Proactive Health Solutions Grant

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is a federal research and development agency dedicated to accelerating better health outcomes for all Americans by supporting transformative biomedical and health-related innovations. As part of its programmatic efforts, the Proactive Health Office (PHO)—one of ARPA-H’s mission offices—has released a broad and open solicitation known as the Mission Office Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO), under solicitation number ARPA-H-SOL-24-106. This ISO represents a mechanism for sourcing revolutionary health solutions that are proactive, preventative, and capable of being deployed at scale. The objective of this ISO is to solicit novel early-detection methods, preventative strategies, and scalable interventions that can fundamentally shift the healthcare paradigm from reactive to proactive care. PHO is particularly interested in technologies and systems that promote health and wellness prior to disease onset, enable large-scale sensing and detection, and improve population-level adoption of preventative behaviors. Specific areas of interest include low- or no-cost diagnostic tools, mental health resilience strategies, models for long-term outcome valuation, and alternative funding mechanisms for preventive interventions. However, ARPA-H remains open to any solution that is revolutionary in nature, even if it does not align strictly with these predefined themes. Eligibility for this ISO is broad. It includes academia, nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, hospitals, community health centers, and non-federal research institutions. However, it specifically excludes participation from federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) and federal government entities unless unique capabilities are clearly justified. Non-U.S. organizations are also permitted, provided they are not associated with foreign entities of concern or malign foreign talent recruitment programs, in compliance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The submission process requires potential applicants to first submit a Solution Summary through the ARPA-H submission portal. This is a mandatory pre-proposal step, during which ARPA-H provides written feedback within approximately 30 business days. Only after receiving this feedback may a full proposal be submitted. Proposals must adhere to strict content and formatting requirements, including the use of designated templates for technical and management details, cost documentation, and compliance narratives. Required elements include a Technical & Management Proposal, Task Description Document, Cost Proposal, Cost Proposal Workbook, and an Administration & National Policy Requirements Document. Evaluation of proposals will be based on four criteria: scientific and technical merit, potential contribution to the ARPA-H mission, proposer’s capabilities and relevant experience, and the appropriateness of the proposed cost or budget. Awards will be made as Other Transactions (OTs), which are not subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Multiple awards are anticipated, and funding will be negotiated based on the proposal’s scope and associated deliverables. The agency reserves the right to fund projects in phases, and proposals requesting support for already-developed products or clinical trials will not be considered. The ISO is open through March 5, 2029, with no firm final award date specified. The process allows for ongoing questions to be submitted through the ARPA-H portal. All proposal and Solution Summary submissions must be made via this same portal. This solicitation encourages applicants to pursue high-risk, high-reward projects that challenge the current state of the art and offer potential to redefine proactive health practices across the U.S.

The submission requirements are clearly outlined, with a focus on utilizing the updated templates and attachments provided in the amendment. Applicants must ensure that their proposals align with the revised criteria to be considered for evaluation.