Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 14 325
Apply for PAR 14 325
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Serious STEM Games for Pre College and Informal Science Education Audiences (SBIR) (R43/R44)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351 Research Infrastructure Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 28, 2014 and posted on Aug 28, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 12, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit applications for this opportunity. A small business concern is one that, at the time of award of Phase I and Phase II, meets all of the following criteria 1. Is organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States, which operates primarily within the United States or which makes a significant contribution to the United States economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor 2. Is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture, association, trust or cooperative, except that where the form is a joint venture, there must be less than 50 percent participation by foreign business entities in the joint venture 3. (i) SBIR and STTR. Be a concern which is more than 50 directly owned and controlled by one or more individuals (who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States), other business concerns (each of which is more than 50 directly owned and controlled by individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States), or any combination of these OR (ii) SBIR only. Be a concern which is more than 50 owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, private equity firms, or any combination of these. No single venture capital operating company, hedge fund, or private equity firm may own more than 50 of the concern OR (iii) SBIR and STTR. Be a joint venture in which each entity to the joint venture must meet the requirements set forth in paragraph 3 (i) or 3 (ii) of this section. A joint venture that includes one or more concerns that meet the requirements of paragraph (ii) of this section must comply with 121.705(b) concerning registration and proposal requirements. 4. Has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees.
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Opportunity Summary:
PAR 14-325 is an NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant opportunity that funds US small businesses to create "serious" STEM games centered on biology topics that connect directly to health and medicine. The core idea is to use game technology as a structured learning environment, not just entertainment, where players progress through challenges, receive feedback on performance, and stay in control of decisions as they learn. NIH frames serious games as tools that can teach, train, and even encourage behavior change by placing learners in interactive, virtual scenarios that support experimentation and problem solving.
The FOA targets two main audience tracks. The first is pre-kindergarten through 12th grade learners (P-12), along with both pre-service and in-service teachers. The second is Informal Science Education (ISE) audiences, meaning learners in settings like museums, science centers, after-school programs, community organizations, and other public-facing environments where education happens outside a traditional classroom. In both cases, the expectation is that the game experience helps people learn biology concepts through hands-on, inquiry-based approaches, often described as "learning by doing." Rather than passive reading or lecture-style content, the game is supposed to create an engaging space where users test ideas, see consequences, and build understanding through interaction.
A major emphasis of this opportunity is translation: NIH anticipates that small businesses will take existing or emerging P-12 health and medicine related STEM curricula and/or museum exhibits and convert them into game-based learning experiences. That can mean adapting proven educational content into a digital game format, or taking an established informal exhibit concept and building an interactive game version that can reach broader audiences, run on common platforms, and provide consistent learning feedback. The games are expected to be grounded in real STEM and biomedical ideas, with a clear educational purpose tied to health and medicine questions, rather than general science themes without a biomedical anchor.
This is a discretionary grant program with no cost sharing or matching requirement. It uses the SBIR mechanism (R43/R44), which corresponds to the typical SBIR Phase I and Phase II pathway: Phase I generally supports early feasibility and prototype development, while Phase II supports further development, refinement, and steps toward broader deployment and commercialization. The funding activity category is listed as Health, and the CFDA number provided is 93.351 (Research Infrastructure Programs), reflecting NIH's role and the broader public benefit objective of improving health-related education and capacity.
Eligibility is limited to US small business concerns (SBCs). To qualify, an applicant must be a for-profit entity with a place of business in the United States and primarily operating in the US (or making a significant contribution to the US economy through taxes or use of American products, materials, or labor). The business can be structured in common legal forms (such as an LLC or corporation), and it must have no more than 500 employees including affiliates. Ownership and control rules follow SBIR standards, including pathways for majority ownership by US citizens/permanent residents, certain combinations of qualifying US-owned businesses, and (for SBIR-only eligibility) specific allowances for ownership by venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, and private equity firms, provided no single such entity owns more than 50 percent. Joint ventures can apply if each partner meets the relevant SBIR ownership requirements.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted August 28, 2014, with an original and current closing date of May 12, 2016, and an archive date of June 12, 2016, meaning the specific announcement is now historical rather than open. NIH is the sponsoring agency, and the full announcement was hosted on the NIH Grants Guide at the provided link. For access or technical issues with the announcement, the contact listed is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV).
FAQs: NIH SBIR PAR 14-325 (Serious STEM Games - Biology, Health, and Medicine)
What is PAR 14-325?
PAR 14-325 is an NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding opportunity that supported U.S. small businesses developing "serious" STEM games focused on biology topics that connect directly to health and medicine.
What does NIH mean by a "serious" STEM game in this program?
