Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MD 15 008
Apply for RFA MD 15 008
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technologies for Improving Population 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 Apr 24, 2015 and posted on Apr 24, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 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 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:
Technologies for Improving Population Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunity designed to help U.S. small businesses move practical health innovations toward commercialization, specifically when those innovations are intended to reduce health disparities. The core purpose is to support the development of a product, process, or service that can measurably improve healthcare access and health outcomes for populations that have historically been underserved or experienced worse outcomes, including racial and ethnic minority communities, low-income groups, and people living in rural areas. The emphasis is not just on creating something new, but on creating something that can realistically be adopted and used in the real world by the communities that need it most.
A key theme of the opportunity is that the proposed technology should be effective and feasible under real-world constraints. NIH is looking for solutions that are affordable, culturally acceptable, and deliverable in settings where resources, infrastructure, or specialty healthcare access may be limited. In practice, this points applicants toward innovations that can operate in community clinics, safety-net systems, rural health facilities, or even home and community environments, rather than relying on expensive equipment, highly specialized staff, or idealized conditions that are hard to replicate outside major medical centers. The FOA is focused on population health impact, meaning solutions should be aimed at improving outcomes at the community or group level, not only at the level of individual patients.
The award mechanism is STTR, reflected in the R41/R42 designations. STTR is structured to require a formal collaboration between a small business concern and a nonprofit research institution (commonly a university, medical center, or research institute). The small business is expected to drive commercialization, while the research partner contributes scientific and technical expertise, facilities, and development support. The phased structure typically means early-stage feasibility and proof-of-concept work occurs under the first phase (R41), and more advanced research and development, refinement, and steps toward commercialization occur under the second phase (R42). Although the prompt does not list the detailed phase budgets or durations, the intent is to help applicants mature a technology from early validation into a more market-ready, deployable solution.
Eligibility is limited to eligible United States small business concerns. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible either. However, foreign components may be allowed under NIH policy as part of a project when justified, which can matter if a project requires a specific capability or resource located outside the U.S., though the applicant organization itself must remain U.S.-based and meet STTR requirements. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which reduces the financial burden on small businesses that may not have large reserves of capital.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity categorized under health, aligned with CFDA 93.307 (Minority Health and Health Disparities Research). The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MD-15-008, and the total estimated funding amount listed is $1,000,000. The FOA was posted on April 24, 2015, with an original and current closing date of July 23, 2015, and an archive date of August 23, 2015. Even though it is archived, the content describes how NIH framed its priorities for disparity-focused technology commercialization through the STTR program at that time, which can still be useful context for understanding the kinds of technologies NIH has sought in this space.
Overall, the opportunity is essentially a commercialization-focused R&D grant for small businesses that can translate research into usable tools that narrow gaps in access and outcomes. Competitive projects under a program like this tend to clearly define the disparity being addressed, identify the specific population(s) that will benefit, explain why current solutions fall short for those communities, and demonstrate that the proposed technology is designed with affordability, usability, cultural fit, and real delivery pathways in mind. For applicants, the commercialization aim is central: NIH is not only funding research, but also supporting the development path toward a product or service that can be deployed at scale in the settings and populations where disparities persist.
For the official full announcement and any detailed requirements that are not included in the summary (for example, specific review criteria, budget limits, phase structures, and required STTR partnership arrangements), NIH provided the source link at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-15-008.html. If access or linking issues occur, the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed is FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Technologies for Improving Population Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42)" opportunity?
It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunity focused on helping U.S. small businesses develop practical health innovations that can reduce health disparities and move those innovations toward commercialization.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The core goal is to support development of a product, process, or service that can measurably improve healthcare access and health outcomes for populations that have historically been underserved or experienced worse outcomes, with a strong emphasis on real-world adoption and use.
Who is this opportunity intended to benefit?
The program prioritizes solutions for populations that have experienced health inequities, including racial and ethnic minority communities, low-income groups, and people living in rural areas.
What kinds of projects are a good fit?
Projects that develop a technology intended to improve population health and reduce disparities, and that are designed to be realistically usable in underserved settings. The opportunity emphasizes affordability, cultural acceptability, and deliverability in environments with limited resources or access to specialty care.
Does NIH want technologies that work only in ideal conditions?
No. A central theme is that the technology should be effective and feasible under real-world constraints, including limited infrastructure, limited resources, and limited access to highly specialized staff or expensive equipment.
What settings does NIH expect these technologies to work in?
The description points toward solutions that can operate in community clinics, safety-net systems, rural health facilities, and home or community environments, rather than relying on conditions that are difficult to replicate outside major medical centers.
Is this opportunity focused on individual patient outcomes or population health impact?
The focus is on population health impact, meaning the solution should aim to improve outcomes at the community or group level, not only for individual patients.
What do R41 and R42 mean in this announcement?
R41 and R42 reflect the phased STTR structure. The first phase (R41) typically supports early-stage feasibility and proof-of-concept work, while the second phase (R42) typically supports more advanced research and development, refinement, and steps toward commercialization.
Is an STTR partnership required?
Yes. STTR requires a formal collaboration between a small business concern and a nonprofit research institution (commonly a university, medical center, or research institute). The small business is expected to drive commercialization, while the research partner contributes scientific and technical expertise, facilities, and development support.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to eligible United States small business concerns. The applicant organization must be U.S.-based and meet STTR requirements.
Are foreign institutions allowed to apply?
No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible.
Can a project include any foreign components?
Foreign components may be allowed under NIH policy when justified (for example, if a specific capability or resource needed for the project is located outside the U.S.). However, the applicant must remain an eligible U.S. small business concern and comply with STTR requirements.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Which NIH-related program area does this opportunity align with?
It is aligned with CFDA 93.307, Minority Health and Health Disparities Research.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MD-15-008.
How much total funding was estimated for this opportunity?
The total estimated funding amount listed is $1,000,000.
What type of grant is this categorized as?
It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity categorized under health.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The FOA was posted on April 24, 2015. The original and current closing date was July 23, 2015. The archive date was August 23, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. Based on the provided dates and the archive status, it is archived and closed.
If it is archived, why is the information still useful?
Even though it is archived, it provides context for how NIH framed priorities for disparity-focused technology commercialization through the STTR program, including expectations around real-world feasibility, affordability, cultural fit, and deployment pathways.
What does NIH mean by "commercialization" in this context?
The emphasis is on moving a practical health innovation toward a market-ready, deployable solution. NIH is not only supporting research, but also supporting development steps that help a technology be adopted and used in real settings at scale.
What qualities tend to make a project competitive under a program like this?
The description suggests competitive projects clearly define the health disparity being addressed, identify the populations expected to benefit, explain why current solutions fall short for those communities, and show that the technology is designed for affordability, usability, cultural fit, and realistic delivery pathways.
Where can applicants find the official full announcement and detailed requirements?
The official source link provided is http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-15-008.html. The full announcement is where NIH would list detailed requirements not included in the summary, such as review criteria, budget limits, detailed phase structures, and specific STTR partnership arrangements.
Who can be contacted if there are access or linking issues with the NIH announcement?
The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed is FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
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