Technology for the Detection and Characterization of Low Abundance Proteins, Peptides, or micro RNAs (SBIR) R43/R44 | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Technology for the Detection and Characterization of Low Abundance Proteins, Peptides, or micro RNAs (SBIR) R43/R44" opportunity?

It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding opportunity focused on advancing measurement science so researchers can reliably detect and characterize very low-abundance proteins, peptides, and microRNAs in biologically complex samples. The emphasis is on practical performance in real-world matrices where current methods often lose sensitivity, specificity, or reproducibility.

Which NIH institutes issued this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was issued jointly by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

What is the main problem this FOA is trying to solve?

Many biologically and clinically important proteins, peptides, and microRNAs exist at extremely low concentrations. In real specimens, these targets are surrounded by far more abundant molecules, making them difficult to isolate, detect, quantify, and confirm with high confidence. This FOA targets that bottleneck by encouraging technologies that push detection limits and improve reliability in complex mixtures.

What types of biomolecules are in scope?

The FOA focuses on low-abundance proteins, peptides, and microRNAs (micro RNAs). The goal is better detection, quantitation, and characterization of these targets when they are scarce and embedded in complex biological backgrounds.

What does "low abundance" mean in the context of this opportunity?

The FOA points to examples on the order of a few thousand copies per cell, where conventional approaches commonly struggle with sensitivity, specificity, or reproducibility.

Is this funding primarily for basic research or for technology development?

The core goal is technology development rather than basic discovery. Applicants are expected to propose new platforms or meaningful improvements to existing methods that materially improve the ability to isolate, enrich, detect, quantify, or structurally characterize low-level targets.

What kinds of technical approaches are encouraged?

The FOA does not prescribe a single technical direction. Instead, it emphasizes solving practical limitations that appear in real specimens. Competitive projects commonly address one or more of the following: sample preparation and enrichment, detection chemistry or affinity reagents, instrument or assay sensitivity, and robust characterization that confirms identity and relevant molecular details.

What sample types or biological matrices are specifically mentioned?

The FOA highlights realistic, heterogeneous biological matrices such as blood, tissue lysates, cerebrospinal fluid, and other complex biological samples.

What performance issues in real samples does the FOA highlight?

The FOA highlights the tendency of conventional methods to lose sensitivity, specificity, or reproducibility in complex mixtures. It encourages improvements that enhance target-to-background performance and reduce ambiguous or unreliable signals.

What are examples of "key pain points" this FOA wants applicants to address?

Examples include: (1) sample preparation and enrichment to reduce complexity and increase target-to-background, (2) improved detection chemistry or affinity reagents to increase binding specificity and reduce cross-reactivity, (3) improved instrument or assay sensitivity to lower limits of detection and quantitation, and (4) robust characterization to confirm identity, variants, modifications, or sequence-level details.

What does "robust characterization" mean in this FOA?

It means going beyond a signal that could be ambiguous. The FOA emphasizes confirming the identity of the target and potentially resolving variants, modifications, or sequence-level information, rather than producing results that are difficult to interpret with confidence.

What SBIR mechanisms are used for this opportunity?

Funding is provided through the SBIR grant mechanisms R43 (Phase I) and R44 (Phase II). The FOA also references a Fast Track option intended to accelerate projects that can clearly justify moving from feasibility to full development.

What is Phase I (R43) intended to support?

Phase I generally supports early feasibility and proof-of-concept work. Examples mentioned include demonstrating that a new capture method can enrich a target analyte from complex mixtures or showing that a detection concept achieves a measurable sensitivity improvement compared to current benchmarks.

What is Phase II (R44) intended to support?

Phase II supports further development and validation, such as engineering a robust prototype, expanding analytical validation, testing reproducibility, or moving toward workflows that can be adopted by research or clinical labs.

What is the Fast Track option in this FOA?

Fast Track is an option meant to accelerate projects that can present a clear and well-supported transition plan from Phase I feasibility work to Phase II full development.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to small business concerns, consistent with SBIR rules.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA states that no cost sharing or matching is required.

Which agency sponsors this program?

The sponsoring agency is the NIH, and it is categorized as a discretionary grant program.

What funding activity categories does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity falls under health and education-related funding activity categories.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The FOA is associated with CFDA 93.396 (Cancer Biology Research) and CFDA 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).

What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?

The award ceiling listed in the source data is $200,000. The FOA also notes that awards depend on available funds and the strength of the application pool.

Is the number of awards fixed?

No. The FOA indicates the total number of awards is not pre-set and can vary based on merit, proposed budgets, durations, and the overall quality of submissions.

What factors does the FOA emphasize for being competitive?

Based on the description, competitive applications emphasize technical innovation, feasibility, measurable performance improvements (for example in sensitivity, specificity, or reproducibility), and a credible development plan that fits the Phase I/Phase II structure.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?

The archived announcement is identified as PA 09 189.

Is this FOA still active?

No. The timeline information provided indicates it was posted on May 19, 2009, had an original and current closing date of May 7, 2012, and an archive date of June 7, 2012. That means this specific FOA is no longer active.

Where was the full announcement hosted?

The full archived announcement was hosted on the NIH grants guide site.

Are there related SBIR announcements mentioned?

Yes. The FOA points applicants to related SBIR announcements PA 09 187 and PA 09 188 that use the same mechanism, reflecting a broader NIH SBIR ecosystem for technology development.

Who is the contact for access or technical issues related to the announcement?

For access or technical issues, the listed contact route is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.

What broader research areas are tied to this technology focus?

The FOA is framed around clear relevance to cancer and mental health research, with the underlying idea that better tools for scarce biomolecules can support earlier detection, more precise biomarker measurement, deeper biological insight, and improved monitoring of disease progression or treatment response.