Perrseus
DARPA is funding innovative research to enable compact cold-atom devices and environmentally decoupled ultra-high-Q MEMS and photonics devices through microscale ultra-high-vacuum systems.
⚑ Federal contract solicitation; follow DARPA/FAR rules rather than a standard grant. · Topic is highly technical and hardware-focused (cold atoms, MEMS, photonics, micro-UHV systems).
This is a hard engineering/physics DARPA call on cold-atom, MEMS, and photonics hardware, with no social, behavioral, policy, risk-perception, or evaluation component that matches IPPRA’s research program. The team would not plausibly pursue this with a roster member as PI.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-08-21
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
| IPPRA | 40 partial | outside portfolio topics; social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research |
Description
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals that enable compact cold-atom devices and environmentally-decoupled ultra-high Q microelectromechanical (MEMS) and photonics devices through microscale ultra-high-vacuum systems (µUHV).
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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