NIH Highlighted Topic: Neural Exposome Factors that Affect Brain Health and Neurological Disorders

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through December 2, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 understanding how environmental, behavioral, biological, and psychosocial exposures influence brain health and neurological disease across the lifespan. NIH is particularly interested in technologies and research platforms that investigate the “Neural Exposome” — the cumulative interaction of genetic and nonheritable factors affecting neurological function, disease progression, and long-term brain health.

While genetics have provided major insights into neurological disorders, many conditions cannot be explained by genetics alone. NIH is encouraging interdisciplinary projects that examine how environmental toxins, stress, sleep, microbiome activity, metabolism, diet, substance use, epigenetic changes, and other exposome factors interact with biological systems to influence neurological outcomes. Companies developing AI-enabled analytics tools, biomarkers, computational models, organoids, neuroimaging platforms, environmental health technologies, digital health systems, or advanced neuroscience research tools may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects involving longitudinal cohort analysis, gene-environment interaction modeling, exposome biomarker discovery, human-relevant disease models, organoid systems, computational neuroscience, and preventative intervention strategies. Research focused on women’s health, aging, substance use, neuroimmune interactions, and multi-organ system relationships impacting brain health 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 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Eye Institute (NEI), and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing environmental neuroscience, exposome science, neurological disease prevention, and translational brain health technologies.

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 research platforms focused on neural exposome science, brain health, and neurological disease prevention.

Eligible activities may include:

• AI and machine learning platforms analyzing gene-environment interactions and neurological risk factors

• Biomarker discovery technologies for detecting neurological effects of environmental and behavioral exposures

• Longitudinal cohort studies integrating exposome and neurological health data

• Computational models evaluating composite environmental impacts on brain function and disease progression

• Organoid systems, in vitro models, and human-relevant neuroscience platforms for exposome research

• Neuroimaging and sensor technologies for studying environmental effects on the nervous system

• Digital health tools monitoring sleep, stress, substance use, environmental exposures, and neurological outcomes

• Research into neuroimmune interactions and multi-organ system effects on brain health

• Studies evaluating effects of toxins, microbiome changes, metabolism, diet, and psychosocial stressors on neurological function

• Precision medicine approaches integrating genomic, behavioral, and environmental health data

• Women’s health-focused research investigating hormonal, environmental, and neurological interactions across the lifespan

• Substance use and addiction-related exposome research

• Aging-related neurological health studies and preventative intervention strategies

• Development of preventative therapeutics and intervention technologies targeting modifiable neurological risk factors

• Validation studies, translational research, prototype development, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for brain health and exposome-related technologies

Funding may also support personnel, laboratory testing, software development, computational infrastructure, prototype fabrication, data integration systems, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Priority Research Questions in Fundamental Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through September 15, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 advancing fundamental cellular and molecular neuroscience. NIH is particularly interested in technologies, tools, and research platforms that improve understanding of the molecular architecture, dynamic interactions, signaling processes, and cellular organization of neurons and glia in vivo.

This highlighted topic aims to accelerate discoveries in foundational neuroscience by supporting development of advanced imaging systems, biosensors, computational models, molecular mapping technologies, and other enabling research tools that address critical knowledge gaps in nervous system function. Companies developing neurotechnology platforms, imaging systems, biosensors, AI-enabled neuroscience tools, molecular mapping technologies, computational biology solutions, or advanced in vivo research systems may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects focused on macromolecular cartography, molecular turnover and plasticity, developmental cellular dynamics, metabolic signaling, lipid dynamics, neural communication pathways, synaptic biology, neuroimmune interactions, and blood-brain barrier biology. Research integrating engineering, chemistry, biophysics, quantum sensing, computational modeling, and advanced optical imaging approaches is strongly 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 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Eye Institute (NEI), and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing neurotechnology, brain imaging, molecular neuroscience, neural signaling research, and translational neuroscience tools.

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 research platforms focused on cellular and molecular neuroscience, neural imaging, and advanced neurobiology tools.

Eligible activities may include:

• Development of advanced in vivo imaging systems for neural tissue analysis

• Optical imaging technologies for subcellular and tissue-scale neuroscience applications

• Quantum sensors and biosensors for neuronal activity detection and longitudinal monitoring

• AI and machine learning platforms for neural data analysis and molecular mapping

• Development of fluorescent, acoustic, bioluminescent, or metabolic imaging agents

• Technologies supporting macromolecular cartography and protein interaction mapping in neurons and glia

• Research tools studying synaptic plasticity, organelle dynamics, and cellular resilience

• Spatiotemporal tools measuring molecular turnover, signaling, and protein stability

• Computational models of neural development, cell signaling, and neuroimmune interactions

• Technologies investigating blood-brain barrier formation, apoptosis, and neurodevelopmental dynamics

• Metabolic and lipid signaling sensors for nervous system research

• Research platforms focused on neurotransmission, neuromodulation, gliotransmission, and extracellular signaling

• Sex-specific neuroscience research investigating molecular and cellular differences in neural systems

• Translational neuroscience tools supporting drug discovery, neurological disease research, and brain health

• Validation studies, prototype development, translational research, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for neuroscience technologies and imaging platforms

Funding may also support personnel, laboratory testing, software development, computational infrastructure, prototype fabrication, imaging system 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Research on Drowning Prevention

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through August 29, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Advancing Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections in HIV-Affected Populations

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through September 11, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 advancing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and implementation strategies for bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in adolescent and maternal populations affected by HIV. NIH is particularly interested in technologies and interventions that address rising rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia among youth and pregnant populations living with or at elevated risk for HIV.

Despite significant progress in HIV treatment and prevention, bacterial STI rates continue to rise nationwide, particularly among adolescents, young women, and maternal populations. NIH is encouraging projects that improve STI diagnostics, clinical management, implementation science, prevention technologies, healthcare delivery systems, and workforce training related to HIV and bacterial STI care. Companies developing diagnostics, microbicidal technologies, AI-enabled epidemiology tools, digital health platforms, implementation science solutions, community health technologies, or novel therapeutics may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects involving innovative diagnostic modalities, alternative antimicrobial therapies, prevention technologies, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) access, maternal and adolescent care models, vaccine and immunotherapeutic development, and scalable service delivery systems. Research incorporating New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), implementation science, health equity strategies, and community-engaged care models 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), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP), and the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing HIV prevention, STI diagnostics, maternal health, adolescent medicine, infectious disease management, and public health implementation strategies.

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 healthcare solutions focused on bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV-affected adolescent and maternal populations.

Eligible activities may include:

• Development of innovative STI diagnostic technologies and point-of-care testing platforms

• AI and machine learning tools for STI epidemiology, risk prediction, and clinical decision support

• Novel antimicrobial therapies and alternative antibiotics for bacterial STIs

• Microbicidal agents and multi-purpose prevention technologies integrating STI and HIV prevention

• Digital health platforms supporting STI screening, prevention, treatment adherence, and patient engagement

• Research improving access to HIV and STI post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

• Maternal and adolescent healthcare delivery models focused on STI and HIV prevention

• Community-based and implementation science approaches to increase prevention and treatment uptake

• Workforce training platforms and clinical education technologies for HIV and STI care providers

• Research evaluating cost-effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability of prevention programs

• Vaccine and immunotherapeutic development related to bacterial STIs

• Immune response studies supporting STI prevention and therapeutic innovation

• Public health infrastructure and service delivery optimization technologies

• Research focused on congenital syphilis prevention and maternal-fetal health outcomes

• Validation studies, translational research, prototype development, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for diagnostics, therapeutics, and public health technologies

Funding may also support personnel, laboratory testing, software development, clinical data analysis, prototype fabrication, computational infrastructure, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Research on the Transition from Pediatric to Adult Health Care

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through August 29, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 improving the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN). NIH is particularly interested in technologies, interventions, and care models that improve health outcomes, continuity of care, patient engagement, and long-term well-being for adolescents and young adults managing chronic medical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions.

As advances in medicine continue to improve survival rates for childhood-onset conditions, increasing numbers of youth require complex transitions into adult healthcare systems. However, significant gaps remain in transition planning, evidence-based interventions, care coordination, and outcome measurement. NIH is encouraging projects that develop scalable, patient-centered, and real-world approaches to healthcare transition (HCT) that improve measurable health and quality-of-life outcomes. Companies developing digital health platforms, care coordination technologies, AI-enabled analytics tools, behavioral health solutions, patient engagement systems, remote monitoring technologies, or community-based care models may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects focused on meaningful health outcome measurement, transition intervention design, patient and caregiver engagement, implementation science, behavioral health, chronic disease management, healthcare accessibility, and multidisciplinary care coordination. Research incorporating lived experiences, community engagement, innovative trial designs, and whole-person care approaches is strongly 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), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and other participating NIH offices, all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing pediatric transition care, chronic disease management, behavioral health, and integrated healthcare delivery systems.

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 healthcare solutions designed to improve transitions from pediatric to adult healthcare systems for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN).

Eligible activities may include:

• Digital health platforms supporting healthcare transition planning, coordination, and patient engagement

• AI and machine learning tools analyzing transition outcomes, risk factors, or care gaps

• Development and validation of meaningful healthcare transition outcome measures

• Care navigation systems and patient support technologies for chronic disease management

• Behavioral health and mental health transition interventions for adolescents and emerging adults

• Community-based and school-based healthcare transition models

• Remote monitoring and telehealth solutions supporting continuity of care

• Family-centered and caregiver-engaged healthcare transition interventions

• Technologies improving medication adherence, self-efficacy, and treatment continuity

• Healthcare transition solutions for conditions such as congenital heart disease, asthma, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, diabetes, mental illness, autism spectrum disorders, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities

• Research-informed interventions supporting youth recovery services and overdose prevention

• Innovative clinical trial methods, synthetic control arms, and in silico healthcare transition studies

• Data collection systems and patient-reported outcome tools for transition research

• Implementation science and real-world healthcare integration strategies

• Validation studies, translational research, prototype development, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for healthcare transition technologies and care delivery systems

Funding may also support personnel, software development, clinical data analysis, prototype fabrication, patient engagement infrastructure, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Advancing the Use of Genomic Information Into Clinical Care

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through August 29, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 advancing the use of genomic information in clinical care. NIH is particularly interested in technologies, platforms, and implementation strategies that improve patient outcomes by integrating genomic evidence into routine healthcare delivery, precision medicine, disease prevention, diagnostics, and treatment decision-making.

Although genomic variants are known to influence risk for numerous diseases, significant gaps remain in demonstrating how genomic information improves clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, care delivery, and long-term health management. NIH is encouraging projects that generate genomic medicine evidence, develop scalable implementation frameworks, and create clinical tools and data resources that enable broader adoption of evidence-based genomic medicine. Companies developing genomics platforms, AI-enabled clinical decision support tools, multi-omic data systems, precision medicine technologies, predictive analytics solutions, diagnostics, digital health platforms, or genomic workflow integration technologies may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects focused on implementation science, genomic clinical utility, healthcare workflow integration, patient-centered genomic care, infectious disease genomics, addiction genomics, neurological applications, women’s health genomics, cancer genomics, and translational genomic data infrastructure. Research that improves accessibility, scalability, and real-world implementation of genomic medicine across diverse patient populations and healthcare environments 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 National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing precision medicine, genomic healthcare integration, and translational clinical genomics.

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 clinical solutions that advance the integration of genomic information into healthcare delivery and precision medicine.

Eligible activities may include:

• Development of genomic diagnostics, predictive analytics tools, or precision medicine platforms

• AI and machine learning systems for genomic interpretation, risk prediction, and clinical decision support

• Multi-omic data repositories and translational genomic research infrastructure

• Clinical workflow integration tools for genomic medicine implementation

• Research evaluating clinical utility, patient outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of genomic interventions

• Technologies supporting personalized prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies

• Genomic medicine implementation science and healthcare adoption research

• Pathogen, microbiome, infectious disease, or HIV-related genomic applications

• Addiction and substance use genomics platforms and predictive models

• Neurological, oncology, autoimmune, and women’s health genomic research technologies

• Population health and community-based genomic medicine approaches

• Genomic data visualization, interoperability, and healthcare integration systems

• Biomarker discovery and genomic variant interpretation platforms

• Digital health tools supporting genomic-guided patient engagement and care management

• Validation studies, translational research, prototype development, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for genomics and precision medicine technologies

Funding may also support personnel, software development, laboratory testing, cloud or computational infrastructure, clinical data analysis, prototype fabrication, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Accelerating Research in Celiac Disease

Overview

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is encouraging research on the causes and progression of celiac disease, earlier and more reliable diagnostics, new therapeutic targets, and better prevention and treatment strategies.

Book a Free Funding Fit Call

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by dietary gluten in genetically susceptible people and affects more than 1% of the U.S. population. A strict gluten-free diet is the only known treatment, and many patients respond poorly to it. For small businesses with diagnostic or therapeutic technology, the NIH SBIR program is the route to fund this work.

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 September 10, 2027, 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 of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID): 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 Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS): SBA guideline for both phases
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR): 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

Focus areas by NIH Institute

NIAID: diagnosis, immunology, and new interventions

• Earlier and better diagnosis
• Immune mechanisms of disease
• Immune-modulating interventions to prevent disease or restore gluten tolerance
• Biomarkers and new research models

NCI: celiac disease and cancer

• Immune mechanisms and gut microbiome roles
• Tumor models
• Effects of immune checkpoint blockade

NIAMS: musculoskeletal and skin effects

• Skin, bone, joint, and other musculoskeletal symptoms, comorbidities, and complications

NIDCR: oral and dental manifestations

• Enamel defects, oral ulcers, and salivary and oral microbiome changes
• Links between nutrition and oral health

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 a central NIAID contact plus NCI, NIAMS, and NIDCR contacts, and ORWH (which does not award grants) is interested in sex-specific factors in celiac disease when paired with an awarding Institute
• 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 celiac diagnostics or biomarker panels, immune-modulating or tolerance-restoring therapies, enzyme or microbiome-based approaches, or new preclinical models of the disease. A strong application ties the technology to a specific gap NIH names, such as missed diagnoses or poor response to the gluten-free diet.

