ARPA-H releases details on site selection and first BAA

The Advanced Research Projects for Health (ARPA-H) released plans to establish hub sites in three locations across the United States and announced their strategy for site selection. With one site to be located in the National Capital Region (NCR), ARPA-H will issue a draft Request for Consortium Agreement (RCA) to solicit recommendations for the second and third hub sites.  The ARPA-H hub sites are planned to support a network of partners, or spokes, that will form the foundation of a nationwide health network to “accelerate better health outcomes for everyone.”

Although the region for the first hub site has already been determined, ARPA-H will issue a draft Request for Consortium Agreement (RCA) to solicit recommendations for the second and third hub sites. Submitted recommendations should describe why the geographic location is a best fit considering the goals and capabilities of ARPA-H.  

The first hub, to be located in the National Capital Region (NCR), will take a “human-centered approach” and emphasizes stakeholder engagement and legislative collaboration to ensure new health capabilities reach target populations. Key criteria in selecting NCR as the geographic location of Hub No. 1 included proximity to ARPA-H stakeholders and federal partner agencies for in-person collaboration, proximity to an airport, flexible co-working space and a space that can accommodate 85-100 employees, as well as other criteria. 

Hub No. 2 will act as a customer experience hub, focusing on in-demand products and services, drive user testing, capture data and conduct clinical trials, all in order to reach target patient populations.

The third and final hub, an “investor catalyst,” will assist performers in bringing their ideas to the market and will include a small team of ARPA-H team members to support the agency’s goals. Each of the three hubs will have a performance period of five years and ARPA-H intends to announce awards and locations of all three hubs by early fall 2023.

ARPA-H will host a Virtual Proposers’ Day on Friday, March 24, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET to provide a briefing on the RCA and provide a closer look at hub location requirements, as well as offer a collaborative platform for all involved parties. 

ARPA-H has also opened its first Agency-wide Open Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which calls for unique proposals regarding breakthrough research and technological advancements, specifically encouraging concepts that advance President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot or other disease-agnostic approaches. 

In addition to ARPA-H’s BAA, the agency will hold the ARPA-H Dash competition, a collaborative online competition that aims to solicit impactful ideas that will strengthen ARPA-H’s goals. Nominations for the ARPA-H Dash will be accepted through an online portal between March 29 and April 7, 2023.