September 6, 2023
- March 22, 2024 - Notice of NIBIB Participation in NOT-EY-23-009 "Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Quantum Sensing in Biomedical Applications (SBIR/STTR)". See Notice NOT-EB-24-005
- November 30, 2023 - Notice of NHLBI Participation in NOT-EY-23-009 "Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Quantum Sensing in Biomedical Applications (SBIR/STTR)". See Notice NOT-HL-23-121
- July 12, 2023 - PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See Notice PA-23-230.
- July 12, 2023 - PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH and CDC for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Required). See Notice PA-23-231.
- July 12, 2023 - PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42] Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See Notice PA-23-232.
- July 12, 2023 - PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42] Clinical Trial Required). See Notice PA-23-233.
National Eye Institute (NEI)
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) - March 22, 2024 Participation Added (NOT-EB-24-005)
The National Eye Institute (NEI) and participating National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes (IC) and Centers are issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to solicit applications proposing to advance research activities relevant to quantum sensing in biomedical and clinical research and application. The purpose of this NOSI is to support small businesses for stimulation of technological innovation in quantum sensing. The specific research interests of participating NIH ICs are detailed within.
Background
Quantum sensing technologies are gaining importance with several near-term, real-world applications on the horizon in biomedical research. Quantum sensing harnesses the sensitivity of quantum mechanics for engineering and measuring quantum states at a sub-atomic level to improve sensing performance. Quantum sensors can monitor different signals such as electric fields, pH, temperature, and very weak magnetic and optical signals using many-fold less power and decreased size than their classical counterparts. Quantum sensing technologies promise to provide more equitable and granular data collection across the biomedical landscape through the development of low-cost, portable, and user-friendly medical devices. Through further technological development and optimization, novel quantum sensing technologies could drastically enhance current biological imaging and sensing measurements, providing novel opportunities and unique capacities to understand biological phenomena and advance clinical translation, the use of research outcomes in patient care settings. For more information on NIH’s Quantum Information Science Initiative, please refer to https://datascience.nih.gov/quantum-information-science.
This NOSI invites researchers to explore innovative and potentially transformative research on applications of quantum sensing in biomedical and clinical research. Enabling quantum sensing technologies toward biomedical research will require collaborative efforts and inclusion of an integrative research plan based on collaborations between quantum sensing researchers and biomedical engineers, geneticists, biologists, and/or physician scientists.
Research Objectives
This NOSI encourages Phase I, Fast-Track and Direct to Phase II SBIR, as well as Phase I and Fast-Track STTR grant applications from Small Business Concerns to develop commercializable tools, resources, and approaches that harness new quantum sensing approaches to solve biomedical research questions with application in areas of preventing, monitoring and diagnosing disease. The overarching goal is to bring quantum mechanics -based sensing applications from the lab to the biomedical market and clinic. To be responsive to this NOSI, a project must focus on a relevant biomedical problem that falls within the mission of one of the participating Institutes or Centers. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH Scientific/Research staff and participating NIH Institutes/Centers prior to preparing an application.
This NOSI aims to catalyze application of innovative quantum-enabled technologies that leverage quantum sensing properties (coherence, interference, superposition and entanglement) of various materials (e.g., color centers, solid-state defects, 2D quantum materials), superconducting circuits, atomic magnetometry, integrated photonics, non-classical sources of light, quantum optical effects, hyperpolarized spin states, entangled photons, tunneling, quantum correlation, or other quantum phenomena. Areas of interest and examples of applications that are responsive to this NOSI for the participating institutes and centers include, but are not limited to,
NEI
The mission of the National Eye Institute (NEI) is to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research. Specific areas of interest include but not limited to the following:
- Novel quantum technology imaging systems to improve detection and diagnosis of diseases that affect the visual system, especially those that are relevant to NEI’s Strategic Plan.
- Quantum computer algorithms and quantum-classical computational solutions to improve disease diagnosis and classification.
NCATS
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) mission is to support development of innovative quantum technology applications that reduce, remove, or bypass costly and time-consuming bottlenecks in the translational science process, to speed drug development, early detection, diagnostics, medical devices, delivery of new drugs, and behavioral interventions to patients across various diseases. Under this funding announcement, NCATS is interested in supporting applications that utilize advances in quantum technologies in all research areas described in this NOSI and aligns with the NCATS mission. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Scientific/Research staff noted in this NOSI about proposed activities prior to submission. Specific areas of interest include but not limited to the following:
- Quantum technologies that enable chip-scale microfluidic technologies for high-throughput single-cell or single-molecule resolution assays for early-detection, diagnostics, or drug development.
- Portable quantum sensors for ultra-sensitive in vivo non-invasive measurement of early markers of disease (molecular, physiological, electrochemical, other physical and chemical changes).
- Quantum technologies that enable novel non-invasive technologies for early in vivo detection of cell toxicity, exposure to pathogens, and metabolic changes in diseases or exposures.
- Novel algorithms and quantum-classical computational solutions for enabling use of the quantum devices and technologies, and for in silico discovery of novel biologically relevant chemical space (e.g., predicting novel molecular structures with associated biological activities (SARs), efficacy through protein-ligand interactions).
NCI
NCI’s mission is to lead, conduct, and support cancer research across the nation to advance scientific knowledge and help all people live longer, healthier lives. For this NOSI, NCI is particularly interested in supporting projects that develop novel quantum technology systems to improve detection, bio-sample conservation, and dynamic treatment analysis (e.g. biomarker discovery/analysis) related to both tumor and normal tissues, especially those that are relevant to NCI’s Strategic Plan.
Application and Submission Information
This Notice applies to due dates on or after January 05, 2024 and subsequent receipt dates through September 05, 2024.
Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of these announcement through the expiration date of this notice.
- PA-23-231- PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH and CDC for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Required)
- PA-23-230 , PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- PA-23-232 , PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42] Clinical Trial Not Allowed
- PA-23-233 , PHS 2023-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42] Clinical Trial Required)
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the notice of funding opportunity used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:
- For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-EY-23-009 (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.
Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will be withdrawn from consideration for this initiative.
Please direct all inquiries to the contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity with the following additions/substitutions:
Tony D. Gover, Ph.D.
National Eye Institute
Telephone: 301-529-7370
Email: tony.gover@nih.gov
Geetha Senthil, Ph.D.
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Telephone: 301-496-7876
Email: Senthilgs@mail.nih.gov
Gregory L. Evans, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: 240-276-5245
Email: Evansgl@nih.gov
Peer Review Contact(s)
Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).
Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Karen Robinson Smith
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Telephone: 301-435-8178
Email: Karen.Robinson.Smith@nei.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
