BREATHE Initiative

BREATHE Initiative
Type	Initiative
Sponsor Organization	Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
Top Organization	United States Department of Health and Human Services
Creation Legislation	Part of ARPA-H's mission under the ARPA-H Authorization Act
Website	Website
Purpose	Focused on improving indoor air quality in buildings to enhance health outcomes. BREATHE aims to develop new technologies and strategies for monitoring and managing indoor air to reduce the spread of pathogens and allergens.
Program Start	2024
Initial Funding	Up to $30 million for initial projects
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)] has launched the BREATHE (Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total HEalth) Initiative to revolutionize indoor air quality management, aiming to mitigate health risks associated with indoor environments.^[1]

Official Site

Goals

Develop innovative biosensors for real-time detection of airborne pathogens and allergens.
Create advanced respiratory risk assessment software to predict health impacts based on air quality.
Optimize building controls for better health outcomes while maintaining energy efficiency.
Reduce the incidence of airborne disease transmission and allergic reactions in indoor settings.

Organization

The BREATHE Initiative is managed by ARPA-H, with ARPA-H Program Managers overseeing the project. Funding comes from ARPA-H's budget, specifically allocated for this initiative. The initiative collaborates with researchers, technology companies, and health institutions to develop and test new solutions.

The leader of the initiative holds the position of **Program Manager**.

History

BREATHE was announced in 2024 as part of ARPA-H's commitment to addressing public health through innovative research. It was spurred by the understanding that poor indoor air quality can significantly impact health, particularly highlighted by the challenges of managing infectious diseases in indoor environments. The initiative builds on the momentum from the global health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on long-term health benefits through improved air quality.^[2]

Funding

The initiative was initially funded with up to $30 million to support early-stage research and development projects. Funding began in 2024, and as part of ARPA-H's ongoing programs, there's no specified end date to its funding, subject to continued congressional support.

Implementation

BREATHE operates through a multi-phase approach:

**Phase 1:** Solicitation of innovative proposals for indoor air quality solutions.
**Phase 2:** Selection and funding of projects based on their potential impact.
**Phase 3:** Development, testing, and deployment of solutions in real-world settings.

There is no defined end date as the initiative aims to continually evolve with the latest in air quality management technology.

External links

https://arpa-h.gov/research-and-funding/programs/breathe
wikipedia:Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

Social media

No specific social media for BREATHE; however, ARPA-H can be followed at:
https://twitter.com/ARPA_H
https://www.linkedin.com/company/arpa-h/

References

[ARPA-H_BREATHE-1] "BREATHE Initiative". https://arpa-h.gov/research-and-funding/programs/breathe.

[ARPA-H_News-2] "ARPA-H Launches BREATHE Initiative to Improve Indoor Air Quality". https://arpa-h.gov/news-and-events/arpa-h-launches-breathe-initiative-improve-indoor-air-quality.

[1]

[2]