Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Safe and Effective Instruments and Devices for Use in Neonatal and Pediatric Care Settings (R43/R44) |
Activity Code |
R43/R44 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant - Phase I, Phase II, and Fast-Track |
Announcement Type |
Reissue of RFA-HD-12-193 |
Related Notices
|
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
PAR-13-090 |
Companion Funding Opportunity |
PAR-13-091, STTR R41/R42- Phase I, Phase II, and Fast Track |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.865; 93.839, 93.838, 93.837; 93.242; 93.853 |
Funding Opportunity Purpose |
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) invites Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) to propose research to develop new devices and instruments, and/or improve existing devices and instruments, to monitor and treat newborn infants and small children safely and efficaciously. |
Posted Date |
January 23, 2013 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
March 5, 2013 |
Letter of Intent Due Date(s) |
30 days before application due date. |
Application Due Date(s) |
Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
Standard dates apply |
Advisory Council Review |
Standard dates apply |
Earliest Start Date |
Standard dates apply |
Expiration Date |
April 6, 2016 (Formerly May 8, 2016) |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) invites Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) to propose research to develop new devices and instruments, and/or improve existing devices and instruments, to monitor and treat newborn infants and small children safely and efficaciously.
There are many unmet needs concerning device development in neonatal and pediatric care. A workshop held in May 2012 at NICHD highlighted the need for continued support. Devices and instruments developed for use in infants and children should be based on sound bioengineering principles. They also need to be tested for safety, efficacy, and accuracy of functioning. Despite major advances in biotechnology, research and development (R&D) efforts directed at introducing new and innovative pediatric devices and instruments (or improving the existing ones) for use in newborn infants and small children have been limited.
One objective of this FOA is to foster collaboration between clinical and bioengineering research communities in the field of pediatric device development. It is anticipated that through rigorous collaborative R&D efforts, safe and effective instruments and devices can be developed for use in newborn infants and children of all ages. This FOA invites SBCs to propose innovative research that can lead to development of non-invasive, or minimally invasive, instruments, devices, and monitors that improve assessment, monitoring, and treatment of neonates, infants, and children of all ages who require routine as well as intensive care treatments. In addition, this FOA aims to stimulate improvement in existing devices and instruments being used in pediatric care. There is an urgent need for R&D in improving existing devices and instruments and introducing new devices and instruments while optimizing their utility and safety in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care, and out-patient settings. The new and improved instruments and devices developed as a result will reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality associated with such devices, as well as providing a means for the clinical community to monitor key physiological and pathological processes while treating complex disorders in children.
The proposed studies need to establish the accuracy and safety of the device under varied clinical conditions. Studies may range from concept to developmental phases, with the goal of developing accurate devices that can be marketed, and used in regular clinical settings in newborn infants and pediatric patients of all ages. The major topic areas for the R&D efforts to be supported under this FOA include, but are not limited to:
Cardiovascular: Non-invasive or minimally invasive devices, instruments, or methods for assessing and supporting a variety of cardiovascular functions, including improved methods for measuring and monitoring systemic blood pressure such as advanced mathematical computations for analyzing cardiac pulse wave forms; devices to measure and monitor cardiac output and global tissue oxygen delivery; improved methods of assessing blood volume and tissue perfusion; devices for use in cardiac surgery; interventional catheterization; and electrophysiology technologies for neonates and children.
Pulmonary: Improved or non-invasive devices and instruments to measure pulmonary function (e.g., pulmonary arterial pressures, gas exchange, airway pressure, lung volume, ventilation/perfusion ratios, PCO2 and PO2); improved systems for respiratory support with reduced air-leaks; non-invasive ventilation; interfaces for nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that do not affect musculoskeletal development; synchronized ventilation; improved methods of patient-triggered ventilation and pulmonary perfusion; automated inspired oxygen control; airway secretion clearance devices (including but not limited to applications for cystic fibrosis children); improved aerosol delivery systems targeting small airways for use in newborn infants and small children on and off of ventilatory support; improved oxygen cannula tubing for infants during transportation; and diaphragm pacers for use in rapidly growing infants, children and pediatric patients.
Hematologic: Non-invasive or minimally invasive methods: for testing hemostasis that provide results in a timely manner using small quantities of blood; for evaluating global hemostasis in very small infants, and in those requiring extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO); for monitoring the efficiency of either continuous or discontinuous dialysis treatments (e.g., for optimizing management of retained fluids); and improved age and size-specific blood pumps to deliver small volumes of blood products.
