FAQs

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is a funding agency that supports high-impact research capable of driving biomedical and health breakthroughs that can deliver transformative, sustainable, and equitable health solutions for everyone. ARPA-H’s mission focuses on leveraging research advances for real world impact. The ARPA model enables visionary Program Managers to tackle a specific problem, working with a range of performers and a variety of approaches to solve that problem, while incorporating measurement and evaluation throughout the process.

President Biden proposed the creation of ARPA-H to improve the U.S. government’s ability to speed biomedical and health solutions. On March 15, 2022, the FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 117-103) was signed into law authorizing the establishment of ARPA-H within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ARPA-H will make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies and broadly applicable platforms, capabilities, resources, and solutions with the potential to advance areas of medicine and health that cannot readily be accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity.

No. Our aim is to provide dynamic, transformative health solutions for all people across a broad range of diseases.

ARPA-H doesn’t own or operate its own research labs – rather, it oversees research that takes place at various facilities around the country.

ARPA-H will draw on and contribute to NIH’s vast knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure, but remain distinct and independent, with its own culture, policies, and processes. ARPA-H is a funding agency and like other ARPAs, will create new capabilities and solve problems through ambitious, well-specified, and measurable programs. The director of ARPA-H reports to the HHS Secretary.

ARPA-H does not yet have a permanent headquarters and will not have any labs or intramural program. Importantly, the vast majority of our funding will leave our agency as programs launch, funding the best and brightest potential solutions across the country. We expect opportunities for a great many hubs of innovation to work on ARPA-H projects.

A Program Manager (PM) champions a core idea to improve health, frames the challenge, and awards projects to new multidisciplinary teams, with measurement and evaluation conducted throughout the process to ensure that the best solutions advance. Program Managers will serve an initial three-year-term, renewable up to six years maximum, to design, launch, and run all aspects of their programs. PMs serve a term-limited appointment to ensure a constant rotation of new ideas and diverse perspectives.

ARPA-H welcomes applications from a diverse group of experts from around the country who can bring bold ideas that have the potential to be the next transformative health solution.

The best way to share your idea is by submitting an application. You can learn more about the process and access the application form on our Program Managers page. As part of the formal process, applicants will be required to pitch a potential program using the framework of Heilmeier Questions adapted for ARPA-H.

Check our Careers page for more information about open positions.

Media with queries should email directly to media@arpa-h.gov or fill out the form on our contact page selecting "Public Affairs." Please include your deadline and details of your request, including key questions.

Yes. You can find ARPA-H on LinkedIn, X (@ARPA_H), and YouTube (@ARPA_H).