Promethean Clay DARPA-PS-26-16
Summary
AI-generated · Feb 19, 2026Promethean Clay seeks proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems evaluated at the system level, using a mechanical co-design framework that treats energy storage as both a mechanical and chemical problem. The goal is to achieve a generational performance improvement by obviating rigid, heavy materials, while ensuring thermal resilience and safety for integration into powered systems, and establishing a pathway for domestic material sourcing and manufacturing. Improvements in energy storage paired with safety and thermal viability will be demonstrated on a government-provided platform, at scales relevant to system integration.
Proposals should address whole energy storage systems and their performance, safety, and thermal resilience across all included materials (active and inactive), not just individual components. Exclusions include: research that only makes evolutionary improvements to the current state of practice, or that focuses on new chemistries or new concepts without addressing the role of inactive rigid materials. The program also aims to transition the resulting designs and manufacturing processes into commercial production and government systems.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems. Proposed research should investigate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in energy storage at scales relevant to integration into systems. Promethean Clay rethinks energy storage systems in a mechanical co-design framework to enable performance, safety, and operational stability in electrically powered technologies. Specifically, by thinking of energy storage systems as mechanical systems in addition to chemical systems, this program will ameliorate the need for the rigid, heavy exoskeletons used in energy storage systems today, resulting in (1) a generational improvement in energy storage performance through obviation of rigid materials, (2) a design that incorporates thermal resilience and safety needed for integration into systems, and (3) a pathway for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing. Improvements in energy storage paired with safety and thermal viability will be evaluated and demonstrated on a government-provided platform. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes: Proposals outlining improvement of individual energy storage components without consideration for the complete energy storage system and its performance, safety, and thermal resilience considering all included materials (active and inactive) Proposals aiming to design new chemistries for energy storage (e.g. new battery and/or fuel cell chemistries) or new concepts for energy storage without addressing the need to overcome the inclusion of inactive rigid materials In addition to technical achievements, Promethean Clay aims to transition the manufacturing and design of solutions to commercial production and government systems.
From Solicitation posted on Feb 18, 2026The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems. Proposed research should investigate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in energy storage at scales relevant to integration into systems. Promethean Clay rethinks energy storage systems in a mechanical co-design framework to enable performance, safety, and operational stability in electrically powered technologies. Specifically, by thinking of energy storage systems as mechanical systems in addition to chemical systems, this program will ameliorate the need for the rigid, heavy exoskeletons used in energy storage systems today, resulting in (1) a generational improvement in energy storage performance through obviation of rigid materials, (2) a design that incorporates thermal resilience and safety needed for integration into systems, and (3) a pathway for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing. Improvements in energy storage paired with safety and thermal viability will be evaluated and demonstrated on a government-provided platform. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes: Proposals outlining improvement of individual energy storage components without consideration for the complete energy storage system and its performance, safety, and thermal resilience considering all included materials (active and inactive) Proposals aiming to design new chemistries for energy storage (e.g. new battery and/or fuel cell chemistries) or new concepts for energy storage without addressing the need to overcome the inclusion of inactive rigid materials In addition to technical achievements, Promethean Clay aims to transition the manufacturing and design of solutions to commercial production and government systems.
From Solicitation posted on Feb 27, 2026The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems. Proposed research should investigate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in energy storage at scales relevant to integration into systems. Promethean Clay rethinks energy storage systems in a mechanical co-design framework to enable performance, safety, and operational stability in electrically powered technologies. Specifically, by thinking of energy storage systems as mechanical systems in addition to chemical systems, this program will ameliorate the need for the rigid, heavy exoskeletons used in energy storage systems today, resulting in (1) a generational improvement in energy storage performance through obviation of rigid materials, (2) a design that incorporates thermal resilience and safety needed for integration into systems, and (3) a pathway for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing. Improvements in energy storage paired with safety and thermal viability will be evaluated and demonstrated on a government-provided platform. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes: Proposals outlining improvement of individual energy storage components without consideration for the complete energy storage system and its performance, safety, and thermal resilience considering all included materials (active and inactive) Proposals aiming to design new chemistries for energy storage (e.g. new battery and/or fuel cell chemistries) or new concepts for energy storage without addressing the need to overcome the inclusion of inactive rigid materials In addition to technical achievements, Promethean Clay aims to transition the manufacturing and design of solutions to commercial production and government systems.
From Solicitation posted on Mar 02, 2026The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems. Proposed research should investigate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in energy storage at scales relevant to integration into systems. Promethean Clay rethinks energy storage systems in a mechanical co-design framework to enable performance, safety, and operational stability in electrically powered technologies. Specifically, by thinking of energy storage systems as mechanical systems in addition to chemical systems, this program will ameliorate the need for the rigid, heavy exoskeletons used in energy storage systems today, resulting in (1) a generational improvement in energy storage performance through obviation of rigid materials, (2) a design that incorporates thermal resilience and safety needed for integration into systems, and (3) a pathway for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing. Improvements in energy storage paired with safety and thermal viability will be evaluated and demonstrated on a government-provided platform. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes: Proposals outlining improvement of individual energy storage components without consideration for the complete energy storage system and its performance, safety, and thermal resilience considering all included materials (active and inactive) Proposals aiming to design new chemistries for energy storage (e.g. new battery and/or fuel cell chemistries) or new concepts for energy storage without addressing the need to overcome the inclusion of inactive rigid materials In addition to technical achievements, Promethean Clay aims to transition the manufacturing and design of solutions to commercial production and government systems.
From Solicitation posted on Mar 05, 2026The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems. Proposed research should investigate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in energy storage at scales relevant to integration into systems. Promethean Clay rethinks energy storage systems in a mechanical co-design framework to enable performance, safety, and operational stability in electrically powered technologies. Specifically, by thinking of energy storage systems as mechanical systems in addition to chemical systems, this program will ameliorate the need for the rigid, heavy exoskeletons used in energy storage systems today, resulting in (1) a generational improvement in energy storage performance through obviation of rigid materials, (2) a design that incorporates thermal resilience and safety needed for integration into systems, and (3) a pathway for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing. Improvements in energy storage paired with safety and thermal viability will be evaluated and demonstrated on a government-provided platform. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes: Proposals outlining improvement of individual energy storage components without consideration for the complete energy storage system and its performance, safety, and thermal resilience considering all included materials (active and inactive) Proposals aiming to design new chemistries for energy storage (e.g. new battery and/or fuel cell chemistries) or new concepts for energy storage without addressing the need to overcome the inclusion of inactive rigid materials In addition to technical achievements, Promethean Clay aims to transition the manufacturing and design of solutions to commercial production and government systems.
From Solicitation posted on Mar 17, 2026Notice history
5-
-
Solicitation Posted Mar 02, 2026No changes from previous notice
-
Solicitation Posted Mar 05, 2026No changes from previous notice
-
Solicitation LATEST Posted Mar 17, 2026No changes from previous notice
Details
Award Information
Not yet awarded