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Program launched September 2018 and is explicitly marked complete on the DARPA page; no deadline listed.
AI Next Campaign / Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) Program is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The 'AI Next' campaign is a multi-year investment by DARPA in new and existing programs to advance AI for national security purposes.
A key component is the Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) program, which funds high-risk, high-payoff projects to establish the feasibility of new AI concepts within 18 months. This includes research into explainable AI, common sense reasoning, robust and reliable AI systems, and human-machine teaming.
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DARPA-PA-25-03: Program Announcement for Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) – Office of the Vice President for Research Research Administration Units Communications & Outreach From the Desk of the AVPR Internal Funding for Researchers Faculty Small Grant Program (FSGP) Faculty Fellow Awards (FFA) – Reporting Portal Distinguished Research Awards (DRA) Research Instrumentation Fund (RIF) University of Utah Research Foundation (UURF) Interdisciplinary Research Initiative 1U4U Collaborative Seed Grant Program No-Cost Extension Request Instructions Your Questions Our Research Facilities and Administrative Distribution and Usage Powered by the University of Utah DARPA-PA-25-03: Program Announcement for Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) The mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is to make strategic, early investments in science and technology that will have long-term positive impact on our Nation’s security.
In support of this mission, DARPA has pioneered groundbreaking research and development (R&D) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for more than five decades.
Today, DARPA continues to lead innovation in AI research through a large, diverse portfolio of fundamental and applied R&D AI programs aimed at shaping a future for AI technology where machines may serve as trusted and collaborative partners in solving problems of importance to national security.
The AI Exploration (AIE) program is one key element of DARPA’s broader AI investment strategy that will help ensure the U.S. maintains a technological advantage in this critical area. Click HERE for full details.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Researchers from the commercial sector, academia, and government are encouraged to participate. Specific eligibility will be outlined in individual AIE opportunity announcements. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
AI Next Campaign / Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) Program is funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
DARPA's Defense Sciences Office launched the Mathematics of Boosting Agentic Communication (MATHBAC) program on April 7, 2026, under solicitation DARPA-PA-26-05. MATHBAC aims to develop the mathematical and scientific foundations needed to make networks of AI agents collaborate more effectively and ultimately accelerate the pace of scientific discovery for national defense. The program seeks innovative research proposals that advance foundational mathematics, systems theory, and information theory required to enable and understand science-discovery by autonomous agents and agent collectives. Researchers will develop tools to model individual AI agents as mathematical operators, analyze how different communication structures affect a team's ability to solve problems, and build software that lets researchers design optimized multi-agent communication protocols without large-scale trial and error. Key technical areas include multi-agent communication protocols, agentic AI coordination, formal models of collective intelligence, and mathematical frameworks for agent-to-agent collaboration. The program is structured as a 34-month, two-phase effort with Phase I running approximately 16 months and capping individual awards at $2 million. A Proposers Day was held on April 21, 2026. Abstracts were strongly encouraged by April 30, 2026 but are not mandatory. Full proposals are due June 16, 2026, with program performance expected to begin September 15, 2026.
Information Processing Techniques Office Office-Wide (HR001126S0011) is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA programs focus on fundamental research required to establish proof of concept in science and technology fields crucial for national security. While broad, DARPA often has interests in cybersecurity as part of its mission to prevent technological surprise.
DoD Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) is sponsored by Department of Defense (DoD) - Office of Naval Research (ONR). The Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI), administered by the Department of Defense Office of Naval Research, supports basic research in science and engineering at U. S.
SBIR SF254-D1206: Knowledge-Guided Test and Evaluation Frameworks for proliferated Low Earth Orbit Constellations is sponsored by U.S. Air Force. DOD SBIR topic SF254-D1206: Knowledge-Guided Test and Evaluation Frameworks for proliferated Low Earth Orbit Constellations. Component: U.S. Air Force. Command: SDA. Solicitation: DoD SBIR 2025.4. Phase(s): D2PII, II, SPII. Status: Pre-Release. Open date: 3/4/2026.
DARPA's Non-Volatile Memory for Extreme Environments topic (DPA26BZ04-DV017) is a Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR worth $1.2 million for radiation-hardened NOR Flash that works from -269°C to +600°C. It opened July 22 and closes August 19, 2026. Here is why the no-Phase-I structure narrows the field to a handful of teams, what the rad-hard specs actually demand, and how a qualified company should sequence a proposal in under a month.
Read articleDARPA's FALCON SBIR topic (DPA26BZ04-DV016) is a Direct-to-Phase-II award worth $1.5 million to teams that can marry the statistical rigor of classical machine learning with the contextual reach of large language models. It opened July 22 and closes August 19, 2026. Here is why the no-Phase-I structure changes who can win, what the hallucination-mitigation requirement really demands, and how a small team should sequence a proposal in under four weeks.
Read articleDARPA pre-released two Release 4 SBIR topics on July 1 — FALCON, fusing efficient ML with large language models, and a non-volatile memory system rated for space and deep-cryogenic extremes. Both open July 22 and close August 19, 2026. Here's what each topic is really asking for and how to build a competitive proposal.
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