Use of AI tools in ADVOCATE proposal reviews

ARPA-H’s Agentic AI-Enabled Cardiovascular Care Transformation (ADVOCATE) program has generated exceptional interest. This reflects the urgency of the problem, preventable deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the excitement around ADVOCATE’s goal to develop a first-of-its-kind, FDA‑authorized clinical agentic AI system that can provide 24/7 care.

ADVOCATE will pilot the use of secure large language model (LLM) tools to assist with the initial review of solution summaries. This approach is consistent with the program’s vision: enabling clinical AI agents that can safely and effectively support patients, including older adults with advanced CVD living at home.

How AI will be used

  • LLM tools will help organize, summarize, and surface key information from solution summaries.
  • Human experts will remain responsible for all evaluation and decisions.
  • Reviewers will include specialists in contracting, regulation, engineering, product design, informatics, and clinical care.

AI will not replace human judgment. Instead, these tools will help reviewers work more efficiently and consistently, while maintaining the rigorous standards expected of ARPA-H programs.

Why this matters

ADVOCATE is not only advancing clinical agentic AI for CVD; it is also helping ARPA-H and the broader U.S. government understand how to use AI responsibly at scale. HHS has been an early leader in adopting generative AI tools, and the agency is building on lessons from across the Department to ensure safety, transparency, and trust.

For more questions, you can go to ADVOCATE's FAQ page, where you can both submit a new question, or see responses to prior ones. You can also view our Q&A webinar (video displays in YouTube and link opens in a new window), as well as the entire proposer’s day video (video displays in YouTube and link opens in a new window). Lastly, the most important document remains the ISO Solicitation (ARPA-H-SOL-26-142) , which has been appropriately updated on SAM.gov (link opens in a new window).