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 celiac disease 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 celiac disease research?

Budget guidelines in PA-27-100 depend on the Institute. NIAID and NCI allow up to $700,000 for Phase I. For Phase II, NIAID allows up to $3,000,000 and NCI up to $2,500,000. NIAMS and NIDCR follow the SBA guideline.

Which NIH Institutes participate in the celiac disease topic?

NIAID, NCI, NIAMS, and NIDCR participate. ORWH also participates but does not award grants, so applications must align with at least one awarding Institute.

What celiac disease research is NIH looking for?

Research on disease causes and progression, earlier and more reliable diagnosis, biomarkers, therapeutic targets, immune-modulating interventions to prevent disease or restore gluten tolerance, and related cancer, musculoskeletal, skin, and oral health effects.

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.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Research on Short-Lived and Long-Lived Plasma Cells in Humans

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through September 10, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 the biology of Short-Lived Plasma Cells (SLPCs) and Long-Lived Plasma Cells (LLPCs) in human health and disease. NIH is particularly interested in technologies and therapeutic approaches that improve understanding of plasma cell differentiation, antibody production, immune memory, autoimmune disease mechanisms, vaccine durability, aging-related immune dysfunction, and allergic or transplant-related immune responses.

Long-Lived Plasma Cells play a critical role in sustaining lifelong immunity, but they are also implicated in autoimmune diseases, allergic disorders, and transplant rejection. NIH is encouraging research that advances human-relevant characterization of plasma cell biology through ex vivo human sample analysis, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), computational modeling, and advanced immunology platforms. Companies developing immunology technologies, computational biology tools, AI-enabled immune modeling systems, vaccine platforms, antibody therapeutics, diagnostics, or autoimmune disease solutions may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects investigating plasma cell precursor populations, immune aging, tissue-specific plasma cell environments, microbiome interactions, vaccine response durability, and mechanisms influencing plasma cell differentiation and persistence. Research focused on women’s health, autoimmune disease progression, and sex-specific immune responses 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 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing immunology, vaccine science, autoimmune disease research, and healthy aging technologies.

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 therapeutic approaches related to plasma cell biology, antibody-mediated diseases, vaccine durability, autoimmune disorders, and immune aging.

Eligible activities may include:

• Computational modeling and AI-enabled analysis of plasma cell differentiation and immune responses

• Development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for plasma cell and antibody research

• Ex vivo human tissue and immune cell analysis platforms

• Vaccine technologies designed to promote durable Long-Lived Plasma Cell (LLPC) responses

• Therapeutic approaches targeting pathogenic LLPCs in autoimmune disease, allergy, or transplant rejection

• Biomarker discovery associated with plasma cell phenotypes, immune persistence, or immune aging

• Research into plasma cell precursor populations and differentiation pathways

• Technologies studying microbiome, aging, or host-factor effects on plasma cell function

• Development of diagnostics or therapeutics for autoimmune and antibody-mediated disorders

• Immune profiling platforms evaluating sex-specific immune responses and women’s health outcomes

• Research investigating immune aging, frailty, cognitive decline, and age-associated plasma cell disorders

• Tissue engineering, organoid, or advanced cellular modeling approaches for immunology research

• Validation studies, translational research, prototype development, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for immunology and vaccine-related technologies

Funding may also support personnel, laboratory testing, software development, computational infrastructure, prototype fabrication, clinical data analysis, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Effects of Contraception as Treatment for Gynecologic Disorders

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through August 29, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 the use of contraceptive therapies to treat gynecologic disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), uterine fibroids, dysmenorrhea, and related women’s health conditions. NIH is particularly interested in technologies, clinical approaches, and data-driven solutions that improve understanding of the long-term effectiveness, safety, treatment optimization, and patient outcomes associated with hormonal contraceptive use for gynecologic disease management.

Although hormonal contraceptives are widely used off-label to manage gynecologic conditions, significant gaps remain regarding comparative effectiveness, personalized treatment strategies, biomarker identification, patient decision-making, and long-term health outcomes. Companies developing women’s health technologies, AI-enabled clinical analytics platforms, digital health solutions, biomarker tools, therapeutic approaches, data infrastructure, or precision medicine applications related to gynecologic disorders may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning, clinical datasets, biomarker discovery, molecular and cellular analysis, -omic technologies, and clinical evaluation approaches to improve treatment guidelines and patient-centered care. Research examining quality of life, treatment adherence, patient education, and long-term outcomes associated with contraceptive therapies 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 Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), both of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing women’s health, gynecologic disease treatment, hormonal therapy optimization, and precision reproductive medicine.

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 therapeutic approaches focused on gynecologic disorders and the use of hormonal contraceptives as treatment strategies.

Eligible activities may include:

• AI and machine learning platforms analyzing treatment outcomes from clinical or medical record datasets

• Biomarker discovery associated with improved responses to hormonal contraceptive therapies

• Clinical studies evaluating different estrogen/progestin formulations or delivery methods

• Research comparing continuous versus cyclic contraceptive treatment approaches

• Technologies supporting treatment optimization for endometriosis, PCOS, uterine fibroids, dysmenorrhea, and related conditions

• Digital health platforms supporting symptom tracking, treatment adherence, patient education, or personalized care

• Precision medicine approaches for contraceptive selection and gynecologic disease management

• Research evaluating quality of life, psychosocial outcomes, and patient-centered treatment effectiveness

• Development of predictive analytics tools for treatment response and long-term outcomes

• Molecular, cellular, genomic, proteomic, or other -omic approaches investigating gynecologic disease mechanisms

• Clinical data infrastructure, patient registries, and real-world evidence studies

• Validation, prototype development, translational research, and regulatory preparation activities

• Commercialization planning and scale-up activities for women’s health technologies and therapeutics

Funding may also support personnel, software development, clinical data analysis, laboratory testing, prototype fabrication, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Substance Use Disorders

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through September 10, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 the biological mechanisms linking sleep, circadian rhythms, and substance use disorders (SUDs). NIH is particularly interested in technologies and therapeutic approaches that improve understanding of how sleep dysregulation and circadian disruption contribute to addiction development, relapse risk, recovery outcomes, and long-term neurological health.

This highlighted topic encourages basic and pre-clinical research investigating the bidirectional relationship between sleep/circadian dysfunction and substance use disorders, including opioids, stimulants, nicotine, cannabinoids, designer drugs, and alcohol-related disorders. Companies developing neuroscience platforms, biomarkers, diagnostics, computational tools, imaging technologies, digital therapeutics, wearable monitoring systems, AI-enabled predictive models, or novel therapeutic interventions related to addiction and sleep science may be strong candidates for funding.

NIH is especially interested in projects utilizing behavioral, cognitive, cellular, molecular, genetic, imaging, pharmacological, and computational approaches to identify mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets associated with addiction and circadian biology. Research exploring sex-specific responses, hormonal influences, and women’s health considerations 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 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), all of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications advancing addiction science, sleep medicine, circadian biology, and precision behavioral health solutions.

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 therapeutic approaches focused on sleep, circadian rhythms, addiction biology, and substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Eligible activities may include:

• Development of digital health platforms, wearable technologies, or remote monitoring systems for sleep and addiction management

• AI, machine learning, or predictive analytics tools for identifying relapse risk or treatment response

• Biomarker discovery related to sleep dysregulation, circadian disruption, and substance use disorders

• Neuroscience research investigating reward pathways, neurotransmitter systems, and addiction-related brain circuitry

• Imaging technologies and neurodiagnostic platforms for studying sleep and addiction interactions

• Development of therapeutics targeting circadian rhythms, sleep quality, or addiction recovery outcomes

• Research into opioid, stimulant, cannabinoid, nicotine, hallucinogen, and polysubstance-related sleep disruption

• Behavioral and cognitive interventions designed to improve sleep and reduce relapse risk

• Sex-specific and women’s health-focused research related to hormonal influences, pregnancy, menopause, and addiction recovery

• Computational, molecular, cellular, and genetic modeling of sleep-addiction interactions

• Preclinical validation, prototype development, translational studies, and regulatory preparation

• Development of precision medicine or personalized treatment approaches for addiction and sleep disorders

Funding may also support personnel, software development, laboratory testing, clinical data analysis, prototype fabrication, intellectual property protection, commercialization planning, 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NIH Highlighted Topic: Leveraging New Approach Methodologies and Non-Animal Technologies to Accelerate Osteoarthritis Research

Updated October 2026: NIH lists this Highlighted Topic as active through August 29, 2027. The next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date is January 5, 2027, followed by April 5 and September 5, 2027.

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 that leverage New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and Non-Animal Technologies (NATs) to accelerate osteoarthritis (OA) research and therapeutic development. NIH is particularly interested in human-relevant research approaches—including organoids, tissue chips, advanced in vitro systems, computational modeling, archived human joint tissues, and non-invasive imaging technologies—that improve understanding of the biological mechanisms driving OA initiation and progression.

This initiative aligns with NIH’s broader effort to promote innovative, translational science while reducing reliance on traditional animal testing. Companies developing technologies, platforms, diagnostics, regenerative therapies, AI-enabled disease modeling tools, biomarker solutions, rehabilitation technologies, or advanced research systems relevant to osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal degeneration may be strong candidates for funding.

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 National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), both of which may give special consideration to high-impact applications focused on osteoarthritis initiation, aging-related degeneration, regenerative rehabilitation, inflammation-driven joint damage, and human-relevant disease modeling approaches.

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 therapeutic approaches aimed at understanding, preventing, diagnosing, or treating osteoarthritis (OA), particularly through the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and Non-Animal Technologies (NATs).

Eligible activities may include:

• Development of organoids, tissue chips, advanced in vitro systems, or computational models for osteoarthritis research

• Human tissue-based studies investigating OA initiation and progression

• AI, machine learning, or predictive modeling platforms for musculoskeletal degeneration

• Biomarker discovery and molecular characterization of joint degeneration phenotypes

• Research into inflammation-driven cartilage degradation and immune system interactions

• Studies of aging-related metabolic, epigenetic, or cellular senescence mechanisms contributing to OA

• Technologies evaluating mechanotransduction and physical loading impacts on joints

• Regenerative medicine and regenerative rehabilitation strategies for tissue repair and functional recovery

• Imaging technologies and non-invasive diagnostic tools for early OA detection

• Research into gene-gene and gene-environment interactions influencing OA susceptibility

• Therapeutic development targeting cartilage, bone, synovium, muscle, fat, tendon, or nerve-related contributors to OA pathology

• Validation, prototype development, preclinical testing, and translational studies

• Regulatory preparation, commercialization planning, and scale-up activities for Phase II projects

Funding may also support personnel, materials, software development, laboratory testing, prototype fabrication, data analysis, intellectual property protection, and other research and development expenses 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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

Review solicitation here.

NSF X-LABS INITIATIVE | NSF-OTASO-FY26-XLabsInitiative

Status: Open (updated October 18, 2026). AI for Physical Systems proposals are due January 7, 2027, 5:00 p.m. ET. From Sequence to Function proposals are due February 8, 2027, 5:00 p.m. ET. The first two topics (Quantum Systems; Sensing and Imaging) closed in July 2026.

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) is launching the NSF X-Labs initiative to fund ambitious, full-time R&D teams developing sector-defining platform technologies that could reshape entire scientific fields or technology industries.

Unlike traditional grants, NSF X-Labs will support operationally independent organizations with milestone-based funding, long-term support potential, and significant autonomy over staffing, partnerships, IP, and research direction. The program is specifically designed for high-risk, high-reward platform technologies that existing university labs, startups, and corporate R&D groups are not structured to pursue.

NSF anticipates awarding up to $1.5M for Phase 0 and up to $50M per year for Phase 1 teams. Only the most promising teams will advance between phases.

This opportunity is best suited for elite technical teams capable of building an independent research organization around a clearly defined mission with the potential to unlock entirely new scientific or technology sectors.

How much funding would I receive?

NSF anticipates awarding:

• Phase 0: no more than $1,500,000 per team

• Phase 1: no more than $50,000,000 per year per team

Additional Phase 2 or Phase 3 funding may be considered based on team performance and availability of funds. Specific funding levels for later phases are not specified.

Funding will be milestone-based, with payments tied to successful completion of NSF-approved deliverables and milestones.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding is intended to support:

• Full-time R&D teams

• Development of novel platform technologies

• Use-inspired scientific breakthroughs

• Early-stage prototypes

• Organizational buildout and operational infrastructure

• Technical milestone execution

• Team scaling and recruitment

• Partnership development

• IP management and commercialization strategy

• Research security management

• Governance and operational autonomy development

Examples of platform technologies referenced in the solicitation include:

• Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI)

• The Internet

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

• Brain-computing interfaces

• Next-generation sequencing

• AI models for protein structure prediction

• Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

The solicitation specifically states that the following are not within scope:

• Incremental technology improvements

• Projects with substantial existing venture capital or industry investment

• General advancement of multiple research areas without a focused mission

• Testbeds or data centers as the primary focus

• Projects where the only barriers are non-technical

Published Topics:

Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics - NSF-Topic1-FY26-XLabsQuantumSystems

• Summary: NSF is seeking full-time X-Labs teams developing foundational platform technologies for next-generation quantum systems, specifically quantum interconnects, integrated quantum photonics, and supporting technologies that could enable scalable, connected, second-generation quantum computing and quantum information systems. The focus is on transformative technologies that solve major technical bottlenecks in quantum architectures and create broadly deployable platform capabilities for future industry adoption.

