DARPA Open Mic is your monthly quick-hit session bringing you the latest from DARPA’s technical offices, funding opportunities, and engagement pathways.

What’s Happening?

• 15-Minute Update: Get a fast-paced rundown of DARPA’s key announcements, upcoming opportunities, and events across technical offices.
• Interactive Q&A: Bring your questions for the live, moderated Q&A following the monthly update and featured presentation.

Why Attend?

• Stay Informed: Get a timely look at DARPA priorities, program activity, and upcoming opportunities.
• Learn from a DARPA PM: Hear directly from a DARPA PM on the technical ideas, scientific challenges, and mission needs shaping their work at DARPA.
• Find Your Pathway: Better understand how emerging research connects to DARPA’s mission and where your work may align with future opportunities.

Join Us

Date: August 6, 2026   
Time: 11 AM to 11:30 AM ET
Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

Innovation moves quickly, and so do DARPA opportunities. Join us for a focused presentation from DARPA PM Sunil Bhave and the latest updates from across DARPA’s technical offices.

Registration Information

You must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event.

Newly registered DARPAConnect members should allow up to one hour after creating an account before registering for a DARPAConnect event. If the website still does not recognize your membership after one hour, please contact darpaconnect@theari.us.

Not yet a DARPAConnect member? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to create a free account and access DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

DARPA Ask Me Anything

Date: July 22, 2026 Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

Join DARPAConnect for a live DARPA Ask Me Anything session designed to help innovators, researchers, companies, and academic performers better understand how to engage with DARPA.

This interactive session will give participants the opportunity to ask direct questions and get practical insight on topics such as:

• How to identify the right entry points into DARPA
• Where to find funding opportunities
• What program managers look for
• How to prepare stronger responses to DARPA opportunities
• Common dos and don’ts when approaching the agency
• Tips for organizations engaging with DARPA for the first time

Who should attend: Innovators, researchers, startups, small businesses, academic teams, nonprofit organizations, and industry partners interested in learning how to work with DARPA.

What to expect: A live, accessible conversation focused on participant questions, practical guidance, and real-world insight into DARPA pathways, funding opportunities, and engagement best practices.

Register to attend and bring your questions!

Registration Information

You must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event.

Newly registered DARPAConnect members should allow up to one hour after creating an account before registering for a DARPAConnect event. If the website still does not recognize your membership after one hour, please contact darpaconnect@theari.us.

Not yet a DARPAConnect member? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to create a free account and access DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

DARPA Open Mic is your monthly quick-hit session bringing you the latest from DARPA’s tech offices.

What’s Happening? 

• Guest Spotlight: This session features DARPA Deputy Director Dr. Tyler McQuade, who will lead a live Q&A and share perspective on DARPA’s current priorities, where the agency is headed, and how to align your work to mission needs.
• 15-Minute Update: Get a fast-paced rundown of DARPA’s key announcements, funding opportunities, and upcoming events across technical offices.
• Interactive Q&A: Ask your questions and get direct insights during a live, moderated discussion.

Why Attend? • Stay Informed: Get up to speed on DARPA’s evolving priorities and where the agency is focused next. • Engage Directly: Hear from DARPA leadership and connect to the work shaping future capability. • Find Your Pathway: Understand how to align your work and engage with DARPA opportunities.

Join Us: 

• Date: June 4, 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

Innovation is moving fast. This is your chance to hear directly from DARPA leadership and understand where you fit. Register now.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

Small businesses are key strategic partners for the Department of War (DoW) and DARPA. Through SBIR/STTR awards, DARPA empowers startups and small labs to turn innovative ideas into real-world, warfighting capabilities.

Join us to explore how DARPA helps small businesses succeed, identifying partners, engaging end users, and enabling technology transition. Hear success stories about DARPA performers like Aventusoft, Inflection, Vector Atomic, Strategy Robot and more. 

Session Highlights:

  *   Overview of DARPA SBIR/STTR funding and awards
  *   Transition strategies via the Transition Commercialization Support Program (TCSP)
  *   Real-world success stories and lessons learned
  *   Resources for small businesses to engage with DARPA
  *   Live Q&A with program managers and DoW

Join Us:

• Date: March 26, 2026
• Time: 2:30 - 3:30 PM Eastern
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

Join us on March 12th, 2026 for an information session about the FY26 HBCU/MI Research Capacity Pilot Program.

February 19 | 2:00PM Eastern Time (1:00PM CT) - 2:30PM Eastern Time (1:30PM CT)

Every impactful DARPA program starts with a clearly articulated problem and a compelling technical approach. This working session invites participants to sharpen their thinking using the Heilmeier Catechism — the foundational questions DARPA Program Managers use to shape, assess, and stress-test breakthrough ideas.

