National Institutes of Health (NIH)
SB1 Commercialization Readiness Program
November 14, 2023 - Clarification of Implementation of the NIH SBIR and STTR Foreign Disclosure Pre-award and Post-Award Requirements. See Notice NOT-OD-24-029
June 12, 2023 - Implementation of the NIH SBIR and STTR Foreign Disclosure Pre-award and Post-Award Requirements. See NOT-OD-23-139. (See updates incorporated into NOFO content in Sections IV, V, VI, and VIII applicable for applications submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023.)
February 23, 2023 - Notice of Change to Minimum Performance Standards for SBIR and STTR Applicants. See Notice NOT-OD-23-092.
NOT-OD-22-195 - New NIH "FORMS-H" Grant Application Forms and Instructions Coming for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2023
NOT-OD-22-189 - Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy
NOT-OD-22-198 - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to facilitate the transition of previously funded SBIR and STTR Phase II and Phase IIB projects in pain management to the commercialization stage by providing additional assistance for private partnering activities through the Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) program. Specifically, this FOA supports the addition of entrepreneurial expertise into small business leadership teams along with supporting partnering activities to aid in commercialization through private third-party funding or partnership with industry.
Clinical trials are not accepted under this FOA.
30 days prior to the application due date
Application Due Dates | Review and Award Cycles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New | Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) | AIDS | Scientific Merit Review | Advisory Council Review | Earliest Start Date |
April 05, 2023 * | April 05, 2023 * | Not Applicable | July 2023 | August 2023 | December 2023 |
September 05, 2023 * | September 05, 2023 * | Not Applicable | November 2023 | January 2024 | April 2024 |
April 05, 2024 * | April 05, 2024 * | Not Applicable | July 2024 | August 2024 | December 2024 |
September 05, 2024 * | September 05, 2024 * | Not Applicable | November 2024 | January 2025 | April 2025 |
April 05, 2025 * | April 05, 2025 * | Not Applicable | July 2025 | August 2025 | December 2025 |
September 05, 2025 * | September 05, 2025 * | Not Applicable | November 2025 | January 2026 | April 2026 |
All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
Not Applicable
It is critical that applicants follow the SBIR/STTR (B) 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.
There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.
Purpose
The goal of this FOA is to support the commercialization of SBIR/STTR-funded pain management technologies through the addition of an experienced entrepreneur within small business leadership teams and by supporting private fundraising and partnership activities. This Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) funding opportunity is specifically open to Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II or Phase IIb awardees who are focused on advancing pain management therapies and technologies that have been funded by the HEAL Initiative or through HEAL-specific SBIR/STTR funding opportunities.
This FOA is part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis. More information about the HEAL Initiative is available at https://heal.nih.gov. More than 25 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, a highly debilitating medical condition that is complex and lacks effective treatments. In recent decades, there has been an overreliance on opioids for chronic pain despite their poor ability to improve function. This contributed to a significant and alarming epidemic of opioid overdose deaths and addictions. Small Business support through the HEAL Initiative is dedicated to bringing innovative pain management technologies and treatments for pain to the market.
Due to their long and expensive development timelines, many pain management technologies, including small molecule and biologic analgesics, medical technologies, and diagnostics, require significant funding beyond federal support to reach the marketplace. Within small biotech companies, third-party funding is primarily achieved through attracting private investment and/or partnerships with industry. Successfully attracting private partners requires dedicated time, significant knowledge, and unique skillsets. Early-stage biotech companies formed by technical experts may lack experience in business development, fundraising, private partnership, and entrepreneurship. In addition, Small Business Concerns (SBCs) primarily supported through SBIR/STTR awards often lack funding for non-R&D activities, thus these SBCs may not be able to support the salaries of business development staff. Gaps in entrepreneurial and business development expertise within SBCs may negatively impact the likelihood of attracting private funding and ultimately delay or undermine commercialization of innovative pain management products. This FOA will prioritize applicants who demonstrate a need for private partnership to achieve commercialization of their pain management technologies, and SBCs who have not previously garnered significant private funding. Small businesses who have previously obtained private funding should provide a clear rationale as to why additional business management expertise and federal support of partnering goals are needed to support future private partnering. In demonstrating a need for federal support for successful private partnering, applicants should also address the relative accessibility of private partners in the geographical vicinity of the applying SBC.