Neurological: Non-invasive or minimally invasive devices, instruments, and methods for assessing a variety of cerebrovascular functions, including methods for assessing global and regional cerebral blood and cerebrospinal flow, oxygen extraction, utilization of nutritional substrates, and autoregulation of cerebral blood flow; non-invasive or minimally invasive devices, instruments, and methods for evaluating central nervous system and peripheral nervous system function; neonatal seizure detection systems; devices and technologies to objectively assess pain in neonates, infants and children, and to evaluate the adequacy of analgesic therapies; devices for measuring the wavelengths and irradiance from commercial neonatal phototherapy units; devices and technologies to measure free components of indirect-bilirubin concentrations in the serum, to enable more accurate prediction of neurological injury from severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia; and optical imaging of the developing brain for assessing cerebrovascular structural and functional status.
Projects to conduct Phase I and Phase II clinical trials that fall under the mission of NINDS are not included in this FOA and should submit to PAR-12-072. NIH defines a clinical trial as a prospective biomedical or behavioral research study of human subjects that is designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions.
Metabolic: Devices, instruments, and methods for assessing a variety of metabolic substrates, including sensors for non-invasive or minimally invasive measurement of blood metabolic chemicals, such as glucose, ketone bodies, and lactate/pyruvate, that are sensitive at the low plasma concentrations seen in the neonatal period; micro-infusion pumps to optimize insulin administration and glucose control in neonates, infants, and small children; technologies to monitor kidney function or injury, or to improve indwelling urinary or dialysis catheters used in neonates, infants, children; and sensors for the assessment of other blood chemical parameters (e.g., serum sodium, potassium, and chloride) in pediatric patients of all ages.
Kidney/Genitourinary: Non-invasive, or minimally invasive approaches to develop devices, instruments, chemical molecules, and biomarkers to help study the mechanisms of normal and abnormal development of the kidney and genitourinary systems; to make early diagnosis of malformations, infections, and other renal-genitourinary disorders, and to prevent or treat renal and genitourinary diseases in fetal/neonatal and other pediatric patients.
Infections: Devices, instruments, and methods for preventing, assessing and treating neonatal/pediatric infections, including innovative technologies for improving the quality of invasive catheters and tubes used during the evaluation and care of critically ill newborn infants, small children, and pediatric patients in ICU setting. The catheters and their component systems may include IV tubes, indwelling catheters (venous, arterial, umbilical, percutaneous), connector-hubs, and syringes, and may include novel materials that prevent microbial adherence. Examples of other tubes include endotracheal tubes, oral or naso-gastric tubes, suction catheters, and chest-tubes or other catheters used for drainage purposes. The applications need to focus on methods to improve the performance quality of such tubes, catheters, and accessories that ultimately lead to reduced microbial colonization and reduced incidence of health-care and device-associated sepsis, reduced thrombogenic properties, and/or prevention of other device-associated complications. Applications may also include studies to improve the accuracy and speed of bacterial and fungal septicemia diagnoses, rapid identification of pathogenic microbial organisms, and assessment of antimicrobial resistance/susceptibility characteristics utilizing small volumes of blood and/or other biological fluids.
Hearing, speech, and swallowing functions: Devices and instruments for assessment and preservation of hearing (e.g., improved auditory brainstem response technologies to provide continuous monitoring and effective noise cancellation to reduce incubator noise) and speech/swallowing functions (e.g., improved oro-cutaneous stimulation devices and improved therapeutic devices to facilitate oral motor development and sucking capacity in premature infants and in infants with developmental/intellectual disabilities).
Radiological Devices: Device development to reduce the harm from radiation exposures, especially during CT.
Funding Instrument |
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity. |
Application Types Allowed
|
New (Phase I) The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide provide details on these application types. |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. |
Award Budget |
According to statutory guidelines, total funding support (direct costs, indirect costs, fee) normally may not exceed $150,000 for Phase I awards and $1,000,000 for Phase II awards. With appropriate justification from the applicant, Congress will allow awards to exceed these amounts by up to 50% ($225,000 for Phase I and $1,500,000 for Phase II, a hard cap). As written in the statute and under appropriate circumstances, NIH can apply for a waiver from SBA to issue an award exceeding $225,000 for Phase I or $1,500,000 for Phase II, if this hard cap will interfere with NIH s ability to meet its mission. Award waivers from the SBA are not guaranteed and may delay the release of funds. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH program officials prior to submitting any award in excess of the guidelines. In all cases, applicants should propose a budget that is reasonable and appropriate for completion of the research project. |
Award Project Period |
According to statutory guidelines, award periods normally may not exceed 1 year for Phase I and 2 years for Phase II. Applicants are encouraged to propose a project duration period that is reasonable and appropriate for completion of the research project. |
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit applications for this opportunity. A small business concern is one that, at the time of award of Phase I and Phase II, meets all of the following criteria:
1. Is organized for profit, with a place of business
located in the United States, which operates primarily within the United States
or which makes a significant contribution to the United States economy through
payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor;
2. Is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited
liability company, corporation, joint venture, association, trust or
cooperative, except that where the form is a joint venture, there can be no
more than 49 percent participation by foreign business entities in the joint
venture;
3. Is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who
are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States,or it must
be a for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by
another for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled
by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens
in, the United States, except in the case of a joint venture, where each entity
to the venture must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more
individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United
States; and;
