UT San Antonio Takes National Stage With $38M ARPA-H Grant for Landmark Aging Study

From San Antonio laboratories to a national platform, the science of aging just received a $38 million federal endorsement. The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) is now leading the VITAL-H trial, a clinical study poised to redefine how researchers, policy-makers, and funders approach healthy longevity—by intervening before illness starts.

A New Era: Targeting Aging Before Disease Strikes

For decades, major investments in aging research have trailed the late-onset complications of diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's—long after damage is done. The VITAL-H trial flips this script: enrolling 1,600 adults aged 60–65 who are otherwise healthy, and using established FDA-approved drugs—rapamycin, semaglutide, and dapagliflozin—to see if fading strength, memory, and flexibility can be delayed or even prevented. These drugs have solid safety data in other indications, but have never been rigorously tested to slow midlife decline itself.

What makes this trial revolutionary is its timing and design. Rather than waiting for major clinical events, investigators will use cutting-edge wearable technology to catch the earliest dips in physical, cognitive, and sensory function—long before illness emerges. Metrics based on "+intrinsic capacity"—a holistic, multidimensional measure advocated by the WHO—offer new, sensitive endpoints for capturing prevention at its source.

The Federal Playbook: How ARPA-H Is Changing the Longevity Grant Landscape

This major investment comes from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under its Proactive Solutions for Prolonging Resilience (PROSPR) program, which aims to prove aging isn't "an inevitable slide into disability," as program manager Dr. Andrew Brack puts it. Unlike disease- or organ-specific grant programs at NIH, ARPA-H's proactive focus invites bold, long-horizon aging science—especially repurposing safe, oral drugs with scalable potential.

Here, the Barshop Institute's longstanding expertise in age-accelerated mouse models and human metabolism studies converged with a vision for a practical, nationwide trial that could set regulatory precedents. UTSA's ability to recruit a demographically relevant, South Texas cohort further positions the project as representative of America's future elders—crucial for downstream policy and FDA decisions.

This approach is a model for how applicants can frame grant proposals going forward: focus on proven interventions that can reach non-diseased populations, leverage wearable or remote monitoring for scalable data, and validate interventions with multi-modal outcomes rather than single-disease endpoints. Funders are increasingly looking for this kind of framework—offering continuity even as federal health budgets become tighter.

Immediate Implications for Researchers, Nonprofits, and Small Biotech Firms

Aging and longevity researchers now have a nationally vetted playbook for competitive proposals—not just for ARPA-H, but for NIH/NIA and other federal and foundation funders:

• Align with ARPA-H priorities: The agency is seeking interventions that work in the 'pre-disease' stage—especially those leveraging drug repurposing and wearable tech.
• Use VITAL-H as a grant 'template': Proposals can cite the methodology for using FDA-approved agents, diverse participant recruitment, and advanced multimodal endpoints. This can strengthen the scalability and regulatory impact arguments in your applications.
• Collaboration Opportunities: With a trial of this scale, there will be sub-awards and ancillary studies for nonprofit or small business partners—especially in community engagement, device analytics, or secondary analysis of wearable data.
• Ethical and regulatory precedents: If successful, VITAL-H could provide a crucial reference point for future FDA submissions for healthspan-extending drugs—opening the regulatory door for new categories of preventive trials.

Small businesses specializing in diagnostics, digital health, or remote monitoring should track emerging subcontracts. Nonprofits working in aging could tie public outreach and advocacy to the high-profile science, integrating trial updates or participation opportunities in their programming.

What This Signals for the Future of Federal Aging Research

UTSA's success underscores how funders are shifting: the biggest new federal money in longevity is now going to approaches that can show broad, scalable benefits—rather than just narrowing the gap in late-stage disease care. By focusing on people aged 60–65, VITAL-H pioneers a more proactive, inclusive window, directly addressing the rising costs and disability of longer lifespans without extended health.

Regulatory ripple effects will be closely watched. If the trial generates meaningful improvements in 'intrinsic capacity,' it could help convince FDA to consider aging itself as a valid clinical endpoint—potentially unlocking a wave of new therapeutic development. For grant-seekers, this means aging biology evidence will carry far more weight in funding cycles.

Watch for:

• New RFAs (Requests For Applications) from ARPA-H and NIH building off this approach
• Conference sessions highlighting VITAL-H methodology
• Potential new IRBs and regulatory standards for "pre-disease" prevention trials

How to Position Your Next Proposal in the Longevity Space

Researchers who can demonstrate translatability—by citing VITAL-H's design, endpoints, or demographic focus—will have an edge in upcoming grants from ARPA-H, NIH, and forward-thinking private funders. Don't overlook ancillary funding: methodological core grants, digital health platforms, or community-based recruitment models all stand to benefit as major trials like this drive innovation across the ecosystem.

Building a proposal or partnership anchored to these new national priorities signals to reviewers that your work is not only timely but also ties into the biggest shifts in public health strategy—and that, more than anything, is what federal funders are ready to support.

For those ready to seize this moment in healthy aging research, following the VITAL-H trial's recruitment and results could be your blueprint for the next generation of longevity grants—and an excellent case for scalable innovation on applications using the Granted AI platform.