The CRP Program is an authorized component of the SBIR and STTR programs. The CRP program permits utilization of SBIR/STTR set-aside funds to support eligible SBCs in conducting technical assistance activities which may not include an R&D component. In concordance with the CRP program, funding through this FOA is intended to facilitate the transition of previously funded SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase IIb projects focused on pain management to the commercialization stage by supporting private partnering activities. Please note: Only those applicants who have received Phase II or Phase IIB funding from NIH are eligible for CRP funding, as described in Section III.1. Specifically, applying SBCs must have at least one of the following:
Scope
This FOA is specifically designed to support addition of an expert in entrepreneurship and business development within small business leadership teams which currently lack this knowledge base, and to utilize this expertise in efforts to attract private funding. This FOA is designed to support applications with the following components within the Research Plan section of the application package (see Section IV for application instructions):
This funding opportunity is intended to bolster the core competencies of NIH-funded SBC leadership teams in areas of business expertise and private partnering in an effort to improve success in private funding and partnering. Therefore, applicants are expected to incorporate this expertise into the SBC leadership team at a significant commitment of no less than 50% effort to the company. Note that the level of effort of this individual on the proposed project may be less than the overall commitment to the company. For example, the individual may be a full time hire and be proposed to contribute 50% effort to the activities proposed to this funding opportunity. Level of effort on the proposed project should be commensurate with the involvement of the individual in the proposed partnering activities. Award funding may only support the labor costs affiliated with the proposed activities. Applying small businesses are expected to contribute to the compensation of individual(s) hired through this award, such as through equity agreements or other funds.The proposed hire is expected to be responsible for significant portions of business development and private partnering activities, and therefore it is anticipated that executive positions such as Chief Business Officer (CBO), Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operations Officer (COO), Senior VP of Business Development, or similar may be appropriate. It is anticipated that relevant skillsets and expertise needed to conduct partnering activities may include a track record of raising venture funding to support development of related technologies and/or experience overseeing successful licensing of similar technologies to large industry partners. Ultimately, the skillsets of the proposed business executive hire should align with those needed to execute the proposed partnering plan.
While applying small businesses are not required to execute proposed hiring agreements prior to application submission, this FOA is designed to support applications that have identified at least one candidate within the application who provides the necessary expertise, along with a letter of support from the proposed candidate (see Section IV for application instructions). The application also requires a letter of support from this candidate confirming interest and their support of the proposed hiring plan and activities described in the application. Please note that funding for this award may be restricted until a candidate that meets the required skillsets and expertise is officially hired. Applicants are expected to describe efforts by which they will encourage applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women (see the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-031.html, for more information).. Applicants are highly encouraged to utilize their network of advisors, board members, and consultants to identify strong candidates.
Applicants should be actively seeking private funding or partnering at the time of application or within one year of application submission. Readiness for fundraising and/or partnering activities should be demonstrated, such as through inclusion of letters of support from private funders, industry, and advisors; prior engagement with private partners; prior participation in company showcase opportunities or pitch competitions; and/or examples of comparable technologies and companies who succeeded in partnering at a similar development stage.
Activities proposed within applications to this funding opportunity must be directly related to private fundraising and partnering activities. Partnering activities supported by this grant may include but are not limited to US-based travel to meet with potential partners, attendance at partnering meetings, legal activities related to partnering, and business development activities to address areas of interest of private partners (e.g. market and IP landscape analyses, regulatory plan development, business plan development, customer discovery research). Partnering goals or milestones may include completing a number of meetings with investors, establishing a board of directors, finalizing pitch decks, and other business development activities that directly serve the proposed partnering goals. This funding opportunity may support activities of other company staff, advisors, board members, consultants, lawyers, and/or vendors who will contribute to the proposed hiring and partnering activities.
