TT4D: Researchers's Quick Guide to Defense Department Research Funding & TRL Advancement

by Jeff Decker, PhD and Nilay Papila, PhD Technology Transfer for Defense, Stanford University

Apr 26, 2025

Reference: https://basicresearch.defense.gov/About/

The Defense Department invests more than $140 billion in grants and contracts annually to support the conduct of foundational science and the development of field-ready prototypes across a range of academic disciplines such as computer science, materials science, bioengineering and more. The diversity and breadth of funding opportunities can be overwhelming to academics hoping to win research funding. This post provides researchers with a five-step process to identify and pursue Defense Department funding.

Step 1: Assess the maturity level of your research

Before applying for Defense Department research funding, it’s critical to identify where your work falls along the research-to-prototype spectrum, because research maturity determines eligibility.

Defense Department R&D Categories and TRLs (High-Level Overview

Ask yourself: Is my project primarily theoretical, experimentally validated, or nearly field-ready? The following questions will help you make an informed assessment: Am I exploring new theories or mechanisms (TRL 1–2, Basic Research / 6.1)? Have I validated key concepts in a lab setting (TRL 3–4, Applied Research / 6.2)? Do I have a working prototype and some test data (TRL 5–6, Advanced Tech Dev / 6.3)? Has my technology been demonstrated in operational conditions (TRL 7–9, beyond 6.3)?

Answering these questions provides the foundation you need to identify relevant Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) (Step 2) and engage with a Program Manager (Step 3).

Further Content on this Topic:

Step 2: Find Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs)

Once you’ve assessed your work, you’re ready to search for BAAs that match your research maturity. BAAs are the Defense Department’s primary vehicle for funding academic research.

The best place to search is Grants.gov. Filter for agencies and keywords most aligned with your research maturity. Here’s how:

Step-by-Step Grants.gov Search:

Go to Grants.gov >"Search Grants".
Use keywords that characterize your research like "AI," "batteries," or "bioengineering."
Filter by
- Opportunity Status: select both "Forecasted" and "Posted."
- Funding Instrument Type: select "Grant."
- Eligibility: choose "Higher Education Institution."
- Agency: choose "All Department of Defense" or a specific agency (e.g., DARPA, Army).
Click "Search" to view matching grants.

Each grant listing contains tabs:

Synopsis – Summary of the opportunity
Related Documents – Full BAA details (including TRL expectations explicitly)
Package – Application instructions

Further Content on this Topic:
How to Find Existing Research Broad Agency Announcements

Step 3: Engage the Program Manager

Once you find a promising BAA, the most impactful next step is to contact the Program Manager (PM) listed in the document.The PM often decides which research projects are funded. Defense Department grants are competitive and relationships matter. Engaging PMs is critical because they are the gatekeepers; developing a relationship with them and understanding how your research could potentially meet their needs will help you submit a successful proposal. Speaking with a PM gives you the opportunity to validate fit, clarify expectations, and possibly get invited to submit a white paper—a short concept pitch that precedes a full proposal.

But before you reach out, develop a one-pager, draft an interview request email to the PM and prepare for a meeting.

Write a One-Pager

Use the Heilmeier Catechism to frame your one-pager, and explicitly state your TRL:

What are you trying to do? How is it done today? What's new and why will it work Who cares? What are the risks? How much will it cost? How long will it take? What are the midterm/final success metrics?
"This work is currently at TRL 2, with plans to reach TRL 3 by [timeline]."
"We aim to validate performance in [lab/testbed], which maps to TRL 5."

Writing a one-pager is a low-effort and high-value given that it sets you up for a conversation with the PM. See the Heilmeier blog post for a discussion and examples of how researchers can answer these questions.

Why This Matters

PMs want to know where your work sits now and how it might progress. A clear TRL position shows both maturity and awareness of the Defense Department development process.

Draft an Email to the Program Manager

Email the PM expressing your interest and your research’s relevance to the BAA. See our earlier blog post for an email template to engage PMs and a list of questions to discuss during the meeting.

