Each year, NIH solicits research proposals from small businesses through A Solicitation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract Proposals. The most recent iteration published on August 25, 2023. The solicitation serves as a vehicle for offerors to propose research projects on a multitude of scientific topics from across NIH.
Proposals are due by November 14, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
NIH’s Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) program will host an HHS SBIR Contracts Solicitation (PHS-2024-1) Webinar to discuss the opportunities on September 27, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Note: This SBIR contract solicitation is distinct from the 2023 SBIR and STTR Omnibus/Parent Grant Solicitations for the NIH, CDC, and FDA released in July, which are notices of funding opportunity for grant awards (despite the word “solicitation” appearing in the titles). Learn about those grant opportunities in our August 2, 2023 article “Explore Our Priority Topics for Small Business Research Projects.”
To differentiate among the proposal types:
- Phase I—research to determine the scientific or technical feasibility and commercial merit of the proposed research or research and development (R&D) efforts.
- Phase II—continuance of Phase I research efforts, dependent on successful Phase I results as well as scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of further work.
- Fast Track—simultaneous submission of Phase I and Phase II proposals, to facilitate a streamlined transition from Phase I to Phase II if merited by research outcomes.
- Direct-to-Phase II—allows a small business concern to commence with Phase II research if Phase I research funded by other non-NIH funding sources is already complete.
The table below summarizes each of NIAID’s research topics of interest for contract proposals. Refer to the attachment posted within the solicitation linked above for full details, including the number of anticipated awards and descriptions of required activities and deliverables.
|
Topic Number and Title |
Project Goal |
Proposal Types |
Budget (Total Costs) |
|
124. Development of Next-Generation Devices and Materials-Based Platforms for the Administration of HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies (bNAb) |
To develop devices or materials for administration of HIV-1 bNAb(s) and bNAb derivatives (e.g., bispecific antibodies) resulting in increased protection from infection. Devices or materials should demonstrate enhanced 1) sustained release, 2) bioavailability, or 3) protective durability of the bNAb(s) relative to standard intravenous or subcutaneous administration methods. |
Phase I, Fast Track |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $2 million for up to 3 years |
|
125. Development of Long-Acting Treatments for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Cure |
To develop a novel long-acting drug product as a one-dose cure for HCV. Targeted drug product should have a favorable safety profile and provide sustained virological response to enable a therapeutic effect at a drug dosing interval of at least 2 months. |
Phase I, Fast Track |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 2 years Phase II: $1 million for up to 3 years |
|
126. Rapid Diagnostic Assays for Self-Monitoring of Acute or Rebound HIV-1 Infection |
To develop low-cost, rapid diagnostic assays needed to enable untrained individuals to test for HIV-1 infection during the earliest stages of initial infection or during loss of viral suppression in chronic treated infection, i.e., times when antibody responses are not an accurate surrogate for viral load. |
Phase I, Fast Track |
Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years Phase II: $1 million for up to 3 years |
|
127. Multiplexed Patient Administered Diagnostics for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV |
To develop, evaluate, and implement reliable, quality-assured, and cost-effective, multiplexed patient administered diagnostic testing strategies for HBV, HCV, and HIV. The device should enable qualitative or semi-quantitative detection (RNA, DNA, protein, or other biomarker) in a dual or multiplexed format, suitable for home (self-collection or self-testing) and community-based use and treatment referral. |
Phase I, Fast Track |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $2 million for up to 3 years |
|
128. Adjuvant Development for Vaccines for Infectious and Immune-Mediated Diseases |
To support the preclinical development and optimization of a single lead adjuvant for use in vaccines to prevent or treat human disease caused by infectious pathogens or to treat immune-mediated diseases. Adjuvants may be chemical, biological, or genetic adjuvants; novel or functionally replicate adjuvants used in licensed vaccines. |
Phase I, Fast Track, Direct-to-Phase II |
Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years Phase II: $1 million each year—with appropriate justification—for up to 3 years |
|
129. Reagents for Immunologic Analysis of Non-mammalian and Underrepresented Mammalian Models |
To develop and validate reliable antibodies or other reagents for the identification and tracking of primary immune cells (e.g., cell surface markers and receptors) or the analysis of immune function/responses (e.g., cytokines, chemokines, intracellular signaling) in non-mammalian models or underrepresented mammalian models. |
Phase I, Fast Track, Direct-to-Phase II |
Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years Phase II: $1.5 million—with appropriate justification—for up to 3 years |
|
130. Adjuvant Discovery and Down-Selection for Vaccines Against Infectious and Immune-Mediated Diseases |
To support screening of new adjuvant candidates for vaccines against infectious diseases, autoimmune and allergic diseases, or transplantation; characterization; and early-stage optimization; or the down-selection of adjuvants for subsequent vaccine development in side-by-side comparisons. |
Phase I, Fast Track, Direct-to-Phase II |
Phase I: $300,000 each year for up to 2 years Phase II: $1 million each year—with appropriate justification—for up to 3 years |
|
131. Development of Bacteriophage for Treatment of Mycobacterial Infections |
To support preclinical research and development of therapeutic phage products that target mycobacteria. In particular, phage for treatment of pulmonary mycobacterial infections such as TB or clinically relevant nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections and phage in combination with antibiotics for treatment of pulmonary mycobacterial infections, including antibiotic-resistant mycobacterial infections. |
Phase I, Fast Track |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years |
|
132. Novel Diagnostic Biomarker Discovery and Validation for Malaria and Select Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) |
To identify and characterize novel malaria or NTD diagnostic biomarkers (either parasite or host response biomolecules) in human biofluids by combining genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and bioinformatic approaches. |
Phase I, Fast Track
|
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years |
|
133. Development of a Serological Test for Herpes Simplex Types 1 and 2 Infections |
To develop modular, rapid, and reliable sample processing technologies that can be used in combination with an established diagnostic platform for the detection of viral pathogens with pandemic potential. |
Phase I, Fast Track
|
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years |
|
134. Alternatives to Benzathine Penicillin for Treatment of Syphilis |
To support preclinical development of lead candidates for syphilis indications or repurposing of drugs to be more suitable for syphilis treatment. |
Phase I, Fast Track, Direct-to-Phase II |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years |
|
135. Software or Web Services to Automate Metadata Enrichment and Standardization for Data on Infectious and Immune-Mediated Diseases |
To develop software or web services that will make it easier for researchers and data curators to create high-quality, rich metadata, by automating (part of) the process for creating and enriching metadata data. Areas of interest include clinical and immunological data, structural biology and immune epitope data, and data related to the efficacy and safety of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. |
Phase I, Fast Track, Direct-to-Phase II |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years |
|
136. Software or Web Services to Re-Represent Existing Scientific Data and Knowledge into a Knowledge Graph Format |
To develop software or web services that make it easier for researchers, data curators, and others to extract, transform, and load existing scientific data, information, and knowledge from their current format into a knowledge graphs-compatible format. |
Phase I, Fast Track, Direct-to-Phase II |
Phase I: $300,000 for up to 1 year Phase II: $1.5 million for up to 3 years |
Your contract proposal should address only one topic; if you wish to pursue multiple topics, submit a separate proposal for each topic. Submit your proposal(s) through the electronic Contract Proposal Submission. Direct any technical questions about the solicitation and NIAID’s topics to Jonathan Bryan in NIAID’s Office of Acquisitions at jonathan.bryan@nih.gov or 240-669-5180.
Find general information and advice on our Small Business Programs page and contact Natalia Kruchinin at kruchininn@mail.nih.gov for funding questions specific to small businesses.