4. Has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees.
SBCs must also meet the other regulatory requirements found in 13 C.F.R. Part 121. Business concerns, other than investment companies licensed, or state development companies qualifying under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, 15 U.S.C. 661, et seq., are affiliates of one another when either directly or indirectly, (a) one concern controls or has the power to control the other; or (b) a third-party/parties controls or has the power to control both. Business concerns include, but are not limited to, any individual (sole proprietorship) partnership, corporation, joint venture, association, or cooperative. The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide should be referenced for detailed eligibility information.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are
not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in
the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed.
Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.
- System for Award Management (SAM) must maintain an active entity registration(formerly CCR registration), to be renewed at least annually. Use the Sam.gov Manage Entity function to manage your entity registrations. See the Grants Registration User Guide at SAM.gov for additional information.
- Grants.gov
- eRA Commons
All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least 6 weeks prior to the application due date.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
Under the SBIR program, for both Phase I and Phase II, the primary employment of the PD/PI must be with the small business concern at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. For projects with multiple PDs/PIs, at least one must meet the primary employment requirement. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur.
The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide should be referenced for specific details on eligibility requirements. For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, see Multiple Principal Investigators section of the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
NIH will not accept similar grant applications with essentially the same research focus from the same applicant organization. This includes derivative or multiple applications that propose to develop a single product, process, or service that, with non-substantive modifications, can be applied to a variety of purposes. Applicants may not simultaneously submit identical/essentially identical applications under both this funding opportunity and any other HHS funding opportunity, including the SBIR and STTR Parent announcements.
NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:
- To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
- Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
- Of an application with a changed grant activity code.
A Phase I awardee may submit a Phase II application either before or after expiration of the Phase I budget period, unless the awardee elects to submit a Phase I and Phase II application concurrently under the Fast-Track procedure. To maintain eligibility to seek Phase II support, a Phase I awardee should submit a Phase II application within the first six due dates following the expiration of the Phase I budget period.
In Phase I, normally, a minimum of two-thirds or 67% of the
research or analytical effort must be carried out by the small business
concern. The total amount of all consultant and contractual arrangements to
third parties for portions of the scientific and technical effort generally may
not exceed 33% of the total amount requested (direct, F&A/indirect, and
fee).
In Phase II, normally, a minimum of one-half or 50% of the research or
analytical effort must be carried out by the small business concern. The total
amount of consultant and contractual arrangements to third parties for portions
of the scientific and technical effort generally may not exceed 50% of the
total Phase II amount requested (direct, F&A/indirect, and fee).
A small business concern may subcontract a portion of its SBIR or STTR award to a Federal laboratory within the limits above. A Federal laboratory, as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3703, means any laboratory, any federally funded research and development center, or any center established under 15 U.S.C. 3705 & 3707 that is owned, leased, or otherwise used by a Federal agency and funded by the Federal Government, whether operated by the Government or by a contractor.
The basis for determining the percentage of work to be
performed by each of the cooperative parties in Phase I or Phase II will be the
total of the requested costs attributable to each party, unless otherwise
described and justified in Consortium/Contractual Arrangements of the PHS 398
Research Plan component of SF424 (R&R) application forms.
Additional details are contained in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR
Application Guide.
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
- Descriptive title of proposed research
- Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
- Names of other key personnel
- Participating institution(s)
- Number and title of this funding opportunity
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Tonse N. K. Raju, MD, DCH
Program Scientist/Medical Officer
Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 4B01 MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-MS7510
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Telephone: 301-402-1872
Email: [email protected]
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Resource Sharing Plans
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
Appendix
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. The instructions for the Appendix of the Research Plan are described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modification:
- Note that Phase I SBIR Appendix materials are not permitted.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications
before the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application
corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants
across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission
process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration.
Applicants are
responsible for viewing their application before the deadline in the eRA
Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time
submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost
principles, and other considerations described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Instructions. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in
the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the
SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons
and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent
the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA
Commons and for the System for Award Management (SAM). Additional information
may be found in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.
Important Update: See
NOT-OD-16-006 and NOT-OD-16-011 for updated review language for applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2016.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field? Does the proposed project have commercial potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service? (In the case of Phase II, Fast-Track, and Phase II Competing Renewals, does the Commercialization Plan demonstrate a high probability of commercialization?) Does the proposed project lead to development of devices/instruments that may have a potential to reduce pain associated with monitoring/diagnosing/treating pediatric patients? Does the proposed project lead to development of devices/instruments that improve the quality of pediatric patient care, significantly more than the existing similar devices/instruments? Does the proposed project lead to development of devices/instruments that increase pediatric patient safety?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Innovation
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Approach
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Environment
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangement?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Commercialization Plan and Potential
What is the project's potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service? For the proposed market niche, how urgent is the unmet need for the product or technology?
