# ARPA-H EVIDENT Initiative

**Full name:** Evidence-Based Validation & Innovation for Rapid Therapeutics in Behavioral Health (EVIDENT)

**Parent organization:** Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)

**Total funding:** Up to $139.4 million

**Launch date:** April 24, 2026

**Mission:** Generate FDA-ready clinical endpoints for rapid-acting behavioral health therapies across three modalities: digital interventions, neuromodulation, and neuroplastogens (including psychedelics).

## Program Structure

**Psychedelic research component:**
- Minimum $50M allocated to match qualifying state government investments in psychedelic research for serious mental illness populations
- Implements federal matching mechanism from Trump April 18, 2026 Executive Order on psychedelics
- Texas IMPACT consortium: $50M state + $50M ARPA-H federal match = ~$100M total for ibogaine research

**Selected research teams:**
- **INVI MindHealth** (Denver): Real-time biomarker platform for neuromodulation + psychedelic therapies
- **Diamond Therapeutics** (Toronto): Contributing Phase 2a psilocybin data for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- **University of Wisconsin**: Contributing data from 3 approved psilocybin trials

**Award structure:** Rolling basis announcements for future teams

## Strategic Context

**ARPA-H vs. NIH distinction:** ARPA-H operates on DARPA-like model—time-limited, mission-driven, risk-tolerant. Unlike NIH RO1 grants, ARPA-H funds teams to produce specific regulatory-ready endpoints rather than open-ended research.

**Regulatory pathway:** EVIDENT produces clinical evidence → FDA approval → CMS coverage review → reimbursement. Initiative only accelerates first step (evidence generation), not subsequent access barriers.

## Timeline

- **2026-04-18** — Trump Executive Order directs ARPA-H to match state psychedelic research investments
- **2026-04-24** — ARPA-H announces EVIDENT initiative with $139.4M total funding, including $50M+ psychedelic research matching component
- **2026-04-24** — First research teams announced: INVI MindHealth, Diamond Therapeutics, University of Wisconsin
- **2026-04-24** — Texas IMPACT consortium $100M ibogaine research funding confirmed ($50M state + $50M federal match)

## Analysis

EVIDENT represents the first systematic federal investment vehicle for psychedelic-assisted therapy research, transitioning funding from private pharmaceutical companies (Compass, Usona) and philanthropy (MAPS) to government-backed infrastructure. The $139.4M allocation is modest by NIH standards but leveraged through ARPA-H's mandate to produce FDA-ready endpoints rather than general research outputs.

Notably, the initiative incorporates international data (Diamond Therapeutics, Canadian company) into US regulatory pathways, demonstrating cross-border evidence integration. The GAD indication for Diamond's psilocybin trial addresses a larger population (~40M US sufferers) than treatment-resistant depression or PTSD.

Critical gap: EVIDENT focuses exclusively on evidence generation without addressing reimbursement, workforce training, or care delivery infrastructure—the binding constraints on patient access post-approval.