Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)

As of January 2023, ARPA-H’s location is still an active discussion. The FY 23 omnibus states that ARPA-H cannot be on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and that ARPA-H must have offices in at least three geographic areas. Those regions and the criteria for their selection have yet to be announced; the selection criteria will become public once approved by Congress.

All 16 of Georgia’s U.S. congressional representatives formed a bipartisan Georgia Delegation to urge the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to locate ARPA-H in Georgia.

Review the delegation’s letter here.

ARPA-H will adopt the “DARPA model” which positions program managers (PMs) in a relatively flat organizational structure. Term-limited PMs are typically scientists from academia or industry and serve for an initial three-year term, renewable up to six years maximum.

Unlike NIH, the “DARPA model” does not rely on peer review to score proposals. Instead, PMs combine imagination, drive, and proven expertise to create revolutionary ideas and breakthrough technologies. Qualified individuals typically join as experienced professionals from academic labs, government research and development (R&D), or industry to immediately leverage their technical knowledge and professional networks to drive the creation of new programs, bringing teams together to solve some of the toughest challenges in health today.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• ARPA-H.gov
• ARPA-H Concept Paper (June 2021)
• ARPA-H Summary Report of Listening Sessions (Sept 2021)
• A Conversation with Dr. Adam Russell on the Vision for ARPA-H (June 2022)

Based on a set of questions developed by former DARPA Director, George H. Heilmeier (1975-1977), known as the “Heilmeier Catechism,” the ARPA-(H)eilmeier Questions provide potential ARPA-H PMs high-level guidance for what information should be included in their proposals, as well as allow PMs to communicate to ARPA-H leadership what they hope to accomplish with the program.

1. What are you trying to do? What health problem are you trying to solve? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon.
2. How is it done today? What are the limitations of present approaches?
3. What is new about your approach? Why do you think you can be successful at this time?
4. Who cares? If you succeed, what difference will it make?
5. What are the risks? Identify any risks that may prevent you from reaching your objectives, as well as any risks the program itself may present.
6. How long will it take?
7. How much will it cost?
8. What are your mid-term and final exams to check for success?
9. To ensure equitable access for all people, how will cost, accessibility, and user experience be addressed?
10. How might this program be misperceived or misused (and how can we prevent that from happening)?

The first round of ARPA-H planning seed grants closed on October 5, 2022. However, researchers should keep an eye out for a planned second round of funding in 2023.

To help position Emory faculty for the launch of ARPA-H, the Office of the Sr. Vice President for Research, in consultation with the Office of the Provost, created the ARPA-H Intensive program. This program is intended to help faculty prepare to engage with ARPA-H by refining their project concepts and supporting their development of ARPA-style pitches, quad charts, and other abbreviated proposal formats, using the ARPA-(H)eilmeier Questions as a foundation.

Participants will be extremely well-prepared for the next round of ARPAH seed funding provided by the Office of the SVPR. The first cohorts of future ARPA-H performers accepted into this Intensives program were named in March 2023. Additional cohort opportunities will be announced.

Please contact ResearchDevelopment@emory.edu for more information.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) issued its first funding opportunities through an Open BAA and an ARPA-H Dash idea competition.

Open-Office BAA

ARPA-H’s agency-wide Open-Office Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is seeking funding proposals for research aiming to improve health outcomes across patient populations, communities, diseases, and health conditions. The BAA calls for proposals to outline breakthrough research and technological advancements. Proposals should investigate unconventional approaches, and challenge accepted assumptions to enable leaps forward in science, technology, systems, or related capabilities. We also encourage concepts to advance the objectives of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, as well as more disease-agnostic approaches.

ARPA-H’s four initial focus areas are:

(1) Health Science Futures;

(2) Scalable Solutions;

(3) Proactive Health; 

(4) Resilient Systems;

Newly named APRA-H office directors Jennifer Roberts (Resilient Systems) and Amy Jenkins (Health Science Futures) will coordinate this open-office call.  The current call will remain open and will accept abstracts until March 14, 2024. 

ARPA-H DASH

The ARPA-H Dash is a collaborative online competition open to bold thinkers across health, scientific, and technology communities, as well as the general public. 

The ARPA-H Dash will use a bracket format and online discussion, debate, and voting to narrow competition submissions to quarterfinalists, semifinalists, finalists, and a champion idea during March and April 2023. Sixty-four submissions will be grouped within ARPA-H’s strategic focus areas (above).  Cash prizes of up to $15,000 will be awarded to ideas that reach competition quarterfinals and beyond, as well as the chance for further development with ARPA-H Program Managers. 

The Office of Research Development is available to deliver presentations on ARPA-H and to respond to other ARPA-H questions. Please contact ResearchDevelopment@emory.edu.