• Approved

• Small Businesses

• SAM

The Big Question
What if we could detect, understand the health impacts of, and remove toxic microplastics from the body?

The Problem
Microplastics are everywhere and are constantly being ingested and inhaled by people worldwide.
Microplastics have been linked to a wide variety of health issues ranging from metabolic disruption to stroke.
Microplastics are hard to see and measure, and scientists still don’t understand which microplastics are the most toxic, how they get into organs and cells, and how they cause harm.
There is no known, validated way to remove microplastics from the body.
The Solution
The STOMP program will advance three technical areas across two phases.

In phase one, STOMP will:

develop best-in-class lab-based measurements that can accurately characterize nano-sized microplastic particles even in complex biological tissue.
image and characterize microplastics in animal organs and cells, illuminating the complex mechanisms of microplastic trafficking and toxicity.
In phase two, STOMP will:

translate best-in-class microplastic measurement techniques into affordable, scalable systems that can quantify a patient’s microplastic burden in a clinical setting.
draw on measurement methods and mechanistic understanding to develop solutions that can remove microplastics from the human body.
Only ARPA-H can...
Bring together a multidisciplinary field to make a revolutionary leap in understanding microplastics deposition in the human body.
Give individuals and healthcare providers the tools to detect and reduce harmful microplastic exposure—particularly for vulnerable populations including pregnant women, children, patients with chronic disease, and workers with high occupational exposure.
Solicitation
What ARPA-H needs to solve this problem

STOMP seeks proposals in two main technical areas: microplastics measurements and understanding of biological mechanisms. STOMP anticipates issuing a solicitation for a third technical area, microplastics removal, after the conclusion of the first 24-month phase of the program.

Notice ID: ARPA-H-SOL-26-152

ARPA-H invites interested parties to review the solicitation, which is posted and maintained on SAM.gov. The solicitation outlines the opportunity and its requirements, key dates and deadlines, submission documents and templates, evaluation criteria for submissions, and information on how to apply.

Key Dates:

Solution Summary Due: Monday, May 6, 2026, 5:00PM ET

A summary is required to submit a full proposal.

Full Proposal Due: Monday, June 22, 2026, 5:00PM ET

After submission of a solution summary, proposers will either be encouraged or discouraged from submission of a full proposal. It is strongly recommended that only proposers who are encouraged to submit a full proposal do so.

Reminder: Dates are estimates and subject to change. Please reference the solicitation for the most up-to-date information.