1-CURE: One Comprehensive Universal Radiotherapy for Everyone
ARPA-H seeks bold, interdisciplinary research to develop a universal, affordable, one-time radiotherapy cure for all cancers using smart biomaterials and AI-driven planning.
Funder: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
Due Dates: April 15, 2026 (Solution Summary) | May 22, 2026 (Full Proposal)
Funding Amounts: No fixed ceiling; budgets must be appropriate for scope and complexity. Multiple awards anticipated; up to 5 years per project.
Summary: Funding for bold, interdisciplinary research to develop a universal, low-cost radiotherapy that can cure all cancers in a single treatment using smart biomaterials and AI-driven planning.
Key Information: Solution Summary is required for full proposal submission; international teams eligible if registered in SAM.gov.
Description
This opportunity supports transformative research to create a single, rapid, affordable, and accessible radiotherapy approach effective against all cancer types—including metastatic and radiotherapy-resistant cancers. The program seeks to integrate multifunctional smart radiotherapy biomaterials (SRBs) for precise, image-guided targeting and sustained delivery of immunoadjuvants, together with an Abscopal Treatment Planning System (ATPS) leveraging ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) radiotherapy and AI. The ultimate goal is to enable decisive, one-time cancer cures that dramatically improve survival, reduce patient financial burden, and lower healthcare costs on a national scale. ARPA-H encourages cross-disciplinary teams to propose innovative solutions spanning physics, immunology, materials science, AI, engineering, clinical oncology, and advanced manufacturing.
