$1M to advance AI medical documentation and decision support
Sept. 14, 2026
Traumatic injury remains a critical threat in large-scale combat operations, where 75% of pre-hospital combat casualty care currently goes unrecorded. To address this severe limitation and support warfighters providing point-of-injury care, DARPA is launching the Documentation and Decision Support (D2)Documentation and Decision Support (D2) Sprint, a $1 million prize competition designed to rapidly advance AI-driven medical tools.
Specifically, the D2 Sprint aims to spur the development of software that can automatically assess casualties, recommend and guide care, monitor quality, and seamlessly document medical interventions. "In chaotic battlefield environments, capturing medical data and making split-second clinical decisions is incredibly difficult for non-specialists," said Dr. Jeremy C. Pamplin, DARPA program manager for the D2 Sprint. "By leveraging artificial intelligence, we can provide warfighters with real-time clinical decision support and automated documentation, ensuring better care at the point of injury and a seamless handoff to higher echelons of care."
The DARPA D2 Sprint will kick off officially with Team Qualifications opening Sept. 10, 2026. The competition will feature two main tracks:
Documentation Track
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $300,000 |
| 2nd | $150,000 |
| 3rd | $50,000 |
Decision Support Track
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $300,000 |
| 2nd | $150,000 |
| 3rd | $50,000 |
Final team submissions are due March 1, 2027, with the Awards Ceremony scheduled for March 26, 2027. DARPA is collaborating with key partners to execute the sprint, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Labs (MIT-LL), Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), JHU Applied Physics Lab, Naval Air War Center Training Support Division (NAWCTSD).
Innovators in AI, machine learning, and medical software are encouraged to participate. The Biological Technologies Office will host an Industry Day for potential competitors on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. To register, visit: https://www.sam.gov.
For more information about the D2 Sprint, including rules, metrics, and registration details, visit https://centralfloridatechgrove.org/darpa-d2-sprint/.
Media with inquiries should contact DARPA Public Affairs at outreach@darpa.mil.
“By leveraging artificial intelligence, we can provide warfighters with real-time clinical decision support and automated documentation, ensuring better care at the point of injury and a seamless handoff to higher echelons of care.” – Dr. Jeremy C. Pamplin, D2 Sprint program manager