Atomically Precise Molecules (APM)
DARPA is funding research to develop new synthesis techniques for polymeric and nonlinear optical materials, ending in a prototype NLO material integrated into a government-provided electro-optic modulator.
⚑ Federal contract solicitation; applicants must meet DARPA procurement requirements. · Proposals solely using inorganic materials without a polymeric component are excluded. · Incremental modifications to existing NLO materials are excluded; proposals must claim a technically justified revolutionary advance. · Abstract deadline was extended by amendment; full proposal timing should be checked against the solicitation.
This is a DARPA materials-synthesis and nonlinear-optics solicitation, which is squarely in chemistry/engineering rather than IPPRA’s social-behavioral, risk-perception, or policy-evaluation lines. The only tenuous connection is national-security relevance, but the proposed work is pure applied materials research with no meaningful social or policy dimension for this team.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-10-28
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | peripheral portfolio topic: national_security_defense; social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
Amendment 01: The purpose of this amendment is to extend the required abstract deadline. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals in the areas of new synthesis techniques for polymeric materials and nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in material synthesis with the ability to scale to quantities relevant for application integration, culminating in the development of a prototype demonstration of a revolutionary NLO material integrated into a functional government-provided electro-optic modulator. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes: • Proposals aiming to employ solely inorganic materials without a polymeric component • Proposals aiming to modify/repurpose existing NLO materials resulting in incremental improvements to the state-of-the-art (SoA)
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: . Notice type: Solicitation. Organization: DEPT OF DEFENSE / DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) / DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY.
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Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Department of Defense (BAA-style) conventions SEE A DOD EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Department of Defense (BAA-style)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.