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Small business grants solicitations can be in the form of SBIR or STTR, but the contract solicitation can only be SBIR (not STTR). A large majority of NIH SBIR awards are in the form of grants, although a small, but growing percentage of SBIR awards are through contract procurement. Grant and contract proposals are both submitted electronically, but have different submission requirements.
Grants
The NIH SBIR and STTR Omnibus grant solicitations allow small businesses to submit researcher-initiated projects that are within NIH’s mission. The Program Descriptions and Research Topics document, found here, outlines NIH’s annual research priorities and helps guide researchers that are submitting Omnibus SBIR and STTR grant proposals. These Omnibus solicitations have three standard receipt dates on September 5, January 5, and April 5.
NIH’s Institutes and Centers (ICs) also issue targeted funding opportunity announcements around specific research topics.
Before any SBIR or STTR grant application is submitted, researchers should talk with the appropriate IC SBIR/STTR program officer.
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Learn about the multi-step electronic submission process that can take between 6-8 weeks and requires 5 different registrations.
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Discover which of the five SBIR/STTR application types is most relevant to your small business.
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Follow these instructions to ensure you have a successful electronic submission.
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Check out the submission and review timeline and the estimated award date.
- NIH Late Submission Policy
FAQ
Contracts
An NIH SBIR contract is issued once a year, normally around the summer, and only has one receipt date. NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) have the option to request proposals for specific research topics or technologies in the contract solicitation. Contract solicitations are much more focused and specific than grant solicitations. Contract proposals are accepted only if they respond directly to a research topic within the NIH SBIR contract solicitation. Not all ICs within NIH post topics to the contract solicitation while all 24 ICs post topics in the NIH SBIR and STTR Omnibus grant solicitations.
Contracts are separate from grants and are handled by the respective NIH IC contracting office. Questions about contracts should be directed to the appropriate contracting officer – not the IC SBIR/STTR program officer.
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Access the contact solicitation and accompanying application forms.
FAQ
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