• Written Proposal Deadline: July 24, 2026; 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• Oral Presentations: August 31 – September 4, 2026

• Phase 0 Start: December 2026

• Unique Technical Focus Areas:

  • Quantum interconnects transferring coherence and entanglement between subsystems

  • Integrated quantum photonics

  • Quantum transducers

  • Reconfigurable quantum photonic circuits

  • Quantum light sources

  • Low-loss waveguides

  • Integrated single-photon detectors

• Examples of In-Scope Challenges:

  • Scalable modular quantum architectures

  • Interconnection of heterogeneous quantum subsystems

  • Compact multi-qubit photonic operations

  • System-level integration technologies for future quantum systems

• Examples Specifically Considered Out of Scope:

  • Pure software or computational approaches without integration into physical quantum systems

  • Technologies unsuitable for future scaling or commercialization

  • Incremental state-of-the-art improvements

  • Technologies already mature enough for full-scale commercialization

• Additional Unique Restriction: Lead organizations may submit a maximum of two Written Proposals under this Topic Announcement, and Senior/Key Personnel may only appear on one proposal for this topic.

Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging - NSF-Topic2-FY26-XLabsSensingandImaging

• Summary: NSF is seeking X-Labs teams developing transformative sensing and imaging platform technologies capable of enabling fundamentally new scientific measurement and observation capabilities. The topic focuses on breakthrough instrumentation systems that overcome major technical limitations in sensing, imaging, microscopy, and detection, particularly where entirely new modalities or AI-enabled instrumentation approaches could unlock new scientific fields or dramatically expand research capabilities.

• Written Proposal Deadline: July 13, 2026; 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• Oral Presentations: August 17 – August 21, 2026

• Phase 0 Start: November 2026

• Unique Technical Focus Areas:

  • Quantum sensing

  • AI-driven computational imaging

  • Adaptive AI-based sensing algorithms

  • Entirely new sensing and imaging modalities

  • Scientific instrumentation platforms

• Examples of In-Scope Challenges:

  • Molecular-scale single-reaction event detection

  • MRI-free deep tissue imaging

  • Non-destructive biomolecule microscopy

  • High-sensitivity quantum sensors

  • Instruments designed for next-generation AI training pipelines

  • Whole-brain activity sensing at cellular resolution across long timescales

• Examples Specifically Considered Out of Scope:

  • Pure software or computational approaches without integration into instrumentation systems

  • Narrow-use technologies without broad deployability

  • Fundamental research lacking platform technology applications

  • Incremental improvements to existing systems

  • Technologies already mature enough for full-scale commercialization

• Additional Unique Restriction: Lead organizations may submit a maximum of two Written Proposals under this Topic Announcement, and Senior/Key Personnel may only appear on one proposal for this topic.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

In addition to funding, selected teams may receive:

• Multi-year support potential through Phase 2 and possibly Phase 3

• Operational autonomy uncommon in traditional grants

• Flexibility to renegotiate milestones as technology landscapes evolve

• Ability to engage across academia, industry, nonprofits, philanthropy, and national laboratories

• Support for building entirely new organizational structures

• Potential acceleration toward commercialization and ecosystem growth

NSF also emphasizes that teams may evolve organizationally over time, including changing lead organizations during Phase 0 or Phase 1.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Program structure includes:

• Phase 0: approximately 9–12 months

• Phase 1: approximately 24–36 months

• Phase 2: variable duration

• Possible Phase 3 support in certain cases

The process includes:

1. Submission of an 8-page Written Proposal

2. NSF down-selection

3. Invitation-only Oral Proposal Package and oral presentation

4. Negotiation of milestone plans and budgets

5. Phase 0 award issuance

6. Go/No Go evaluation for advancement into Phase 1

Oral Proposal Packages will be due approximately 5 business days prior to scheduled oral presentations. Senior/Key Personnel disclosures are due approximately 48 hours after oral presentation invitations are issued.

Where does this funding come from?

The funding comes from the:

• U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)

• Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP)

Awards will be issued using NSF’s Other Transaction Authority under 42 U.S.C. § 19116.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any domestic responsible entity may submit a proposal for Phase 0 consideration.

Key eligibility requirements include:

• Lead organization must be registered in SAM.gov

• Awards will be made to one lead organization per NSF X-Labs team

• Teams must demonstrate operational autonomy and independence

• Senior/Key Personnel may only appear on one proposal per Topic Announcement

• Senior/Key Personnel and/or core leadership must be dedicated full-time by the beginning of Phase 1 unless otherwise approved by NSF

The solicitation places heavy emphasis on organizational independence, including:

• Independent leadership structure

• Internal control over funding allocation

• Internal control over research direction

• Independent IP ownership and licensing control

• Independent hiring authority

• Independent governance boards

The following are prohibited from participation:

• Foreign entities of concern

• Certain foreign nationals

• Parties associated with malign foreign talent recruitment programs

• Organizations or individuals appearing on specified federal restricted entity lists

What companies and projects are likely to win?

The strongest teams are likely to demonstrate:

• A clearly defined mission capable of reshaping an entire scientific field or technology sector

• A novel platform technology with transformative downstream potential

• Significant technical ambition

• Full-time dedicated leadership

• Strong interdisciplinary expertise

• Ability to operate independently from traditional institutional constraints

• Clear milestones and measurable outcomes

• Strong commercialization and ecosystem growth potential

• Novel organizational structures and partnerships across industry, academia, government, and philanthropy

NSF states it will evaluate teams based on:

• Team qualifications and structure

• Mission clarity and outcomes

The solicitation repeatedly emphasizes that this program is not intended for incremental R&D efforts.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Yes. Key restrictions include:

• Projects must align with a current NSF X-Labs Topic Announcement

• Teams must operate within the United States

• Funding is milestone-based

• NSF may terminate advancement at Go/No Go reviews

• Teams must comply with extensive research security requirements

• Certain foreign entities and individuals are prohibited

• Parent institutions cannot retain control over funding, IP, hiring, or research direction for Phase 1 teams

• Written Proposals are limited to 8 single-sided pages

• Oral Proposal stage participants must fully restate all technical and programmatic details because NSF will not rely on the Written Proposal during oral-stage evaluation

The solicitation also requires:

• Data Management and Privacy Plan

• IP Management Plan

• Research Security Management Plan

• Governance Structure Plan

• Conflict of Interest disclosures

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

This will likely require a substantial preparation effort due to:

• Complex organizational structure requirements

• Milestone-based budgeting

• Multi-phase planning

• Governance design

• Research security compliance

• IP strategy development

• Team assembly and commitment requirements

• Oral presentation preparation

The Written Proposal itself is limited to 8 pages, but competitive submissions will require significant strategic and operational planning before submission.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support companies and teams with:

• Opportunity qualification and fit assessment

• Mission positioning and narrative development

• NSF X-Labs strategy development

• Technical and commercialization storytelling

• Milestone architecture and roadmap development

• Proposal drafting and editing

• Governance and autonomy positioning

• Oral presentation preparation

• Budget strategy

• Research security and compliance coordination

• Team structuring and partnership positioning

Review solicitation here.

AFWERX SBIR Open Topic Program

Updated October 2026: AFWERX SBIR topics now run through the DoW SBIR/STTR releases. FY27 Release 1 opens October 28 and closes November 25, 2026. See our FY27 Release 1 topic guide.

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The AFWERX Open Topic and STRATFI/TACFI programs are designed to help commercial technology companies transition dual-use technologies into Department of the Air Force (DAF) applications. These programs are among the most founder-friendly defense funding pathways because companies propose their own technology solutions rather than responding to narrowly defined technical requirements.

The Open Topic provides multiple entry points:

• Phase I feasibility studies

• Traditional Phase II prototype development

• Direct to Phase II (D2P2) for companies with mature technology and existing Air Force customer relationships

STRATFI/TACFI is intended to help companies bridge the “Valley of Death” between SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase III commercialization and scaling efforts.

The STRATFI/TACFI PY26.2 Notice of Opportunity is “Coming Soon,” and AFWERX states additional details and submission guidance will be released over the next few weeks. No application deadline is currently specified in the materials provided.

How much funding would I receive?

Open Topic Phase I:

• Maximum award of $75K (SBIR)

• Maximum award of $110K (STTR)

Open Topic Phase II:

• Maximum award of $2M (SBIR)

• Maximum award of $2M (STTR)

Direct to Phase II (D2P2):

• Maximum award of $1.25M (SBIR)

The STRATFI/TACFI follow-on funding provides anywhere from $375k to $15m with private and government matching requirements.

Areas of Interest

Autonomous Mass:

• Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)

• Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)

• Weapons Technology

Command, Control, & Battle Management:

• Communications, & Battle Management (C3BM)

• Advanced Mission Systems Architecture & Engineering

Counter Incursion:

• Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (cUAS)

• Kinetic/Non-Kinetic Defeat

Agile Combat & Readiness

• Contested Logistics

• Manufacturing & Readiness

Alignment with the DOW’s Critical Technology Areas (CTAs):

• Applied Artifical Intelligence

• Biomanufacturing

• Logistics Technologies

• Battlefield Information Dominance

• Scaled Hypersonics

• Scaled Directed Energy

What could I use the funding for?

Phase I funding is intended to:

• Conduct technical feasibility studies

• Identify a DAF end user and customer

• Secure a signed Customer Memorandum

• Prepare for a Phase II proposal

Phase II funding is intended to:

• Conduct further R&D

• Build and adapt prototypes

• Develop dual-use solutions for Air Force applications

• Work directly with an Air Force Technical Point of Contact (TPOC)

D2P2 funding is intended for companies that:

• Already have a prototype-ready solution

• Have identified an Air Force end user and customer

• Already possess a signed Customer Memorandum

STRATFI/TACFI funding is intended to:

• Bridge the “Valley of Death” between Phase II and Phase III

• Support transition and scaling efforts

• Deliver strategic capabilities for the DAF

Phase III efforts may include:

• Products

• Services

• Research/R&D

• Testing and evaluation

• Production contracts

• Commercialization activities funded by non-SBIR/STTR dollars

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Potential benefits include:

• Direct access to Air Force and Space Force customers

• Ability to transition commercial technology into defense markets

• Opportunity to secure sole-source Phase III awards

• Access to Air Force Technical Points of Contact (TPOCs)

• Potential follow-on commercialization opportunities

AFWERX states that:

• “The Open Topic is the front door to working with the Department of the Air Force.”

• More than 75% of companies received their first Air Force SBIR/STTR contract through AFVentures

• 27% of participating companies are receiving private investments

• Over $1.12B has been executed through AFVentures to date

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open Topic Phase I:

• Period of Performance: 3 months

Open Topic Phase II:

• Period of Performance: Up to 21 months

Direct to Phase II (D2P2):

• Period of Performance: Up to 21 months

STRATFI/TACFI PY26.2:

• Notice of Opportunity “Coming Soon”

• Additional submission guidance will be released “over the next few weeks”

• No application deadline is specified in the provided materials

AFWERX notes that solicitation dates are subject to change.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding comes from:

• AFWERX

• SpaceWERX

• Department of the Air Force (DAF)

• Air Force SBIR/STTR programs

Phase III efforts specifically must be funded by sources other than SBIR/STTR set-aside funding.

Who is eligible to apply?

Open Topic eligibility is intended for:

• Small businesses

• Companies with dual-use technologies

• Firms capable of supporting Department of the Air Force missions

STRATFI/TACFI eligibility requires ALL of the following:

• Company must qualify as a Small Business Concern (SBC)

• SBC must be eligible for a SBIR/STTR award

• Company must be on an active SBIR/STTR Phase II effort or have completed Phase II within two years of Capability Package submission

• The subject Phase II effort must not already have received a second (“sequential”) Phase II

• At least 90 days must have passed since the beginning of the associated SBIR/STTR Phase II execution

• SBC must not be executing a prior STRATFI effort at the time of submission

• Anticipated work must be performed in the United States

Submission for STRATFI/TACFI must be completed by a Government POC only.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

AFWERX states it is interested in:

• Innovative technology domains with demonstrated commercial value

• Dual-use technologies and solutions

• Technologies that can support Air Force mission needs

• Companies capable of transitioning solutions to warfighters

Strong applicants are likely to have:

• Existing commercial traction

• Identified Air Force customers and end users

• A signed Customer Memorandum

• Clear transition and commercialization plans

• Prototype-ready technology for D2P2 opportunities

For STRATFI/TACFI, companies with active Phase II transition momentum and strong government/customer alignment are likely to be more competitive.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Key restrictions and requirements include:

• STRATFI/TACFI submissions must be completed by Government POC only

• Incomplete submissions will not be considered

• Phase III efforts cannot be funded with SBIR or STTR dollars

• Phase III work must derive from, extend, or complete prior SBIR/STTR efforts

• Phase III contracts must comply with SBIR/STTR data rights requirements

• D2P2 applicants must demonstrate technical merit and possess a signed Customer Memorandum

The materials also state:

• Phase III contracts may involve non-SBIR/STTR federal funding sources

• Work is anticipated to be performed in the United States

• Sole-source Phase III awards may be made because competition requirements were satisfied during Phase I and II

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

The solicitation does not specify expected application preparation timelines.

However, companies should expect substantial preparation work related to:

• Identifying Air Force end users and customers

• Securing a signed Customer Memorandum

• Preparing technical and commercialization materials

• Coordinating with Government POCs

• Completing submission templates and guidance documentation

STRATFI/TACFI applicants are instructed to:

• Review FAQs and submission checklists

• Review guidance documentation

• Complete required templates

• Submit through the online application system

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can help companies:

• Position commercial technology for AFWERX Open Topic alignment

• Develop compelling dual-use commercialization narratives

• Identify and support Customer Memorandum strategies

• Prepare SBIR/STTR Phase I, Phase II, D2P2, and STRATFI/TACFI applications

• Translate technical capabilities into defense-relevant outcomes

• Build transition and scaling strategies for Phase III opportunities

• Manage submission preparation and compliance requirements

Additional Resources

Review solicitation here.

