HR001122S0029: Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concrete Edifices (BRACE)
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2027 (DARPARA2701). Status: Closes January 13, 2027 (67 days left). It is in our archive of DARPA - Biological Technologies Office notices from 2022.
DARPA - Biological Technologies Office offered grants to the applicants described in the notice. Applications closed on June 17, 2022.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed May 25, 2022. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement, Other, Procurement Contract
Key dates
| Posted | March 28, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | June 17, 2022 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | July 17, 2022 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal that shall be considered by DARPA. See the Eligibility Information section of the BAA for more information.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the program's money (93% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concrete Edifices (BRACE) Program aims to prolong the serviceability of DoD structures and airfield pavements by integrating a self-healing capability into existing concrete. The DoD relies on steel-reinforced concrete structures such as missile silos and naval piers that are many decades old, not easily replaced, and subject to cracking and corrosive deterioration. The DoD also relies on concrete airfield pavements in expeditionary settings, which are subject to damage from overuse or attack and require rapid repair under logistically challenged circumstances. Unfortunately, state-of-the-art approaches to maintain concrete are one-time interventions, limited to remediation of defects at or near the surface, and typically necessitate down-time for critical assets. No current technology provides persistent crack repair and prevention for defects deep inside existing aged concrete or prolonged repair of damaged airfield pavements. Inspired by vascular systems that support continuous repair in multicellular organisms and ecosystems, the BRACE Program will develop bio-inspired approaches that 1) penetrate deep into aged concrete to form a healing “vasculature” for persistent damage repair, and 2) combine with new concrete to increase the durability of runway patch repairs. To achieve these goals, BRACE performers will engineer and operationalize vascularizing agents for both long-term (e.g., steel-reinforced marine or buried infrastructure) and rapid (e.g., expeditionary airfield) use cases.
Who has won Research and Technology Development grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Research and Technology Development (12.910) awarded $1.5 billion across 739 grant awards, an average of $2.1 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | California | 26 | $84.5 million |
| Clemson University | South Carolina | 2 | $82.2 million |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 29 | $63.1 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 21 | $59.6 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 5 | $44.4 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, DARPARA2701, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is HR001122S0029 still open?
No. It closed on June 17, 2022. A newer notice is open: DARPARA2701, closes January 13, 2027 (67 days left).
Who can apply for Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concrete Edifices (BRACE)?
DARPA - Biological Technologies Office accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concrete Edifices (BRACE)?
Closed June 17, 2022. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
Who has won Research and Technology Development grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were University of Southern California, Clemson University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program made 739 awards worth $1.5 billion in that time.