Applicants are expected to meet with a minimum of ten potential partners over the duaration of the project fitting an appropriate target profile for the technology and company (e.g., angel investors, VC firms, pharma venture branches, industry search and evaluation staff, etc). Costs associated with conducting these meetings, including US-based travel and legal fees, are within scope. Activities outside of product R&D that may directly contribute to successful partnering are within scope, such as market and intellectual property (IP) analyses, regulatory plan development, assembling a data room, and business plan development. The contribution of these activities to partnering success should be made clear by the applicant.
See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
New (for Phase II or IIB SBIR/STTR awards that will be active at the requested Project Start date)
Renewal (for Phase II or IIB SBIR/STTR awards that have ended or will close out by the requested Project Start date)
Resubmission
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
NIH is permitted to allocate not more than 10% of its overall SBIR funds allocated to the CRP program.
Total funding support (direct costs, indirect costs, fee) up to $400,000, with no more than $200,000 total cost per year, may be requested.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact program officials prior to submitting any application and early in the application planning process. In all cases, applicants should propose a budget that is reasonable and appropriate for completion of the proposed project.
The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period allowed is 2 years.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.
1. Eligible Applicants
Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) that have had an active NIH SBIR or STTR Phase II or Phase IIB contract or grant award from NIH ICs within the last 36 months are eligible to submit applications for this opportunity. Only one CRP is allowed per Phase II or Phase IIB project. SBCs with currently active and newly awarded Phase II or Phase IIB awards from one of the participating ICs are also eligible.. A small business concern is one that, at the time of award of Phase I and Phase II, meets all of the following criteria:
4. Has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees.
If the concern is more than 50% owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, private equity firms, or any combination of these falls under 3 (ii) or 3 (iii) above, see Section IV. Application and Submission Information for additional instructions regarding required application certification.
If an Employee Stock Ownership Plan owns all or part of the concern, each stock trustee and plan member is considered an owner.
If a trust owns all or part of the concern, each trustee and trust beneficiary is considered an owner.
Definitions:
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.
Small business concerns that are more than 50% owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, private equity firms, or any combination of these are NOT eligible to apply to the NIH STTR program.
Performance Benchmark Requirements
Phase I to Phase II Transition Rate Benchmark: In accordance with guidance from the SBA, the HHS SBIR/STTR Program is implementing the Phase I to Phase II Transition Rate benchmark required by the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 and the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. The benchmark establishes a minimum number of Phase II awards the company must have received relative to a given number of Phase I awards received during the 5-fiscal year time period. The Transition Rate is calculated as the total number of SBIR and STTR Phase II awards a company received during the past 5 fiscal years divided by the total number of SBIR and STTR Phase I awards it received during the past 5 fiscal years excluding the most recently-completed year. The Transition Rate requirement, agreed upon and established by all 11 SBIR agencies, was published for public comment in a Federal Register Notice on October 16, 2012 (77 FR 63410) and amended on May 23, 2013 (78 FR 30951).
On June 1 of each year, SBA will identify the companies that fail to meet minimum performance requirements.SBA calculates individual company Phase I to Phase II Transition Rates using SBIR and STTR award information across all federal agencies. SBA will notify companies and the relevant officials at the participating agencies. More information on the Phase I to Phase II Transition Rate requirement is available at SBIR.gov.
Phase II to Commercialization Benchmark: In accordance with guidance from the SBA, the HHS SBIR/STTR Programs are implementing the Phase II to Commercialization Rate benchmark for Phase I applicants, as required by the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 and the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. The Commercialization Rate Benchmark was published in a Federal Register notice on August 8, 2013 (78 FR 48537), with a reopening of the comment period published on September 26, 2013 (78 FR 59410).
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
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.
Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.
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 diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
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.