In this opportunity, a serious game is treated as a structured learning environment rather than pure entertainment. The game is expected to guide players through challenges, provide feedback on performance, and keep learners in control of decisions while they learn biology concepts tied to health and medicine.
What kinds of learning experiences are these games expected to provide?
The game experience is expected to support inquiry-based, hands-on learning ("learning by doing"). Instead of passive reading or lecture-style instruction, players should be able to test ideas, observe outcomes, experiment, solve problems, and build understanding through interaction.
What topic areas must the games cover?
The games must be grounded in real STEM and biomedical ideas, with a clear educational purpose tied to health and medicine. The intent is not general science gameplay without a biomedical anchor, but biology learning that connects directly to health and medicine questions.
Who are the intended audiences for projects under this FOA?
The FOA targets two main audience tracks: (1) pre-kindergarten through 12th grade learners (P-12), plus pre-service and in-service teachers; and (2) Informal Science Education (ISE) audiences who learn outside traditional classrooms.
What does "P-12" mean in this announcement?
P-12 refers to pre-kindergarten through 12th grade learners. This track also includes educators, specifically both pre-service teachers (training to become teachers) and in-service teachers (currently teaching).
What are "Informal Science Education (ISE) audiences"?
ISE audiences are learners in settings such as museums, science centers, after-school programs, community organizations, and other public-facing environments where education happens outside a traditional classroom.
Is the program aimed only at students, or also at teachers and educators?
It includes both. One target track explicitly includes P-12 learners as well as pre-service and in-service teachers.
What is the main emphasis of the opportunity?
A major emphasis is translation. NIH anticipated that small businesses would take existing or emerging P-12 health/medicine-related STEM curricula and/or museum exhibit concepts and convert them into game-based learning experiences.
What does "translation" mean in the context of this FOA?
Translation here means adapting educational content that already exists (or is emerging) and converting it into a game format. Examples described include turning proven P-12 curriculum materials into a digital game-based learning experience or transforming an informal museum exhibit concept into an interactive game that can reach broader audiences and provide consistent learning feedback.
Does the game have to be based on an existing curriculum or museum exhibit?
The FOA emphasizes translation from existing or emerging P-12 curricula and/or museum exhibits into games. The expectation described is that applicants would adapt proven educational content or established informal exhibit concepts into a game-based learning experience.
What is the SBIR mechanism used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH SBIR mechanism R43/R44, which corresponds to the typical SBIR Phase I and Phase II pathway.
What is the difference between SBIR Phase I and Phase II in this announcement?
As described, Phase I generally supports early feasibility and prototype development. Phase II supports further development, refinement, and steps toward broader deployment and commercialization.
What funding activity category is associated with this FOA?
The funding activity category is listed as Health.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. This is described as a discretionary grant program with no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S. small business concerns (SBCs) that meet SBIR requirements.
What qualifies as a U.S. small business concern for this FOA?
Based on the information provided, the applicant must be a for-profit entity with a place of business in the United States and primarily operating in the U.S. (or making a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through taxes or the use of American products, materials, or labor). The business must have no more than 500 employees, including affiliates.
Do specific business legal structures qualify (LLC, corporation, etc.)?
Yes. The business can be structured in common legal forms such as an LLC or corporation, as long as it meets the SBIR small business and ownership/control requirements described.
What are the employee size limits?
The company must have no more than 500 employees, including affiliates.
What ownership and control rules apply?
Ownership and control rules follow SBIR standards. The description includes pathways for majority ownership by U.S. citizens or permanent residents and certain combinations of qualifying U.S.-owned businesses. It also notes SBIR-only eligibility allowances related to ownership by venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, and private equity firms, with the constraint that no single such entity may own more than 50 percent.
Can venture capital, hedge funds, or private equity-owned small businesses apply?
The description indicates that, for SBIR-only eligibility, specific allowances exist for ownership by venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, and private equity firms, provided no single such entity owns more than 50 percent.
Are joint ventures allowed to apply?
Yes. Joint ventures can apply if each partner meets the relevant SBIR ownership requirements.
Which federal agency sponsors this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the CFDA number listed for this program?
The CFDA number provided is 93.351 (Research Infrastructure Programs).
When was this opportunity posted?
It was posted on August 28, 2014.
What were the closing date and archive date?
The original and current closing date listed was May 12, 2016, and the archive date was June 12, 2016.
Is PAR 14-325 currently open for applications?
No. The announcement is described as historical rather than open, based on the closing and archive dates provided.
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The full announcement was hosted on the NIH Grants Guide at the provided link referenced in the opportunity description.
Who should be contacted for access or technical issues with the announcement?
The contact listed for access or technical issues is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
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