NIH Highlighted Topic: Intergenerational Interventions to Promote Health and Reduce Risk for Chronic Disease

Overview

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is encouraging the development, adaptation, and testing of preventive interventions that involve two or more generations. The interaction between generations must be an explicit mechanism of change, supported by a conceptual model with measured mechanisms.

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NIH is especially interested in populations at elevated risk of chronic disease or with limited access to preventive services. Nine awarding Institutes and Centers participate, which gives small businesses with family-centered digital health or prevention products several possible homes through the NIH SBIR program.

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 July 28, 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 Cancer Institute (NCI): Phase I $700,000, Phase II $2,500,000
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): Phase I $400,000, Phase II $3,000,000
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Phase I $700,000, Phase II $3,000,000
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Phase I $400,000, Phase II $3,000,000
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Phase I $400,000, Phase II $2,500,000
• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR): Phase I $400,000, Phase II $2,500,000
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): Phase I $700,000, Phase II SBA guideline
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR): SBA guideline for both phases
• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD): SBA guideline for both phases

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

What NIH wants funded

Across the topic, interventions should account for correlated outcomes within clusters such as families, nursing homes, or neighborhoods. Institute interests include:

Cardiovascular, cancer, and nutrition prevention

• NHLBI: family-based dietary interventions, digital tools and wearables, family cohorts, and Life's Essential 8
• NCI: cancer preventive behaviors such as diet, exercise, tobacco, alcohol, sun safety, sleep, HPV vaccination, screening, and genetic testing, including families affected by cancer

Mental health, alcohol, and substance use

• NIMH: mental health, neurocognitive function, HIV prevention, social isolation, loneliness, suicide prevention, and perinatal populations
• NIDA: intergenerational substance use risk and family-centered treatment and prevention models, including child welfare and juvenile justice settings
• NIAAA: preventing alcohol misuse and related harms, and parenting in families affected by alcohol misuse or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Community, oral health, and integrative approaches

• NINR: chronic disease prevention in community settings such as schools and faith-based organizations, including AI in populations experiencing disparities
• NIDCR: oral, dental, and craniofacial health, including technology-based prevention
• NIMHD: community-engaged and co-designed interventions for physical and mental health
• NCCIH: may give special consideration to meritorious applications

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 for each Institute, and ODP, OAR, OBSSR, ONR, 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 family-based digital health programs, caregiver and parent-child apps, wearables or remote monitoring used across generations, or community prevention platforms. The key test is whether your product deliberately uses interaction between generations to change health behavior, and whether you can measure that mechanism.

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 intergenerational interventions 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 intergenerational health interventions?

Budget guidelines in PA-27-100 depend on the Institute. NCI, NIMH, and NCCIH allow up to $700,000 for Phase I, and NHLBI, NIDA, NIAAA, and NINR allow up to $400,000. Phase II guidelines reach $3,000,000 at NHLBI, NIMH, and NIDA. NIDCR and NIMHD follow the SBA guideline.

Which NIH Institutes participate in the intergenerational interventions topic?

Awarding participants are NCI, NHLBI, NIMH, NIDA, NIAAA, NINR, NCCIH, NIDCR, and NIMHD. ODP, OAR, OBSSR, ONR, and THRO also participate but do not award grants.

What makes an intervention intergenerational for this NIH topic?

It must involve two or more generations, and the interaction between generations must be an explicit mechanism of change. NIH expects a conceptual model with measured mechanisms and a design that accounts for correlated outcomes within families or other clusters.

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.