For the STTR program, the PD(s)/PI(s) may be employed with the SBC or the single, partnering non-profit research institution as long as s/he has a formal appointment with or commitment to the applicant SBC, which is characterized by an official relationship between the SBC and that individual. Such a relationship does not necessarily involve a salary or other form of remuneration The primary employment of the PD/PI must be with the SBC or the Research Institution (where they are PD/PI at) at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project.
Each PD/PI must commit a minimum of 10% effort to the project.
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.
2. Cost Sharing
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
3. Additional Information on Eligibility
Number of Applications
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.
The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:
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 or IIB support, a Phase I awardee should submit a Phase II application, and a Phase II awardee should submit a Phase IIB application, within the first six due dates following the expiration of the Phase I or II budget period, respectively.
Small Business Concerns (SBCs) who have received Phase II or Phase IIB funding from NIH are eligible for this program. Specifically, an applying SBC must have at least one of the following:
Additional details are contained in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide, under Section 8 "Type of Application"
This Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) funding opportunity is specifically open to SBIR/STTR Phase II/IIB awardees advancing pain management therapies and technologies that have been funded by the HEAL Initiative or through HEAL-specific SBIR/STTR funding opportunities.
Outsourcing of such activities to qualified expert vendors is permitted within this FOA, provided the expert services are appropriate for the work proposed and well justified in the application. The SBC must perform a substantive role in the conduct of the planned research and not merely serve as a conduit of funds to another party or parties. This includes being able to provide appropriate oversight of all scientific, programmatic, financial, and administrative matters related to the grant.
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.
1. Requesting an Application Package
The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
It is critical that applicants follow the SBIR/STTR (B) 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.
Letter of Intent
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:
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Emily Caporello, Ph.D.
Telephone: (301) 496-1779
Email: [email protected]
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.
Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H application forms packages.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
Facilities & Other Resources (Applicable to applications submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023)
In addition to describing the scientific environment and the company support, the applicant must describe the business environment and resources, or how the company will obtain access to the appropriate business resources, for completing and commercializing the proposed product or service. This includes any relevant intellectual property associated with the project necessary to facilitate commercialization.
Other Attachments:
1. SBIR Application Certification for small business concerns majority-owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms
Applicant small business concerns that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms (e.g. majority VCOC-owned) are required to submit a Certification at time of their application submission per the SBIR Policy Directive. Follow the instructions below.
Applicants small business concerns who are more than 50% directly owned and controlled by one or more individuals (who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States), other business concerns (each of which is more than 50% directly owned and controlled by individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States), or any combination of these (i.e. NOT majority VCOC-owned) should NOT fill out this certification and should NOT attach it their application package.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Filing fees associated with filing patents or FDA submissions are not permissible.
The SBC must perform a substantive role in the conduct of the planned research and not merely serve as a conduit of funds to another party or parties. This includes being able to provide appropriate oversight of all scientific, programmatic, financial, and administrative matters related to the grant. Applicants are expected to detail their proposed collaborations as part of the grant application.
CRP applicants cannot request separate Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) funding.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Specific Aims: State concisely and realistically what the proposed technical assistance activities are intended to accomplish for the product under development. A scientific hypothesis is not required.
Research Strategy:
A. Significance
Explain how the technology being developed in the proposed project addresses unmet needs of interest to the HEAL Initiative, including unmet needs for non-addictive pain therapy and pain management technologies. Explain how the proposed project will lead to a marketable product, process, or service related to pain management.
Describe the importance of private funding and/or private partnering in achieving commercialization of the associated pain management technology. Describe the readiness of the SBC and pain management technology for private partnering, and the rationale for these activities being successful
Describe the need for business expertise within the current team to accomplish partnering goals. Describe the need for federal support to achieve partnering goals, addressing the SBC's fundraising history and access to private partners.
B. Innovation
Describe how the product being developed is novel to the field of research or clinical practice and/or how it will shift current research or clinical practice paradigms.