For Phase II and Phase I/II Fast-Track Applications: Does the commercialization plan demonstrate a high probability of commercialization? How well has the applicant demonstrated an understanding of the competitive environment in which they plan to sell their product? To what extent has the applicant identified their customers and demonstrated a clear understanding of their needs? How well has the company addressed potential hurdles that may delay or prevent acceptance of their product? How reasonable are the applicant’s plans for generating a revenue stream, and how realistic are the revenue projections?
Company
To what extent do the prior experience and qualifications of the project team members lend confidence that the team will be successful in commercializing the proposed product/technology? For example, how successful have the PD(s)/PI(s) been in commercializing other technologies and discoveries in the past?
For Phase II and Phase I/II Fast-Track Applications: To what extent does the applicant SBC have the ability to address regulatory issues, either through their own staff members or through appropriate arrangements with external regulatory consultants?
To what extent is the applicant SBC concentrating on its core competencies in order to maximize its chances of success? How well can the applicant SBC sustain itself and grow as a business? To what extent will the applicant's business alliances and/or corporate partnerships help in facilitating commercialization? For example, will third-party investors play an active role in facilitating the commercialization of the product/technology, and if so to what extent?
Phase II Applications
For Phase II Applications, how well did the applicant demonstrate progress toward meeting the Phase I objectives, demonstrating feasibility, and providing a solid foundation for the proposed Phase II activity?
Phase I/Phase II Fast-Track Applications
For Phase I/Phase II Fast-Track Applications,
reviewers will consider the following:
1. Does the Phase I application specify clear, appropriate, measurable goals
(milestones) that should be achieved prior to initiating Phase II?
2. To what extent was the applicant able to obtain letters of interest,
additional funding commitments, and/or resources from the private sector or
non-SBIR/STTR funding sources that would enhance the likelihood for
commercialization?
Protections for Human Subjects
For research that involves human subjects but does
not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR
Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human
subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their
participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to
subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the
subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data
and safety monitoring for clinical trials.
For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or
more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the
committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human
subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For
additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to
the Human
Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Vertebrate Animals
The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.
Biohazards
Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.
Resubmissions
For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
Phase IIB Competing Renewals
Not Applicable
Revisions
Not Applicable
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.
Select Agent Research
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans
Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) , convened by the Center
for Scientific Review , in accordance with NIH peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA
Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
- May undergo a committee process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
- Will receive a written critique.
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications . Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
- Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
- Availability of funds.
- Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.
After the peer review of the application is completed, the
PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique)
via the eRA
Commons.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee’s business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, SAM Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
The Office of Inspector General Hotline accepts tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in Department of Health & Human Services programs. The reporting individual should indicate that the fraud, waste and/or abuse concerns an SBIR/STTR grant or contract, if relevant. Report Fraud.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
Not Applicable.
NIH requires that SBIR/STTR grantees submit the following reports within 90 days of the end of the grant budget period unless the grantee is under an extension.
- Final Progress Report
- Final Invention Statement and Certification (HHS 568)
- Annual Invention Utilization Reports
- Federal Financial Report (FFR) replaced the Final Cash Transaction Report (PSC 272)
- Phase II Data Collection Requirement for Government Tech-Net Database
Failure to submit timely final reports may affect future funding to the organization or awards with the same PD/PI.
For details about each specific required report, see the section on Award Guidelines, Reporting Requirements, and Other Considerations, in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity
and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
Grants.gov
Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]
eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]
Tonse N. K. Raju, MD, DCH
Program Scientist/Medical Officer
Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-402-1872
Email: [email protected]
Anne Zajicek, MD, PharmD
Chief, Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology Branch
Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6865
Email: [email protected]
Margaret Grabb
Chief, SBIR and STTR Programs
National Institute of Mental Health
Telephone: 301-443-3563
Email: [email protected]
Stephanie Fertig
Office of Translational Research
National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 310-451-4669
Email: [email protected]
Carol Blaisdell
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-435-0222
Email: [email protected]
E. John Firrell PhD
Scientific Review Officer
Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering IRG
Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Phone: 301-435-2598
Email: [email protected]
Ted Williams
Grants Management Specialist
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Phone: 301-435-6996
Email: [email protected]
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
The SBIR Program is mandated by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-219), reauthorizing legislation (P.L. 99-443) P.L. 102-564, and P.L. 112-81 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011). The basic design of the NIH SBIR Program is in accordance with the Small Business Administration (SBA) SBIR Policy Directive
