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Opportunity Summary:

The Defense Sciences Research and Technology opportunity (DARPA BAA 09-31) is a broad agency announcement from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), specifically its Defense Sciences Office (DSO). The core purpose is to fund advanced research and development that can move promising scientific and engineering ideas from early-stage fundamentals toward practical defense applications. In plain terms, DSO is looking for high-potential concepts that could mature into new Department of Defense capabilities, with an emphasis on bridging the common gap between basic research results and real-world systems or tools.

The solicitation is intentionally broad rather than tied to one narrow topic area. It invites proposals across a range of "enabling technical areas" in science and engineering, meaning DARPA is leaving room for innovators to propose novel approaches, unconventional methods, or emerging technologies that could unlock new capabilities. This kind of DARPA call typically favors ideas that are ambitious, technically rigorous, and potentially high impact, including research that could create entirely new technical options rather than incremental improvements. The announcement indicates that full details are contained in the attached BAA document, which would normally define specific thrust areas of interest, submission requirements, evaluation criteria, security considerations, and contracting details.

In terms of funding mechanisms, the opportunity supports multiple award instruments: cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions or similar arrangements, and procurement contracts. That mix is important because it signals flexibility in how DARPA can structure awards depending on the nature of the work and the performer. For example, a contract may be used when DARPA is acquiring specific deliverables, while a grant or cooperative agreement may fit more exploratory R&D, and other transaction-type instruments can provide additional flexibility for nontraditional performers or rapid prototyping. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement listed, which generally means applicants are not required to contribute their own funds as a condition of eligibility, though proposers may still choose to leverage other resources if it strengthens the technical plan.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to essentially any type of applicant (such as universities, companies, nonprofits, federally funded research and development centers, and potentially individuals or teams depending on the BAA rules), subject to any clarifications in the full announcement. This openness aligns with DARPA's typical approach of sourcing ideas from across the research ecosystem, including both traditional defense contractors and newer or nontraditional organizations, as long as they can meet the technical, administrative, and compliance requirements stated in the BAA.

Administratively, the opportunity was posted on March 6, 2009, with an original closing date of March 8, 2010, and a current closing date listed as May 6, 2010. It was archived on June 5, 2010. The associated CFDA number is 12.910 (Research and Technology Development), which is commonly used for Department of Defense R&D assistance listings. The sponsoring office is DARPA's Defense Sciences Office, and the provided point of contact is the BAA Administrator, particularly for issues accessing the full announcement.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a standing invitation for cutting-edge R&D proposals that can seed future defense capabilities. Rather than prescribing a single program, it functions as a mechanism for DARPA DSO to identify and fund the most promising research directions emerging from the broader science and engineering community, with the expectation that successful efforts will meaningfully advance the state of the art and position the Department of Defense to adopt or transition new technologies.

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