Published
When ARPA-H releases a new research and development funding opportunity, it is typically accompanied by a Proposers’ Day event. These free events are meant to be for the proposer community to hear directly from the Program Manager (PM) and other ARPA-H staff about the opportunity and any unique technical, teaming, or contractual considerations.
What is Proposers’ Day?
A Proposers’ Day event is typically announced via a Special Notice on SAM.gov or through our Hubs. The notice outlines the event’s topic, how to register, and any materials you should prepare in advance. The event itself lasts anywhere from two hours to a full business day. You can expect to hear from the PM, agency leadership, the agreements officer, and sometimes other guest speakers or prospective proposers.
During the event, you’ll learn more about the technical areas and research expectations outlined in the program’s solicitation. The PM and their team will emphasize deadlines, key requirements, and important steps to apply. The event will also cover the basics of how you can expect to work with ARPA-H from a contracting perspective. If you are not familiar with the agency’s research model or contracting mechanisms, these sessions will be particularly useful.
Keep in mind that ARPA-H is not a grant-making agency. ARPA-H primarily awards Other Transaction agreements and funding is usually contingent on performers meeting aggressive milestones. Performance criteria are agreed upon during award negotiations between ARPA-H and selected performers.
Proposers’ Day also provides an opportunity for your group to network and partner with other proposing teams who can provide complementary expertise. ARPA-H expects multidisciplinary teaming to be necessary to achieve the goals of most programs. You can use the online teaming profiles to further help identify teammates.
Who is invited?
The intended audience for Proposers’ Day is, of course, prospective proposers! ARPA-H welcomes participation from academic researchers, industry labs, patient advocacy groups, professional societies, government or investment partners, and small businesses.
To register for a Proposers’ Day, you must first create a user account with the ARPA-H Solutions Portal. This portal will also be how you submit your proposal unless other instructions are provided.
Where can I attend?
Proposers’ Day is in-person or sometimes hybrid, with in-person attendance highly encouraged to promote opportunities to network with prospective teaming partners. When you register for an event, you’ll have information on the date, time, and city – with specific agenda details being shared with registrants closer to the day-of.
If you join virtually, be sure to watch your email for the webinar link. Sometimes additional activities are included, like lightning talks (quick presentations by registrants about their research capabilities), sidebars (short discussions between you and the PM team), and breakout discussions (to network with peers). These can all be facilitated for virtual attendees, too.
When is the event?
A Proposers’ Day is typically held a few weeks after a new program is announced and a few weeks before the first submission deadline. Expect to devote a few hours for the event, or even a full day or more with travel.
The event is recorded, so you can also re-watch on ARPA-H's YouTube channel. Remember though, that details in the solicitation supersede anything presented during the live event. You should always defer to the program solicitation or submit your question if something is unclear.
How do I prepare?
First, you should review the special notice (and solicitation) to determine if the scope of the effort overlaps with your group’s research capabilities. If the Proposers’ Day includes lightning talks, sidebars, or other networking opportunities, be sure to follow any guidance about how to prepare – either by submitting teaming information in advance, preparing a templated slide, or reaching out to the PM team.
Before the event, you should secure your travel plans (if participating in-person) or block your schedule (if joining virtually). Review the solicitation to get familiar with the expected research metrics, technical areas, and contracting steps. Navigating the teaming process – finding partners, establishing an agreement, and preparing parts of the proposal – should happen both before and after Proposers’ Day. It’s important not to wait until the submission deadline to think about teaming and negotiations.
On the day of the event, be ready to take notes, share your expertise, and network with fellow researchers!