Before an idea becomes a program, it gets mulled, kicked around, and questioned.
During this period of contemplation, our program managers talk – a lot – to experts, potential transition partners, and each other. But we often wonder: What information are we missing that would provide much-needed context for program development?
Researchers, end users, and other stakeholders are encouraged to read through our Ideas Under Incubation. If inspired, share your thoughts.
*See important disclaimers and notes
Information Innovation Office (I2O)
- AI FORGE: Fostering Research and Growth in Emerging Artificial Intelligence
In partnership with the U.S. National Science Foundation, AI FORGE aims to establish an industry/university/government consortium on AI research focused on solving AI critical challenges for national security. The goal is to accelerate adoption by industry and federal agencies. | Contact Program Manager Matthew Marge
Microsystems Technology Office (MTO)
- All-weather optical Communications
Can we improve the performance of free space optical communications to overcome obscurants? What are the challenges, opportunities, and limitations to these approaches? | Contact Program Manager Thomas Schratwieser
- Advanced understanding and application of quantum superposition
Can we realize, in situ, robust control and sensing of structure and function for complex processes in chemistry, materials science, and biology at the atomic length-scale without averaging out the underlying phenomena? What are the approaches and challenges of each? | Contact Acting Deputy Director Jonathan Hoffman
- Biological apertures
Can we create functional bio-apertures with tunable properties? How would we target biochemical and microbial interventions to enhance metal uptake, and sequestration within selected plant species? How can you apply microsystem design for functional use? | Contact Program Manager Daniel Ridge
- Circuits On Demand
How can we achieve on-demand, custom integrated circuits for low-volume, niche defense applications? What design and manufacturing advances can we imagine that would displace incumbent state of the art design and microfabrication processes? | Contact Program Manager Todd Bauer
- Directed Energy Healing
What field-operable technologies can be used to precisely locate and stop internal bleeding in the field within the golden hour? Are there possible internal, external, or combined approaches involving microsystems and directed energy delivery? | Contact Program Manager Huanan Zhang
- Dynamic Tuning Microsystem Enhanced Separations
Can a compact platform enable highly selective purification processes for complex organic feedstocks? How can microscale process intensification be achieved and new thermodynamic regimes be exploited to enable high throughput and high purity chemical separation? | Contact Program Manager Huanan Zhang
- Flexoelectricity Utilizing Nanostructure
What are the different approaches that can be applied to manufacture flexoelectric materials? What challenges remain for these approaches for scale and efficient production? How can flexoelectric materials be used? What are the properties and performance advantages for these materials? | Contact Program Manager David Meyer
- Lunar Manufacturing Infrastructure, Energy Generation and Storage
A lunar economy will require in-situ resource utilization of lunar-abundant materials. What are the challenges and opportunities in isolating and purifying critical elements from regolith? Can these technologies scale for manufacture? Which energy solutions best suit a lunar environment? | Contact Program Manager Julian McMorrow
- Nanofluidic Computing
Can we apply bio-inspired nanofluidics for novel computation? How can we emulate biological processes, such as the movement of ions in fluids, instead of traditional electronics, for image processing, as an example, using power consumptions on par with biological systems? | Contact Program Manager Yogendra Joshi
- Photonic Reconfigurable Inference and Scalable Module
Can we develop a scalable, general-purpose 3D optoelectronic platform for energy-efficient, high-density parallel computation? What are the technology enablers to improve scaling, compute density, and energy efficiency with photonic integrated circuits? | Contact Program Manager Todd Bauer
- Physical Intelligence in Materials
Can we develop foundational, high-quality materials, interfaces, and assembly schemes for soft robotics? What are the current challenges for the development, manufacturing and use of these multifunctional materials? | Contact Program Manager Julian McMorrow
- Sequence defined polymer synthesis with molecular machines for microsystems applications
What approaches, platforms, and systems could enable synthesis of sequence-defined polymers (e.g., novel synthetic methods and/or molecular machines)? What DoW applications might such macromolecules unlock for catalysts, optical materials, textiles, and microsystems manufacturing? | Contact Program Manager John M. Hoffman
- Skyrmion-based magnetic memory
How can we improve current volatile and non-volatile magnetic memory? Is it possible to produce ultra-dense magnetic memory that is energy efficient and intrinsically robust to thermal- and radiation-based errors? How would this change current computer architectures? | Contact Program Manager Thomas Schratwieser
- Synthetic Biology for AI-Driven Manufacturing
Can we accelerate biosynthesis using biological neural networks to develop new materials or explore frontiers for computation? Can we leverage recent advances in synthetic biology and biological neural networks to realize complex, error-tolerant, non-linear circuits for analog computation? | Contact Program Manager Todd Bauer
- Three dimensional microsystems
How do we surpass 2D design limitations and volumetric multi-material integration constraints to deliver high-performance 3D microsystems? Can we be bio-inspired to achieve more surface area for charge, heat or chemical exchange? What can these new three-dimensional microsystems enable? | Contact Program Manager David Meyer
- Very large-scale photonic integrated circuits (VLPI)
What are the automated design tools, co-designed natively-optical algorithms and architectures that can produce future VLPI circuits? How can these platforms achieve revolutionary new commercial and military capabilities that surpass what can be done by current electronic-based platforms? | Contact Program Manager Anna Tauke-Pedretti
Disclaimers
- Do not send classified information. Any proprietary information should be clearly marked as “proprietary.”
- This is neither a formal request for information (RFI) nor a solicitation. We are posting this information solely to provide insights into DARPA’s areas of interest; it does not constitute a formal solicitation for responses or proposals.
- Please do not use this mechanism to address DARPA RFIs or any active solicitations such as broad agency announcements, program solicitations, and/or research announcements. Questions regarding active solicitations are not relevant and will not be addressed.
- Responses do not bind DARPA to any further actions related to this topic.
- Information provided is voluntary and DARPA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in submitting ideas.
- Please be advised that DARPA is neither obligated to acknowledge receipt of the information received nor provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.
