DARPARA2502_YFA_2026_Amendment_3_Summary_of_Changes.docx

This document is an Amendment (Amendment 3) to the DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026 Research Announcement. The amendment specifically updates eligibility requirements on pages 2 and 23 of the original research announcement, with all changes marked in yellow highlights. The underlying grant opportunity is administered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and aims to identify and engage early-career researchers in academia and non-profit research institutions who can develop innovative research with potential national security applications.

The Young Faculty Award program, categorized under the Research and Technology Development program (CFDA 12.910), provides high-impact funding to junior researchers to develop transformative Department of Defense capabilities. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, targeting rising research stars, particularly those without prior DARPA funding. While specific award amounts are not detailed in this amendment, the broader program typically supports innovative, high-risk research across scientific and technological domains, with awards potentially ranging from $100,000 to $2.8 million and performance periods of 12 to 36 months.