HHS Launches STREAM to Advance Next-Generation Weed Management

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 17, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), today launched the Systems for Tracking and Resilience in Efficient Agricultural-input Management (STREAM) program to develop breakthrough technologies that help farmers control weeds while protecting agricultural workers, consumers, and the environment.

The program advances President Trump's Executive Order, Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience, and it supports the joint commitment by HHS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to invest more than $1 billion in farm modernization and long-term food security.

"HHS is launching a new era of agricultural innovation," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "STREAM will give American farmers smarter tools to defeat resistant weeds, reduce reliance on chemical herbicides, protect workers and communities, and safeguard our food supply. That's how we Make America Healthy Again."

American farmers and ranchers have long been stewards of the land and are increasingly adopting regenerative agriculture practices that strengthen soil health, improve resource efficiency, and support long-term farm productivity. Continued advances in precision agriculture and next-generation weed-management technologies can help reduce reliance on chemical inputs, lower production costs, and expand access to innovative conservation practices. STREAM will accelerate the research needed to give farmers more effective, affordable tools that strengthen agricultural resilience while protecting public health and America's food supply.

"American farmers are locked in an arms race against weeds, which evolve faster than the tools we have to fight them," said ARPA-H Chief Medical Officer Rafid Fadul. "STREAM will change the terms of that fight by advancing research that can reduce reliance on chemical herbicides while giving farmers new tools to protect yields, improve soil health, and strengthen our food system."

Herbicides and their formulations can leave residues and breakdown products in soil and water that expose nearby communities, pollinators, wildlife, and agricultural ecosystems. STREAM will develop technologies to detect these chemicals more quickly and accurately and remove or degrade them before they reach waterways, drinking water, or food crops.

"As long as weeds threaten crops, American farmers will need better tools to manage them," said STREAM Program Manager CAPT James Coburn. "STREAM is built on a simple premise: farmers deserve a smarter, safer, and more effective toolbox that stays ahead of resistant weeds, protects the soil they steward, and keeps food affordable. Communities also deserve better ways to monitor and protect drinking water from unintended agricultural chemical exposure."

STREAM will transform weed management by delivering next-generation technologies that help farmers maintain yields, reduce unwanted chemical residues, and lower the economic costs of today's weed-control practices.

The program will pursue four coordinated technical areas:

• Develop next-generation herbicides and formulations by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to discover novel chemical compounds, biologically derived herbicides, and advanced biological treatments that selectively target weeds-including resistant species-while minimizing impacts on surrounding ecosystems.
• Advance precision and nonchemical weed-control technologies, including cost-effective physical weed-control approaches such as laser ablation and miniature autonomous weeders, machine vision-guided targeted herbicide application, real-time drift modeling, and U.S.-manufactured drone-based precision application systems that reduce chemical inputs while maintaining farm productivity.
• Improve monitoring of herbicides and associated chemicals by developing accurate, low-cost, continuous sensing technologies for compounds that are difficult and expensive to measure, enabling community-level monitoring and faster response when problems arise.
• Remove or degrade herbicides and associated chemicals by developing methods to rapidly break down agricultural chemicals in soil and water, intercept runoff before it reaches waterways, and reduce residues absorbed by crops.

ARPA-H anticipates making awards through Other Transactions Agreements. Final funding decisions will depend on the quality of proposals received.

Learn more about STREAM on the ARPA-H program page, including information about the Innovative Solutions Opening.