Navigating the Application Process

ARPA-H provides a complete list of open funding opportunities on the arpa-h.gov website. New Program, Initiative, and small business opportunities are announced throughout the year and remain open for a limited time, whereas Mission Office Innovative Solution Openings (ISO) opportunities are accepted on a rolling basis.

Tips:

• Before proceeding, everyone interested in perusing an ARPA-H opportunity should first familiarize themselves with ARPA-H's mission, research model, and how ARPA-H uses aggressive milestones and outcome-based funding agreements (which are different from grants) to ensure it address only the toughest health challenges and advance only the best solutions.  
• Anyone interested in a Mission Office ISO opportunity, should also read Mission Office ISOs: Know Before Applying.

About the solicitation

A solicitation is an official announcement inviting researchers, companies, or organizations to submit ideas or proposals. ARPA-H refers to many solicitations as Innovative Solution Openings (ISO), which are the agency’s unique solicitation instrument used to request proposals for its Programs, Initiatives, and Mission Office-specific research and development efforts. Solicitations for small business awards are referenced as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards.

An ARPA-H solicitation is typically in a PDF format and will often be accompanied by a zip file of additional documents. The solicitation and associated documents will detail all information about the opportunity and how to apply, including:

• Opportunity details and technical requirements
• Eligibility information
• Key dates and deadlines
• Details about the submission process, submission requirements, and how to apply
• Evaluation criteria and information about the review process
• Formatting requirements and submission templates
• Policy requirements
• Additional information depending on the specifics of the opportunity

It is extremely important that proposers read the solicitation and its associated documents in their entirety, understand the technical requirements, and follow all instructions. ARPA-H may not review submissions that are missing required documents, don’t address the requirements, are longer than the page limit allowed, or are in alternative templates.

About the solicitation posting

ARPA-H posts and maintains most solicitations on SAM.gov, an official U.S. government website with information on Federal Government business opportunities. A direct link to each solicitation will be available from the opportunity’s informational page on the arpa-h.gov website. In instances when solicitations are posted and maintained outside of SAM.gov, the opportunity’s informational page will provide further instructions.

Be sure to look for the solicitation PDF and zip file of additional documents in the “Attachment” section of the posting on SAM.gov.

Tip: Solicitations may be amended, and key dates and deadlines may change for a variety of reasons during the solicitation period. It’s important to continue referencing the solicitation posting throughout the solicitation period for the most up-to-date information. To make referencing the solicitation on SAM.gov easier:

• Bookmark opportunities of interest.
• Consider “following” the contract opportunity. Instructions on how to follow an opportunity (link opens in new window) are provided by the Federal Service Desk (FSD.gov).
• Use the “View Changes” feature in SAM.gov to highlight recent changes.
• Download documents with recent changes. Updated documents typically include an amendment date in the file name.

The Solutions Portal is ARPA-H's custom submission and registration platform. Proposers who are new to the ARPA-H Solutions Portal (link opens in new window) should familiarize themselves with its features. This is where proposers can:

• Ask questions about the funding opportunity (see step 4)
• Register for ARPA-H events, like Proposers’ Days (see step 4)
• Create a teaming profile (see step 5)
• Submit Solution Summaries and proposals (see steps 7 and 8)

Note: Some solicitations may have different submission requirements that would not require an account with the ARPA-H Solutions Portal. In those cases, further details will be provided in the solicitation. 

ARPA-H offers several ways to learn more about the opportunity, answer questions, and support teaming and collaboration (when applicable).

1. Attend Proposers’ Day (optional)  

This optional event is a place to learn more about the opportunity. Advanced registration is required. A direct link to each event’s registration page will be provided on the related opportunity’s informational page on the arpa-h.gov website, as well as provided in the solicitation.

Note: Mission Office ISOs do not have Proposers’ Day events since they encompass more general topics and are accepted on a rolling basis. Additionally, some opportunities may not have a Proposers’ Day or may offer different types of events. Be sure to check the solicitation for details.