NIH, CDC and FDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Optional) - PA-27-100

Status: Open. Next due date January 5, 2027, 5:00 PM applicant local time, then April 5, 2027. Registration can take 6 weeks or more.

Executive Summary:

The NIH, CDC, and FDA jointly run the SBIR Program (NIH additionally runs the parallel STTR Program) to support U.S. small businesses developing innovative health, biomedical, and life science technologies. Under PA-27-100, Phase I budgets run up to $400,000 or $700,000 and Phase II budgets up to $2.5M or $3M, depending on the institute. NIH also accepts Fast-Track and Direct to Phase II applications. The remaining due dates under PA-27-100 are January 5 and April 5, 2027, with funding typically beginning 9 months after submission.

How much funding would I receive?

Standard guidelines provide up to $323,090 for Phase I (typically 1–2 years) and $2,153,927 for Phase II (typically 2–3 years). Many NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) have approval to exceed these caps for specific research priorities. For example:

• NIA allows up to $700,000 (Phase I) and $3 million (Phase II) for Alzheimer's disease and AD-related dementia (AD/ADRD) projects, and up to $500,000/$2.5 million for other projects in its mission space.

• NIGMS allows Phase IIB budgets up to $3 million, or $4 million for Strategic Breakthrough awards involving clinical trials.

• NCI supports CRP projects (including clinical trials and validation studies) up to the SBA statutory maximum of $4,191,495, plus up to $500,000 for technical assistance.

• NIEHS caps its Superfund Research Program topics at $200,000 (Phase I) / $1.25 million (Phase II) / $300,000 (CRP), and its Worker Training Program topics at $100,000 (Phase I only).

Fast-Track and Phase IIB options allow continuous or extended funding beyond Phase II, though acceptance of Phase IIB and CRP applications varies by Institute or Center (see below).

Note: CDC does not accept STTR, Fast-Track, Direct-to-Phase II, Phase IIB, or CRP applications. FDA does not participate in STTR at all and does not accept Fast-Track, Direct-to-Phase II, Phase IIB, CRP, or clinical trial applications through either program.

What could I use the funding for?

Funds support research and development toward a commercially viable product or service aligned with the mission of a specific NIH Institute or Center, CDC program, or FDA center. Eligible costs include personnel, materials, prototypes, testing, IP protection, and other R&D expenses. Phase II, Phase IIB, and CRP funds may also cover scale-up, clinical validation, regulatory preparation (including IND/IDE-enabling studies), and commercialization activities.

Does NIH SBIR/STTR fund clinical trials?

It depends on the Institute or Center. Most ICs with a direct clinical mission (NCI, NHLBI, NIA, NICHD, NIDA, NIMH, NINDS, NIMHD, NIDDK, and others) accept clinical trials through their SBIR and/or STTR programs, and several (NCI, NHLBI, NIA, NICHD, NIGMS, NIMH, NINDS, NIMHD) accept them through Phase IIB as well. A smaller number of ICs, including NIAMS, NIDCR, and NIBIB (limited to early-stage, feasibility-only trials), do not accept clinical trials or restrict them significantly. CDC accepts clinical trials through its SBIR program; FDA does not accept clinical trials through either program. Applicants planning human subjects research, including IDE- or IND-enabling studies, should confirm their target IC's specific policy and connect with program staff before submission, since sequencing (e.g., IDE/IRB timing relative to Phase I/II milestones) varies significantly by IC.

What is the Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP)?

CRP is a late-stage, milestone-driven award intended for companies that are close to market and need targeted, non-dilutive funding to complete specific commercialization steps, such as clinical trials, manufacturing scale-up, or regulatory submissions. Most (but not all) NIH ICs participate; CDC and FDA do not. Where offered, CRP budgets and eligible use cases vary considerably by IC, as shown above.

• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

  NCATS supports research including, but not limited to, clinical technology, instruments, devices, and related methodologies that may have broad application to clinical research and better patient care. Our interests are in four main categories

  (1) Preclinical Drug Discovery and Development

  (2) Biomedical, Clinical and Health Research Informatics

  (3) Clinical, Dissemination and Implementation Research

  (4) Rare Diseases and Unmet Needs.

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Intestinal fibrosis

  • Cardiovascular disease / cardiac regeneration

  • Cancer (including cancer immunotherapy and solid tumors)

  • Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)

  • Primary ciliary dyskinesia

  • Pulmonary fibrosis

  • Cystic fibrosis

  • Asthma

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis

  • Lung cancer

  • Huntington's disease (including prodromal Huntington's disease)

  • Heart failure

  • Hypertension

  • Cardiomyopathies

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

  The NCCIH will support applications on the development of technologies and therapies relevant to complementary and integrative approaches.

  Complementary health approaches include a broad range of practices and interventions that can be classified by their primary therapeutic input, including:

  • nutritional and natural products (e.g., special diets, dietary supplements, botanicals, probiotics, and microbial-based therapies),

  • psychological (e.g., meditation, hypnosis, music-based interventions, relaxation therapies),

  • physical (e.g., acupuncture, massage, chiropractic manipulation, other force-based manipulations, or devices related to these approaches), or

  • a combination of psychological and physical (e.g., yoga, tai chi, or some forms of art therapies, such as music-based interventions) input.

  Additionally, NCCIH will support applications that explore the impact of complementary and integrative health approaches on health promotion, resilience, and whole person health.

  Overall, NCCIH will support applications that include complementary and integrative health approaches, including multicomponent interventions that combine two or more complementary and integrative health approaches, or one or more complementary approaches integrated with one or more conventional care interventions. 

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Anxiety disorders

  • Major depressive disorder / depression

  • Stress-related psychiatric disorders

  • Chronic inflammatory disorders

  • Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)

  • Youth mental health / social isolation

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  NCI supports the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs by engaging domestic small business concerns in federal cancer research and development that has the potential for commercialization. 

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma)

  • Lung cancer (including non-small cell lung cancer)

  • Liver cancer / hepatocellular carcinoma

  • Pancreatic cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, including mutant KRAS/RAS)

  • Prostate cancer (including metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer)

  • Colorectal cancer (including microsatellite stable colorectal cancer)

  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)

  • Oral / oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

  • Breast cancer

  • Ovarian cancer

  • Cervical / gynecological cancer (dysplasia screening)

  • Glioblastoma / glioma / brain cancer

  • Melanoma (metastatic / Stage IV)

  • Cholangiocarcinoma

  • Multiple myeloma

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pediatric)

  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

  • Lymphoma (including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma / relapsed-refractory B-cell malignancies)

  • Hereditary cancer syndromes (e.g., Lynch syndrome) / cancer previvors

  • Cancer-related fatigue and sleep disturbances (cancer survivorship)

  • Solid tumors / pan-cancer (general)

  • Diabetic foot ulcers and knee osteoarthritis (secondary indications)

  • Liver transplant ischemia-reperfusion injury / end-stage liver disease (secondary indication)

• National Eye Institute (NEI)

  NEI supports research including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Commercializable research and clinical innovations in ophthalmology and vision sciences

  • Commercializable therapeutics including drugs, biologics, devices, or combination therapeutics that prevent or reduce blindness or improve ocular health

  •  Market-ready technologies and diagnostic tools for predicting, identifying, or monitoring eye diseases and vision-related conditions

  • Commercializable devices and services that assist people with blindness or visual impairments to improve quality of life Commercial-grade devices and support services that help individuals with blindness or vision impairments to improve and enhance their daily living experience

  • Market-ready technologies that correct, enhance, or augment human vision

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Age-related macular degeneration (neovascular/wet AMD and dry AMD)

  • Dry eye disease (including Meibomian gland dysfunction)

  • Glaucoma (including post-trabeculectomy scarring and intraocular pressure management)

  • Diabetic retinopathy (including diabetic macular edema)

  • Retinitis pigmentosa / inherited retinal degeneration

  • Leber congenital amaurosis type 1 (LCA1)

  • Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

  • Corneal endothelial disease / Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy

  • Corneal injuries and wounds (e.g., alkali burns)

  • Persistent corneal epithelial defects (PCED) / neurotrophic keratitis

  • Myopia (pediatric myopia and myopia progression)

  • Optic neuropathies / neuro-ophthalmic disease (including optic neuritis)

  • Visual impairment following traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion)

  • Refractive error / higher-order aberrations (contact lens correction)

  • Uveitis and ocular infections (secondary)

  • Blindness and low vision (assistive technology / accessibility focus)

• National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

  Interest Areas:

  • Significant innovations in genomic methods or technology development. This includes, but is not limited to, advancements in nucleic acid sequencing, synthetic nucleic acid synthesis, functional genomics, single cell genomic analysis, transcriptomics, multi-omics, instrumentation, or molecular kits. 

  • Tools and techniques that use genomics to improve patient health, such as approaches to incorporate genomic results into electronic medical records, clinical decision support tools, or genomic directed health care. 

  • Strategies to enhance ethical, legal, and social aspects of genomics research or translation of genomics into health care. 

  • Bioinformatics software or platforms for genomic, genetic, or sequence data processing or analysis, functional genomics, associations between genomic data and diseases or phenotypes, interpretation of variants, or genomic data integration into clinical decision making. 

  • Databases and data management platforms for genomics research and application including platforms for sequence, functional, or phenotypic data or annotation of variants. 

  • Development and application of methods for machine learning, pattern detection, or knowledge networks for genomics science or translation into health care. 

  • Informatics methods and platforms that adopt data standards, enhance data sharing with privacy, and improve data exchange in genomics science or translation of genomics into health care. 

  • Use of cloud and other computing models to improve scale, reproducibility, interoperability, cost-effectiveness, and utility of genomic and clinical data in genomics or translation into health care. 

  • Development of curriculum and educational opportunities that increase the genomics knowledge of participants at the undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, graduate, postdoctoral, or professional levels. 

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

  Interest Areas:

  The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is interested in supporting the development of novel therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, digital health technologies, research tools, and other innovative solutions for advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) diseases and disorders. 

  Topics of particular interest for the NHLBI SBIR/STTR program include, but are not limited to, the following topics: 

  • Technologies addressing HLBS complications relevant to maternal health and women’s health  

  • Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technologies to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HLBS diseases and disorders 

  • Precision medicine approaches to treating HLBS diseases and disorders 

  • New approach methodologies, tools, and point-of-care technologies to improve detection and therapeutic development for HLBS diseases and disorders

  Indications Of Interest:

  Lung / respiratory

  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) / interstitial lung disease

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Asthma

  • Cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia

  • Pulmonary hypertension

  • Sarcoidosis

  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) / acute lung injury

  • Radiation-induced lung injury (pneumonitis/fibrosis)

  • Respiratory failure (ECMO/mechanical ventilation context)

  • Empyema / parapneumonic effusion

  • Pulmonary embolism

  • End-stage lung disease (lung transplant)

  • Other fibroses noted: scleroderma skin fibrosis, kidney fibrosis (CKD), intestinal fibrosis (Crohn's)

  Heart / cardiovascular

  • Cardiovascular disease (general risk assessment)

  • Coronary artery disease / coronary heart disease

  • Myocardial infarction / ischemic heart disease (including reperfusion injury)

  • Heart failure (including HFrEF and chronic heart failure)

  • Coronary microvascular and vasomotor dysfunction (CMVD)

  • Ventricular tachycardia / arrhythmias

  • Cardiac arrest / ventricular fibrillation (including refractory)

  • Mitral regurgitation / mitral valve disease

  • Heart valve disease (transcatheter and surgical valves)

  • Hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies (HCM/DCM)

  • Hypertension

  • Congenital heart disease (including hypoplastic left heart syndrome / single-ventricle / Fontan physiology, pulmonary valve defects)

  • Infantile hemangioma

  • Abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm

  • Aortic dissection

  • Atrial fibrillation / stroke prevention

  • Peripheral artery disease / critical limb ischemia (CLTI)

  • Conduction system disorders / pacing (bradycardia, LV dysfunction)

  Blood / hematologic

  • Sickle cell disease / sickle cell anemia

  • Anemia

  • Hemophilia A

  • Thrombosis / clotting disorders (including catheter-related thrombosis)

  • Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)

  • Bleeding / hemostasis (antiplatelet reversal)

  • Hematologic malignancies / blood disorders (hematopoietic stem cell transplant)

  • Neutropenia

  • Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) / alloimmunization

  Sleep

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (infants, children, adults)

  • Central sleep apnea

  Other / cross-cutting

  • Organ transplantation (heart, lung, liver, kidney; xenotransplantation)

  • Perioperative / postoperative complications

  • Sepsis

  • PFAS exposure / cardiometabolic risk

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  The NIA is interested in proposals to develop and validate technologies that enhance the health and wellbeing of older adults. Areas of high interest include technologies intended to address unmet needs and have clear competitive advantages, development of commercialized solutions that are cost-effective and widely available, and small businesses that are new to SBIR/STTR funding.

  Scientific areas of interest include but are not limited to:

  Alzheimer's Disease (AD), AD-Related Dementias (ADRD), and Age-Related Cognitive Decline:

  Development of innovative tools, technologies, and interventions to prevent, diagnose, treat, monitor, or slow progression of AD/ADRD, cognitive decline, age-related sleep disorders, and delirium, including:

  • Biomarkers, research tools, diagnostics, imaging technologies, and AI/ML methods for early detection and monitoring.

  • Treatments, including cell and gene therapies, exosome-based therapeutics, behavioral and digital interventions as well as other novel approaches.

  Aging Biology and Age-Related Diseases:

  Development of technologies, therapeutics, biomarkers, and tools to measure, prevent, treat, or slow progression of age-related biobehavioral decline and conditions, including:

  • Therapeutics targeting aging biology mechanisms and personalized medicine approaches.

