EHI Technical FAQ Oct 22 2026

Emerging Health Innovators (EHI)

ARPA-H-SOL-26-150

Technical - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as of 10/21/2026

Questions for this ISO should be submitted to [email protected] . FAQs will be updated on a continual basis through February 03, 2027. Updated content will be highlighted in green.

Topic 3: Deep Brain Stimulation for Mechanistic Sleep Exploration (Deep Sleep) 1Q: Are implanted technologies required or can novel non-invasive/minimally-invasive techniques also be responsive to TA 3? 1A: We remain open to innovative solutions, so long as they are capable of accomplishing the stated goals on mapping the deep brain circuitry and mechanisms of sleep and arousal. 2Q: Could externally delivered sensory stimulation and synchronized behavioral or physiological measurements fall within scope as supporting tools in a DBS-based mechanistic sleep study, provided the study directly addresses the topic’s objectives and is led by an eligible early-career investigator? 2A: Such approaches are in scope as supporting tools, provided they are part of a study that directly addresses the stated goals of mapping the deep brain circuitry and mechanisms of sleep and arousal. 3Q: How might preclinical research fit into this vision? I.e. mapping/testing these phenomena in mice/rats? The EHI Proposers Day slide jumps straight to clinical studies, so I am wondering where preclinical science fits. Would purely preclinical research not be appropriate? I am assuming some research plan that includes both preclinical (discovery) and clinical (therapeutic optimization) might be well received but unclear from the presentation how preclinical would be viewed from the program perspective. Thank you. 3A: For topic 3, preclinical research and animal model alone efforts are not in scope. Projects will need to reach deep into the brain to get at the circuitry and establish causality in humans. 4Q: I understand that topic 3 has a high emphasis on approaches that can be used in humans. However, given the project timeline, approval for testing new approaches for intracranial DBS and recordings in humans is unlikely. I was hoping to hear from the program officer that a proposal can focus on validation in animal models (specifically non-human primates) with a very real path towards human clinical translation. My institution has the team and infrastructure for translation to humans, but I do not believe it would be feasible to propose in-human recordings within the project timeline. 4A: For topic 3, preclinical research and animal model alone efforts are not in scope. Projects will need to reach deep into the brain to get at the circuitry and establish causality in humans.