The NIH SBIR program www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/funding/SBIR provides the small business community with seed funding to support the development of a broad array of commercial products to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent disease.
The SBIR/STTR program is structured in three phases. Phase I is to establish the technical merit and feasibility of a proposed R&D effort and Phase II is to continue the R&D effort for successful Phase I projects. The expectation is that in Phase III, a small business concern will be able to complete commercialization with non SBIR/STTR funds.
The problem is that the developed biomedical technology products resulting from the research is impeded by a significant funding gap between the end of the SBIR Phase II awards and the commercialization stage.
A major objective of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute www.nhlbi.nih.gov SBIR Program is to try to make it possible to commercialize technologies developed by small business concerns.
To accomplish the goal, NHLBI issued Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) “NHLBI SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Awards to Accelerate the Commercialization of Technologies for Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders and Diseases (RFA-HL-16-009))” posted February 25, 2015, to promote partnerships between SBIR/STTR Phase II awardees and third party investors and/or strategic partners.
NHLBI intends to commit $7,000,000 in FY 2016, $14,000,000 in FY 2017, $21,000,000, in FY 2018, $14,000,000, in FY 2019, and $7,000,000 in FY 2020 to fund up to seven new awards in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
A number of public and private organizations are not only providing financial support but are also establishing programs to provide commercialization guidance. Some examples include:
- Pharmaceutical firms have developed corporate venture funds focused on supporting projects in the pre-clinical stages of development
- Some firms have established technology incubators to provide development support including regulatory guidance
- Some universities are creating venture funds to support innovative technologies developed by their resident investigators
- Numerous state-sponsored technology funds have been created to support start-up companies.
Proposed projects may address preclinical and/or clinical stages of technology development. Clinical trials may be proposed as appropriate, but are not required. NHLBI priority areas for technology development need to include cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, and blood diseases, and resources areas.
The earliest submission date is May 19, 2015. The Letter of Intent is due 30 days prior to the application due date. Applications can be submitted by June 19, 2015, June 20, 2016, and June 19, 2017.
To view the FOA, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-16-009.html.