New NIH pilot provides free SBIR application assistance
Eligible small businesses who have not previously won an SBIR/STTR award from the NIH are able to apply for help through a pilot initiative, the Applicant Assistance Program (AAP). The primary goal of the AAP is to increase participation in the SBIR program by businesses that are owned or controlled by individuals who are traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The pilot is aimed at helping small R&D businesses and individuals successfully apply for Phase I SBIR/STTR funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The free program will include the following services:
- Needs assessment/small business mentoring;
- Phase I application preparation support;
- Application review;
- Team/facilities development;
- Market research; and,
- Intellectual property consultation.
Application deadline is January 15 for new applications, February 5 for resubmissions, and April 5 for grant submission. For more details about the program, please refer to NIH notice NOT-CA-18-031.