In this session, a DARPA Program Manager will walk through a problem set using the Heilmeier framework, illustrating how complex challenges are translated into focused technical objectives. Participants will gain visibility into how PMs think about what makes an idea compelling, how success is defined, what risks matter most, and why a proposed approach represents a meaningful advance.

The session is designed to help innovators strengthen how they frame their ideas and prepare for more effective engagement with DARPA, whether at the early concept stage or while preparing for future proposals and conversations.

What attendees will gain

• A clearer understanding of how DARPA Program Managers apply the Heilmeier Catechism to evaluate ideas
• Insight into what strong early-stage concepts look like from a PM perspective
• Exposure to the types of questions PMs use to shape and refine potential programs
• Practical guidance for strengthening the clarity, focus, and impact of technical ideas
• A framework participants can use to prepare for future engagement with DARPA

This session is valuable for researchers, founders, faculty, and technical teams who want to sharpen their approach and position their ideas more effectively for DARPA engagement.

Join Us:

• Date: February 19, 2026
• Time: 2:00PM - 2:30PM Eastern (1:00PM - 1:30PM CT)
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

DARPA continues to set the standard for translating breakthrough research into operational advantage. Join the conversation and stay connected to what is next.

Register now to secure your spot.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

May DARPA Open Mic

Stay current with the latest DARPA opportunities, events, and announcements through monthly Open Mic sessions. These 30-minute, action-packed webinars provide essential updates from DARPA’s technical offices and offer guidance on how to engage with the agency. Discover how collaborating with DARPA can turn your ideas into groundbreaking innovations.

Join us for this upcoming Open Mic featuring two guest speakers: 

• Timothy Lockhart, Technical Advisor in the Strategic Technology Office (STO), will offer insights into TurboFCL, a new tool developed to simplify and accelerate the Facility Clearance (FCL) application process with the DCSA.
• Jennifer Thabet, Program Director for DARPA's Small Business Programs Office (SBPO), will provide updates on the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at DARPA. 

Join Us:

• Date: May 6, 2026
• Time: 1:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

DARPA continues to set the standard for translating breakthrough research into operational advantage. Join the conversation and stay connected to what is next.

Register now to secure your spot.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

April DARPA Open Mic

Stay current with the latest DARPA opportunities, events, and announcements through monthly Open Mic sessions. These 30-minute, action-packed webinars provide essential updates from DARPA’s technical offices and offer guidance on how to engage with the agency. Discover how collaborating with DARPA can turn your ideas into groundbreaking innovations.

Join Us:

• Date: April 2, 2026
• Time: 1:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

DARPA continues to set the standard for translating breakthrough research into operational advantage. Join the conversation and stay connected to what is next.

Register now to secure your spot.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

March DARPA Open Mic

Stay current with the latest DARPA opportunities, events, and announcements through monthly Open Mic sessions. These 30-minute, action-packed webinars provide essential updates from DARPA’s technical offices and offer guidance on how to engage with the agency. Discover how collaborating with DARPA can turn your ideas into groundbreaking innovations.

Guest Spotlight: Colleen Ryan, DARPA’s Chief Talent Officer

Join Us:

• Date: March 5, 2026
• Time: 1:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

DARPA continues to set the standard for translating breakthrough research into operational advantage. Join the conversation and stay connected to what is next.

Register now to secure your spot.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.

February DARPA Open Mic

DARPA Open Mic is your monthly, all-facts briefing straight from the Agency. Concise, current, and focused on what matters most. 

Why Attend:

• Gain insight into how DARPA recruits, deploys, and empowers world-class talent to execute high-risk, high-impact programs

• Understand how performers, researchers, and partners fit into DARPA’s talent and execution model

• Learn how talent strategy supports transition, scale, and real-world impact of DARPA-funded technologies

• Hear directly from the leader shaping how DARPA builds teams to move fast and deliver mission outcome

Join Us:

• Date: February 5, 2026
• Time: 11:00 - 11:30 AM Eastern
• Location: DARPAConnect Corner Live Webinar

DARPA continues to set the standard for translating breakthrough research into operational advantage. Join the conversation and stay connected to what is next.

Register now to secure your spot.

Please note you must be logged in to your DARPAConnect account to register for this event. 

Not a member of DARPAConnect? Visit the DARPAConnect Registration page to sign up for a free account and gain access to the full suite of DARPAConnect events, lessons, resources, and more.