  • Research tools and data science technologies to understand aging and predict health outcomes.

  Aging in Place of Choice and Care Delivery:

  Development of technologies and interventions that promote healthy aging, support aging in place of choice, improve care delivery, or reduce caregiving burden, including: 

  • Assistive devices, robotics, sensors, digital health products, and technologies to enhance care.

  Indications Of Interest:

  Cognitive / neurodegenerative (the dominant focus)

  • Alzheimer's disease (diagnosis, biomarkers, therapeutics — by far the largest area)

  • Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) / dementia generally

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

  • Lewy body disease / Lewy body pathology

  • Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

  • Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE)

  • Agitation/aggression and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)

  • Postoperative delirium / perioperative neurocognitive disorders (elderly)

  • Delirium (hospitalized elderly)

  • Vascular dysfunction in AD / amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA)

  Other aging-related conditions

  • Sarcopenia / age-related muscle loss (including GLP-1–associated)

  • Obesity (older adults)

  • Menopause / menopausal symptoms

  • Falls and fall-related injuries

  • Pressure ulcers / pressure injuries (including in darkly pigmented skin)

  • Urinary/fecal incontinence (in dementia)

  • Hearing loss (with co-occurring memory concerns)

  • Osteoporosis / vertebral compression fractures

  • Knee osteoarthritis (total knee arthroplasty)

  • Chronic low back pain / chronic pain

  • Obstructive sleep apnea

  • Insomnia

  • Social isolation / loneliness

  • Dysphagia / upper-extremity mobility impairment (self-feeding)

  • Sepsis and ARDS (geriatric)

  • Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD)

  • Anticholinergic drug-induced cognitive impairment / polypharmacy adverse events

  • Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (Long COVID) neurocognitive deficits

  • General biological aging (epigenetic/senescence biomarkers, healthspan)

  • Conditions monitored via digital biomarkers: UTIs, C. difficile infection, GI bleeding, dehydration, constipation, colorectal cancer

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

  Interest Areas:

  NIAAA-specific SBIR and STTR interests are tailored toward commercializing technologies that address the unique physiological, social, and clinical challenges of alcohol misuse.

  The NIAAA specifically encourages small business applications in the following high-priority areas:

  • Biosensors and Wearables: Developing non-invasive, wearable devices for real-time alcohol monitoring (e.g., transdermal sensors) that provide more accurate data than self-reporting for research and clinical use.

  • Digital Health and Telehealth: Creating mobile applications, AI-driven platforms, and software for the remote delivery of evidence-based treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or recovery support services.

  • Pharmacotherapy Development: Advancing the discovery and testing of new medications to treat Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), specifically focusing on those with commercial potential and lower side-effect profiles.

  • Diagnostic Tools and Biomarkers: Innovating point-of-care diagnostic tests and biological markers for early detection of alcohol-induced organ damage (liver, brain, heart) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

  • Advanced Data Analytics: Utilizing machine learning and big data tools to analyze large health datasets to predict relapse, identify high-risk drinking patterns, or personalize treatment plans.

  • Regulatory Support: Utilizing the Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) to fund late-stage R&D, such as IND-enabling studies, manufacturing scale-up, or clinical trial verification required for FDA clearance.

  • Behavioral Interventions: Developing tools designed to improve treatment adherence, reduce stigma, or provide prevention and therapies to treat alcohol use disorder

• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

  Interest Areas:

  The NIAID Small Business portfolio supports product development and commercialization in the areas of: 

  • The immune system, microbe biology, and host-microbe interactions, 

  • Diagnostic and prevention strategies 

  • Treatment and cure strategies 

  Indications Of Interest:

  Bacterial infections / antimicrobial resistance

  • Tuberculosis (drug-susceptible, drug-resistant, and latent TB)

  • Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (M. abscessus, M. avium complex)

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections (including in bronchiectasis)

  • Bronchiectasis (with chronic respiratory infection)

  • Sexually transmitted infections (including multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae)

  • Recurrent bacterial vaginosis

  • Burn wound and skin/soft-tissue infections (multidrug-resistant)

  • Healthcare-associated infections / surface biofilms (incl. C. difficile, Candida auris)

  • Acinetobacter baumannii (carbapenem-resistant) infections

  • Klebsiella pneumoniae infections

  • Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

  • Bloodstream infections

  • Surgical site / post-surgical infections (GI surgery)

  • Clostridioides difficile infection (including with IBD)

  • Cholera

  • Pertussis (whooping cough)

  • Q fever, leptospirosis

  • Secondary bacterial pneumonia (NTHi after influenza)

  Fungal infections

  • Invasive / drug-resistant fungal infections (Candida, C. auris, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus)

  • Invasive aspergillosis

  • Mucormycosis

  • Cutaneous fungal infections / ringworm (dermatophytes)

  • Onychomycosis

  • Pneumocystis (and other DHFR-target fungi)

  • Alcohol-associated hepatitis (fungal/Candida target)

  Viral infections

  • HIV (treatment, prevention, cure/reservoir)

  • SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19

  • Influenza (seasonal and pandemic)

  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

  • Human metapneumovirus

  • Chronic hepatitis B (including HIV/HBV co-infection)

  • Hepatitis A

  • Cytomegalovirus (drug-resistant, in transplant)

  • Neonatal herpes simplex virus

  • High-risk human papillomavirus (cervical cancer prevention)

  • Marburg and Ebola virus disease

  • Dengue

  • Powassan virus

  • Prion diseases / transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (CJD)

  Parasitic / vector-borne

  • Malaria

  • Babesiosis

  • Cryptosporidiosis

  • (Mosquito control for dengue, yellow fever, Zika)

  Autoimmune / immune-mediated and allergic diseases

  • Systemic lupus erythematosus / lupus nephritis

  • Sjögren's syndrome

  • Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)

  • Immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP)

  • Type 1 diabetes

  • Celiac disease

  • Alopecia areata / autoimmune skin diseases

  • Multiple sclerosis

  • Severe allergic asthma

  • Food allergy / peanut allergy

  • Chronic urticaria

  Immunodeficiency / cellular-therapy targets

  • Primary immunodeficiencies / inborn errors of immunity (incl. ADA-SCID, CARD11 gain-of-function)

  • Common variable immune deficiency (CVID)

  • Enzymopathies (e.g., Mucopolysaccharidosis type I / Hurler syndrome)

  • Transplant rejection and graft-versus-host disease (kidney transplant, HSCT)

  Other / cross-cutting

  • Acute radiation syndrome (gastrointestinal ARS)

  • Cyanide poisoning (antidote)

  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

  Interest Areas:

  The NIAMS small business program supports research and development of products and services for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic, musculoskeletal and skin diseases. The research topics include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  1. Rheumatic Diseases.  The NIAMS supports research on rheumatic and related diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), Lyme arthritis, viral arthritis, gout, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPDD), spondyloarthropathies, and systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic scleroderma (SSc), and autoimmune myositis. 

  2. Musculoskeletal Diseases.  The musculoskeletal system is composed of the skeleton, the muscles, and connective tissues such as cartilage, tendon, and ligament. The NIAMS supports research aimed at improving the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system and its component tissues. The topics in this area include research on musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy, and osteogenesis imperfecta; tissue engineered products; orthopedic devices and implants; and sports medicine and fitness. 

  3. Skin Diseases. The NIAMS supports research on chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, rosacea, acnevulgaris, atopic dermatitis; autoimmune skin diseases such as pemphigus, vitiligo, and alopecia areata; skin repair and regeneration in treatment of chronic wounds and reducing scar formation; and skin cancer prevention such as products preventing skin cancer in early-stage development.

  Indications Of Interest:

  Muscle / muscular dystrophies

  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy / dystrophinopathies (including Becker)

  • Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1)

  • Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2B (LGMD2B) / dysferlinopathies

  • Skeletal muscle loss/trauma (regenerative reconstruction)

  Joints / bone / orthopedic

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Osteoarthritis (including knee OA)

  • Meniscal injuries / post-meniscectomy syndrome / post-traumatic osteoarthritis

  • Arthrofibrosis

  • Distal femoral / traumatic fractures (nonunion)

  • Revision total knee arthroplasty (implant longevity)

  • Diabetic Charcot foot / Charcot osteoarthropathy and osteomyelitis

  • Lumbar interbody fusion / degenerative spine

  • Limb loss / amputation (skeletal prosthesis attachment)

  • Chronic / neuropathic joint pain (RA-associated)

  Skin

  • Psoriasis

  • Acne vulgaris

  • Allergic contact dermatitis

  • Wound healing / surgical flap reconstruction

• National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

  Interest Areas:

  The NIBIB Small Business Program aims to translate cutting edge technologies into commercial products to address critical healthcare challenges. Through grants and contracts, the program supports the development of innovative biomedical technologies that improve human health. Areas of interest span biomedical imaging, medical devices, health informatics, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, and related innovations at the intersection of biology and engineering. Projects should demonstrate strong commercial potential while addressing significant unmet clinical needs in biomedical imaging and bioengineering.

  Specific program guidance includes:

  • Technologies may be demonstrated using a specific indication or model system, but the core innovation must be broadly applicable without significant reengineering. 

  • Applications fall outside NIBIB's mission if the primary focus is

    • developing technologies to elucidate basic biological functions or disease mechanisms, or

    • applying and testing previously developed tools or technologies.

  • Per NOT-EB-21-005, NIBIB only supports early-stage clinical trials, i.e., feasibility, Phase I, first-in-human, safety, or other small clinical trials, that inform technology development. NIBIB will notsupport applications with efficacy, effectiveness, or a post-market concern as an outcome.

  • NIBIB may modify or decline funding applications for budgetary, administrative, or programmatic reasons. This includes reducing budgets, shortening award periods, or choosing not to fund applications.

  • Awardees are strongly encouraged to contact NIBIB's Small Business Team about the Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i) Program, a mentored, entrepreneurial training course that provides innovators with essential business tools to assess the commercial viability and potential business opportunity for their product.

  Indications Of Interest:

  Traumatic internal hemorrhage / occult abdominal bleeding

  • CNS diseases requiring blood-brain-barrier crossing: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, glioblastoma, brain metastases

  • Adverse pregnancy outcomes (fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia)

  • Otitis media (pediatric acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion)

  • Critical-illness / surgical organ-function monitoring (and catheter-associated bloodstream infections)

  • Spinal surgery complications (dura / nerve root injury)

  • Bone marrow / hematologic sampling adequacy (diagnostic)

  Note: Several awards (surgical suturing trainer, X-ray detectors, small-animal imager, antibody purification) are general-purpose tools or manufacturing platforms with no specific disease indication.

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  Interest Areas:

  NICHD supports research that includes, but not limited to the following:

  • Reproductive health, including fertility, conception, contraception, and pregnancy

  • Health of women before, during, and after pregnancy, and fetal development and infant survival

  • Typical and atypical development and growth in children and adolescents, including experiences of trauma and critical illness 

  • Gynecologic health and disease; safe and effective therapeutics and devices for children and pregnant and lactating women; dynamics of human populations across the lifespan

  • Optimizing function in people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities

  Indications Of Interest:

  Gynecologic / reproductive / contraception

  • Infertility (IVF, male infertility, tubal patency evaluation)

  • Endometriosis

  • Uterine fibroids (hysterectomy / myomectomy)

  • Vulvodynia / vestibulodynia and chronic pelvic pain

  • Pelvic floor disorders (vaginal stenosis, dyspareunia, vaginismus, vaginal atrophy)

  • Contraception (non-hormonal female, male, and multipurpose prevention against HIV/STIs)

  • Perimenopause / menopause

  • Vaginal cuff dehiscence (surgical complication)

  Maternal / pregnancy

  • Severe maternal morbidity and mortality

  • Maternal / postpartum hemorrhage

  • Preterm / impending labor prediction

  • Adverse pregnancy outcomes (fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia)

  • Labor induction/augmentation and postpartum uterine atony (oxytocin)

  Neonatal / pediatric

  • Preterm infant nutrition (NICU, total parenteral nutrition, human-milk fortification)

  • Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)

  • Pediatric injury prevention (side-impact head injury in child safety seats)

  Rare metabolic / genetic / neurodevelopmental disorders

  • Long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders (LCFAODs)

  • Urea cycle disorders / hyperammonemia

  • Homocystinuria

  • Rare monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders

  Disability / rehabilitation

  • Limb loss / amputation (pediatric and adult prosthetics)

  • Spinal cord injury / tetraplegia

  • Traumatic brain injury / concussion and chronic brain injury

  • Stroke (upper-extremity rehabilitation)

  • Pediatric neuromuscular conditions (mobility / standing wheelchair)

  • Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)

  Child development / behavioral / family

  • Child behavior problems / self-regulation and behavioral sleep problems

  • Effects of high-conflict divorce on children

  Other diagnostic targets

  • Muscle injury (rhabdomyolysis, muscular dystrophy), cardiac injury, and inflammatory myopathies (dermatomyositis, polymyositis) via CPK testing

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  Interest Areas:

  Consistent with NIH and Presidential priorities, the NIDA Small Business Program supports research and development of innovative medical and non-medical products and services for substance use disorders (SUDs) and adverse health consequences related to non-disordered drug use. Proposed solutions should improve access, affordability, and coordinated care across prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. NIDA prioritizes scalable solutions deployable within integrated delivery networks across healthcare, criminal justice, workforce, education, housing, and social service systems. Specific areas include, but are not limited to:

  • Novel, mechanism-based treatments addressing the evolving overdose crisis (e.g., synthetic opioids, stimulants, polysubstance use)

  • Best-in-class opioid use disorder treatments that improve retention and outcomes for individuals not adequately served by existing medications

  • Innovative smoking cessation therapies that enhance adherence and long-term effectiveness

  • First-in-class pharmacotherapeutics and medical devices for stimulant and cannabis use disorders

  • Diagnostic tools for detection and quantification of drug exposure

  • Medical devices, including digital diagnostics and therapeutics, and clinical decision support systems supporting SUDs and comorbid mental health conditions, with particular attention to pediatric populations.

