Funded through a small tax on extramural research budgets, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards are offered by 11 federal agencies with an overall goal of backing innovation by small businesses. With a typical maximum of $150,000 for phase I awards and $1 million for phase II awards, SBIR programs have had varying degrees of success – especially when factoring in their explicit mandate to enhance opportunities for women and minorities. In particular, National Institute of Health (NIH) SBIR awards have struggled to reach underserved audiences, according to a new study by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.