Know Your Agency: DARPA

Understanding an agency is essential for being able to write a grant proposal that responds to their need and is thus competitive. As you research agencies that might be a good fit for you and your research, be sure to do your research on the agency itself.

To help in this area, ORDE develops two-pager Know Your Agency Briefs that can help familiarize you with an agency to which you might apply.

Our latest featured agency is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA):

Overview
The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was created in February, 1958, in response to Soviet Union technological achievements including the Sputnik satellite. Later renamed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), it was authorized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and tasked with “cultivating breakthrough technologies for national security.”

Specific Interests 
DARPA’s strategic priorities are four-fold: 1. Rethink complex military systems 2. Master the information explosion 3. Harness biology as technology 4. Expand the technological frontier. Innovative technologies in which DARPA has been involved include both military (e.g., precision weapons, stealth technology) and civilian (e.g., internet, voice recognition, GPS receivers for small consumer products).

Approach 
DARPA invests in technologies that can make major differences in US national security, partnering with academic, corporate, and government entities – what DARPA terms their “innovation ecosystem.” All research efforts are outsourced as DARPA has no research facilities; rather, the agency provides “thought leadership, community building frameworks, technology challenges, research management, funding, and other support elements” to meet their mission. The agency refers to its “culture of innovation” and is known for “executing rapidly and effectively.” Identifying cutting-edge objectives translates to investing in risk-taking research, a concept with which this agency is very familiar and comfortable. Every DARPA funding announcement carries the admonition that the agency seeks transformational versus evolutionary or incremental results in the projects they support.

Agency Organization
Reporting to the Secretary of Defense, DARPA works independently from other defense research and development activities. DARPA’s Director and Deputy Director are responsible for setting agency-wide goals/priorities, ensuring a balanced investment portfolio, approving new programs, and reviewing ongoing ones. With about 220 employees, this is likely the only federal agency where almost half of the employees are hired with the understanding they will be part of the agency for only three to five years. These “temporary” workers are the approximately 100 Program Managers (PMs) who are charged with overseeing some 250 R&D programs at the agency. DARPA PMs are recruited from academia, industry, and government agencies, and are discipline experts. PMs define their programs, set appropriate milestones, meet with their researchers, and track progress. They report to DARPA’s Technical Office Directors and Deputies who are responsible for setting directions for their offices, hiring PMs, and overseeing program execution.

DARPA’s six Technical Offices are:
• Biological Technologies Office (BTO)
• Defense Sciences Office (DSO)
• Information Innovation Office (I2O)
• Microsystems Technology Office (MTO)
• Strategic Technology Office (STO)
• Tactical Technology Office (TTO)

To learn more and to understand DARPA's grant review process, access the Know Your Agency Brief directly or go to DARPA's Website.