ARPA-H Health Innovation Network

ARPA-H launches ARPANET-H: A nationwide health innovation network

ARPANET-H is a nationwide health innovation network that connects people, innovators, and institutions. This network is anchored by three regional hubs — one focused on designing for the American people and their caregivers, another on catalyzing markets and industry to ensure solutions thrive after government funding, and a third hub in the National Capital Region and focused on coordinating with federal partners and managing ARPA-H’s programs.

The Customer Experience hub - based in Dallas, TX – and the Investor Catalyst hub – based in the greater Boston area, MA – are each supported by a consortium with a nationwide network of spokes to bring together the nation’s voices, resources, and needs. Together, the hubs and spokes will rapidly create and transition lifechanging health solutions to improve the lives of all Americans.

Our Consortia

Customer Experience

The Customer Experience consortium puts people at the center of ARPA-H programs and projects, developing technologies that will be accessible, desirable, and affordable for all. It will incorporate human centered and design-thinking principles in a variety of ways, including reaching patient populations and engaging with providers. This consortium is located in Dallas, TX and managed by our Customer Experience Hub.

Investor Catalyst

The Investor Catalyst consortium ensures that successes in research can reach the people who need them, fostering collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors to speed the transition of innovative ideas into practical, accessible solutions. It is focused on commercializing technologies, understanding market dynamics, and providing business support to accelerate health care innovation. This consortium is located in the greater Boston area, MA, managed by our Investor Catalyst Hub.

Spokes equal reach

Hubs are responsible for persistently retaining and recruiting spokes across the United States and its territories. Spokes harness a broad range of expertise, community voices, and geographic spread. They are dynamic and change with the needs of ARPA-H programs. The network is built upon a principle of representing and including the diversity of our country, and making sure that any success resulting from an ARPA-H program can reach everyone who needs it.

Work with ARPANET-H

ARPANET-H ensures the transition of health research innovations into solutions that reach all Americans. In addition to hosting activities, engaging with ARPA-H programs, and sharing community perspectives, ARPANET-H provides many other services, including:

Network events: Each hub hosts a variety of in-person and virtual events for spokes, including monthly virtual events, an annual symposium, expert panels, office hours for members, pitch days, and sessions at widely attended conferences and industry events.
B2B-style contracts: The hubs provide speedy and simple business-to-business style contracts when a contract opportunity arises.
Persistent network feedback: Rather than using traditional government RFIs, we creatively solicit meaningful feedback from spokes to inform our approach and shape future ARPA-H research programs. The hubs conduct proactive scouting and outreach, especially to communities and organizations that do not typically engage with the government.
Listening sessions: We hold listening sessions to deeply understand topics and have a direct dialogue with the people and organizations affected by the problems we want to solve.
Regulatory resources: We provide an open library of resources to help to demystify regulatory processes. Our ambition is to democratize these insights so that they are available to ARPA-H performers and the wider health ecosystem.
Teaming opportunities: Meet with other members of ARPANET-H to build partnerships and find opportunities to collaborate on new technologies and research.

Join our nationwide network of spokes

Apply by visiting the Customer Experience Hub or the Investor Catalyst Hub websites. Current spokes include hospital systems, startups, academic institutions, patient advocacy groups, venture capital and investment firms, and community health centers. Membership is free and open to organizations that have a valid interest in ARPA-H programs.

Learn more about ARPANET-H

Just as ARPANET linked geographically separate computers to spark the internet and unleash a technological revolution, ARPANET-H will link the American health ecosystem to create transformative changes in health care.

Learn more about ARPANET-H from its press release.

Find more opportunities to work with ARPA-H via our Project Accelerator Transition Innovation Office.