Provide assistance for defense-relevant research; use a cooperative agreement when substantial federal involvement is expected, and a grant when it is not.
What this is not / limit: Not a general-purpose economic-development grant power.
Executing role: DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer
Authority holder
Secretary of Defense or military-department Secretary
Eligibility gate
Instrument selection follows 31 U.S.C. chapter 63: assistance for a public purpose versus acquiring for federal direct use.
New research grants use merit-based selection; university awards obey §4141 competition rules.
Funding condition
Available funds for the authorized research purpose; research-security and award conditions remain applicable.
All recorded limits
Not a general-purpose economic-development grant power.
University earmark exceptions require explicit statutory language and applicable notice/wait; grant and contract labels are not interchangeable.