During your meeting with the PM, spend roughly a quarter of the time learning about their research program and portfolio, a quarter explaining your research and relevance to the PM’s program/portfolio, and the remainder discussing if/how your research aligns with the PM’s focus areas.

If it’s a fit, they may invite you to write a white paper. Even if it's not a fit now, you’ve started a relationship. PMs often remember thoughtful, TRL-aware researchers when new programs open.

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Step 4: Writing a Compelling White Paper

Once you've spoken with a Program Manager and confirmed alignment, your next step is submitting a white paper—a brief (2–5 page) pitch that introduces your idea, highlights technical strengths, and shows how your research aligns with the Defense Department’s needs.

A strong white paper answers three questions clearly: What are you solving? How is it technically novel and rigorous? What is the project’s current TRL and the anticipated TRL at the end of the performance period?

Build on your answers to the Heilmeier Catechism used in drafting the one-pager and update it with greater depth based on the areas the PM was most interested in during your meeting. Your white paper should also communicate potential impact and transition paths—who might adopt this work, and what a successful next step looks like (e.g., a testbed pilot, SBIR follow-on, or industry collaboration).

This shows foresight, readiness, and an intent to partner long-term with the defense ecosystem.

As you plan your research, consider how each phase can build toward readiness—technical, operational, and organizational. Include a TRL roadmap: what stage you're starting from, how you’ll measure progress, and who your key partners might be along the way. Program managers want to see not just research, but momentum. Even if your work is early-stage, you can still show you’re thinking ahead—what infrastructure or partnerships will you need down the line? What milestones will get you there? For example:

“We will reach TRL 4 through lab validation using [method]…”
“This project begins at TRL 3. We will fabricate and test a prototype, aiming to reach TRL 5 through validation in a lab-relevant environment by Q2 2026.”
“We plan to transition to TRL 5 by Q2 2026 via a pilot at [Defense Department site]…”

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Step 5: Planning Future Funding

Once you're in the Defense Department ecosystem, you will naturally mature your research in the process of fulfilling the research grant. Higher levels of maturity will unlock greater levels of funding because the impact your research can have on Defense Department organizations will increase. To capture greater funding, consider asking yourself the following questions about how your next research phase increases maturity: Will you validate a concept in a new environment? Demonstrate and test it at a Defense Department test site? Team with an industry partner to scale?

Follow-on funding might come through collaborations with Defense Department labs, pilot studies at military testbeds, or co-development with a defense contractor.

Collaborate: Engage with Defense Department labs or defense industry partners who have experience testing and scaling technology.
Pilot Studies: Incorporate Defense Department testbeds or simulations to validate performance in operationally relevant environments.
Seek Feedback: Use PM conversations to ask what TRL thresholds matter for a given program, and how they define success.

Further Content on this Topic:

Where Defense R&D Money Comes from and Why it Matters

Conclusion

Securing Defense Department research funding is a strategic process—one that rewards preparation, clarity, and engagement. By understanding the funding landscape, finding the right BAA, and proactively connecting with program managers, you significantly increase your chances of success. Thoughtfully planning how your research might evolve across TRL stages opens additional doors to funding and partnership. TT4D is here to guide you at every stage, helping you turn academic ideas into impactful defense innovations.

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Technology Transfer for Defense (TT4D) at Stanford University specializes in matching Defense Department funding with academic research projects. In the past six years, TT4D has worked with numerous faculty members at more than a dozen universities to help them win Defense Department grants and with the Office of Naval Research, totaling more than $13 million, to support research funding and transition academic technologies from lab to defense capabilities. TT4D is based at Stanford University and is run by Jeffrey Decker, PhD, program director, Precourt Institute for Energy, Fu-Kuo Chang, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Nilay Papila, PhD, senior program manager, Precourt Institute for Energy. To contact the TT4D team, visit techtransferfordefense.stanford.edu.

To read previous TT4D posts, see:

StanfordH4D’s Newsletter

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