Yes. Although ARPA-H is charged to prioritize funded work in the United States, ARPA-H aims to work with leading international experts as performers or collaborators to solve the most challenging health problems for American patients.  

Yes. Each solicitation defines eligibility and requirements so please review the solicitation for detailed instructions. Where submissions by foreign entities are permitted, such entities can register for a unique entity identifier (UEI), which is required to submit a proposal. Foreign entities will not necessarily need to be represented by a U.S.-based organization. 

Not all foreign entities are eligible for ARPA-H funding. Awards will not be made to entities organized under the laws of a covered foreign country, defined in the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. § 3059) as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China. Individual solicitations may allow or restrict the participation of foreign entities to varying degrees.

There is no preference for an international entity performing as a prime contractor or subcontractor. It is dependent on the merits of the proposal and the qualifications of the proposer. However, the Agency does prioritize awards to entities that will conduct funded work in the United States as dictated per 42 U.S.C. 290c(n)(1), which could be achieved through collaboration with U.S. entities. Interested international partners may sign up on “teaming” pages on our website – linked from each program description page – which are provided to facilitate prospective performers forming teams with varied technical expertise to submit a proposal. 

Yes, so long as the PI or team member complies with federal law relating to working with, or if applicable in, the United States.

No, only U.S. citizens are eligible to become Program Managers. 

Yes. In assessing the parameters for a clinical trial (including participant recruitment requirements, timeline, regulatory filing needs, and cost), performers can consider sites outside the United States. This may be particularly relevant for multi-site clinical trials. However, ARPA-H funding cannot be disbursed to entities organized under the laws of a covered foreign country, defined in the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. § 3059) as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China. 

ARPA-H follows HHS financial assistance regulations and policies for cooperative agreement awards.  For cooperative agreements, HHS places an 8% cap for indirect costs reimbursed to foreign entities when the awarded work is performed fully outside of the territorial limits of the U.S.  For other transactions (OTs), the main mechanism of ARPA-H funding, there is greater latitude for negotiating costing methodologies. Proposers should review the program solicitation for specific details.

Like U.S. performers, all intellectual property terms are negotiated by the parties in the process of finalizing a funding agreement.

ARPA-H's standard terms and conditions require prior notice and approval from the Government before a Performer transfers IP to a foreign entity.  Transfers are often approved without issue. However, because a transfer of IP could result in a change to the proposed and awarded project plan, because it could affect proposed technology adoption or impact the Government’s ability to exercise its rights in the intellectual property, ARPA-H may  require alternatives to the transfer or possibly terminate award if, for example, the proposed transfer involves a covered foreign entity.

The Division of International Affairs at ARPA-H is responsible for promoting and managing international collaborations, partnerships, and initiatives that advance the agency's mission of driving innovation in biomedical research. The Division of International Affairs formulates and executes ARPA-H's global collaboration strategy by identifying key international stakeholders, potential partners, and research opportunities that align with the agency's mission and enhance the impact of ARPA-H's initiatives on a global scale.

International partnerships, like domestic partnerships, should advance the goals of ARPA-H programs and other funding opportunities. ARPA-H continues to solicit innovative proposals across its four mission areas: Health Science Futures, Resilient Systems, Scalable Solutions, and Proactive Health. In addition, ARPA-H seeks to leverage global R&D and transition capabilities, which can include unique data sets, biomedical samples, pilot sites, or advanced technologies.