Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MD 15 003
Apply for RFA MD 15 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technologies for Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.307 Minority Health and Health Disparities Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 9, 2014 and posted on Oct 8, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 23, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- 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:
Technologies for Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity designed for US small business concerns that want to develop and commercialize practical technologies that can measurably reduce health disparities. The program uses the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) mechanism, meaning projects are expected to involve a formal collaboration between a small business and a nonprofit research institution, with a clear path from research and development to a product, process, or service that can be brought to market. The core purpose is not basic research for its own sake, but technology development that improves healthcare access and health outcomes for populations that experience persistent inequities, especially racial and ethnic minority groups, low-income communities, and rural populations.
The announcement emphasizes that proposed technologies should be effective in real-world settings and not just in ideal clinical environments. It also stresses affordability and practical delivery, reflecting an expectation that the end result can actually be adopted and sustained in underserved communities. Another central requirement is cultural acceptability, meaning applicants should think seriously about how their technology fits the needs, preferences, language, trust concerns, and day-to-day realities of the communities it is meant to serve. In other words, the FOA is looking for solutions that reduce barriers to care and improve outcomes in ways that are feasible where disparities are most entrenched, rather than tools that only work for well-resourced systems or highly connected patients.
This opportunity was released under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MD-15-003 and is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area, tied to CFDA 93.307 (Minority Health and Health Disparities Research). The total estimated funding level listed for the announcement is $1,000,000, and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which can make it more accessible to smaller firms that may not have the capital to provide significant non-federal cost share. The application window for this specific FOA opened in October 2014, with a closing date of January 23, 2015, and an archive date of February 23, 2015, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation rather than an ongoing standing program announcement.
Eligibility is limited to United States small business concerns, and the announcement lays out the standard federal definition used for NIH small business programs. To qualify, an applicant must be organized for profit, have a place of business in the United States, and operate primarily in the United States (or otherwise make a significant contribution to the US economy through taxes or use of American labor and materials). The business can take several legal forms, including a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, corporation, joint venture, association, trust, cooperative, or similar entity, with restrictions on foreign participation in joint ventures. The company must also have no more than 500 employees including affiliates, which is the usual size standard for SBIR/STTR programs. Ownership and control requirements are also specified, including pathways for majority ownership by US citizens or permanent resident aliens, and references to allowable ownership structures involving venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms under certain conditions. While the solicitation is specifically for STTR (R41/R42), it still references common SBIR/STTR eligibility concepts and clarifies the ownership/control frameworks that may apply.
As an STTR opportunity using the R41/R42 activity codes, the program is structured around phased development, generally starting with a Phase I effort focused on establishing scientific and technical feasibility, followed by a Phase II effort aimed at full research and development leading toward commercialization. The announcement language repeatedly points applicants toward commercialization as the end goal, so competitive proposals would typically be expected to include a credible plan for product development, regulatory or implementation considerations where relevant, pathways to adoption in underserved settings, and a realistic market and dissemination strategy that accounts for affordability and access constraints. The best fit projects are those that can demonstrate, even early on, a strong understanding of the disparity being addressed, the community context, and how the technology will overcome real barriers such as cost, geographic isolation, limited broadband or transportation, language access, health literacy, clinic capacity, or lack of culturally aligned care models.
The funding opportunity is administered by NIH, and the source announcement provided a link to the full FOA on the NIH Grants Guide site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-15-003.html). For technical issues accessing the announcement or resolving linking problems, the contact listed is the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV). Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted STTR commercialization-oriented grant call for small businesses that can translate research into deployable technologies that make healthcare more equitable, especially for minority, low-income, and rural populations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Technologies for Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42)" opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity for U.S. small business concerns to develop and commercialize practical technologies that can measurably reduce health disparities. It is specifically oriented toward technology development with real-world impact, rather than basic research for its own sake.
Which NIH mechanism does this program use?
The opportunity uses the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) mechanism, with activity codes R41/R42. STTR generally requires a formal collaboration between the small business and a nonprofit research institution and emphasizes moving from research and development toward commercialization.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The core goal is to support the development of technologies that improve healthcare access and outcomes in populations experiencing persistent inequities, with an emphasis on solutions that can be brought to market as a product, process, or service.
