Special Notice for Technology InteGrator and AcceleratoR (TIGAR)

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), operating under the National Institutes of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services, has published a Special Notice announcing a newly approved Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) for the Technology InteGrator and AcceleratoR (TIGAR) Exploratory Topic. The formal solicitation, designated ARPA-H-SOL-26-144, was published on April 22, 2026, and is available for review on SAM.gov. This Special Notice serves to alert the scientific community to the opportunity and to announce an associated virtual Proposers' Day scheduled for May 20, 2026. The notice does not constitute a formal solicitation and does not require reimbursement for response costs. Potential proposers are encouraged to monitor SAM.gov for updates to the solicitation.

The TIGAR program aims to support evaluation of early-stage, high-risk, high-impact concepts for developing temperature-flexible preservation solutions for complex tissues and organs, with solutions potentially incorporating artificial intelligence, materials science, genetic engineering, bioinformatics, and imaging technologies. Proposers must demonstrate the ability to preserve entire structures (organoids, organs, or organ sub-units) or one cubic centimeter tissue volumes for 30 days at practical temperatures ranging from -80°C to room temperature (20-25°C) using conventional equipment while preserving cell viability and function. Each project will consist of an 18-month performance period divided into two 9-month phases, with a go/no-go decision following Phase 1 completion, and maximum ARPA-H funding of $2 million USD per project. Proposal registration closes May 12, 2026, at 12:59 PM ET, while webinar registration closes May 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. Attendance at the Proposers' Day webinar is optional and not required for proposal submission or funding consideration, with the technical point of contact being Gloria Elliott, PhD, Program Manager at TIGAR@arpa-h.gov.