Small Business Innovation Research Competing Renewal Awards for Biomedical and Behavior Research Tools (SBIR R44) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is NIH funding opportunity PA 08-115?

PA 08-115 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement titled "Small Business Innovation Research Competing Renewal Awards for Biomedical and Behavior Research Tools (SBIR R44)." It is designed to support small businesses that want to continue and extend development work that began under an earlier SBIR Phase II award, especially for complex biomedical or behavioral research-enabling technologies.

What is the main purpose of this opportunity?

The purpose is to provide competitively awarded renewal-style Phase II support so a small business can push an already-developed tool or intervention further along the development pathway. The focus is on substantial, technically demanding remaining work such as improving performance, completing validation activities, refining usability, and maturing the technology for broader use in research or clinical contexts.

Is this opportunity for new SBIR Phase II applicants?

No. This announcement specifically targets "competing renewals" of previously funded SBIR Phase II grants. It is intended for small businesses that have already received SBIR Phase II support and can demonstrate enough progress to justify a renewed, competitive round of funding.

What does "competing renewal" mean in this context?

A "competing renewal" means the applicant is seeking additional funding for a project that was previously supported (in this case, under SBIR Phase II), and the request is competitively reviewed rather than automatically extended. The intent is to fund additional time and resources to complete critical development steps that remain after the original Phase II effort.

What types of projects and technologies does NIH want to support under PA 08-115?

The FOA emphasizes complex biomedical or behavioral research tools that are beyond the early concept stage. Examples referenced in the description include sophisticated instrumentation, clinical research tools, and behavioral interventions or treatments that enable research or clinical work and still require substantial development and validation to be more broadly deployed.

What stage of development should the project be in to fit this FOA?

The project should already be beyond the early concept stage and should have demonstrated meaningful progress under a prior SBIR Phase II award. The remaining work should be significant enough to warrant renewed support (for example, final development steps, performance improvements, validation, or usability refinement).

What funding mechanism is used for this program?

The funding mechanism is the SBIR Phase II grant mechanism, coded as R44.

How much funding can an applicant request?

Applicants may request up to $800,000 in total costs per year.

What is the maximum project period allowed?

The maximum project period is up to three years.

What is the maximum potential total funding over the full project period?

Based on the stated limit of up to $800,000 per year for up to three years, the potential maximum scale is up to $2.4 million in total costs across the project period, subject to the final approved budget and award.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated for this opportunity.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR program rules.

Does NIH guarantee that awards will be made?

No. NIH states that awards depend on the availability of appropriated funds and on receiving enough high-quality, competitive applications. There is no guarantee of a set number of awards.

Is this grant considered discretionary funding?

Yes. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The listing associates this FOA with multiple CFDA numbers: 93.172 (Human Genome Research), 93.213 (Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health), and 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs). This suggests multiple NIH institutes or program areas may have interests aligned with the tools and interventions supported under this FOA.

How is this opportunity related to NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research PA 08-056?

The FOA notes it runs in parallel with a related NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research opportunity (PA 08-056) focused on brain and behavior tools. PA 08-115 is described as centered on broader biomedical and behavioral research tools rather than being limited to neuroscience.

When was PA 08-115 posted, and when did it close?

The key administrative dates in the listing state the FOA was posted on April 9, 2008, with a closing date of May 7, 2011.

Is PA 08-115 still open for applications?

No. The listing indicates an archive date of June 7, 2011, meaning the opportunity is no longer open.

Where was the full announcement hosted?

The full announcement was hosted on the NIH Grants Guide website at grants.nih.gov.

Who was listed as the technical contact for access or linking issues?

Technical contact support for access or linking issues was routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.

What kinds of remaining work does NIH appear to prioritize for these renewals?

Based on the description, NIH emphasizes remaining work that is substantial and technically demanding, such as completing critical development steps, improving performance, completing validation activities, refining usability, and otherwise maturing a tool or intervention so it can be more broadly deployed in research or clinical settings.

Does this FOA focus more on incremental improvements or major development efforts?

The description suggests NIH is interested in projects where the remaining work is substantial and technically demanding rather than minor or incremental tweaks.