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Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) program identifies and engages rising stars in junior research positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions, particularly those without prior DARPA funding, to expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) needs and DARPA's mission to create and prevent technological surprise.
The program provides high-impact funding to elite researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoD capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program is developing the next generations of researchers focused on national security issues.
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Department of War organization. Young Faculty Award (YFA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) The objective of the DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) program is to identify and engage researchers in junior faculty positions at U.S. academic and non-profit research institutions and expose them to national security needs and DARPA’s program development process.
The YFA program provides funding, mentoring and industry and national security contacts to awardees early in their careers so they may develop their research ideas in the context of national security needs. The long-term goal of the YFA program is to develop the next generation of academic scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who will focus a significant portion of their career on national security issues.
The annual research announcement seeking YFA applications is typically posted to the grants. gov , and sam. gov websites between August and September.
YFA 2026 Research Announcement Administrative (as of Jan. 12, 2026) Technical (as of Dec. 15, 2025) RSS feed for Opportunities
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Proposers must be employed at a U.S. institution in a current tenure-track faculty position, tenured faculty within 3 years of their tenure date, or an equivalent at a non-profit research institution within 12 years of the receipt of their doctorate. Proposers who have received funding greater than $500,000 from DARPA or $1,250,000 from all DoD sources combined as either a prime or subawardee are not eligible. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $1,000,000 ($500,000 for 24-month base, $500,000 for 12-month option). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was January 20, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 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.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
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