  • Digital health technologies addressing health-related social needs

  • Human-biology-based new approach methodologies and other commercial research tools

  • Forensic testing technologies identifying emerging drugs

  • FDA Drug Development Tools and Medical Device Development Tools

  NIDA strongly encourages applications that include early FDA engagement, consideration of regulatory pathways, payer engagement strategies, real-world evidence generation, and plans for sustainable adoption within integrated delivery networks and value-based care models.

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Opioid use disorder (OUD) — the dominant focus (medications, digital therapeutics, monitoring, diagnostics)

  • Substance use disorder (general / polysubstance)

  • Opioid overdose and opioid-induced respiratory depression

  • Opioid withdrawal syndrome

  • Cocaine use disorder

  • Methamphetamine / amphetamine / stimulant use disorder

  • Nicotine dependence / smoking cessation

  • Nicotine vaping dependence (vaping cessation)

  • Cannabis use (youth)

  • Anabolic androgenic steroid / performance-enhancing drug use

  • Xylazine intoxication (including fentanyl-xylazine)

  • Neonatal abstinence syndrome

  • Substance use disorder in co-occurring conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, psychiatric comorbidity)

  Note: Many awards are fentanyl/xylazine detection tools, overdose-detection wearables, and digital therapeutics that all sit under the OUD/SUD umbrella above.

• National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

  Interest Areas:

  NIDCD supports research including, but not limited to, the following:  

  • Novel technologies for studying, diagnosing, and treating hearing loss, tinnitus, or balance disorders.  

  • Novel diagnostic tools for testing human chemosensory function throughout the lifespan. 

  • Novel technologies for studying, diagnosing, and treating voice, speech, and language disorders such as laryngeal dystonia (spasmodic dysphonia), phonotrauma, stuttering, dysarthria, developmental language disorders, and aphasia.   

  • Innovative in vivo imaging capabilities that significantly advance visualization, diagnosis, and treatment of communication disorders in the clinic.  

  • Novel systems of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with motor speech impairment, including a brain-computer interface (BCI) prosthesis for communication. 

  • Novel assessments and interventions for late talking children or minimally verbal/ non-speaking individuals. 

  • Novel applications of machine learning / artificial intelligence algorithms in hearing aids, cochlear implants, AAC devices, or for the analysis of voice, speech, and language. 

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Hearing loss (sensorineural and severe-to-profound; cochlear implants and hearing aids)

  • Congenital / genetic hearing loss (e.g., TOMT- and otoferlin-linked)

  • Noise-induced hearing loss (occupational and recreational)

  • Age-related hearing loss / presbycusis

  • Tinnitus (including pulsatile tinnitus)

  • Otitis media with effusion (the leading cause of childhood hearing loss)

  • Newborn / pediatric hearing screening and diagnosis (auditory brainstem response)

  • Olfactory dysfunction / smell disorders

• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

  Interest Areas:

  NIDCR supports small business–led development of technologies and products that translate dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research into clinically actionable solutions across the lifespan. Emphasis is on feasibility, validation, regulatory readiness, and commercialization. Projects should align with NIDCR’s goal to rapidly translate oral health innovations toward clinical impact. Early engagement with program staff is encouraged to ensure alignment with mission and priorities. Scientific areas of interest include: 

  • Targeted DOC diagnostics and therapeutic platforms for tooth-related diseases and periodontal/peri-implant conditions

  • Orofacial pain assessment and management technologies, including clinical decision support

  • Oral microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic platforms for polymicrobial diseases

  • AI/ML-enabled predictive health and clinical decision support tools for DOC care

  • Advanced dental materials, restorative technologies, and digital manufacturing systems

  • Regenerative medicine technologies for craniofacial and dental tissue reconstruction

  • Immunomodulatory and precision therapeutic delivery systems for oral and craniofacial conditions

  • Digital behavioral and monitoring tools targeting DOC outcomes

  • Real-world evidence and patient outcome data platforms to support clinical adoption, evidence generation, and downstream coverage considerations

  • Implementation and dissemination technologies for priority-population oral health interventions

  • Integrated oral–systemic health assessment and intervention platforms

  • Regulatory and commercialization readiness tooling to support evidence generation, usability, and market adoption

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Dental caries / tooth decay (remineralization, caries arrest, diagnosis)

  • Periodontitis / periodontal disease (alveolar bone loss)

  • Xerostomia / dry mouth (radiation-induced, Sjögren's syndrome, medication-induced, age-related)

  • Radiation-induced oral and salivary gland fibrosis (head and neck cancer)

  • Oral cancer and oral lichenoid / premalignant lesions

  • Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-related)

  • Acute and subacute oral/dental pain (opioid-free analgesia)

  • Pulp and dentin damage from decay or trauma (regeneration / endodontics)

  • Tooth loss / dental implants (osseointegration and bone-quality assessment)

  • Oral and craniomaxillofacial bone defects (guided bone regeneration)

  • Craniomaxillofacial reconstruction (congenital, acquired, post-traumatic, and oncologic defects; nasal reconstruction)

  • Infant cranial malformations (e.g., plagiocephaly / craniosynostosis)

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (oral-cavity-based screening)

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  Interest Areas:

  NIDDK is interested in projects that include robust timelines for commercialization, requisite fundraising, and all required regulatory milestones.

  For those projects intended to support completion of research needed for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), or other regulatory clearance or approval, NIDDK is interested in projects that demonstrate how formal consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed the research strategy.

  NIDDK is interested in Phase IIB and Commercialization Readiness Pilot projects that propose to continue the process of developing products that ultimately require clinical evaluation and approval by a Federal regulatory agency, and that position the projects for independence from NIH support after the project period. 

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Type 1 diabetes (monitoring, prevention/delay, bioartificial pancreas, therapeutic antibodies)

  • Type 2 diabetes / general diabetes management (continuous glucose and metabolic monitoring)

  • Obesity and associated metabolic disorders (insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease)

  • Childhood nephrotic syndrome

  • Glycogen storage disease type 1b (with associated neutropenia and inflammatory bowel disease)

  • Lipodystrophy

  • Variceal bleeding / upper GI hemorrhage (in cirrhosis / portal hypertension)

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

  Interest Areas:

  NIEHS SBIR/STTR grants help small businesses transform cutting-edge research into developing innovative and commercially viable products such as tools, technologies, assays, or services to translate and communicate environmental health research into improvements in human health. NIEHS SBIR/STTR program uses a combination of research & development, technology transfer, and communication strategies to aid the mission of NIEHS. 
  The institute’s scientific areas of emphasis include, but are not limited to, the following: 
  •    Tools/technologies such as sensors, computational methods, and exposomics approaches  for detecting and assessing human exposures to environmental hazards 
  •    Innovative and/or alternative high-throughput or high-content assays/model systems,  computational toxicology approaches, and other related new approach methodologies (NAMs) for toxicity testing and understanding effects on human health and disease
  •    Tools/methods/applications for evaluating environmental health and safety of engineered nanomaterials and micro/nanoplastics
  •    Biomonitoring technologies   such as point-of-care approaches for personal exposure assessment and exposure mediated biological response biomarkers.
  •    Intervention technologies and precision environmental health approaches to prevent or reduce human exposures or adverse health effects related to environmental stressors
  •    Educational materials to promote or support understanding of environmental health science
  The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (accepting SBIR applications only) focused on detection and remediation technologies for hazardous substances with relevance to Superfund and/or other contaminated sites

  The NIEHS Worker Training Program (accepting SBIR applications only) also participates

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Obesity / metabolic disorders (endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure)

  • Organophosphate/carbamate pesticide toxicity (cholinergic neurotoxicity)

  • PFAS-related health effects (thyroid dysfunction, cancer, developmental toxicity)

  • Particulate matter / air pollution effects on cardiovascular and respiratory health

  • Heavy-metal exposure (arsenic, lead) from mining dust

  • Harmful algal bloom (eutrophication)-related health risks

  • Chemical genotoxicity / cancer risk (susceptibility in sensitive populations)

• National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

  Interest Areas:

  NIGMS supports the development of technologies to address complex and interdisciplinary research questions in i) basic research, ii) clinical areas that impact multiple organs systems and iii) biomedical workforce development/training through educational activities, that may require additional resources.

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Burn injuries and wounds (severity assessment; relevant to infection and hypertrophic scarring)

  Note: The other two awards are general-purpose technologies — long-acting peptide drug delivery (microencapsulation) and lipid-nanoparticle manufacturing for nucleic-acid delivery — with no specific disease indication.

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  Interest Areas:

  To advance its mission, NIMH supports small businesses to develop technologies, including, but not limited to, the following: 

  • Neurotechnology development to enhance research on brain structure and function 

  • Central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery/development for treating mental disorders – novel drug screening assays, novel compounds and drug targets; Research & Development (R&D) ranging from compound synthesis up to early stage clinical trials 

  • Novel brain modulation methods/devices as potential therapeutics 

  • Biological markers for CNS dysregulation/function and mental illness - objective, measurable biological indicators of physiological or disease processes to further assess replicability, reproducibility, stability, etc. at the subject level 

  • Digital health technologies – as interventions or service delivery tools, to augment clinical care, and/or to enhance clinical research, and clinical trial design/implementation at the subject/patient level 

  • Technologies addressing basic, behavioral, and implementation science related to people living with HIV – including all areas listed above 

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Suicidal behavior / suicide risk and non-suicidal self-injury (including among juvenile-justice-involved youth)

  • Early childhood / child mental health problems (externalizing and internalizing symptoms)

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

  Interest Areas:

  NINDS utilizes the SBIR and STTR programs to enable the commercial development of tools and technologies that serve the NINDS mission space. Priority is given to proposals with the greatest potential to advance the NINDS mission. 

  NINDS is especially interested in the following, in no preferential order:

  1. Novel and innovative technologies that address significant unmet needs 

  2. Technologies in development for their first indication or initial market opportunity

  3. Technologies with a compelling need for federal support, such as those at a stage of development requiring de-risking to attract private investment, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), and those addressing underserved markets including rare and pediatric disease indications

  4. Under-resourced technologies, indications, markets, and geographical regions within the NINDS SBIR/STTR portfolio and mission space

  5. New applicants pursuing their first SBIR/STTR-funded technology

  6. Applicants with a demonstrated track record of advancing technologies through commercialization milestones

  7. For continuation applications, applicants who have achieved intended outcomes under prior funding

  8. Applications demonstrating robust rigor in their approach and preliminary data

  Indications Of Interest:

  Neurodegenerative

  • Parkinson's disease (including deep brain stimulation programming)

  • Huntington's disease

  • Frontotemporal dementia / frontotemporal lobar degeneration

  • CLN1 Batten disease

  Cerebrovascular

  • Acute ischemic stroke (thrombolysis, cell therapy, and neurorehabilitation)

  Injury / trauma

  • Traumatic brain injury (recovery monitoring and therapeutics)

  • Spinal cord injury

  • Peripheral nerve injuries

  Seizure / pain / headache

  • Epilepsy (including treatment-resistant epilepsy)

  • Migraine (episodic and chronic)

  • Painful diabetic neuropathy / neuropathic pain

  Lysosomal storage / genetic

  • Mucopolysaccharidosis I (Hurler syndrome), IIIB, and IIIC

  Tumors / structural

  • Brain tumors (intraoperative surgical guidance)

  • Schwannoma / NF2-related schwannomatosis

  • Hydrocephalus (ventricular shunt monitoring)

  Note: A few awards are enabling neurosurgical/imaging tools (portable intraoperative MRI, real-time resting-state fMRI) applied broadly across brain disease rather than to a single indication.

• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

  Interest Areas:

  Areas of interest include innovative small business proposals as they relate to NINR research priority areas of intervening on the conditions of daily life that influence health, using multilevel or multi-sectoral approaches to prevent chronic conditions and improve the outcomes of those with chronic conditions, promoting healthy school environments, meaningful engagement of communities at all stages of the research process, and integrating technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), to streamline and improve healthcare outcomes.

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Adolescent and young adult cancer (and febrile neutropenia as the key treatment complication)

  • Work-related musculoskeletal back injuries (occupational injury prevention among direct care workers)

• National Library of Medicine (NLM)

  Interest Areas:

  The NLM Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program supports the development of biomedical informatics tools and methods which are best disseminated through commercialization.

  The program aims to encourage small businesses to develop innovative technologies, tools, methods, and software platforms that advance:

  • Trustworthy, reproducible, and rigorous biomedical AI

  • Biomedical data infrastructure at scale

  • Sustainable biomedical reference resources and platform science

  • Market innovative human-centered use and impact informed biomedical informatics tools and methods

  Applications which utilize, integrate, or build upon data, resources, and tools fostered by NLM and NIH supported communities are encouraged. 

  Indications Of Interest:

  • Obstructive lung disease (COPD and asthma) — detection and monitoring

• Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)

  Interest Areas:

  ORIP supports research projects to develop technology including, but not limited to, the following: 

  • Create, characterize, or improve models of human disease; and develop new approach methodologies (NAMs) to complement or reduce the use of animal models in research. 

  • Preservation, revival and monitoring of cells, tissue, organs or gametes from model systems. 

  • Validate research models to enhance the rigor and reproducibility of pre-clinical studies. 

  • Devices and technologies required for development and maintenance of conventional and NAM biological model systems, including those for advancing the care, welfare, housing, and management of these models; or sensor and monitoring technologies for the surveillance of models or environmental factors that lead to improved rigor and reproducibility for studies using these models.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the award itself, recipients gain:

• Government validation and credibility that builds investor and partner confidence.

• Enhanced visibility through NIH and HHS award announcements.

