Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What types of research does NIA fund in its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs?

Answer: Access NIA's section in the SBIR-STTR Omnibus Solicitation (Adobe PDF [1.88M]) to view research categories funded by NIA.

Question: How can I submit an application to your program?

Answer: The Program Coordinator (PC) of NIA's SBIR and STTR Programs requests that before contacting the program, potential applicants should: (1) access the online SBIR solicitation (Adobe PDF [1.88M]), (2) review the SBIR application contents and guidelines for completing the application, and (3) access the Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientifc Projects system to determine if the proposal overlaps with a funded grant.

If there is no overlap, send an e-mail with the six-point outline (see below) of the proposal to the PC. The PC will review the outline and refer it to the appropriate program officer to determine whether the proposed research topic would be relevant to current research priorities. This preliminary evaluation process will determine if the project is appropriate for one of the four NIA Programs:

Behavioral and Social Research
Biology of Aging
Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology
Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging

The six-point outline should address the following questions:

What larger question(s)/problem(s) will be addressed?
What is going to be done?
Why is it important to aging and/or life-course development?
What are the hypotheses?
What are the specific aims?
What is the methodology?

Question: What are the reviewers' qualifications, and how are they chosen to review?

Answer: Reviewers come from a wide range of organizations, including universities, nonprofit advocacy and research organizations, and small businesses. Scientific Review Administrators (SRAs) from NIH's Center for Scientific Review select qualified reviewers and oversee the review process. Each reviewer is selected based on his or her relevant expertise and experience in the research.

Reviewers are selected from a list of those who choose to be grant reviewers or are asked to review by the Multimedia Technology and Health Communication Program Director. Potential reviewers provide the Program Director with a curriculum vitae, which is forwarded to the SRA of the Review Panel.

Question: How do I ensure my project will come to your program?

Answer: If the NIA SBIR PC determines the project is of interest to NIA, include a cover letter with the application specifying why the application should be sent to the NIA SBIR-STTR Grant Program. The PC will support this request.

After the application is submitted, the applicant will be notified of the following: (1) that NIH received the application, (2) which Institute(s) it was sent to, and (3) who the assigned Program Officer is. If the application is not assigned to NIA, contact the Program Officer or Coordinator and explain why the application should be sent to NIA.

Question: Can I submit technology examples with my application?

Answer: No—applicants may not include technology examples in their Phase I, II, or Fast Track SBIR applications or use URLs in the text that direct reviewers to Web examples. However, applicants wanting to submit technology examples (video, CD, color story boards, Web site content examples, etc.) should contact their assigned SRA. Applicants will be asked to mail three sets of examples to their SRA who will distribute the examples to reviewers. In the application, mention that examples were provided for the reviewers.

Question: Who should submit a Fast Track application?

Answer: Those who qualify for a Fast Track review are small businesses with a track record of product development and grant preparation (or technical writing skills) that have collaboration experience in the production and marketing of products and that have developed a prototype that needs testing and further development.

Question: If my company is bought out by another small company, can I continue to be the PrincipaI Investigator in Phase II of my project?

Answer: If working on any phase of an SBIR project and the small company is sold to a large company or the business status changes to a large company, the project may be completed. However, if completing a Phase I and the company is acquired by a larger company, applicants may not submit a Phase II.

Question: How do I request a no-cost extension?

Answer: Send an e-mail to the Program Administrator, and provide a detailed justification for the no-cost extension. The approval will be forwarded to the grants management specialist.

Question: Do you handle money-related issues for my grant?

Answer: The Program Director addresses the scientific-related questions and issues. The grants management specialist fields all money and business-related questions.