ARPA-H UNIQUE ARPA-H-SOL-26-162: Quantum Entanglement Imaging Program Guide for Startups

ARPA-H's UNifying Imaging with QUantum Entanglement (UNIQUE) program wants to expand what medical imaging can measure. It funds teams that capture quantum correlations in the 511 keV photon pairs produced in PET-style positron annihilation and use AI to turn those signals into new information about tissue health, such as metabolism, oxygenation, and microstructure. Small businesses, larger companies, universities, and nonprofits are all eligible, and early-career investigators are preferred.

Deadline: Solution Summaries are due October 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET through the ARPA-H Solutions site. Full proposals are due December 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

Why This Opportunity Matters

CT, MRI, and PET show anatomy and function, but they cannot fully characterize the tissue microenvironment where diseases like neurodegeneration, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and pancreatic cancer begin. By the time those diseases are visible, damage is often substantial. Recent research shows that photon pairs from positron annihilation can retain measurable quantum correlations, and those correlations may carry biological information that conventional contrast misses.

The field is still largely at the proof-of-concept stage. That is exactly where ARPA-H invests. UNIQUE is a short, focused 18-month program, which makes it a realistic way for a detector, photonics, or imaging AI company to build a position in quantum medical imaging before the field matures.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Sponsor: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), Health Science Futures Office
• Solicitation: ARPA-H-SOL-26-162, Innovative Solutions Opening (Amendment 01)
• Award type: Other Transaction (OT) agreements. Multiple awards are anticipated
• Award size: Not published. Proposers submit a rough order of magnitude cost with the Solution Summary
• Program length: 18 months in two 9-month phases, with Phase 2 continuation based on Phase 1 results
• Proposers' Day: October 16, 2026, 8:30 AM ET, with lightning talks and sidebars from 3:00 to 5:00 PM ET
• Solution Summary due: October 29, 2026, 5:00 PM ET (required)
• Full proposal due: December 15, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
• Cost share: Required only for for-profit companies with more than 1,000 employees
• Human subjects: Not anticipated. Work is done in phantoms and on the benchtop

What UNIQUE Funds

Every proposal must address both technical areas in a single integrated plan, so most competitive teams will combine hardware and AI expertise.

Technical Area 1: Imaging Core

Generate and measure quantum-derived contrast from entangled 511 keV photon pairs, positronium-sensitive interactions, and decoherence in controlled phantom and benchtop systems. Phase 1 targets include an entanglement witness above 1.6, coincidence timing resolution under 300 picoseconds (stretch goal under 150), entangled pair flux of 100,000 to 1,000,000 pairs per second, and measurable differences across at least 3 phantom states. Phase 2 moves to ghost image reconstruction in phantoms, higher usable coincidence rates, stronger signal to background, and repeatability within 10 percent.

Technical Area 2: Quantum AI Interpretation and Fusion

Build AI-driven reconstruction that fuses anatomical, functional, molecular, and quantum-derived signals into unified multidimensional images. Phase 1 calls for a simulation-to-reconstruction pipeline, prototype voxel-level quantum contrast maps, and statistically distinguishable clustering of at least 3 phantom states. Phase 2 calls for a preliminary quantum contrast atlas, datasets above 1,000,000 correlated events, and 3D localization of 2 to 3 millimeters or better.

An ARPA-H independent verification and validation team will supply benchmark phantoms and test results against these metrics.

Is Your Company a Fit?

UNIQUE is a strong fit for companies working in:

• PET, gamma, or Compton detectors, fast-timing scintillators, SiPM readout, or sub-300 picosecond coincidence electronics
• Positron sources, radioisotopes, or imaging phantoms
• Quantum photonics or ghost imaging, if the team can work at 511 keV
• Tomographic reconstruction, physics-informed AI, or multimodal image fusion for sparse, low-count data

Because one proposal must cover both technical areas, a small company will often lead or join a team with an academic PET physics or quantum lab. Each organization may lead only one proposal. Optical-only quantum imaging teams are a weaker fit unless they can adapt to annihilation photons. FFRDCs and government entities cannot participate except in rare, justified cases, and entities from covered foreign countries are excluded. Proposals that offer incremental improvements will not be funded.

How to Apply

1. Attend Proposers' Day on October 16, 2026. It is optional, but the lightning talk and sidebar sessions are the best place to find teaming partners.
2. Submit a Solution Summary by October 29, 2026. It is limited to 3 pages, plus a cover page, rough order of magnitude cost by phase, team qualifications, and references. It must answer what health problem you are solving, how it is done today, and what is new about your approach.
3. Receive an encourage or discourage response. You may still submit a full proposal either way.
4. Submit the full proposal by December 15, 2026. It includes a 12-page technical and management volume, a cost volume with no page limit, and an administrative and policy volume.

All submissions go through the ARPA-H Solutions site, and an active SAM.gov registration is required. Questions go to UNIQUE@arpa-h.gov.

How BW&CO Helps

BW&CO helps imaging, photonics, and AI companies decide whether UNIQUE fits their roadmap, assemble teams that cover both technical areas, and write Solution Summaries that make a clear case for disruptive impact. We also manage full proposal development, cost volumes, and OT negotiation support. With $350M+ in non-dilutive funding secured for our clients, we help deep tech founders compete for programs like this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ARPA-H UNIQUE program?

UNIQUE (UNifying Imaging with QUantum Entanglement) is an 18-month ARPA-H program that funds teams to measure quantum correlations in 511 keV photon pairs and use AI to turn them into new medical imaging contrast for tissue health.

When is the UNIQUE deadline?

Solution Summaries are due October 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET, and full proposals are due December 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. A Solution Summary is required.

How much funding does UNIQUE provide?

ARPA-H has not published an award size or total budget. Awards are Other Transaction agreements, multiple awards are anticipated, and proposers estimate their own costs by phase.

Can small businesses apply to UNIQUE?

Yes. Small businesses, larger companies, universities, and nonprofits are all eligible, and early-career investigators are preferred. Companies with more than 1,000 employees must provide meaningful cost share.

Do I need to address both technical areas?

Yes. Every proposal must cover both the Imaging Core and the Quantum AI Interpretation and Fusion technical areas in one integrated plan, so teaming is common.

Does UNIQUE involve human subjects research?

No. Human subjects research is not anticipated. Work is done with phantoms and benchtop systems, using benchmark phantoms supplied by an ARPA-H independent verification and validation team.