• Access to the federal innovation ecosystem, including potential collaboration with NIH labs and federal health programs.

• Stronger commercial and exit potential, since non-dilutive funding matures technology, de-risks commercialization, and increases attractiveness for acquisition or follow-on private investment.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): August 05, 2026.

Application Deadlines (all due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization):

• September 05, 2026

• January 05, 2027

• April 05, 2027

For the September 05, 2026 submission cycle:

• Scientific Merit Review: November 2026

• Advisory Council Review: January 2027

• Earliest Start Date: April 2027

For the January 05, 2027 submission cycle:

• Scientific Merit Review: March 2027

• Advisory Council Review: May 2027

• Earliest Start Date: July 2027

For the April 05, 2027 submission cycle:

• Scientific Merit Review: July 2027

• Advisory Council Review: August 2027

• Earliest Start Date: December 2027

The first application deadline is September 05, 2026 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. No late applications will be accepted.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through participating organizations including:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The SBIR program is a congressionally mandated program that supports commercialization of innovative technologies developed by U.S. small businesses. NIH, CDC, and FDA set aside a portion of their extramural research budgets to fund SBIR awards.

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?

The NOFO states that reviewers evaluate applications based on:

• Significance

• Investigator(s)

• Innovation

• Approach

• Environment

Strong applications are likely to:

• Address an important unmet health, scientific, or public health need

• Demonstrate strong scientific and technical merit

• Present a compelling commercialization opportunity

• Show a clear path toward product development and market adoption

• Align closely with the mission and priorities of the target NIH Institute, CDC Center, or FDA Center

• Be led by a qualified team with the expertise needed to execute the proposed work

For Phase II and Fast-Track applications, commercialization potential and market opportunity are specifically evaluated.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Key restrictions include:

• Only U.S. small businesses are eligible.

• Foreign organizations are not eligible.

• Applications involving foreign subawards or subcontracts will not be considered for funding.

• Clinical trials are not accepted by certain participating Institutes and Centers, including NIAMS, NIDCR, NCATS, ORIP, and all participating FDA Centers under this NOFO.

• Cost sharing is not required.

• Companies must satisfy applicable SBA performance benchmark requirements.

• Duplicate or highly overlapping applications are not permitted.

• Phase I projects generally require at least 67% of research effort to be performed by the small business.

• Phase II projects generally require at least 50% of research effort to be performed by the small business.

Additional national security, foreign relationship, and foreign ownership restrictions apply and may result in denial of award.

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:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development.

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations.

• Identify the right IC and mechanism (Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track, Phase IIB, or CRP) for your project's stage and clinical trial needs, and position your company for long-term growth.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

Development of Candidate Medical Countermeasures (MCMs) and Technologies Against Chemical or Radiation/Nuclear (CRN) Threats

Updated October 2026: NIAID released RFA-AI-27-014, which includes chemical countermeasures (Research Area 4). Applications are due November 9, 2026, with later due dates on October 8, 2027 and October 9, 2028.

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

This NIH opportunity (RFA-AI-27-014) supports the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) and enabling technologies to address chemical and radiation/nuclear (CRN) threats in civilian settings. The program is administered by NIAID through the Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP) and Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP). It is designed to fund early and preclinical work that can diagnose, mitigate, or treat injuries following exposure.

This is a forecasted opportunity with an Estimated Application Due Date: October 9, 2026. Founders working in radiological, nuclear, or chemical threat preparedness should begin positioning now, as this is a complex NIH cooperative agreement with long lead times.

How much funding would I receive?

Funding amounts are not specified in the solicitation, but we anticipate funding to range from $500k - $2m.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports research and development of medical countermeasures and enabling technologies addressing CRN threats, including:

Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP):

• Radiation-focused models

• Biomarkers of radiation damage

• Devices to assess and predict injury

• Products to improve survival and reduce morbidity across organ systems

Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP):

• Preclinical development of products

• Technologies to mitigate or treat injury after exposure to Chemicals of Concern

• Solutions designed for post-exposure, civilian mass casualty settings

All work must align with developing capabilities to diagnose, mitigate, or treat acute and delayed effects of radiation or chemical exposure during or after public health emergencies.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Not specified in the solicitation.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• Estimated Post Date: July 10, 2026

• Estimated Application Due Date: October 9, 2026

• Estimated Award Date: July 1, 2027

• Estimated Project Start Date: July 1, 2027

Additional timeline details are not specified in the solicitation.

Where does this funding come from?

This funding is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) on behalf of the NIH.

It is authorized under:

• Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 241 and 284)

• Federal Regulations: 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200

The program is supported by a congressional mandate (Public Law 109-149, Dec. 30, 2005) to advance research addressing chemical and radiological threats.

Who is eligible to apply?

For-profit:

• Small businesses

• For-profit organizations other than small businesses

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Projects that align closely with the stated program goals, including:

• Development of medical countermeasures for radiation or chemical exposure

• Technologies addressing post-exposure treatment in civilian mass casualty scenarios

• Preclinical-stage innovations with clear pathways to mitigating injury or improving survival

• Tools for diagnostics, biomarkers, or injury assessment

Further selection criteria are not specified in the solicitation.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Funding instrument is a cooperative agreement

• No cost sharing or matching requirement

Additional restrictions are not specified in the solicitation.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Given this is an NIH cooperative agreement focused on preclinical and translational research, preparation timelines are typically substantial, but exact expectations are not specified in the solicitation.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support:

• Translating your technology into NIH-aligned positioning

• Mapping your solution to RNCP or CCRP priorities

• Structuring a competitive preclinical development narrative

• Managing the full application process ahead of the October 9, 2026 deadline

Additional Resources

Review solicitation here.

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISIONAIR SYSTEMS GROUP, PROPULSION & POWER ENGINEERING BAA

Updated October 2026: NAWCAD posted a new FY27 Propulsion and Power BAA (N0042126S0002) on September 24, 2026. White papers are due by September 30, 2027.

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

This is a Fiscal Year 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) focused on propulsion and power technologies for future Naval aircraft. It is a rolling opportunity covering multiple technical areas (BAA 121–125) with a continuous submission window until 30 September 2026.

The Navy is actively seeking white papers and proposals across electrical power systems, fuels and lubricants, operational energy, maintenance/health monitoring, and propulsion systems. Awards are made on a rolling basis, and funding availability is uncertain—so early engagement is critical.

How much funding would I receive?

Number of Awards: Multiple awards anticipated

• Estimated: $500K to $5 million. Award Size: Not predetermined; varies based on technical merit, relevance, and available funding

• Period of Performance: Varies by project

Possible Award Instruments:

• Procurement contracts

• Grants

• Cooperative agreements

• Other Transaction (OT) agreements for research or prototypes

The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the submitted proposals and may fund efforts incrementally or with options.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports R&D programs aligned to five technical areas:

• BAA 121: Advanced aircraft electrical power systems

• BAA 122: Fuel and lubricant technology

• BAA 123: Aircraft operational energy technology

• BAA 124: Condition-based maintenance, diagnostics, and health monitoring

• BAA 125: Advanced propulsion system technology

Across these areas, funding can be used for:

• Concept feasibility studies

• Modeling and simulation

• Design and engineering

• Prototype development

• Testing and demonstration

• Data analysis and validation

Programs are expected to include structured phases such as design, fabrication, and verification.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Opportunity to transition technology into Navy aircraft systems

• Potential for follow-on funding tied to program success

• Direct alignment with Naval Air Systems Command priorities

• Ability to structure proposals with optional components for incremental funding

Additional benefits are not explicitly specified beyond contract award and potential transition opportunities.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Submission window: Open continuously until 30 September 2026

• Process:

  • Step 1: Submit White Paper (≤30 pages)

  • Step 2: If invited, submit full technical and cost proposal

• Expected award timing: Fiscal Years 2025–2029

Awards are made on a rolling basis depending on funding availability and program interest.

Where does this funding come from?

• Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD)

• Air Systems Group, Propulsion & Power Engineering Department

• U.S. Navy / Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Private companies and contractors

• Educational institutions

• Small businesses and disadvantaged businesses

• HBCUs and Minority Institutions

• Veteran-owned and women-owned small businesses

Requirements:

• Must meet Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) responsibility standards

• Must be registered in SAM prior to award

• Must have adequate accounting systems (for cost-reimbursable contracts)

Not eligible:

• Foreign governments or foreign entities

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Proposals are evaluated primarily on:

Primary criteria (equal weight):

• Scientific and technical merit

• Relevance and contribution to Navy propulsion, power, and energy objectives

Secondary criteria:

• Team capabilities and past performance

• Cost realism and reasonableness

Winning projects will:

• Align tightly with one of the defined BAA technical areas

• Demonstrate clear military utility and transition potential

• Show strong technical feasibility and ROI

• Be ready for transition (especially for operational energy topics targeting near-term deployment)

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Foreign entities are not allowed to apply

• Organizational conflicts of interest must be disclosed and mitigated

• SETA contractors cannot simultaneously perform R&D without approval

• Subcontracting plans required for proposals over $700,000 (with small business participation goals)

• Cost-reimbursable contracts require compliant accounting systems

• Government is not obligated to provide requested equipment

Failure to disclose conflicts or meet requirements may result in rejection without evaluation.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

White Papers are expected to be a few pages up to ~15 pages (max 30 pages)

Full proposals (if invited) require detailed technical and cost volumes

Preparation time is not explicitly specified, but the two-step process is designed to reduce upfront effort by screening via White Papers first.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can:

• Identify the strongest-fit technical area (BAA 121–125)

• Develop a compliant and compelling White Paper

• Position your technology for Navy transition and ROI

• Build a full technical and cost proposal if invited

• Structure optional work packages to maximize award likelihood

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $5,000 for the White Paper Submission.

Fractional support is $300 per hour, with most AFRL proposal projects requiring 10-20 hours of expert support from strategy through submission of full proposal.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

Review solicitation here.

Golden Dome for America - Department of War CSO

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The Office of the Secretary of War (Golden Dome for America) is seeking innovative commercial technologies, services, and capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland against advanced threats including ballistic missiles, hypersonics, cruise missiles, and other aerial systems. This is a long-term, continuously open Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) designed to rapidly fund and deploy breakthrough solutions using flexible contracting.

This opportunity is open from the date of CSO posting through 30 September 2035. There is no single deadline—submissions can be made on a rolling basis, and additional Calls may define specific due dates.

How much funding would I receive?

Funding is expected to range from $500k - $10m.

• There is no restriction on the number, type, value, or frequency of awards

• Awards may vary widely in scope, duration, and price

• The Government may fund all, part, or none of any submission

• Awards may be incrementally funded at the Government’s discretion

What could I use the funding for?

Funding can be used to support:

• Prototype projects directly relevant to DoD systems, platforms, components, or materials

• Development of innovative commercial technologies and services

• Solutions that:

  • Close capability gaps

  • Accelerate mission effectiveness

  • Introduce breakthrough technological advancements

The program prioritizes:

• Rapid testing and proof-of-concept efforts

• Technologies addressing urgent and complex threats

• Applications that significantly improve or transform existing capabilities

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Yes. This CSO provides:

• Access to Other Transaction (OT) agreements and FAR-based contracts

• Opportunity for follow-on prototype or production agreements

• Flexible acquisition pathways using streamlined procedures

• Ability to collaborate at higher security levels when required

• Potential for one-step awards directly from white papers

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• The CSO is open from the date of CSO posting through 30 September 2035

• White papers may be submitted at any time during this period

• Specific deadlines will only be provided in individual Calls or RFPs

• Submissions close to the end of the CSO period may not be reviewed in time

Timing for funding decisions is not specified, but:

• Reviews are intended to be streamlined and expedient

• The Government may communicate for clarification during evaluation

• Awards may be made directly from white papers or after an RFP process

Where does this funding come from?

Funding comes from:

• Office of the Secretary of War (Golden Dome for America)

Authorized under:

• DFARS 212.70 – Commercial Solutions Opening

• 10 USC 4022 (Other Transaction Authority)

• 10 USC 3458 (Commercial acquisition authority)

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• All sources capable of addressing the objectives of the CSO

• Traditional defense contractors

• Nontraditional defense contractors

• Non-profit research institutions

Applicants must comply with:

• Applicable security requirements

• Conflict of interest disclosures

Note: Entities providing SETA or similar support to GDA may not simultaneously act as performers without prior approval.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

The Government prioritizes:

• Breakthrough technologies over incremental improvements

• Solutions that address urgent and high-priority mission needs

• Proposals that enable:

  • Rapid testing

  • Proof-of-concept demonstrations

  • Accelerated deployment

Evaluation is based on:

• Technical merit

• Price (must be fair and reasonable)

• Overall value relative to mission impact and portfolio balance

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Yes. Key restrictions include:

• White papers:

  • Must not exceed 10 pages

• Proposals (if requested):

  • Technical volume: max 20 pages

  • Price volume: max 10 pages

• Submissions must:

  • Be in English

  • Meet security requirements

  • Properly mark proprietary information

Additional constraints:

• The Government may:

  • Modify scope, price, or terms

  • Use one-step or two-step evaluation processes

  • Select partial proposals

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

• White papers are designed to be uncomplicated and limited to 10 pages

• A one-step award may be possible if sufficient detail is included

• Additional effort may be required if invited to submit a full proposal

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support you by:

• Identifying where your technology aligns with GDA mission priorities

• Developing a compliant, high-impact white paper

• Structuring your submission for one-step award consideration

• Positioning your solution as a breakthrough capability

• Supporting follow-on proposals if an RFP is issued

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

CDMRP: Combat Readiness–Medical Research Program (CRRP)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The FY26 Combat Readiness–Medical Research Program (CRRP) will fund innovative, high-impact research to improve Warfighter survivability and readiness, with a focus on trauma care and operational medical capabilities. This is a pre-announcement, giving advance notice so teams can prepare—the full funding opportunity with required deadlines has not yet been released.

