Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA

The mission of the DARPA DSO is to identify and spearhead the next generation of scientific

discovery to fuel innovation in research and development (R&D) for the Department of War

(DoW). DSO serves DARPA by developing and executing an aggressive and forward-leaning

portfolio that expands the art of the possible across a broad set of technical areas. DSO aims to

create strategic surprise advantage for the DoW by pushing technology toward its fundamental

scientific limits. We work to prevent technological surprise by understanding the path

commercial R&D is taking, anticipating that our adversaries will exploit available technology to

develop new capabilities in the coming decades. Additionally, DSO looks for transformative

trends at the global scale and their potential impact on our nation.

In support of this mission, the DSO Office-wide BAA invites proposers to submit innovative

basic or applied research concepts or studies and analysis proposals. Proposals in novel areas

DSO has not considered are welcome. However, if the proposal addresses one or more of the

following technical thrust areas, please indicate which one(s) in your submission: (1) Materials,

Manufacturing, and Energy Systems, (2) Sensing, Measuring, and Affecting, (3) Math,

Computation, and Processing, and (4) Complex, Dynamic, and Intelligent Systems. Each thrust

area description below (in Section B) includes a list of example research topics highlighting

several (but not all) potential areas of interest. Proposals must investigate innovative research

approaches that enable revolutionary advances. DSO is explicitly not interested in approaches or

technologies primarily resulting in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice or

are for manufacturing scale-up.

To support its mission, DSO is interested in engaging with the R&D community to tackle

complex challenges and develop impactful capabilities. DSO organizes its research portfolio into

the high-interest thrust areas described below, but will consider any fundamental research

concept, idea, or effort addressing DARPA’s mission to make pivotal investments in

breakthrough technologies for national security.

1. Materials, Manufacturing, and Energy Systems

Breaking the tensions between performance and efficiency for new materials,

manufacturing flexibility, propulsion, and energy availability.

2. Sensing, Measuring, and Affecting

Pushing the fundamental limits for orders-of-magnitude improvement in awareness,

communications, and control.

3. Math, Computation, and Processing

Enabling quantum, and reimagining classical, computing for enhanced efficiency and

new capabilities.

4. Complex, Dynamic, and Intelligent Systems.

Revolutionizing scientific methods for harnessing complex and adaptive systems, from

materials to human-AI (artificial intelligence) ecosystems.