Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 16 414

  • The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovation Corps (I-Corps) at NIH Program for NIH and CDC Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grantees (Admin Supp )" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.084, 93.113, 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.233, 93.242, 93.262, 93.273, 93.279, 93.350, 93.394, 93.395, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856, 93.865, 93.866.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Aug 25, 2016.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 09, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 48 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
Apply for PA 16 414

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Opportunity Summary:

The Innovation Corps (I-Corps) at NIH opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA-16-414) is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health, with participation from NIH and CDC Institutes and Centers. The central goal is to strengthen a national innovation ecosystem that turns biomedical research into real-world technologies, products, and services that provide clear societal benefit. Rather than funding brand-new research projects, this announcement is designed to help existing NIH and CDC Phase I SBIR and STTR grantees move their innovations closer to market by learning how commercialization actually works in practice.

The mechanism used here is an administrative supplement, meaning it is additional funding attached to a currently funded Phase I SBIR or STTR award. Eligible applicants are small businesses that already hold an active Phase I SBIR or STTR grant from NIH or CDC. The emphasis is on entrepreneurial education and customer discovery, not additional lab experiments. In practical terms, the program aims to teach participating teams how to test their assumptions about the market, clarify who their customers and stakeholders really are, validate the problem they are solving, and translate scientific or technical progress into a viable commercialization path.

A key structural feature of the program is that it supports three-member project teams. These teams receive instruction and mentoring intended to accelerate the translation of the technology they are already developing with SBIR/STTR support. The training model is meant to expose teams to the discipline of commercialization planning, including how to evaluate market need, competitive landscape, value proposition, reimbursement or payment considerations when relevant, regulatory constraints, and go-to-market strategy. The broader intent is to reduce the common gap between promising technical results and a product that can survive outside the lab by pushing teams to gather evidence from the marketplace and adapt accordingly.

The expected outcomes are strongly focused on improving commercialization readiness. NIH anticipates that teams completing the I-Corps at NIH program will come out with significantly refined commercialization plans and, importantly, the confidence to make well-informed pivots when the evidence suggests a different market, customer segment, use case, or business model than originally assumed. In other words, the program treats a pivot as a successful learning outcome when it is driven by real customer and stakeholder feedback, rather than as a failure to stick to an initial plan. This is especially relevant for biomedical innovations, where the path to adoption often depends on complex decision-makers, clinical workflows, validation requirements, and regulatory and reimbursement realities.

In terms of funding scale and timing, the award ceiling is listed as $50,000 per supplement, and the announcement projected about 48 total awards across two cohorts. The original posting date was August 25, 2016, with an original closing date of January 9, 2017. The program is categorized under “Education, Environment, Health, Income Security and Social Services,” reflecting that the main activity is training and commercialization development rather than direct research. Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with the opportunity, which is typical for NIH-wide initiatives spanning many Institutes and Centers.

Finally, the announcement explicitly encourages prospective applicants to contact NIH or CDC scientific/research staff before applying. That detail signals that program fit matters and that applicants are expected to coordinate with the relevant Institute or Center supporting their Phase I award. This kind of pre-application communication can help determine whether the supplement request aligns with the program’s entrepreneurial training objectives, cohort timelines, and any Institute- or Center-specific priorities for supporting commercialization of Phase I technologies.

FAQs: Innovation Corps (I-Corps) at NIH - PA-16-414 (Administrative Supplement)

What is the I-Corps at NIH opportunity (PA-16-414)?

I-Corps at NIH (Funding Opportunity Number PA-16-414) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with participation from NIH and CDC Institutes and Centers. Its core purpose is to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem by helping biomedical innovations move toward real-world technologies, products, and services that deliver clear societal benefit.

Is this program meant to fund brand-new research?

No. This announcement is specifically designed to help existing NIH and CDC Phase I SBIR and STTR grantees move innovations closer to market. The emphasis is on entrepreneurial education and customer discovery rather than supporting new laboratory experiments or launching unrelated research projects.

What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?

The program uses an administrative supplement mechanism. That means it provides additional funding that is attached to a currently funded Phase I SBIR or STTR award rather than a standalone new grant.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are small businesses that already hold an active Phase I SBIR or STTR grant from NIH or CDC. The supplement is intended to support teams connected to those active Phase I awards.

What is the main focus of the I-Corps at NIH program?

The focus is commercialization learning in practice. The program is structured to teach teams how to test market assumptions, identify real customers and stakeholders, validate the problem being solved, and translate scientific/technical progress into a viable commercialization path.

What kinds of activities does the program emphasize?

The announcement emphasizes entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and customer discovery. Teams are expected to gather evidence from the marketplace and use that evidence to refine their commercialization approach, rather than spending the supplement on additional lab research.

What is meant by "customer discovery" in this context?

Customer discovery refers to systematically testing assumptions about market need and adoption by engaging with customers and stakeholders. The goal is to learn who the true decision-makers and users are, what problems they actually need solved, and what evidence is required for adoption in real-world settings.

How are project teams structured?

A key feature is that the program supports three-member project teams. These teams receive instruction and mentoring intended to accelerate translation of the technology already being developed under the team’s SBIR/STTR Phase I support.

What topics does the training and mentoring cover?

The training model is designed to expose teams to the discipline of commercialization planning, including assessing market need, understanding the competitive landscape, sharpening the value proposition, considering reimbursement or payment issues when relevant, recognizing regulatory constraints, and developing a go-to-market strategy.

What outcomes does NIH expect from participating teams?

NIH expects improved commercialization readiness. Teams are anticipated to finish with significantly refined commercialization plans and greater confidence in making evidence-based decisions about next steps.

Does the program view a pivot as a negative outcome?

No. A pivot is treated as a successful learning outcome when it is driven by real customer and stakeholder feedback. The program encourages teams to adapt when evidence suggests a different market, customer segment, use case, or business model than originally assumed.

Why is this program especially relevant for biomedical innovations?

The information provided highlights that biomedical commercialization often involves complex decision-makers, clinical workflows, validation requirements, and regulatory and reimbursement realities. The program is designed to help teams account for these real-world conditions through evidence gathered from the marketplace.

How much funding is available per award?

The award ceiling is listed as $50,000 per administrative supplement.

How many awards were anticipated?

The announcement projected about 48 total awards across two cohorts.

What were the original posting and closing dates?

The original posting date was August 25, 2016. The original closing date was January 9, 2017.

What type of program category does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity is categorized under "Education, Environment, Health, Income Security and Social Services," reflecting that the primary activity is training and commercialization development rather than direct research.

Why are multiple CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity lists multiple CFDA numbers, which is typical for NIH-wide initiatives that span many Institutes and Centers.

Is contacting NIH or CDC staff recommended before applying?

Yes. The announcement explicitly encourages prospective applicants to contact NIH or CDC scientific/research staff before applying.

Why is pre-application communication encouraged?

The information provided suggests that program fit matters. Coordinating with the relevant Institute or Center supporting the Phase I award can help determine whether a supplement request aligns with the program’s entrepreneurial training objectives, cohort timelines, and any Institute- or Center-specific priorities tied to commercialization support for Phase I technologies.

What is the overall purpose of using an administrative supplement for I-Corps at NIH?

The supplement structure helps teams accelerate translation of an already-funded Phase I SBIR/STTR technology by adding resources for commercialization learning and validation, closing common gaps between promising technical results and a product or service that can succeed outside the lab.

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