Critically, application deadlines are not specified in this pre-announcement. Once released, the solicitation will include required pre-application and full application deadlines. Teams should begin preparing now, as this program uses a pre-application screening process with invitation-only full submissions.

How much funding would I receive?

• Maximum total funding: $2.45 million (total costs)

• Guaranteed funding from FY26: $1.45 million

• Remaining funding supports optional research efforts

• Period of performance:

  • Maximum total: 3 years

  • Base period: 2 years

  • Optional period: 1 year

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports translational research in combat casualty care, including:

• Battlefield diagnostics, triage, and decision support tools

• Treatments to improve care delivery in:

  • Point of injury

  • Austere surgical/resuscitative environments

  • Prolonged casualty care

  • En route care

• Battlefield readiness solutions focused on pre-hospital and operational environments

Projects must be hypothesis-driven and supported by preliminary data and aim to move promising technologies toward real-world trauma care solutions.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Not specified in the pre-announcement.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• This is a pre-announcement only

• The full funding opportunity will be posted on Grants.gov

• Pre-application submission is required via eBRAP

• Full applications are by invitation only

Application deadlines are not specified in this pre-announcement and will be provided when the official solicitation is released.

Where does this funding come from?

• FY26 Defense Appropriations Act

• Managed by:

  • Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)

  • Under the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Research and Development – Medical Research and Development Command (MRDC)

Who is eligible to apply?

• Independent Investigators at all academic levels, or equivalent

No additional eligibility restrictions are specified.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Projects most aligned with the program’s intent will:

• Address combat casualty care and operational medical challenges

• Demonstrate strong preliminary data

• Be translational—moving technologies toward real-world use

• Show potential to:

  • Improve survivability

  • Enable care closer to the point of injury

  • Inform trauma care guidelines

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Pre-application is required; full submission is invitation-only

• Applications must include preliminary data

• Research may include:

  • Animal models (allowed, not required)

  • Clinical research (allowed, not required)

  • Small-scale pilot clinical trials (optional, within performance period)

• Applications must conform to the final FOA once released

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Not specified in the pre-announcement.

However, given the pre-application + invitation-only structure and requirement for preliminary data, teams should expect a multi-phase process and begin preparation early.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support across the full lifecycle:

• Positioning your technology against CRRP focus areas

• Developing a competitive pre-application strategy

• Translating technical work into clear, reviewer-aligned narratives

• Building a data-driven commercialization and impact story

• Managing submission through eBRAP and Grants.gov workflows

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($13,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

Engage SOF (eSOF) Capabilities of Interest – U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

USSOCOM is accepting submissions through its Engage SOF (eSOF) process, the digital front door for industry engagement with U.S. Special Operations Command. Companies with technologies that directly address published Capabilities of Interest (CoIs) can submit solutions for potential assessment, experimentation, prototyping, acquisition, or other engagement pathways.

The application deadline is 31 Dec 2026 : 22:59 CST.

USSOCOM states that solutions matching published CoIs will be prioritized for assessment and potential pathway navigation. Technologies that do not align with current CoIs are encouraged to wait for future releases that may be a better fit. Current interests span aviation, communications, cyber, AI, autonomy, ISR, human performance, mobility, medical technologies, power systems, soldier systems, weapons, and other mission-critical areas supporting Special Operations Forces.

How much funding would I receive?

Estimated $500K to $5 Million - Funding is not fixed. Awards vary depending on the pathway and may include contracts, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, CRADAs, or prize competitions.

What could I use the funding for?

The solicitation does not provide direct grant funding parameters. Instead, USSOCOM is seeking commercial technologies that address published Capabilities of Interest.

Areas of interest include:

• Aviation Systems

• Biometrics and Forensics

• Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4)

• Cyberspace Operations

• Human Performance/Human Machine Interface

• Information Operations

• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)

• Irregular Warfare

• Medical

• Canine Medicine

• Mobility

• Power and Energy

• Soldier Systems

• Weapons and Electronic Attack

Examples of capabilities sought include:

• AI-enabled decision support

• Edge computing

• Human performance optimization

• Wearable sensors

• Counter-UAS technologies

• Autonomous systems

• Cyber operations capabilities

• Advanced communications

• ISR platforms and analytics

• Medical technologies

• Power and energy solutions

• Mobility and survivability systems

Applicants should review the published Capabilities of Interest and clearly explain how their solution supports one or more CoIs.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Potential benefits include:

• Assessment by USSOCOM subject matter experts

• Feedback on submitted capabilities

• Potential referral to relevant USSOCOM stakeholders

• Potential follow-on engagement opportunities

Potential pathways identified by USSOCOM include:

• OTA for research projects or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)

• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)

• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) (15 U.S. Code Section 3710a)

• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U.S. Code Section 4025)

• Prize competitions (15 U.S. Code Section 3719)

• FAR-based procurement contracts

USSOCOM does not guarantee that submissions will advance through all stages of the Engage SOF process.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open Date:

26 Mar 2026 : 14:00 CDT

Application Deadline:

31 Dec 2026 : 22:59 CST

After submission, USSOCOM describes the following process:

1. Initial review for completeness, relevance, and CoI alignment.

2. Assessment by subject matter experts.

3. Feedback to submitters.

4. Potential referral and follow-on engagement activities.

The solicitation does not specify:

• Evaluation timelines

• Selection timelines

• Award timelines

• Contract award dates

• Funding disbursement dates

Where does this funding come from?

This opportunity is sponsored by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The Engage SOF process supports the USSOCOM Warfighting Acquisition System by sourcing, screening, and matching commercial technologies to validated Special Operations Forces capability interests.

Who is eligible to apply?

Based on the solicitation, organizations with commercial technologies that address published USSOCOM Capabilities of Interest may submit Scout Cards through the Engage SOF process.

Submissions should:

• Address one or more published CoIs

• Demonstrate technology maturity, readiness, and application

• Satisfy USSOCOM organizational and operational security standards

• Contain only UNCLASSIFIED information

Who is not eligible to apply?

The solicitation does not explicitly identify ineligible applicant categories.

However, USSOCOM states that:

• Information submitted through the process must be UNCLASSIFIED.

• Solutions that do not match published Capabilities of Interest may not be prioritized for assessment.

• Submissions must satisfy applicable organizational and operational security requirements.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

USSOCOM states that submissions will be prioritized when they:

• Directly address published Capabilities of Interest

• Demonstrate evidence of technology maturity

• Demonstrate readiness and operational applicability

• Support current SOF challenges

• Address validated SOF warfighter needs

• Meet organizational and operational security requirements

The strongest submissions will clearly explain how their technology aligns with specific CoIs and provide evidence supporting effectiveness, maturity, and mission relevance.

How competitive will this solicitation be?

Competition level is not specified.

However, USSOCOM indicates that:

• Solutions aligned with published Capabilities of Interest will receive priority consideration.

• Assessment prioritization depends on alignment with current interests and stakeholder demand.

• Not all submissions will advance through the Engage SOF process.

Organizations whose technologies closely match current CoIs are likely to be in a stronger position than companies submitting capabilities outside published interest areas.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Key restrictions include:

• All information submitted must be UNCLASSIFIED.

• Solutions should align with published Capabilities of Interest.

• USSOCOM may share submissions with government experts outside headquarters for evaluation and feedback.

• Capabilities may be subject to security reviews.

• Potential pathways may require:

  • CMMC compliance

  • Protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)

  • Facility Clearance (FCL) requirements for classified applications

  • Compliance with organizational and operational security standards

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

The solicitation does not specify an application preparation timeline.

Applicants should expect to:

• Review the current Capabilities of Interest document

• Identify applicable CoIs

• Prepare evidence demonstrating technology maturity and readiness

• Explain operational relevance to SOF needs

• Complete a Scout Card submission through the Engage SOF platform

Preparation effort will depend on the maturity of the technology and the amount of supporting documentation available.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can help you:

• Determine whether your technology aligns with current USSOCOM Capabilities of Interest

• Position your solution against specific CoIs

• Develop a compelling Scout Card submission

• Strengthen evidence of technical maturity and operational relevance

• Prepare supporting materials for USSOCOM review

• Support follow-on OTA, CRADA, SBIR/STTR, experimentation, or acquisition opportunities if interest is generated through the Engage SOF process

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here (Requires Login).

NRL Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Basic and Applied Research - Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

Updated October 2026: Amendment 0007 to the NRL Long Range BAA (N00173-24-S-BA01), issued September 30, 2026, extended white paper acceptance to December 30, 2026.

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is seeking innovative basic and applied research proposals across a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines. Organizations can submit White Papers through September 30, 2026, with potential follow-on contracts, grants, or other agreements awarded based on technical merit. This solicitation now operates under ONR's newly released 2026 Science & Technology Strategy — known as "FEED at Speed" (Focus, Explain, Engage, Deploy, at Speed) — which reshapes how proposals will be evaluated and prioritized going forward.

How much funding would I receive?

Est. $500k to $5 million.

What's New: ONR's Strategic Priorities

ONR has signaled a sharper, more disciplined investment posture. Applicants should understand these shifts before submitting:

• "Only ONR" Problems Take Priority. ONR is prioritizing challenges that are both highly transformational and uniquely naval — technology areas the commercial market won't invest in and that no one but ONR will develop. Proposals that read as incremental improvements or dual-use commercial plays (better suited to DIU or DONRCO) will face a tougher bar. Proposals should explicitly argue why this problem is uniquely a Navy/Marine Corps concern.

• 11 S&T Focus Areas Now Anchor the Portfolio. All funded research should map cleanly to one (or more) of ONR's enduring Focus Areas:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Autonomy

  • Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) and Naval Space

  • Directed Energy and Kinetic Systems

  • Materials and Electronics

  • Human and Biological Systems

  • Manufacturing

  • Naval Engineering

  • Naval Aerospace

  • Ocean, Atmosphere, and Space

  • Power and Energy

  • Undersea Systems

  Each Focus Area has subordinate Research Areas (63 total) — proposals should cite the specific Research Area(s) they align to, not just the broader Focus Area.

• Transition Path Is Now a Scoring Factor, Not an Afterthought. ONR's new "Explain" pillar requires every funded program to articulate a credible transition path and map to specific "kill chain effects." Proposals that only describe scientific novelty without a Fleet/Force transition narrative will be weaker competitively. Strong proposals should address: How does this help the Warfighter win?

• AI-Enabled Research Is Explicitly Encouraged. Under the "Speed" pillar, ONR is actively investing in research that uses AI to accelerate discovery itself (not just AI as a subject of study) — including AI-assisted hypothesis generation, automated experimentation, and AI-based validation/red-teaming of results. Proposals that incorporate AI-accelerated methodology into their research approach may align well with this emphasis.

• Outcome-Based Metrics Replace Output-Based Metrics. ONR states it will now measure fielded capability and Warfighter impact rather than papers, prototypes, or activities completed. Proposals should define concrete, measurable outcomes tied to operational advantage, not just deliverables.

• Small Business Programs (SBIR/STTR) Face New Scrutiny for Focus Area Alignment. ONR explicitly flagged SBIR/STTR and Manufacturing Technology programs for tighter alignment with the 11 Focus Areas — meaning off-taxonomy proposals may be deprioritized regardless of technical merit.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports basic and applied research aligned with Navy priorities, including (verbatim/high-level categories from the BAA):

• Systems Directorate (e.g., radar, antennas, computational electromagnetics, information systems, AI/ML, human systems integration)

• Materials Science and Component Technology (e.g., energy storage, corrosion, materials processing, bio/chemical detection)

• Ocean and Atmospheric Science (e.g., ocean acoustics, remote sensing, environmental modeling)

• Space Technology (e.g., spacecraft systems, sensors, propulsion, hypersonics)

Specific topic areas include (selected verbatim examples):

• “Virtual simulations and mixed reality systems… situational awareness, and training”

• “Data management and exploitation technologies that apply emerging mathematics and machine learning techniques”

• “Multi-agent and multi-robot systems, reinforcement learning, game theory”

• “Electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems such as batteries and fuel cells”

• “Optical sciences… lasers, sensors, and photonic technologies”

• “Cyber security, cryptographic technologies, and high assurance computing”

• “Spacecraft payloads; spacecraft propulsion systems; advanced materials for spaceflight use”

Many More Topics are listed in the Solicitation (See below).

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits:

Government Validation and Credibility:
Being selected by the Naval Research Laboratory signals strong technical credibility and alignment with U.S. Navy and DoD priorities.

Access to Defense Ecosystem:
Awardees gain exposure to Navy researchers, program managers, and potential transition partners across defense and aerospace.

Flexible Contracting Pathways:
The BAA allows for multiple award mechanisms (contracts, grants, OTAs), enabling faster and more flexible engagement than traditional procurement.

Follow-On Funding Opportunities:
Successful projects may lead to additional funding phases or expanded research programs based on performance.

Increased Strategic Positioning:
Participation positions companies for future DoD funding, partnerships, and potential acquisition interest.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• White Papers Due: September 30, 2026 (4:00 PM EDT)

• Rolling evaluation and invitation for full proposals after White Paper review

• Funding timing varies based on evaluation and award negotiations

Where does this funding come from?

Department of Defense (DoD) → Department of the Navy → Office of Naval Research (ONR) → Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

Who is eligible to apply?

• Educational institutions

• Small businesses

• Small disadvantaged businesses

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

• Minority institutions

• Other qualified organizations

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Selections are based on:

• Technical merit and scientific quality of the proposed approach

• Relevance to NRL research priorities

• Potential benefit to the Government relative to cost

• Feasibility and innovation of the solution

• Cost realism and overall value

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Must submit a White Paper first before a full proposal

• Some topics may require security clearances or classified work

• Awards depend on availability of funding

• Government may select all, some, or none of proposals

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

1. Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

2. Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

3. Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.