The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has released an Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) for the Systematic Targeting of Microplastics (STOMP) program, signaling a major federal investment in understanding and addressing the health impacts of micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs). As mounting evidence links MNP exposure to a range of adverse health outcomes, ARPA-H is seeking innovative solutions to quantify, characterize, and ultimately mitigate these risks. The STOMP program reflects a broader federal push to confront emerging environmental health threats through advanced, interdisciplinary research and translational innovation.
STOMP is designed to tackle a fundamental challenge: while microplastics are now known to accumulate in human tissues, including blood, brain, liver, and other organs, the field lacks standardized methods to measure their presence, a clear understanding of their biological effects, and viable strategies for removal. ARPA-H’s goal is to close these gaps by enabling new technologies and scientific insights that can directly improve human health outcomes.
Program Overview and Technical Structure
The STOMP program is organized into three Technical Areas (TAs), executed over two phases spanning up to 60 months. This ISO focuses on Technical Area 1 (Measurement) and Technical Area 2 (Understanding), while Technical Area 3 (Removal) will be solicited at a later stage.
Technical Area 1 (TA1) (60 Months): Measurement centers on developing the foundational tools needed to detect and quantify MNPs in biological systems. Performers are expected to:
- Develop a best-in-class, research-grade measurement methodology capable of accurately quantifying MNPs across size, composition, and concentration.
- Create a clinical-grade diagnostic system that can rapidly and cost-effectively measure MNP burden in human samples at scale.
- Conduct a clinical correlation study to determine whether MNP levels in accessible biofluids, such as blood or urine, can reliably reflect tissue-level accumulation.
Technical Area 2 (TA2) (36 Months) : Understanding builds on these measurement capabilities to investigate how MNPs behave in the body and contribute to disease. Key objectives include:
- Characterizing bioaccumulation patterns across organ systems under acute and chronic exposure conditions.
- Identifying systemic, organ-level, and cellular health impacts associated with different MNP types.
- Establishing a mechanistic framework for MNP toxicity, including pathways of cellular uptake, trafficking, and biological disruption.
- Exploring potential innate mechanisms for MNP clearance or degradation.
Technical Area 3 (TA3): Removal, while not currently open for proposals, represents the program’s ultimate goal: developing technologies to prevent accumulation and remove harmful MNPs from the human body. A future solicitation is expected following initial progress in TA1 and TA2.
The program emphasizes cross-team collaboration, standardized methodologies, and data sharing, with performers expected to contribute to a unified research ecosystem that accelerates discovery and translation.
Key Dates and Submission Timeline
ARPA-H has outlined several critical deadlines for prospective proposers:
- Proposers’ Day: April 22, 2026 (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET)
An informational session to provide program insights and facilitate teaming opportunities. - Q&A Submission Deadline: May 4, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Final date to submit questions to ARPA-H for clarification. - Solution Summaries Due: May 6, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Required initial submissions for TA1 and TA2 that determine whether proposers are encouraged to submit full proposals. - Full Proposals Due: June 22, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Final deadline for complete proposal submissions for TA1 and TA2.
Funding and Award Structure
ARPA-H anticipates making multiple awards through Other Transaction (OT) agreements, a flexible funding mechanism designed to support innovative and nontraditional performers.
Importantly, the solicitation does not specify total funding levels or individual award sizes. As a result, proposers should focus on aligning their technical approach and resource planning with program objectives rather than targeting a predefined funding threshold.
The program is expected to span up to 60 months, with activities distributed across two phases. Not all performers or technical activities will necessarily extend through the full period of performance.
Why STOMP Matters for Human Health
The STOMP program represents a critical step toward understanding and addressing one of the most pervasive and least understood environmental health risks of our time. By enabling precise measurement of microplastics, uncovering their mechanisms of harm, and laying the groundwork for removal technologies, ARPA-H is advancing a future where clinicians can not only detect MNP exposure but actively mitigate its impact on human health.
Success in this program could lead to transformative capabilities, from routine clinical diagnostics that assess microplastic burden to therapeutic interventions that reduce or eliminate these particles from the body, ultimately improving outcomes across a range of diseases linked to environmental exposure.
For organizations developing novel sensing technologies, bioanalytical platforms, toxicology models, or therapeutic approaches, STOMP presents a significant opportunity to shape the future of environmental health science.
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