About this programme
ARPA-H — the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health — is an agency inside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that funds high-impact, innovative health research aimed at solving complex challenges traditional research and industry can't readily address. Its stated mission is to "support the development of high-impact solutions to society's most challenging health problems, delivering health breakthroughs in years, not decades."
ARPA-H runs its portfolio through Program Managers who serve limited terms and design competitive, milestone-driven efforts across four disease-agnostic focus areas. Work is organized as Programs (a coordinated research effort under one Program Manager's direction, with a defined budget and timeline), Initiatives (accelerated funding tracks spanning multiple topics, sometimes run in sprints), and rolling Mission Office solicitations aligned to four offices: Health Science Futures, Proactive Health, Resilient Systems, and Scalable Solutions.
Despite the word "grant" commonly used to describe federal R&D money, ARPA-H's own FAQ is explicit: its open funding opportunities are not funded by grants. The agency's primary instrument is the Other Transaction (OT) — a performance-based agreement outside standard federal grant and contract regulations, with funding released against aggressive, negotiated technical milestones. ARPA-H also has authority to use cooperative agreements, standard contracts, and cash prizes depending on the solicitation.
Opportunities are published as Innovative Solution Openings (ISOs) — either Program-Specific ISOs tied to a named program, or Mission Office ISOs, which are rolling, multi-year solicitations for individual research projects that fit ARPA-H's interests but sit outside a specific program.
How it works
ARPA-H's award process runs in six stages: planning & initiation (agency identifies a research focus area), solicitation (an ISO is released, typically via SAM.gov and the ARPA-H Solutions site), evaluation & selection (government reviewers assess Solution Summaries and/or proposals and issue feedback), negotiation & award (terms are finalized with selected performers), performance (awardees execute against agreed milestones while a Program Manager tracks progress), and completion & closeout.
For Mission Office ISOs, applicants must first submit a short Solution Summary and receive written feedback before a full proposal is invited — the feedback letter minimally states whether the agency encourages or discourages a full submission, and may include next steps and a timeline. Program-Specific ISOs may make a Solution Summary optional but recommended; check the individual solicitation.
Funds are not disbursed up front. Under Other Transaction agreements, money is released after a performer completes negotiated technical milestones, following a milestone payment schedule built into the award. ARPA-H does not publish a fixed budget ceiling for programs or Mission Office ISOs on its site — check the individual solicitation for award size guidance.
Teaming is encouraged but not required. Proposers can identify subcontractors and partners as early as the Solution Summary stage; only federal government entities and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are barred from participating on a team.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants span academia, non-profits, for-profit companies, hospitals, community health centers, non-federal research centers, individual researchers, and other individuals capable of performing the proposed research or development work.
A separate Small Business Award track (SBIR/STTR) is open to entities meeting Small Business Administration (SBA) size and ownership guidelines: maximum 500 employees, majority ownership by U.S. citizens or another U.S.-based small business, and all work performed in the U.S. For STTR, the small business must partner with a research institution. SBIR and STTR have slightly different work-share rules (SBIR: >66% of Phase I work and >50% of Phase II work by the small business; STTR: >40%/>30% split with the research institution), so applicants should check the specific solicitation.
All ARPA-H solicitations require a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at the time of proposal submission; some solicitations require active SAM.gov registration at that stage too, while others allow it to be completed later, before award. Subcontractors and teaming partners generally do not need their own UEI unless one later becomes lead performer or requires direct government payment.
How to apply
- Identify the relevant open opportunity — a Program (via its ISO), an Initiative, a Mission Office ISO, or an SBIR/STTR topic — on the ARPA-H open funding opportunities page and the linked solicitation on SAM.gov.
- Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and, where the solicitation requires it at this stage, complete SAM.gov entity registration.
- Register and log in to the ARPA-H Solutions site (solutions.arpa-h.gov), the platform used for submissions, event registration, teaming profiles, and questions to ARPA-H.
- Where required or recommended, submit a Solution Summary — a brief concept document — and wait for ARPA-H's written feedback letter before preparing a full proposal.
- Attend the Proposers' Day if one is held for the opportunity (common for Program-Specific ISOs; not held for Mission Office ISOs, which run on a rolling multi-year model). Recordings are posted for anyone who cannot attend.
- Prepare and submit the full proposal per the solicitation's templates and instructions, identifying key team members and any subcontractors/teaming partners.
- Track submission status by logging in to the ARPA-H Solutions site; respond to any follow-up questions from reviewers.
- If selected, complete negotiation of award terms (including IP terms, which vary by instrument) and finalize SAM.gov registration before award execution; maintain active SAM.gov registration throughout the period of performance (renewal is required annually).
Documents you’ll typically need
- Valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and, before award, active SAM.gov registration
- Solution Summary (using the Mission Office ISO Solution Summary Template, where applicable)
- Administration and National Policy Requirements Template — covers IP assertions, key personnel identification, and conflict-of-interest disclosures
- Program- or opportunity-specific proposal templates, issued with each individual solicitation on SAM.gov
Frequently asked
Is ARPA-H funding actually a grant?
No. ARPA-H's own FAQ states its open funding opportunities are not funded by grants. The agency primarily uses Other Transactions (OTs) — performance-based agreements outside standard grant/contract rules, with funding tied to negotiated technical milestones — and also has authority to use cooperative agreements, contracts, and cash prizes depending on the opportunity.
Can a company outside the US apply to ARPA-H?
The SBIR/STTR small-business track requires majority U.S. ownership and all work performed in the U.S. For other tracks, eligibility depends on the specific solicitation — check the individual ISO on SAM.gov for any nationality or entity restrictions.
Do I need a Solution Summary before I can submit a full proposal?
It depends on the opportunity. Mission Office ISOs require a Solution Summary before a full proposal; other opportunities may make it optional but recommend it. ARPA-H reviews every Solution Summary and sends a written feedback letter indicating, at minimum, whether it encourages or discourages a full proposal submission.
How long does SAM.gov registration take?
Per SAM.gov, registration can take up to 10 business days to become active. Applicants should start this early to avoid delays, since some ARPA-H solicitations require active SAM.gov registration at proposal-submission time.
When are ARPA-H funds actually paid out?
ARPA-H does not disburse funds all at once. Under Other Transaction agreements, money is released against a milestone payment schedule after the performer completes agreed technical milestones; prime awardees are responsible for disbursing to their own subcontractors.
Is teaming required to apply?
No. Proposers are encouraged but not required to form teams with varied technical expertise. ARPA-H does not match or suggest teams, though teaming profile pages on the Solutions site can help proposers find partners. Only federal government entities and FFRDCs are barred from participating on a team.
Who owns the intellectual property from an ARPA-H award?
IP terms are negotiated as part of the award and vary by instrument — Other Transactions generally allow more IP flexibility than standard financial-assistance regulations. Proposers disclose their IP position as part of the Administration and National Policy Requirements Template submitted with a proposal; check the specific solicitation for what ARPA-H requires during performance.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.