On behalf of the leadership, program managers, staff and alumni of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), I would like to welcome you to our website. This is your point of entry for the entire Agency, and we encourage you to bookmark our site and use it as a resource to learn more about DARPA and ways we might work together.

DARPA is an organization with a long history of betting on ideas long before they are proven. It is a place for people with ideas too crazy, too far out, too risky, even considered by some as bad, that have turned out to be major game changers for America’s national security. Our website reflects DARPA’s unique culture and heritage of innovation.

What DARPA does, and does extremely well, is mine what we call the “Far Side.” The Far Side is about new concepts and systems whose feasibility is still unknown and risky. We search for ideas worldwide that may make a tremendous difference and whose time has come to bring them to the near side as fast as possible.

DARPA is inhabited by smart, hard-working people who are motivated by a common challenge. They had an idea they wanted to bring to reality, but couldn’t get it done anywhere else. DARPA is a world in which success doesn’t necessarily mean glory and where failure doesn’t bring punishment. It is a world where progress is measured in months, not decades, and where just an idea is enough to start you on your way.

We welcome those of you who have ideas to bring them to us and we encourage you to use this website as a resource that keeps you up to date on DARPA’s news, programs and people.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony Tether
Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
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