The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has released Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO), UNifying Imaging with QUantum Entanglement* (UNIQUE). The program seeks to determine whether quantum derived observables from 511 keV photon pairs including quantum correlations, correlation loss or decoherence, and positronium sensitive interactions that can provide biologically meaningful imaging contrast beyond the anatomical, functional, and molecular information available through current imaging technologies. ARPA-H is pursuing a new, integrated imaging framework intended to help reveal biological features of disease that may otherwise remain inaccessible to existing modalities.
Technical Objectives and Capability Areas
UNIQUE is structured around two integrated Technical Areas (TAs). Proposers must submit a comprehensive, single proposal that addresses both areas; a standalone hardware, detector, or software concept will not meet the stated program structure.
TA1: Imaging Core
TA1 focuses on establishing the physical feasibility of quantum derived imaging contrast in controlled phantom and benchtop systems. Proposed systems are expected to address generation and measurement of quantum correlated 511 keV photon pairs, positronium sensitive interactions, and decoherence aware imaging architectures.
A competitive TA1 approach should explain:
- The mechanism for generating entangled 511 keV photon pairs and the basis for achieving usable flux while balancing flux against imaging dose
- How quantum correlations will be measured and verified through scattering media
- The proposed phantoms, materials, detectors, timing, and filtering approach needed to achieve meaningful signal to background and localization performance
- The quantum derived observables and biologically meaningful phantom states that will demonstrate reproducible contrast separation
- The data products that TA1 will provide to TA2
- Technical risks and mitigation strategies
TA1 milestones include demonstrating feasibility for ghost image reconstruction from correlated signal idler measurements in controlled phantoms, reproducible quantum derived contrast, and statistically significant signal separation across at least three metabolic or other relevant phantom microenvironment states.
TA2: Quantum AI Interpretation and Fusion
TA2 seeks AI driven reconstruction and fusion methods capable of integrating anatomical, functional, molecular, and quantum derived observables into a unified multidimensional imaging representation. ARPA-H expects proposers to demonstrate what is specifically “quantum aware” about their reconstruction methodology and why it is appropriate for correlated, sparse, or low count data.
TA2 approaches should address:
- Physics informed AI and quantum aware reconstruction
- Extraction of diagnostic features from quantum derived signals, such as entanglement witnesses, decoherence signatures, and positronium states
- Multimodal data fusion across anatomical, functional, molecular, and quantum derived information
- Uncertainty quantification and interpretable outputs
- Validation against ground truth
- A preliminary quantum derived contrast atlas, such as quantum decorrelation tomography (QDT) or a quantum derived index (QDI)
- Co-optimization with the TA1 imaging system and explicit TA1/TA2 data interfaces
The program’s Phase 2 objective is to generate fused outputs, establish a preliminary QDT/QDI atlas across multiple phantom microenvironment states, and demonstrate improved phantom state differentiation compared with conventional attenuation or scatter observables alone.
Program and Solicitation Overview
UNIQUE is an 18-month, two phase effort consisting of two nine month phases. Phase 1 is intended to establish the feasibility of quantum derived imaging signals and build foundational AI driven reconstruction and fusion capabilities. Phase 2 is intended to demonstrate integrated multidimensional quantum derived imaging, reconstruction, and biological interpretation. Transition to Phase 2 will be determined by the ARPA-H Program Manager based on Phase 1 progress against the program’s goals and metrics.
ARPA-H expects a single lead proposer and Principal Investigator to submit one integrated proposal addressing all required program phases and both technical areas. Teaming is highly encouraged, including arrangements that provide the collective expertise necessary to execute the program’s technical and nontechnical requirements. The solicitation states that all key members of the performer team are expected to be onboard within 60 days of award.
The program will include independent verification and validation (IV&V) support established by ARPA-H. The IV&V team may include experts from government, FFRDCs, academia, and other relevant domains, and may provide benchmark phantoms to assess reproducibility and system performance. UNIQUE performers may not compete for IV&V work under this ISO.
Key Dates and Submission Timeline
All listed times are Eastern Time.
- October 10, 2026, 1:00 PM: Questions and Answers deadline
- October 15, 2026, 8:30 AM: In person and virtual Proposers’ Day
- October 15, 2026, 3:00–5:00 PM: Lightning Talk/Sidebar session
- October 30, 2026, 11:59 PM: Required Solution Summary due
- December 15, 2026, 11:59 PM: Full Proposal due
ARPA-H will host Proposers’ Day in support of UNIQUE under Special Notice ARPA-H-SN-26-126. Attendance is optional, and ARPA-H states that materials formally presented during the event will be posted to the UNIQUE program webpage and SAM.gov. ARPA-H will not reimburse firms for attending Proposers’ Day or for proposal development efforts.
The required Solution Summary is limited to three pages, excluding the cover page, rough order of magnitude budget, team qualifications, and references. It must be submitted as a PDF through the ARPA-H Solution Submission Portal. Solution Summaries must address the proposed concept’s relevance to ARPA-H and UNIQUE, its technical merit, and team organization, capabilities, and qualifications. Proposers should frame their response around, at minimum, the first three ARPA-H Heilmeier Questions: the health problem being addressed, the limits of current practice, and what is new about the proposed approach.
Funding Overview
ARPA-H anticipates making multiple merit based awards in the form of Other Transaction (OT) Agreements. The agency may select all, some, one, or none of the proposals received; make awards with or without negotiations; select only portions of a proposal; or fund work in phases or as options. The number of awards will depend on proposal quality and funding availability.
The ISO does not state a total program funding amount, anticipated award value, or award ceiling. Accordingly, proposers should develop a defensible scope, schedule, and cost basis aligned to the program’s phased milestones and deliverables. The Solution Summary requires a rough order of magnitude budget that separates Phase I, Phase II, and total costs, including direct labor and labor hours, subcontracts, materials, equipment, travel, other direct costs, indirect costs, profit or fee, and any applicable cost share.
For profit entities that do not qualify as small businesses under the solicitation’s stated NAICS 541714 size standard of 1,000 employees are required to provide a meaningful cost share. Cash or in kind cost share may include equipment, facilities, or technical labor, must directly support proposed milestones, and must be specifically detailed in the proposal budget justification. Other organizations are not required to cost share, although they may do so voluntarily.
Eligible proposers include universities, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and other than small businesses. FFRDCs, government entities, and federal government employees are generally prohibited from participating as prime or subperformers, subject to ARPA-H consideration of documented, uniquely necessary FFRDC capabilities. All proposers must maintain an active SAM.gov registration.
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