Describe the advantage that the proposed product offers over all existing approaches, as well as those in development or early generations.
C. Approach
Requirements and expectations to be addressed within the Approach section include the following:
In addition, applicants should describe how the successful completion of the aims will advance the product/technology toward commercialization, and describe quantitative goals or milestones to be used for measuring success in achieving each objective.
CRP Progress Report (required for all applicants): Describe all relevant concurrent and past activities, including those beyond the scope of the Phase II project, related to commercialization and aimed at mitigating commercialization risk and/or attracting third party investors across the development timeline for the proposed technology or product development. Examples of activities may include, but not are limited to validation studies, regulatory compliance, patents and license agreements, IND-enabling studies, and pre-market submissions.
Letters of Support:
In addition to standard letters of support documenting collaborations and access to expertise or unique research resources, applicants are required to include a Letter of Support from at least one potential candidate meeting the required skillsets as proposed in the application. This Letter of Support should confirm the individual's interest in the proposed leadership role and their support of the proposed hiring plan and fundraising/partnering activities described in the application. In addition, applicants should include Letters of Support from company advisors, board members, third-party investors, and industry partners to support the proposed hiring, partnering, and fundraising plans, as applicable.
SBIR/STTR Information Form
Program Type: Check "SBIR" regardless of whether the Phase II or IIB predicating the CRP application was a SBIR or STTR award.
Application Type: Check "Commercialization Readiness Program"
Commercialization Plan
All applicants are expected to describe a realistic plan (extending beyond the CRP), which outlines how and when full commercialization can be accomplished. The full commercialization of the product/technology should be carried out with non-SBIR funds.
The following subsections with the headings should be included within the Commercialization Plan, in addition to the requirements listed in the SF424 Application Guide:
1) Statement of Need
Applicants must provide a concise Statement of Need . This statement is expected to provide answers to the questions listed below:
What is the perceived Valley of Death for the product/technology under development?
Why is additional government funding critically needed to accelerate the development of the product or technology toward commercialization? Specifically, what activities are being proposed under this FOA that would not otherwise be possible through independent third-party investments OR would be significantly delayed without additional NIH support?
To what extent would a possible award under this FOA advance the product or technology far enough to attract sufficient, independent third-party financing and/or strategic partnerships to carry out full commercialization?
2) SBIR/STTR Commercialization History
Applicants should provide an SBIR/STTR Commercialization History that addresses the questions listed below. The following questions should be addressed for all SBIR/STTR awards received from any Federal agency:
Has the company gone through any name changes within the past five years? If so, then all previous company names should be listed in the application.
Is the company a subsidiary or a spin-off? If so, then the name of the parent company should be provided.
What percentage of the company’s revenue was derived from SBIR/STTR funding during each of the past 5 years, including both Phase I and Phase II awards? Applicants should report a percentage value for each year individually.
What is the total number of SBIR/STTR Phase II awards that the company has received from the Federal government? For each award, companies should provide the award number, the award amount, project duration, and the name of the awarding agency.
What are the total revenues that have been generated to date as a result of the commercialization of the SBIR/STTR projects funded within the past 5 years?
3) Project Management Plan
Applicants must provide a Project Management Plan detailing how the research and commercialization plans will be kept on track. The plan should include specific milestones for the commercialization of the product.
4) Regulatory Plan
If applicable, applicants must provide a regulatory plan describing the regulatory pathway that is being or will be pursued and a timeline for achieving regulatory approval with discrete milestones. Applicants must also submit evidence that they have contacted the appropriate regulatory authority and that their research plan and objectives follow the relevant requirements or guidance of that authority. Examples that provide evidence of appropriate interactions are letters or emails between the company and the appropriate FDA Center personnel or meeting minutes concerning a pre-submission meeting or regarding a 510(k), IDE, PMA, HDE, BLA, IND, or NDA application. Copies of these letters, emails or minutes should be attached in the Letters of Support section in the PHS398 Research Plan form. Applicants may also provide details of their interaction with the regulatory authority in the description of their Regulatory Plan. This should include the regulatory authority contact and date of interaction. Applicants should describe any outside assistance they have obtained or plan to obtain for developing and achieving the proposed Regulatory Plan.
