NIH Highlighted Topic: Behavioral and Cognitive Signals of Aging in Real-World Contexts

Overview

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is encouraging computational methods that analyze how human behavior unfolds over time, such as routines, transitions, and rhythms, and the development of "cognitive vital signs" from everyday behavior, speech, and brief tasks.

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NIH stresses that these measures must be interpretable, reproducible, and valid across real-world settings. All three participating Institutes (NIA, NCI, and NIMH) offer some of the highest SBIR budget guidelines at NIH, making the NIH SBIR program a strong fit for digital biomarker companies.

Key dates and funding

• Next SBIR due dates: January 5, 2027 and April 5, 2027 (5:00 PM local time of your organization)
• Application route: NIH, CDC and FDA Parent SBIR (R43/R44), PA-27-100, Clinical Trial Optional
• Project period: normally up to 6 months for Phase I and up to 2 years for Phase II
• Topic window: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic through June 24, 2028, so it can support more than one submission cycle

Budget guidelines in PA-27-100 vary by participating Institute or Center. Total costs (direct, indirect, and fee) normally stay within these amounts:

• National Institute on Aging (NIA): Phase I $700,000, Phase II $3,000,000
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): Phase I $700,000, Phase II $2,500,000
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Phase I $700,000, Phase II $3,000,000

Who is eligible?

Only United States small business concerns can apply through the NIH Parent SBIR announcement. In plain terms, your company must meet these requirements:

• A for-profit business with a place of business in the United States and no more than 500 employees, including affiliates
• Generally more than 50% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or by qualifying venture capital, hedge fund, or private equity owners under SBA rules
• The Principal Investigator is primarily employed by the small business at the time of award and for the duration of the project
• No foreign organizations, foreign components, or foreign subawards (unfunded foreign collaborators and foreign consultants are permitted)
• Companies selected for funding submit the SBA foreign affiliations disclosure during the Just-in-Time process

Focus areas

Areas of scientific interest

• Daily behavior patterns such as sleep-wake regularity, routines, and social rhythms as indicators of functional change with aging
• Cognitive vital signs from real-world data such as speech, response timing, error correction, and multitasking
• Computational methods that represent behavior as sequences, bouts, and variability over time
• Reproducibility and comparability of signals across studies and populations
• Linking computational representations to interpretable functional constructs

NIA

• Early or preclinical dementia signals, real-world indicators of psychological aging, functional measures of autonomy, and longitudinal trajectories of aging and disease

NCI

• Signals across the cancer control continuum, including pre-diagnosis symptoms, treatment effects, feasibility in survivors, and cancer-related cognitive impairment

NIMH

• Real-world neurobehavioral signals for mental health risk and resilience, including digital biomarkers and longitudinal early-warning signals

How to apply

NIH Highlighted Topics are not funding opportunities on their own. Small businesses apply through the NIH, CDC and FDA Parent SBIR announcement (PA-27-100) and write the application to match the interests of at least one participating Institute or Center. Read the full NIH Highlighted Topic before you start.

• Register early: SAM.gov (which issues your UEI and can take six weeks or more), Grants.gov, eRA Commons (a Signing Official plus a PI account with a linked ORCID iD), and the SBA Company Registry (proof of registration is attached to the application)
• Talk to the program officer: the topic lists scientific contacts at NIA, NCI, and NIMH, and OBSSR and THRO also participate but do not award grants
• Check the budget: contact the participating Institute or Center early if you plan to request more than the SBA budget guideline
• Submit electronically: through NIH ASSIST, a system-to-system solution, or Grants.gov Workspace by 5:00 PM local time on January 5, 2027 or April 5, 2027

Is this a fit for your company?

This topic suits companies building passive sensing platforms, speech or voice analytics, smartphone or wearable digital biomarkers, and AI models that turn everyday behavior into validated measures of cognition or function. NIH will look closely at validation, interpretability, and how well your signal holds up across real-world populations.

If that sounds like your company, book a free funding fit call with BW&CO. Our team has helped secure $350M+ in non-dilutive funding and can tell you quickly whether this topic, and which Institute, is the right target for your January or April submission.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NIH behavioral and cognitive signals of aging Highlighted Topic a funding opportunity?

No. It is an NIH Highlighted Topic, which signals scientific interest but is not a notice of funding opportunity. Small businesses apply through the NIH Parent SBIR announcement (PA-27-100), with the next due dates on January 5, 2027 and April 5, 2027.

How much NIH SBIR funding is available for cognitive aging signals research?

All three participating Institutes allow up to $700,000 for Phase I under PA-27-100. For Phase II, NIA and NIMH allow up to $3,000,000 and NCI up to $2,500,000.

Which NIH Institutes participate in the cognitive aging signals topic?

NIA, NCI, and NIMH are the awarding participants. OBSSR and THRO also participate but do not award grants.

What are cognitive vital signs?

They are measures of cognitive function derived from everyday behavior, speech, and brief tasks, such as response timing, error correction, and multitasking. NIH wants them to be interpretable, reproducible, and valid across real-world settings.

Who is eligible to apply through NIH SBIR?

U.S. for-profit small businesses with no more than 500 employees, majority owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents (or qualifying investors under SBA rules), whose Principal Investigator is primarily employed by the company. Foreign organizations and foreign subawards are not allowed.

Can BW&CO help with an NIH SBIR application for this topic?

Yes. BW&CO helps small businesses choose the right NIH Institute, align the Specific Aims with the Highlighted Topic, and build a competitive SBIR application. The firm has helped clients secure $350M+ in non-dilutive funding. Book a free funding fit call to see if your technology is a match.