DARPA Innovation Fellowship Candidate Application

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Providing information to DARPA Innovation Fellowship supports your request for consideration and evaluation of your qualifications and suitability for federal employment pursuant to Title 5 of the United States Code, and is not a solicitation, or a collection of information within the meaning of the Privacy Act of 1974. The information you provide is deemed public, non-private, and should not include your Social Security number or any information that is sensitive, proprietary, confidential, competition-sensitive, trade-secret, copyrighted, or otherwise protected. DARPA will not make official records about individuals from information they provide and will only use it in a secure network environment subject to appropriate physical, administrative, and technical protocols.

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Answer the following to determine eligibility

Are you a U.S. Citizen?

Yes No

Do you hold dual citizenship?

Yes No

Dual citizenship country?

Dual citizenship year?

Are you a U.S. Citizen by birth or naturalization?

Certificate of Naturalization date?

Country Of Birth?

The DARPA Innovation Fellowship is a two-year position at DARPA intended for early career scientists and active-duty Military service members. The fellowship is an in-person salaried position at DARPA in Arlington, Virginia. Work is to be performed on site at DARPA with limited teleworking opportunities.

As DARPA is part of the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. citizenship is a requirement for the Fellowship. Selected candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

By checking the box, I acknowledge that I have fully read and understood the above statement.

As DARPA is part of the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. citizenship is required for employment.

Are you applying as a Civilian or Military Active Duty?

The Fellowship is open to active-duty military personnel with operational experience and a degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). An active-duty candidate should seek approval from their chain-of-command prior to applying. If accepted, DARPA will work with the candidate and their officer community manager to identify viable orders detailing process. In addition, a Military Fellow will maintain active-duty status during their tenure at DARPA.

Select your branch of service

Is your highest degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)?

Yes No

The DARPA Innovation Fellowship Program is limited to only those candidates with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) degree.

List your STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) discipline

Select highest degree

For Civilians and Civilian Reservists: a Ph.D. in STEM, received within five years of application year, is the minimum degree requirement for applying for a DARPA Innovation Fellowship. In certain exceptional cases, DARPA may be willing to consider bachelor- or masters-level Civilian candidates with a STEM degree. Potential candidates who are seeking an exceptional case consideration should exit the current submission process. They must instead submit an email to fellowship@darpa.mil along with the following list of required documents:

a cover letter describing your background and interest in the program; and
a CV or resume.

For Military Active Duty personnel: an M.S. in STEM is the minimum degree requirement for applying for a DARPA Innovation Fellowship. In certain exceptional cases, DARPA may be willing to consider bachelor-level Military candidates with a STEM degree. Potential candidates who are seeking an exceptional case consideration should exit the current submission process. They must instead submit an email to fellowship@darpa.mil along with the following list of required documents:

a cover letter describing your background and interest in the program; and
a CV or resume.

What cohort are you applying for?

January 2026 cohort start date: January 12^th
July 2026 cohort start date: June 29^th
January 2027 cohort start date: January 11^th

These start dates are negotiable for Military Active Duty personnel only.

For Civilians and Civilian Reservists: a Ph.D. in STEM, received within five years of application year, is the minimum degree requirement for applying for a DARPA Innovation Fellowship.

Selected candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

cohort start date: The start date for this cohort is . This start date is negotiable for Military Active Duty personnel only. In addition, completion of the thesis defense or degree by January 12^th is required to apply for this cohort. The certificate of graduation can be issued after the January 12^th start date.

Application deadline: The deadline to submit your application materials for consideration is October 15^th.

You are eligible to apply for the DARPA Innovation Fellowship Program. Please fill out the information below and submit your application.

Selected candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

cohort start date: The start date for this cohort is . This start date is negotiable for Military Active Duty personnel only. In addition, completion of the thesis defense or degree by June 29^th is required to apply for this cohort. The certificate of graduation can be issued after the June 29^th start date.

Application deadline: The deadline to submit your application materials for consideration is April 1^st.

You are eligible to apply for the DARPA Innovation Fellowship Program. Please fill out the information below and submit your application.

Selected candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

cohort start date: The start date for this cohort is . This start date is negotiable for Military Active Duty personnel only. In addition, completion of the thesis defense or degree by January 11^th is required to apply for this cohort. The certificate of graduation can be issued after the January 11^th start date.

Application deadline: The deadline to submit your application materials for consideration is October 15^th.

You are eligible to apply for the DARPA Innovation Fellowship Program. Please fill out the information below and submit your application.

Candidate Information

First Name *

Last Name *

Primary Email *

Secondary Email (optional)

Institution of highest degree *

Upload CV or Resume * (PDF format / 10MB size limit)

Upload Cover Letter * (PDF format / 10MB size limit)

How did you hear about the Program? *

Additional Comments (optional)
(Accepted special characters are: & ( ) \ - : ` ' , . / _ # ; and 800 character limit.)

Thank you for your submission.