Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 15 018
Apply for RFA HD 15 018
- The National Institutes of Health in the health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "In vivo Methods for Assessing Placental Development and Function (SBIR) R43/R44" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.286 Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2014 and posted on Jul 11, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH grant opportunity RFA-HD-15-018, titled "In vivo Methods for Assessing Placental Development and Function (SBIR) R43/R44," was a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation focused on creating new tools that can evaluate how the human placenta develops and functions during pregnancy. The central goal was to push forward technologies that are safe for pregnant people and fetuses, can operate in real time, and can be used in vivo, meaning directly in the living patient rather than relying on tissue collected after delivery. The emphasis on non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches signals strong interest in methods that could be used routinely during prenatal care with low risk, potentially enabling earlier detection and monitoring of placental problems that contribute to pregnancy complications and poor outcomes.
This FOA was issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and aligned with NIH interests in maternal-fetal health and child health research. It sat within the broader health research funding space (Health; Income Security and Social Services) and referenced CFDA program areas 93.286 (Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health) and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research). In practical terms, that combination points to a translational and technology-development orientation: the government was not simply looking for basic descriptive studies of placental biology, but for innovation that could plausibly become a usable diagnostic, monitoring, or assessment platform with clear clinical or research utility.
The funding mechanism was the SBIR R43/R44 set of awards, which typically supports a phased development pathway for small businesses. Phase I (R43) generally supports early feasibility and proof-of-concept work, while Phase II (R44) supports more advanced development, refinement, validation, and steps toward commercialization or broader deployment. The FOA’s topic suggests likely target deliverables such as novel imaging approaches, sensor-based systems, advanced ultrasound or MRI methods adapted specifically for placental assessment, optical or photoacoustic techniques, physiologic monitoring methods, or other platforms capable of capturing placental structure, perfusion, oxygenation, transport function, metabolism, or related indicators in a way that is safe and practical during ongoing pregnancy. While the announcement summary does not list specific required technologies, the repeated emphasis on safe, real-time, and in vivo performance implies a preference for solutions that can be applied longitudinally across gestation and that generate actionable readouts rather than purely exploratory data.
Eligibility was limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR rules. The FOA explicitly stated that non-U.S. (foreign) entities were not eligible to apply, and that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were also not eligible. However, it allowed that foreign components, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, might be permitted in some cases, which usually means a U.S. small business could potentially collaborate with a foreign site or researcher if properly justified and compliant with NIH policy. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which is important for early-stage technology companies because it reduces the burden of raising parallel funds just to participate.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was categorized as discretionary and used a grant funding instrument. It was posted on July 11, 2014, with an original and current closing date of September 15, 2014, and it was archived on October 16, 2014. The estimated total funding level listed was $2,000,000, indicating a relatively targeted program budget intended to support a limited number of awards or a focused set of technology development efforts rather than a large, multi-year program spanning many dozens of projects.
For applicants, the clearest takeaways were the topic focus and the product-oriented expectations typical of SBIR: proposals needed to revolve around creating or significantly improving tools that measure placental development and function in vivo, prioritize safety and practicality for use during pregnancy, and move toward a credible path for broader adoption in clinical or translational research settings. The NIH contact path provided was primarily technical support for accessing the full announcement online through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster, and the FOA included an additional information link to the NIH grants guide page for the full text and application instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the grant opportunity RFA-HD-15-018?
RFA-HD-15-018 is an NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding opportunity titled "In vivo Methods for Assessing Placental Development and Function (SBIR) R43/R44." It was focused on developing new tools and technologies to assess how the human placenta develops and functions during pregnancy using in vivo methods (directly in the living patient).
Who issued this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity was issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and aligned with NIH interests in maternal-fetal health and child health research.
What was the main goal of this SBIR solicitation?
The main goal was to advance technologies that can evaluate placental development and function during ongoing pregnancy in ways that are safe for pregnant people and fetuses, capable of operating in real time, and usable in vivo rather than relying on placental tissue collected after delivery.
Why does the FOA emphasize "in vivo" methods?
The emphasis on in vivo methods signals a preference for approaches that can be applied directly during pregnancy and potentially used longitudinally across gestation, rather than methods that depend on postpartum samples or purely lab-based analyses.
Does this opportunity prioritize non-invasive approaches?
Yes. The solicitation emphasized non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches, reflecting interest in methods that could be used routinely during prenatal care with low risk.
What kinds of problems was this funding opportunity trying to address?
By enabling earlier detection and monitoring of placental issues, the intended impact was to improve the ability to identify and track placental problems that contribute to pregnancy complications and poor outcomes.
What type of funding mechanism was used?
The opportunity used the SBIR R43/R44 mechanism, which typically supports a phased small-business development pathway from early feasibility to more advanced development and validation.
What is the difference between Phase I (R43) and Phase II (R44) in this FOA?
Phase I (R43) generally supports early feasibility and proof-of-concept efforts. Phase II (R44) generally supports more advanced development, refinement, validation, and steps toward commercialization or broader deployment.
What kinds of technologies or solutions were likely relevant to this FOA?
While the summary did not list required technologies, the topic and emphasis suggest interest in platforms such as novel imaging approaches, sensor-based systems, advanced ultrasound or MRI methods adapted for placental assessment, optical or photoacoustic techniques, physiologic monitoring methods, or other tools capable of assessing placental structure, perfusion, oxygenation, transport function, metabolism, or related indicators.
What performance characteristics did NIH appear to value in proposed tools?
The repeated emphasis on safe, real-time, and in vivo performance implies a preference for solutions that can be used during ongoing pregnancy, can be applied longitudinally, and provide actionable readouts rather than purely exploratory data.
Was this FOA focused on basic placental biology research or technology development?
Based on the CFDA references and the SBIR context, it leaned toward translational, technology-development work rather than purely basic descriptive studies of placental biology. The intent was innovation that could plausibly become a usable diagnostic, monitoring, or assessment platform.
What broader program areas or CFDA numbers were referenced?
The FOA referenced CFDA program areas 93.286 (Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health) and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research).
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR rules.
Were non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible to apply?
No. The FOA explicitly stated that non-U.S. (foreign) entities were not eligible to apply.
Could a U.S. applicant include non-U.S. components?
Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were stated as not eligible. However, the FOA noted that foreign components (as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement) might be permitted in some cases, which typically means a U.S. small business could potentially collaborate with a foreign site or researcher if properly justified and compliant with NIH policy.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What type of award instrument was used?
The opportunity used a grant funding instrument and was categorized as discretionary.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on July 11, 2014. The original and current closing date was September 15, 2014.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The opportunity was archived on October 16, 2014.
What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total funding level listed was $2,000,000, suggesting a targeted program budget intended to support a limited number of awards or a focused set of technology development efforts.
What were the most important proposal takeaways mentioned in the summary?
Proposals needed to focus on creating or significantly improving tools to measure placental development and function in vivo, prioritize safety and practicality for use during pregnancy, and align with SBIR-style, product-oriented expectations that support a credible path toward broader adoption in clinical or translational research settings.
Where were applicants directed for the full announcement text and instructions?
The FOA referenced an NIH grants guide page for the full text and application instructions. It also mentioned a technical support contact pathway through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for accessing the full announcement online.
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