5) Fundraising Plan
The NIH considers the raising of independent third-party investor funds to be an important means to facilitate and accelerate the capital-intensive steps that are required to commercialize new products/technologies emerging from NIH-funded SBIR/STTR Phase II projects. Applicants are expected to provide a Fundraising Plan, which should be a detailed and specific plan for securing substantial, independent third-party investor funds beyond the scope of the proposed project if they are necessary to bring the product to commercialization. If they are not needed, the company should detail how they are able to bring the technology to market without the use of additional third-party investor funds or partnering beyond the activities proposed in this project.
Answer questions 8 and 9 as specific to the SBIR program. If the applicant has received SBIR/STTR awards issued by NIH or any other Federal Government agency, attach a file that includes for each SBIR/STTR award: (1) name of awarding agency; (2) award number and date; (3) amount of award; (4) title of project; (5) source, date, and amount of Phase III funding agreement; and (6) commercialization status of each Phase II award.
Other Plan(s)
Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H application forms packages.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Appendix:
Note that Phase I SBIR/STTR Appendix materials are not permitted. Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix of other small business applications. The instructions for the Appendix of the Research Plan are described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide Instructions.
Applicants should include quotes for outsourced services they plan to use, if applicable.
When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Delayed Onset Study
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed.
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and time. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
Organizations must submit applications to 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. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.
Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date 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.
5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
6. Funding Restrictions
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.
7. Other Submission Requirements and Information
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide. 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 How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.
Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. 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 unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy.
Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy.
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Sharing Plan and Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS) will not be evaluated at time of review.
For this particular announcement, note the following: The goal of this FOA is to support the commercialization of SBIR/STTR-funded pain management technologies through the addition of an experienced entrepreneur within the small business leadership teams and by supporting private fundraising and partnership activities.
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? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous? 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?)
Specific to this FOA:
If the aims of the project are achieved, does the applicant demonstrate they will be significantly more likely to be successful in attracting private funding or partnership? Does the applicant demonstrate that private funding or partnership is necessary to bring the proposed product/technology to market? Does the applicant demonstrate the need for federal support through this mechanism necessary to ensure success in private fundraising or partnering? Is readiness for fundraising or private partnering within at most one year evident?
Does the project product/technology address an umet need in pain management, such as a novel non-addictive pain therapy or impactful pain management technology? Does the proposed project have commercial potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service? (Does the Commercialization Plan demonstrate a high probability of commercialization?) Does the applicant discuss the specific tasks/goals that an experienced entrepreneur within small business leadership teams will address to aid in commercialization?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or those 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?
Specific to this FOA:
Does the project propose addition of a qualified individual with business expertise in an executive role within the applying SBC? How well has the applicant outlined the skillsets and expertise needed to address existing gaps in business development and partnering expertise among company leadership? Is the proposed expertise needed to meet partnering goals? Has the applicant identified at least one candidate meeting the necessary qualifications? Does the candidate indicate an understanding of and interest in the proposed role through a Letter of Support? To what extent do the prior experience and qualifications of the proposed team members lend confidence that the team will be successful in advancing the proposed technology forward toward commercializing commercialization through private partnering?
If applicable, are proposed Contract Research Organizations (CROs) or other technical assistance providers qualified to provide the services proposed?
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? Have the investigators included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? 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? For a Phase I application, are there clear, appropriate, measurable goals (milestones) that should be achieved prior to initiating Phase II? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects?
Specific to this FOA:
Does the plan clearly identify the specific skillsets and expertise missing from the current leadership team that must be filled to improve the likelihood of attaining private partnering goals? Does the applicant describe their approach to locating, interviewing, and hiring the required expertise? Has the applicant provided potential candidates for consideration?
