The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to highlight the urgent need for accelerating the development, translation, and commercialization of technologies to address Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The NIBIB is seeking applications from current grantees to develop life-saving technologies that can be ready for commercialization within one to two years. Example technologies include, but are not limited to:

• Rapid point-of-care and home-based testing/diagnostics
• Wearable, implantable, and remote sensors/imagers for physiological monitoring
• Medical imaging technologies and algorithms/artificial intelligence (AI) for rapid detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of lung infection
• Non-contact sensing and imaging for rapid mass screening and vital sign assessment
• Digital health platforms and models that integrate data, assess risk, and provide illness surveillance and management tools
• Technologies (including simulation platforms) for training healthcare workers and optimizing clinical workflows
• Robotic and automation technologies to limit caregivers exposure and/or reduce burden on the healthcare system
• Technologies for protecting healthcare workers, first responders, and caregivers
• Oxygenation systems (e.g. ECMO, ventilators, intubation) and components designed for rapid deployment, access, and potential operation by minimally trained personnel
• High-confidence disinfection technologies
• Novel therapeutic strategies using engineered biological systems, including cell-based and synthetic biology technologies.

Application and Submission Information

Applications in response to this NOSI must be submitted using one of the following target opportunities or subsequently reissued equivalents.

• PA-20-135 Emergency Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Awards (Emergency Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional), which is intended to provide funds for NIH grantees applying to expand the scope of their active grant.

• PA-18-591 - Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional), which is intended to provide additional funds for NIH grantees for work that falls within the scope of their active grant.

Recipients may apply for work that is related to your funded project, whether within the scope or outside of the scope of the current project, regardless of the time remaining on the current project. Grants currently in a no-cost extension are eligible to apply.

Eligible activity codes for applications to PA-20-135 are limited to the following mechanisms: DP1, DP2, P41, R00, R01, R03, R15, R21, R24, R37, R41, R43, R44, R56, U01, U18, U24, U2C, U54, UG3, UH2, UH3.

When developing applications in response to this NOSI, all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guideand in the target funding opportunity announcement (PA-20-135, PA-18-591) must be followed, with the following additions:

• Applications will be accepted immediately and on a rolling basis through November 10, 2020 by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. This NOSI expires on November 10, 2020. An application submitted in response to this NOSI that is received on November 11, 2020 or later, will be withdrawn.
• IMPORTANT: For funding consideration, all applicants must designate NOT-EB-20-008 (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (Box 4b) of the SF424 (R&R) Form. Applications without this information in Box 4b will not be considered for this initiative.
• The Research Strategy section of the application is limited to 6 pages and must describe a feasible path to commercialization of the proposed technology within one to two years of the start of supplemental funding.
• The project period will generally be limited to 1 year. Project periods up to 2 years will be considered only with strong justification.
• Application budgets are limited to no more than the amount of the current parent award and must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
• All applications (including those for multi-project activity codes) must be submitted electronically using a single-project application form package.
• Competitive revision applications to PA-20-135 must use an application form package with the Competition ID containing NOT-EB-20-008." NIH will accept applications using form packages with the Competition IDs of NOT-EB-20-008-FORMS-E" or NOT-EB-20-008-FORMS-F" until June 25, 2020. Applications submitted on or after June 25, 2020 must use NOT-EB-20-008-FORMS-F. See NOT-OD-20-026 for details.
• Administrative supplement applications to PA-18-591 must use the application form package with the Competition ID that contains FORMS-E-ADMINSUPP . This FOA will be reissued with application form packages containing FORMS-F-ADMINSUPP on May 25, 2020. Submissions to PA-18-591 must be completed by June 25, 2020 (see NOT-OD-20-026 for details.) Submissions to the reissued FOA will be accepted on or after May 25, 2020 through the expiration date of this Notice. In addition, the process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.
• Applications must specifically address issues of potential biohazards in the Research Strategy, and all research must be conducted in compliance with the health and safety requirements found in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
• Pre-award costs may be incurred from January 20, 2020 through the public health emergency period and prior to the date of the federal award.
• Funds awarded using appropriations provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will be issued in unique subaccounts in the HHS Payment Management System, and will require separate financial reporting from any other funds awarded.

Investigators planning to submit an application in response to this NOSI are strongly encouraged to contact the program officer on their active award to discuss the proposed project in the context of the parent award.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will be withdrawn from consideration for this initiative.