18 October 2026

DARPA's Protein ENGineering (PENG) solicitation closes tomorrow, seeking a programmable platform that can edit endogenous proteins and create a universal proteome-engineering capability. The Department of War's RELIANCE 21 monolithic graphene-CMOS focal-plane array and its Expeditionary Solar Refinery for methanol synthesis both close in three days, adding two more urgent opportunities. In total, three open requirements will close within the next seven days and six within thirty, with the Defense department posting the most openings at seven. The Department of War follows with two active solicitations and the Energy office contributes one, shaping a busy week for defense-focused research contracts.