. Small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides but may occur organically when firms demonstrate exceptional technical merit. The coordinator’s procurement activity is exclusively focused on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). This includes funding for advanced materials, neurotechnology, quantum computing architectures, autonomous robotics, and secure communications systems, aligning directly with DARPA’s flagship programs such as VITAL, PICASSO, and O-CIRCUI. Their expertise lies in identifying and nurturing breakthrough capabilities that redefine the boundaries of military technological superiority.