Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 819
The Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-819) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant program designed to move promising brain and behavioral research technologies out of academic or other non-small business settings and into the hands of broader users through commercial dissemination. The main idea is to take tools that may already work in a research lab, then push them through the practical steps that make them ready for real-world adoption: improving reliability, hardening them for routine use, polishing usability, and preparing for distribution and support in a marketplace context.
The FOA specifically targets Small Business Concerns (SBCs) as the eligible applicants, meaning the applicant organization must qualify as a small business under SBIR rules. While the original invention or early-stage development may have come from a university or another non-small business research organization, the funding is oriented toward enabling a small business to take on the next stage of development that bridges the gap between a research prototype and a product-quality tool. The NIH is signaling that it is not just interested in new scientific findings, but in the practical engineering, validation, and user-centered refinement work that helps a tool become robust, user-friendly, and broadly usable by researchers or other end users.
A central expectation in this program is active partnership between the small business and the original technology developers. In practice, that usually means close collaboration with the academic lab or institutional team that created the tool, so that the small business can preserve the scientific intent while improving the tool for broader use. The FOA notes that this partnership can be structured in different ways, including arrangements such as multiple Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs), which is often used when both the original developer and the small business lead need to be meaningfully involved in the project leadership and decision-making. The emphasis on collaboration reflects the reality that successful technology transfer typically requires both deep domain knowledge (often held by the original developers) and product development and commercialization capability (typically stronger in a small business setting).
The activity falls under the NIH health research category (CFDA 93.242) and uses the grant funding instrument. The announcement is labeled as clinical trial optional, meaning applicants may propose projects that include a clinical trial if it is appropriate for the technology and development plan, but a clinical trial is not required. This is relevant for tools that might be validated in human subjects or clinical environments, but it also accommodates purely research-oriented tools that can be advanced without clinical trial structures.
In terms of eligibility and geographic restrictions, the program is aimed at U.S. small businesses. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. At the same time, the FOA indicates that foreign components may be allowed as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant might be permitted to include certain foreign collaborations or elements if they are justified and meet NIH policy requirements, but the applicant organization itself must be eligible as a U.S. small business.
From the administrative details provided, the opportunity was created on 2018-06-06 and had an original closing date of 2021-04-05. The award ceiling listed is $450,000, which suggests an upper bound on the amount anticipated per award under the provided summary data. The NIH expectation is that funded projects will focus on the development work needed to move a technology toward commercialization, which often includes improving performance and reliability, strengthening software or hardware design for broader deployment, enhancing documentation and user workflows, and positioning the tool for distribution, support, and uptake by the intended research community.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted bridge between lab innovation and market-ready research tools in the brain and behavioral sciences, with SBIR funding used to support small businesses that can professionalize and disseminate these technologies, ideally while working closely with the academic or original non-small business inventors who created them.Apply for PA 18 819
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional)" opportunity?
It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding opportunity intended to move promising brain and behavioral research tools from research-lab settings into broader real-world use through commercialization and dissemination.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-18-819.
What kinds of projects is this FOA designed to support?
This FOA is designed to support the practical development work needed to transform a research prototype into a product-quality tool that can be broadly adopted. This includes activities like improving reliability, hardening the tool for routine use, polishing usability, and preparing for distribution and support in a marketplace context.
Is this funding intended for new scientific discoveries or for product development?
Based on the description provided, NIH is emphasizing the productization and dissemination side: engineering, validation, reliability improvements, user-centered refinement, and other steps that make an existing lab tool robust and broadly usable, rather than focusing only on generating new scientific findings.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are Small Business Concerns (SBCs) that qualify as U.S. small businesses under SBIR rules.
Can a university or other non-small business research organization apply directly?
No. The FOA targets Small Business Concerns (SBCs) as the eligible applicants. While the original invention may have come from a university or other non-small business setting, the applicant organization itself must be an eligible small business under SBIR rules.
Does the original technology have to come from an academic lab?
The opportunity is designed to help tools that may have originated in academic or other non-small business environments transition into commercialization through a small business. The description indicates the tool may already work in a research lab and needs additional development to become market-ready.
Is collaboration with the original tool developers required or expected?
Active partnership between the small business and the original technology developers is a central expectation of this program. The FOA highlights close collaboration so the tool can retain scientific intent while being improved for broader use.
How can the partnership between the small business and the original developers be structured?
The FOA notes the partnership can be structured in different ways, including using multiple Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) when both the original developer and the small business lead need to be meaningfully involved in leadership and decision-making.
What do the activity codes R43 and R44 mean in this context?
The opportunity is presented as an NIH SBIR program using the R43/R44 mechanism. The provided description ties these activity codes to the SBIR pathway supporting small businesses in moving a tool toward commercialization.
Are clinical trials required under this FOA?
No. The announcement is labeled "clinical trial optional," which means a clinical trial may be included if appropriate for the technology and development plan, but it is not required.
When would it make sense to include a clinical trial?
A clinical trial could be relevant for tools that need validation in human subjects or clinical environments. However, the FOA also accommodates research-oriented tools that can advance without using a clinical trial structure.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible to apply?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. small business with non-domestic components apply?
The description states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.
Are any foreign activities allowed at all under this FOA?
The FOA indicates that foreign components may be allowed as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This generally suggests a U.S. applicant might be able to include certain foreign collaborations or elements if justified and consistent with NIH policy, but the applicant must still be an eligible U.S. small business.
What is the NIH category or CFDA listing for this opportunity?
The activity falls under the NIH health research category with CFDA 93.242.
What funding instrument is used for this opportunity?
The opportunity uses a grant funding instrument.
What is the award ceiling listed in the provided summary?
The listed award ceiling is $450,000.
When was this opportunity created, and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was created on 2018-06-06 and had an original closing date of 2021-04-05.
What does "lab to marketplace" mean in practical terms for applicants?
It means taking a tool that already functions in a research environment and doing the extra work needed for broader adoption, such as increasing robustness, improving ease of use, strengthening reliability, refining documentation and workflows, and preparing the tool for distribution and support as a commercial offering.
What types of improvements does NIH expect to see in a proposed development plan?
The description emphasizes improvements like performance and reliability enhancements, strengthening software or hardware design for broader deployment, enhancing usability, improving documentation and user workflows, and positioning the tool for distribution, support, and uptake by the intended community of users.
What is the overarching goal of NIH in this FOA?
The goal is to bridge the gap between a research prototype and a market-ready tool in the brain and behavioral sciences, using SBIR funding to support small businesses that can professionalize and disseminate these technologies, ideally in close collaboration with the original inventors.
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