Sources Sought: Novel and enhanced modalities for optic nerve imaging

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is issuing this Sources Sought to gauge industry interest, capabilities, and relevant experience to support the ARPA-H Health Science Futures Mission Office.

The ARPA-H Transplantation of Human Eye Allografts Program (THEA) program seeks to enable whole eye transplantation to restore vision for the blind and visually impaired. Today, we can transplant kidneys, hearts, livers, skin and even lungs, but we cannot transplant eyes due to major technical challenges.

Among these challenges, repair and regrowth of the optic nerve remains the largest. Fundamental to whole eye transplantation is the reattachment of the donor optic nerve to the recipient’s optic nerve and regrowth of donor retinal ganglion cells through the recipient optic nerve to the visual centers of the brain. To address the unique problem of visualizing nerve regrowth, the agency is seeking sources with information, interest, and capabilities on novel and enhanced modalities for non-invasive optic nerve imaging. Responses should address both the state of the art, including the gaps in current research and development, and near future directions.

The full Sources Sought (ARPA-H-SS-26-157) and instructions to respond can be found on SAM.gov. Interested parties are requested to submit their response no later than 5:00 PM Eastern on June 10, 2026.