In addition, the applicant should provide a detailed partnering plan to attract private funding through private investment and/or partnership with industry (such as licensing or acquisition). Does the applicant provide a description of the types of private investors or industry partners that will be targeted and how they align with the goals of this FOA? Does the applicant provide a timeline and clear goals for execution of the proposed activities? Does the profile of partners targeted in the proposed plan align with the company and pain management technology?
If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address
1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and
2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), 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.
Phase II Applications
For Phase II Applications, how well did the applicant demonstrate progress toward meeting the Phase I (or Phase I-like) objectives, demonstrating feasibility, and providing a solid foundation for the proposed Phase II activity?
Commercialization Plan
To what extent in the commercialization plan has the applicant identified realistic, market-based milestones that can be achieved over the next five years? How reasonable are the applicant's plans for generating a revenue stream, and how realistic are the revenue projections? How strong is the applicant's intellectual property (IP) portfolio/position (pertinent to the proposed project)?
CRP Applications
Do the activities provided in the progress report demonstrate progress toward mitigating commercialization risk and/or attracting third party investors in the proposed development timeline for the technology or product? Do the relevant concurrent and past activities provide a solid foundation for the proposed CRP activity and justify continuation of development efforts?
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 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 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 Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan
When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.
Vertebrate Animals
The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. 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
For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.
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.
Applications with Foreign Components
Reviewers will consider whether work to be performed outside of the United States is thoroughly justified, based on a rare and unique circumstance, and necessary to the overall completion of the project.
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
Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Sharing Plan and Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS) will not be evaluated at time of review.
Reviewers will comment on whether the Resource Sharing Plan(s) (i.e., Sharing Model Organisms) or the rationale for not sharing the resources, is reasonable.
Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources:
For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.
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.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), 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 will receive a written critique.
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.
Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.
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 submitted in response to this FOA. 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:
Disclosure Requirements Regarding Ties to Foreign Countries (Applicable for applications submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023)
Upon request applicants are required to disclose all funded and unfunded relationships with foreign countries, using the Required Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries form (referred to as the "Disclosure Form" hereafter), for all owners and covered individuals. A "covered individual" is defined as all senior key personnel identified by the SBC in the application (i.e., individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way).
Upon request, applicants must submit the completed Disclosure Form and any additional agency-specific information electronically in eRA Commons via the Just-In-Time (JIT) process as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) Section 2.5.1 Just-in-Time Procedures. Applicants must continue to comply with NIH Other Support disclosure requirements as provided in NIH GPS Section 2.5.1 and may be required to provide similar information on the Disclosure Form for covered individuals identified in the application. If participating in this NOFO, SBC applicants applying to CDC and FDA will follow each agency's policies for submitting additional documents during the pre-award process. Applicants that do not submit the completed Disclosure Form during the JIT process will be deemed noncompliant and not be considered for funding.
Denial of Awards (Applicable for applications submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023)
Applicants are encouraged to consider whether their entity's relationships with foreign countries of concern will pose a security risk. Prior to issuing an award, NIH (and CDC or FDA, as applicable) will determine whether the SBC submitting the application:
A finding of foreign involvement with countries of concern will not necessarily disqualify an applicant. Final award determinations will be based on the above finding of foreign involvement and whether
the applicant's involvement falls within any of the following risk criteria, per the Act:
Generally, NIH, CDC, and FDA will not provide SBC applicants the opportunity to address any identified security risks prior to award. NIH, CDC, and FDA will not issue an award under the SBIR/STTR program if the covered relationship with a foreign country of concern identified in this guidance is determined to fall under any of the criteria provided .
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
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. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
1. Award Notices
For applications submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023, SBIR and STTR applicants under consideration for award will be required to submit the SBA U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued the Required Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries form during the JIT process. Applicants that fail to submit a Disclosure Form will not be considered for funding.
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 recipient's business official.
Recipients 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.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
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, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:
If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.
