POSEIDON Frequently Asked Questions

We have modified the “state” field to include “non-US” as an option. Please select that and include your country along with your city in the “City” field.

No templates will be provided. As stated in the Special Notice, “Participants will be granted five (5) minutes to present two (2) slides on their research as it relates to the intersection of their expertise and POSEIDON’s technical areas.” Instructions on how to submit slides will be provided separately.

No. POSEIDON Proposers’ Day is an in-person only event. If you are unable to attend in person, please let us know and we will remove you from the attendee list.

 As stated in the Special Notice, “No single academic lab or commercial entity may register more than 3 participants”. While this is not intended as a limit for an entire academic institution, it would apply to a specific lab under a PI and/or a multi-PI unit with a shared research focus. Similarly, while this is not intended as a limit for a single large company, it would apply to a single business sub-unit. If you have a specific circumstance or inquiry, please submit registration requests for applicable participants and ARPA-H will consider them on an individual basis.

All MCED tests must target each of the 25 cancer types listed as "required" by POSEIDON. A successful proposal will address all the program metrics and objectives with 100% concordance (see ISO for further details). Potential proposers are expected to carefully read program requirements and metric tables to ensure that their proposal is within the scope of the program. We strongly encourage potential proposers submit teaming profiles to identify partners with the necessary expertise to address all program requirements.

No. Use of synthetic sensors and reporters is a program requirement. A successful proposal will address all the program metrics and objectives with 100% concordance (see ISO for further details). Potential proposers are expected to carefully read program requirements and metric tables to ensure that their proposal is within the scope of the program. If your approach does not fully align with POSEIDON program requirements and objectives, you may consider submitting a solution summary to one of ARPA-H’s office-wide solicitations instead.

All MCED tests must target each of the 25 cancer types listed as "required" by POSEIDON and at least 5 additional cancers from the second list provided in the ISO. A successful proposal will address all the program metrics and objectives with 100% concordance (see ISO for further details). Potential proposers are expected to carefully read program requirements and metric tables to ensure that their proposal is within the scope of the program. We strongly encourage potential proposers submit teaming profiles to identify partners with the necessary expertise to address all program requirements. 

No. A successful proposal will address all the program metrics and objectives with 100% concordance (see ISO for further details). Potential proposers are expected to carefully read program requirements and metric tables to ensure that their proposal is within the scope of the program. If your approach does not fully align with POSEIDON program requirements and objectives, you may consider submitting a solution summary to one of ARPA-H’s office-wide solicitations instead. 

All synthetic biomarkers that fit the program requirements, objectives and metrics will be considered. See the draft ISO for further information.

Yes.  A successful proposal will address all the program metrics and objectives with 100% concordance (see ISO for further details). Potential proposers are expected to carefully read program requirements and metric tables to ensure that their proposal is within the scope of the program. We strongly encourage potential proposers to submit teaming profiles to identify partners with the necessary expertise to address all program requirements.

We are not able to evaluate individual approaches or technologies for suitability to POSEIDON in advance. Please read the ISO carefully to make sure your proposal addresses all program requirements. Also see the Eligibility and Conformance Certification Sheet in Appendix A of the ISO. This sheet must be completed and submitted along with the solution summaries and full proposals.

We are not able to provide specific examples of eligible designs or technologies. Please see section 2.2 of the ISO (Technical Approach and Structure) for additional information.

The proposer team will ideally be led by a single corporation or other commercial entity. The ideal proposer characteristics may include the proven capability and established infrastructure to produce, manufacture, translate, commercialize, and deliver upon all technical components of the program. 

Alternatively, a strong team led by a small and/or non-commercial entity (e.g., a university or small business) may submit a proposal but may be required to negotiate a multi-party teaming agreement to receive an award (i.e., all proposed key team members will be required to be bound by this agreement). Regardless of the specific teaming arrangement, all teams must have a commercial entity that will have the lead role within the team.

It is the expectation that the commercial entity will house or have a pre-existing licensing agreement to use all IP generated within POSEIDON. 

A team that has previously submitted a solution summary can either elect to keep their solution summary only in the Open ISO for consideration or withdraw their solution summary from the Open ISO and submit a solution summary to POSEIDON. 

The full proposal submission deadline will be provided to Proposers at the time of Solution Summary feedback. The government anticipates the due date for full proposals to be no later than approximately Jan 8, 2025.

As articulated in Section 3.1.3, Proposer Teaming Structures, the Government’s assumption is the ideal team will be led by a corporation or other commercial entity. In this traditional prime/sub scenario, there would be ONE Prime Entity/Submitter organization. This entity would be represented on the award document and must have an active SAM registration. Subaward entities would be bound by applicable subaward/contract agreements with the Prime/Submitter entity. These sub agreements/contracts would include, at a minimum, required flow-down terms and conditions from the POSEIDON award between the Prime and ARPA-H.

If a traditional prime/sub arrangement with a commercial entity as the Prime is not proposed, the Government may require the proposing team to negotiate and sign a legally binding Multi-Teaming Agreement (MTA).  While the details will vary, the MTA is fundamentally a common document to establish (1) roles and responsibilities of all team members (which will likely fluctuate throughout project performance), (2) the right of the Government to interact directly with all team members (as appropriate), and (3) the applicability of all award terms and conditions to all team members. With any MTA there will similarly be ONE Entity/Submitter organization who will be represented on the award document (as the team agent and/or lead coordinator) and must have an active SAM registration. However, in MTAs there is not the hierarchy of traditional prime/sub arrangements and thus the submitter is not technically the Prime.