Tip: Complete Proposers’ Day event details can be found in one of two places, depending on the opportunity. Some solicitations will include the Proposers’ Day details within the original solicitation posted on SAM.gov (see step 2). Others may post details in a "related notice,” which is posted separately on SAM.gov. When posted separately, related notices are referenced at the top of the original solicitation posting on SAM.gov. Be sure to check each solicitation posting for these special notices.

2. Review FAQs & Ask Questions

When applicable, each opportunity’s informational page on the arpa-h.gov website will include a link to FAQs specific to the associated funding opportunity. These FAQs are updated throughout the application process to include new questions received from the proposer community.

Proposers who don’t find an answer to their question here can use the link provided on the page to access a questions form. Questions submitted by proposers may be generalized (removing any identifying or proprietary information) and added to FAQ page for the community’s benefit.

3. Other events or ways to engage

Some opportunity openings may offer additional events or different ways to engage. If applicable, details will be provided on the opportunity’s informational page on the arpha-h.gov website and in the solicitation.

Forming teams with other individuals or organizations expands expertise. This step applies most often to Program-specific openings as ARPA-H anticipates that teaming will be necessary to achieve the goals of many Programs. ARPA-H recommends, but does not require, proposers to form teams with varied technical expertise.

To facilitate the teaming process, applicable opportunity informational pages on the arpa-h.gov website will include a link to a teaming profiles page where proposers can read more about other interested parties.

For proposers who want to be included in the list of potential teaming partners, the teaming profiles page will include a link to the ARPA-H Solutions Portal where interested parties can fill out a Teaming Profile Form. Once approved, a proposer’s profile will appear publicly on the arpa-h.gov website.

When ready, start preparing submission materials. Proposers should check the solicitation posting to ensure they are using the most updated documents and templates and that they are familiar with all deadlines.  

Each solicitation, and the documents and templates associated with the solicitation, will include instructions on required content, page length, font, font size, margin widths, how to address proprietary information, and more. Proposers should be sure they understand all submission requirements as outlined in the solicitation. Submissions that do not follow requirements may not be reviewed.

Tips:  

• Submit a Solution Summary: ARPA-H recognizes that preparing full proposal materials is an investment of time and resources. For that reason, it is recommended that everyone first submit a Solution Summary prior to a proposal, even when it is not required (see step 7).
• Register with SAM.gov: Some solicitations require proposers to first register with SAM.gov and have a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) prior to submitting a full proposal. Registration can take 7-10 business days to process. When applicable, the solicitation will provide details on how to register with SAM.gov. If a proposer has previously registered with SAM.gov, they will only need verify their entity information is accurate.
• Budget realistically: Selection decisions, in part, consider both the availability of funds and the reasonableness of the proposed budget. Proposals should be priced as appropriate for the proposer and/or the proposers’ organization and include strong rationale to account for estimates or anticipated risks.

A Solution Summary is a short concept summary documents that allow ARPA-H to provide feedback on the relevance and viability of a proposer’s concept prior to investing resources in a proposal submission.  

Some opportunities require proposers to submit a Solution Summary and receive ARPA-H feedback before submitting a proposal. Carefully read the solicitation for requirement details. In cases where a Solution Summary is required, ARPA-H will only review proposals when it has reviewed the Solution Summary and provided feedback to the proposer.    

Unless otherwise noted in the solicitation, proposers will submit a Solution Summary via ARPA-H's Solutions Portal (see step 3). At present time, the system does not allow you to track or edit submitted summaries. Proposers who have inquiries after submitting should use the “Ask A Question” form located with the Solutions Portal.  

ARPA-H will provide proposers with a feedback letter after reviewing Solution Summary submissions. The feedback letter will “encourage” or “discourage” proceeding with the submission process. “Encouraged” feedback letters may provide additional information on next steps, additional criteria, and a timeline for submission.  