Should the applicant organization successfully compete for an award, recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy). This includes ensuring programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html.
HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA.
Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697.
In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 and 2 CFR Part 200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.
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.
Not Applicable
3. Data Management and Sharing
Note: The NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing is effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023.
4. Reporting
NIH requires that SBIR/STTR recipients submit the following reports within 120 days of the end of the grant budget period unless the recipient is under an extension. When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Failure to submit timely final reports may affect future funding to the organization or awards with the same PD/PI. NIH FOAs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR 200.301.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All recipients 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 the threshold. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200 Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.
Disclosure of Foreign Relationships Reporting Requirements (Applicable for applications submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023)
Recipients are responsible for monitoring their relationships with foreign countries of concern post-award, for any changes that may impact previous disclosures. SBCs receiving an award under the SBIR/STTR program are required to submit an updated Disclosure Form to report any of the following changes to NIH (and CDC or FDA, as applicable) throughout the duration of the award:
Regular, annual updates are required at the time of all SBIR/STTR annual, interim, and final Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs). For changes that occur between RPPR submissions, updated Disclosure Forms are required within 30 days of any change in ownership, entity structure, covered individual, or other substantive changes in circumstance, as described above. Recipients are required to upload these updated disclosures using the Additional Materials (AM) tool in eRA Commons.
If the recipient reports a covered foreign relationship that meets any of the risk criteria prohibiting funding described in this NOFO, NIH, CDC, and FDA may deem it necessary to terminate the award for material failure to comply with the federal statutes, regulations, or terms and conditions of the federal award. Refer to NIH GPS Section 8.5.2 Remedies for Noncompliance or Enforcement Actions: Suspension, Termination, and Withholding of Support for more information. Recipients are encouraged to monitor their covered foreign relationships post-award and avoid entering into relationships, both funded and unfunded, that may pose a security risk and jeopardize their ability to retain their award.
Agency Recovery Authority and Repayment of Funds
An SBC will be required to repay all amounts received from NIH under the award if either of the following determinations are made upon assessment of a change to their disclosure:
The repayment requirements and procedures provided in Section 8.5.4 Recovery of Funds of the NIH GPS apply and may also be subject to additional noncompliance and enforcement actions as described in Section 8.5.2 of the GPS. Recipients are required to follow the repayment procedures provided in the Guidance for Repayment of Grant Funds to the NIH.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)
Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]
SBA Company Registry (Questions regarding required registration at the SBA Company Registry and for technical questions or issues)
Website to Email: http://sbir.gov/feedback?type=reg
Emily Caporello, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Phone: 301-496-1778
Email: [email protected]
Emrin Horgusluoglu, Ph.D.
National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 240-383-5302
Email: [email protected]
Paekgyu Lee
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: (301)435-8164
E-mail: [email protected]
Steven Pittenger, Ph.D.
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Phone: 301-827-5810
E-mail: [email protected]
Xibin Wang, PhD
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Phone: 301-451-3884
E-mail: [email protected]
Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).
Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-9231
Email: [email protected]
Debbie Chen
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 301-594-3788
Email: [email protected]
Karen Robinsonsmith
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: (301) 451-2020
E-mail: [email protected]
Imoni Washington
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Phone: 301-435-2939
E-mail: [email protected]
Victoria C Matthews
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Phone: 301-594-5032
E-mail: [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 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200.
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, P.L. 112-81 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011), as reauthorized and extended under P.L. 114-328, Section 1834, P.L. 115-232, and P.L. 117-183. The basic design of the NIH SBIR Program is in accordance with the Small Business Administration (SBA) SBIR Policy Directive.
The STTR Program is mandated by the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-135), and reauthorizing legislation, P.L. 107-50, P.L. 112-81 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011), as reauthorized and extended under P.L. 114-328, Section 1834, P.L. 115-232, and P.L. 117-183. The basic design of the NIH STTR Program is in accordance with the Small Business Administration (SBA) STTR Policy Directive.