ARPA-H’s RAPID Program
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) recently announced the newly approved program for Rare disease AI/ML for Precision Integrated Diagnostics (RAPID). This initiative aims to revolutionize the prolonged diagnostic odyssey faced by millions of rare disease patients worldwide. Utilizing fragmented datasets and state-of-the-art technologies, RAPID aims to democratize access to advanced diagnostics and transform the healthcare landscape for underserved and marginalized communities. The RAPID program will achieve these goals by harnessing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to develop scalable, precise diagnostic tools for identifying rare diseases across diverse populations.
Overview of the Solicitation
The RAPID program is a two-phase effort spanning 54 months (4.5 years). Phase I is structured around three key Technical Areas (TAs) that focus on building datasets, confirming biomarkers, and creating a platform for diagnostics (TA 1-3); a draft Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) is expected to be issued for RAPID Phase I in early January 2025. Phase II focuses on evaluation of the rare disease detection models built in Phase I (TA 4); requests for Phase II proposals will come at a later date.
- TA 1: Massive-Scale Rare Disease Dataset – Development of the largest curated dataset of longitudinal health data for patients with rare disease This dataset will integrate fragmented information to accelerate the development and validation of diagnostic tools.
- TA 2: Novel Diagnostic Indicators and Population-Scale Discovery – Creation of cost-effective, remotely deployable digital tools to collect multimodal health data directly from patients, enabling scalable discovery of rare diseases in previously undiagnosed individuals.
- TA 3: Sustainable Platform for AI Diagnostic Development – Establishment of a Rare Disease Data Commons to support AI/ML-based diagnostic advancements. This platform will enable interoperable data sharing, analysis, and evaluation among key stakeholders.
- TA 4: Model Benchmarking – Empirical evaluation of the rare disease detection models build during Phase I of the program.
Funding Information
Multiple awards will be granted for Phase I, with a reduced number advancing to Phase II based on demonstrated progress. Awards will support data aggregation, diagnostic tool development, and real-world validation efforts. A separate solicitation for Phase II performers will be issued in year two of the program.
Proposer’s Day
The RAPID Proposer’s Day will be a single day hybrid event on January 23, 2025. The in-person portion of the event will be hosted in San Francisco, California, and the virtual portion will be on Zoom. Proposer’s Day will include information about the RAPID program, scope, timeline, upcoming ISO, and Other Transaction Agreements. Beyond being a valuable educational event, the Proposer’s Day will also provide multiple opportunities for networking, collaborative discussions, and teaming, including lightning talks, posters, and teaming profiles.
Registration for Proposer’s Day has opened, and is expected to close on January 21, 2025 at 12pm ET. Registration for the in-person event is limited by venue size, so early registration is highly recommended.
The RAPID initiative represents a groundbreaking effort to address the global challenge of rare disease diagnosis. By uniting AI/ML technologies, large-scale data resources, and real-world validation, RAPID is poised to revolutionize rare disease detection and ensure equitable access to advanced diagnostics for all populations.
If your company has considered applying for ARPA-H funding, your federal funding journey starts here.
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