Who is the program intended to benefit?
The FOA emphasizes reducing disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority groups, low-income communities, and rural populations, particularly where inequities are persistent and entrenched.
Does the program support basic research?
The FOA is framed around technology development aimed at practical deployment and commercialization. It is not positioned as support for basic research conducted solely for knowledge generation without a clear path to a deployable solution.
What kinds of solutions are a strong fit for this FOA?
Strong-fit solutions are technologies designed to reduce barriers to care and improve outcomes in underserved settings. The FOA highlights the importance of feasibility outside ideal clinical environments, affordability, practical delivery, and cultural acceptability.
What does the FOA mean by "real-world settings"?
It means the proposed technology should be designed to work effectively in the environments where disparities are most common, not only in highly resourced systems or tightly controlled clinical settings. The technology should be realistic to adopt and sustain in underserved communities.
Why does the FOA emphasize affordability?
Affordability is emphasized because the expectation is that the resulting technology can actually be adopted and sustained in underserved communities where cost constraints are often a major barrier to access and long-term use.
What is meant by "cultural acceptability" in this announcement?
Cultural acceptability refers to designing the technology so it fits the needs, preferences, language, trust concerns, and day-to-day realities of the communities it is intended to serve. The FOA signals that applicants should take these factors seriously as part of making a solution workable and adoptable.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MD-15-003.
Is this a discretionary grant and what is the program area?
Yes. The announcement is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area, tied to CFDA 93.307 (Minority Health and Health Disparities Research).
How much funding is estimated for this FOA?
The total estimated funding level listed for the announcement is $1,000,000.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When did the application window open and close?
The application window opened in October 2014 and closed on January 23, 2015. The archive date is February 23, 2015, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation rather than an ongoing announcement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to United States small business concerns that meet the standard federal definition used for NIH small business programs.
What are the basic requirements to qualify as an eligible U.S. small business concern under this FOA?
Based on the description provided, an eligible applicant must be organized for profit, have a place of business in the United States, and operate primarily in the United States (or otherwise make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through taxes or use of American labor and materials).
What types of legal entities can apply as the small business?
The FOA indicates that a qualifying small business can take forms such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, corporation, joint venture, association, trust, cooperative, or a similar entity, with restrictions related to foreign participation in joint ventures.
Is there a size limit for the business?
Yes. The company must have no more than 500 employees, including affiliates, which aligns with the typical SBIR/STTR size standard.
Are there ownership and control requirements?
Yes. The description notes that ownership and control requirements apply, including pathways for majority ownership by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens. It also references allowable ownership structures involving venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms under certain conditions.
Does this FOA require collaboration with a research institution?
Yes. Because it is an STTR opportunity, projects are expected to involve a formal collaboration between the small business and a nonprofit research institution.
How is the project typically structured under R41/R42?
The program is structured around phased development. Phase I generally focuses on establishing scientific and technical feasibility, and Phase II generally focuses on full research and development leading toward commercialization.
Is commercialization an expectation?
Yes. The announcement repeatedly points applicants toward commercialization as the end goal, emphasizing a clear path from R&D to a product, process, or service that can be brought to market.
What kinds of practical barriers should proposed technologies account for?
The FOA highlights the value of solutions that address real constraints common in underserved settings, such as cost, geographic isolation, limited broadband or transportation, language access, health literacy, clinic capacity, and lack of culturally aligned care models.
Where can applicants find the full FOA text?
The full announcement is available on the NIH Grants Guide site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-15-003.html
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the announcement link?
For technical issues accessing the announcement or resolving linking problems, the contact listed is the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Which federal program identification is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is tied to CFDA 93.307, identified as Minority Health and Health Disparities Research.
Is this opportunity ongoing?
No. The provided dates (closing date in January 2015 and archive date in February 2015) indicate it was a time-limited solicitation rather than a standing, continuously open program announcement.
What is the key theme that distinguishes this FOA from general health technology funding?
The distinguishing theme is measurable reduction of health disparities through technologies that are affordable, culturally acceptable, and workable in real-world underserved environments, with a clear route to commercialization.
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