Electrical Prescriptions (ElectRx) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DARPA ElectRx (Electrical Prescriptions) BAA 15-06

1) What is the Electrical Prescriptions (ElectRx) opportunity?

ElectRx is a DARPA Biological Technologies Office research program focused on turning neuromodulation into a precise, adaptive therapeutic tool. The program centers on building closed-loop systems that can sense what is happening in the body, interpret signals in real time, and deliver targeted electrical stimulation to specific neural circuits in the spinal cord or peripheral nerves to achieve a desired clinical effect.

2) What problem is ElectRx trying to solve compared to drug-based treatments?

ElectRx is designed to move away from broad, circulating drug interventions that can produce side effects. Instead, it aims to harness the body's own neurophysiological pathways to regulate health and disease states through controlled, circuit-specific electrical intervention.

3) What does “closed-loop” mean in the context of this program?

In ElectRx, a closed-loop system is one that continuously senses biomarkers or neural/physiological activity, processes and interprets those signals in real time, and automatically adjusts stimulation parameters to keep the intervention tuned to the individual patient's changing physiology. The goal is not a fixed stimulation schedule, but feedback-controlled therapy.

4) What are the two main research tracks DARPA is advancing in ElectRx?

The program advances two tracks in parallel: (1) foundational biology and (2) enabling technology. The biology work is intended to map and characterize relevant neural circuits and determine how stimulation can reliably shift physiology toward therapeutic states. The technology work targets next-generation neural interfaces and biosensors capable of precise sensing and stimulation suitable for closed-loop control.

5) What types of biological research does ElectRx emphasize?

ElectRx emphasizes significantly advancing understanding of the anatomy and physiology of relevant neural circuits, especially circuits influencing immune system function and central nervous system (CNS)-related disorders. This includes mapping and characterizing circuits that mediate health status, identifying how they encode physiological information, and determining how specific stimulation sites and patterns can shift the body toward therapeutic outcomes.

6) Is the biological work meant to be purely academic?

No. The biological understanding is explicitly meant to inform practical design rules for controllable neuromodulation therapies. In other words, biology insights should feed directly into therapy and device design.

7) What kinds of technologies is DARPA seeking under ElectRx?

DARPA is seeking next-generation neural interfaces and biosensors that are minimally invasive yet deliver unusually high spatiotemporal resolution, precision, and specificity. The intent is fine-grained, clinically realistic interaction with the nervous system, including meaningful signal capture and tightly controlled stimulation.

8) Does ElectRx require devices to be minimally invasive?

Yes. The opportunity highlights an intent to develop minimally invasive neural interfaces and biosensors, while still achieving high precision and specificity.

9) What does “high spatiotemporal resolution” imply for proposed systems?

Within the program description, high spatiotemporal resolution implies the ability to sense and stimulate with fine-grained specificity across both space (targeting the right circuit/location) and time (controlling when and how stimulation is delivered), supporting precise and responsive closed-loop therapy.

10) What are the key performance expectations emphasized by DARPA?

DARPA sets a high bar for selectivity and safety. The envisioned neuromodulation treatments should be continuously and automatically individualized (adaptive over time), and should avoid off-target effects by being circuit-specific and not triggering unwanted physiological responses.

11) How is “individualized” therapy described in this opportunity?

Individualization is described as continuous and automatic. Rather than being manually tuned in a clinic and left static, the system should keep adapting in an ongoing way as the patient's physiology changes.

12) What does the program mean by avoiding “off-target effects”?

It reflects a preference for interventions that are circuit-specific and do not inadvertently trigger unwanted physiological responses. Proposals are expected to address selectivity as a core design and safety objective.

13) What components are expected to be integrated in a proposed ElectRx system?

Proposals are expected to integrate sensing, computation or control logic, and stimulation into a cohesive closed-loop therapeutic approach, with a convincing plan to demonstrate regulation of immune functions and addressing CNS-related conditions through peripheral or spinal circuit engagement.

14) What therapeutic areas or physiological targets are highlighted?

The program highlights neural circuits that influence immune system function and CNS-related disorders, with an emphasis on regulating immune functions and addressing CNS-related conditions via peripheral nerve or spinal cord circuit engagement.

15) Is ElectRx limited to stimulation of the brain?

No. The program description focuses on stimulation delivered to specific neural circuits in the spinal cord or peripheral nerves, rather than broad brain-only approaches.

16) What kind of funding opportunity is this administratively?

This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity released as DARPA BAA 15-06 under CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development).

17) What award instruments might DARPA use for ElectRx?

DARPA indicated multiple possible award instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, and other mechanisms.

18) Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. DARPA stated there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity.

19) How much total funding was estimated for the program?

The estimated total funding level was about 50,000,000 USD.

20) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning proposals could come from a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility language included in the full BAA.

21) What are the key dates for this solicitation?

The solicitation was posted December 12, 2014, created January 28, 2015, and had an original and current closing date of February 25, 2015. The archive date was March 27, 2015.

22) Where can applicants get help if they cannot access the full announcement?

For access issues related to the full announcement, DARPA directed applicants to contact the DARPA BAA Coordinator.

23) What does CFDA 12.910 represent in this listing?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 12.910, described as Research and Technology Development.

24) What kind of demonstration is implied by the program description?

The description expects a convincing plan to demonstrate that the integrated closed-loop system can regulate immune functions and address CNS-related conditions by engaging peripheral or spinal neural circuits, while maintaining selectivity and avoiding off-target effects.