NIH Highlighted Topic: Research on Drowning Prevention
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Executive Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking innovative research proposals through the SBIR Program focused on drowning prevention, water safety, and evidence-based interventions that reduce drowning-related deaths and long-term injuries. NIH is particularly interested in technologies, public health strategies, implementation science approaches, and community-based interventions that improve drowning prevention outcomes across pediatric and high-risk populations.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of death among children in the United States, particularly among children ages 1–4. Survivors of drowning incidents often experience severe neurological injury, disability, and long-term health complications. NIH is encouraging projects that better understand drowning risk factors, improve swim instruction and water competency, expand access to prevention programs, and strengthen implementation of the drowning chain of survival. Companies developing water safety technologies, digital health tools, wearable monitoring systems, AI-enabled risk analytics platforms, emergency response technologies, educational tools, or community health interventions may be strong candidates for funding.
NIH is especially interested in projects focused on culturally appropriate drowning interventions, school-based and community-based prevention programs, implementation science, drowning risk measurement, swim competency evaluation, and scalable public health strategies. Research addressing disparities in drowning risk, barriers to prevention access, and evidence-based policy development is also encouraged.
Through the NIH SBIR Program, U.S. small businesses may apply for up to $323,090 in Phase I funding and up to $2,153,927 in Phase II funding to support research, development, validation, and commercialization activities. Applications are accepted on January 5th, April 5th, and September 5th annually, with funding typically beginning approximately 9 months after submission.
This highlighted topic is supported primarily by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP), both of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing drowning prevention, child safety, public health intervention delivery, and implementation science.
How much funding would I receive?
Awards provide up to $323,090 for Phase I projects (up to 2 years) and $2,153,927 for Phase II projects (up to 3 years). Some topics approved by NIH may exceed these limits. Fast-Track and Phase IIB (follow-on) options allow continuous or extended funding beyond Phase II.
What could I use the funding for?
Funding may support the research, development, validation, and commercialization of technologies and interventions focused on drowning prevention, water safety, and emergency response.
Eligible activities may include:
Development of wearable technologies, sensors, or monitoring systems for drowning detection and prevention
AI and machine learning platforms analyzing drowning risk trends and behavioral risk factors
Digital health tools supporting swim instruction, water competency, and safety education
Research evaluating swim instruction methods, timing, and effectiveness across populations
Community-based and school-based drowning prevention programs and intervention models
Implementation science approaches to improve adoption of evidence-based drowning prevention strategies
Emergency response technologies supporting the drowning chain of survival
Public health interventions targeting high-risk populations and underserved communities
Data collection platforms and predictive analytics tools for drowning surveillance and prevention
Research into medical conditions associated with increased drowning risk, including seizures, autism, and cardiac conditions
Flood-related drowning prevention technologies and disaster-response interventions
Policy evaluation, standards development, and cost-effectiveness studies related to water safety programs
Culturally tailored education and outreach programs designed to improve prevention uptake
Validation studies, translational research, prototype development, and regulatory preparation activities
Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for drowning prevention and water safety technologies
Funding may also support personnel, software development, clinical or public health data analysis, prototype fabrication, educational platform development, intellectual property protection, commercialization strategy development, and other research and development activities necessary to advance a commercially viable solution aligned with NIH priorities.
Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
Beyond the formal funding award, awardees gain several strategic advantages:
Government Validation and Credibility:
Being selected for an NIH-backed SBIR grant signals technical excellence and alignment with national health and biomedical priorities. This validation builds investor and partner confidence.Enhanced Visibility and Market Recognition:
Awardees are featured in NIH and HHS announcements, helping attract partnerships, media attention, and future contracting opportunities.Access to the Federal Innovation Ecosystem:
Recipients join a national network of researchers and agencies advancing life science innovation, often opening doors to collaborations with NIH laboratories and federal health programs.Stronger Commercial and Exit Potential:
By maturing technology through nondilutive funding, companies strengthen valuation, de-risk commercialization, and increase attractiveness for acquisition or follow-on private investment.
What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?
Applications are accepted each year on January 5th, April 5th, and September 5th. Funding is received approximately 9 months after submission.
Where does this funding come from?
Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with statutory set-asides requiring NIH, CDC, and FDA to devote portions of their extramural R&D budgets (3.2% for SBIR, 0.45% for STTR) to support small business innovation.
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must be U.S. small business concerns (SBCs) that:
Are organized for profit with a U.S. place of business.
Have ≤ 500 employees including affiliates.
Are > 50% owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, qualifying U.S. entities, or combinations thereof.
What companies and projects are likely to win?
Projects that demonstrate:
A clear unmet medical or public-health need,
Strong scientific rationale and feasibility,
High commercialization potential, supported by a realistic market and regulatory strategy, and
Alignment with an NIH Institute’s or CDC/FDA Center’s specific research mission (e.g., infectious disease, digital health, diagnostics, therapeutics, or data analytics).
Competitive applicants often have an early prototype, preliminary data, and a defined path to market adoption.
Are there any restrictions I should know about?
Companies must complete multiple federal registrations (SAM.gov, Grants.gov, eRA Commons, SBA Company Registry) before applying.
Foreign entities are not eligible.
Disclosure of foreign affiliations and compliance with national security screening are mandatory. Currently we do not recommend any sort of foreign affiliation.
How long will it take me to prepare an application?
For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive submission will likely take 120–200 hours in total.
How can BW&CO help?
Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:
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