Description
The ARPA‑H SPECTRA Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) seeks pre‑proposal solution summaries for Technical Area 4 (TA‑4), which focuses on developing everyday assistive‑technology that simultaneously improves communication, quality‑of‑life, and provides embedded assessment data for autism research. Proposers must submit a ≤7‑page solution summary (excluding cover page, BOE, resource‑share strategy, and references) that details concept, innovation, technical approach, milestones, team capability, budget, and resource‑sharing plans. The solicitation is open to for‑profit, non‑profit and academic entities (U.S.‑based, with SAM registration) and explicitly excludes federal entities as prime contractors. Awards will be issued under an Other Transaction (OT) agreement; no dollar ceilings are disclosed, and full‑proposal instructions will be released later. The TA‑4 deadline is October 21 2026 3 pm ET; subsequent full‑proposal deadlines are forthcoming. Successful proposals must co‑design with autistic stakeholders, ensure on‑device AI and privacy‑preserving data capture, and align outputs with the SPECTRA common data model for integration with TA‑1 and TA‑2.
• Scope: Design, prototype, and validate at least three communication/quality‑of‑life technologies (e.g., wearables, AAC, eye‑tracking, low‑channel EEG, camera‑based movement analysis) that generate real‑world data usable for autism trajectory analysis.
• Requirements: 12‑month user retention, cold‑start usability, few‑shot personalization, open‑source on‑device speech/acoustic models, consent‑governed data collection, interoperability with FHIR/OMOP‑based data standards.
• Eligibility: U.S. entities (commercial, academic, non‑profit) with active SAM registration; prime cannot be a federal lab/FFRDC.
• Submission: Use Attachment A template, ≤7 pages (excluding cover, BOE, resource‑share, references), Arial‑style font, English, and submit via the ARPA‑H solution‑summary portal by 3 pm ET on 21 Oct 2026.
Attached files
Contact
Russell Shilling(Program Manager)