Tip: ARPA-H seeks revolutionary ideas. As a result, the metrics and scope to receive funding are intentionally aggressive. Besides submitting a Solution Summary (even when it is not required), it is strongly recommended that proposers only submit a proposal if their Solution Summary is “encouraged.”

Proposals are longer, more detailed submissions that ARPA-H will use to make final decisions about whether to fund a proposed research idea. ARPA-H can’t review submissions that do not meet all criteria outlined in the solicitation. Be sure to carefully read the solicitation prior to submitting a full proposal.  

Unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation, proposers will submit proposals on the ARPA-H Solutions Portal (see step 3). At present time, the system does not allow you to track or edit submitted proposals. Proposers who have inquiries after submitting should use the “Ask A Question” form located with the Solutions Portal.

Note: Timely proposal reviews and awards are critical to ARPA-H's mission. The agency takes great care to ensure an ethical, fair, and consistent review process free of bias and conflicts of interest. As a result, the timeline for a response may vary depending on the number of submissions received.

Once ARPA-H completes its review, the proposer will receive a letter providing notification that the proposal is “selected for negotiation,” “not selected for negotiation,” or received a “partial selection” (which means part—not all—of the proposal has been accepted). Additional details will vary based on the opportunity and the selection status of the proposal.

If not selected, proposers may request an informal feedback session for their proposal based on the evaluation criteria provided in the solicitation.

Tip: Outside of a Solution Summary submission (see step 8), ARPA-H does not have the capacity to provide feedback prior to submitting a proposal. It is very important that proposers understand the evaluation criteria listed in the solicitation and carefully prepare submission materials accordingly (see step 6).

If selected for negotiations, ARPA-H and the proposer will negotiate the terms and conditions of the agreement prior to award. This includes the scope of work, project duration or schedule, success metrics, performance-based milestones, budget, team composition, intellectual property, and any required compliance and regulatory considerations (e.g., conflicts of interest, research security reviews).

This phase often involves requests for clarifications or additional documentation to finalize execution and management details. Proposers will have the opportunity to update proposed work to ensure alignment with ARPA-H Program objectives, performance and milestone requirements, schedule, or budget.

Note: With the exceptions of proposals submitted through small business SBIRs or STTRs, all proposals recommended for funding will go through a research security review. This review is conducted separately from the agency’s scientific and merit review process, conducted only on proposals that are recommended for funding, and handled in parallel with other award negotiations. Learn more about the ARPA-H security review process.

Tip: ARPA-H primarily awards Other Transactions (OTs) and Cooperative Agreements for research and development efforts, which are different from grants. These are often performance-based agreements where funding allocations and continuation on projects are contingent on meeting the milestones agreed upon during negotiations. ARPA-H helps with OT planning, execution, and administration. Learn more by visiting the Other Transaction Community section the arpa-h.gov website.

Once negotiations are complete and all agreement terms and conditions are agreed upon, ARPA-H issues an award to the proposer (now performer). This commences the performance phase where the performer will be expected to:

• Execute the proposed project plan: Carry out research and development activities as outlined in the award, meeting agreed-upon aggressive milestones and deliverables. Reminder, key success indicators and performance will be based on how well performers meet these metrics and milestones. Achieving technical milestones during the award term will factor into whether the performer continue in whole or in part. Unsuccessful aspects may be removed or modified, or the project may be required to pivot.
• Maintain regular communication: Project Managers (PMs) will be in regular communication with teams and will monitor technical progress. Performers will provide progress reports, participate in status meetings, and promptly communicate any significant issues, challenges, or changes. PMs will work with performers to address issues, which may include pivoting to a more promising approach, downselections, or cutting portion(s) of projects deemed not successful.
• Comply with all terms: Follow contractual, regulatory, and reporting requirements, including financial management, data sharing, and compliance with ethical, safety, and security protocols.

These expectations ensure that ARPA-H-funded work remains aligned with Program goals and federal regulations throughout the performance period, and that performers meet the aggressive milestones and performance criteria that ensures only the best solutions advance.