The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced the launch of the Documentation and Decision Support (D2) Sprint, a $1 million prize competition aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) tools for medical documentation and decision support in combat scenarios. This initiative is particularly focused on addressing the significant challenge of unrecorded pre-hospital combat casualty care, which currently affects 75% of cases in large-scale combat operations. The D2 Sprint is set to officially commence with team qualifications opening on September 10, 2026, and aims to enhance the capabilities of warfighters in providing immediate medical care.
Objectives of the D2 Sprint
The D2 Sprint seeks to develop software that can automatically assess casualties, recommend and guide medical care, monitor the quality of interventions, and document medical actions seamlessly. Dr. Jeremy C. Pamplin, the DARPA program manager for the D2 Sprint, emphasized the difficulties faced by non-specialists in chaotic battlefield environments, stating, “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.”
Competition Structure and Awards
The competition will feature two main tracks: the Documentation Track and the Decision Support Track. Each track will award prizes as follows:
- Documentation Track:
- 1st place: $300,000
- 2nd place: $150,000
- 3rd place: $50,000
- Decision Support Track:
- 1st place: $300,000
- 2nd place: $150,000
- 3rd place: $50,000
Final team submissions are due by March 1, 2027, with an awards ceremony scheduled for March 26, 2027. DARPA is collaborating with several key partners, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Labs (MIT-LL), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Support Division (NAWCTSD).
Encouraging Participation
Innovators in AI, machine learning, and medical software are encouraged to participate in this competition. An Industry Day for potential competitors will be hosted by the Biological Technologies Office on September 22, 2026. Interested parties can register for this event at SAM.gov.
For more information about the D2 Sprint, including rules, metrics, and registration details, visit www.darpa.mil.
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