Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA
DARPA DSO will fund innovative, high-risk research on science, devices, or systems that could enable revolutionary advances for national security applications.
⚑ DARPA BAA; federal contract solicitation · Emphasizes revolutionary advances; explicitly excludes evolutionary/improvement-only work · Close date stated as 2027-08-27
This is a broad DARPA basic-research BAA aimed at breakthrough science/technology, often in materials, computing, or physical systems, with little inherent social-science or policy-evaluation content. IPPRA’s work is on public opinion, risk perception, warning communication, education policy, and energy/environment acceptance, so this would not plausibly be pursued by the team as PI-level research.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-08-29
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds basic research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | portfolio topic: national_security_defense (primary); social/behavioral work is minor; funds basic research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 30 weak | prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is soliciting proposals which investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems for national security applications. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
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.