Small Business Funding for Innovations in Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging

All applicants should consider submitting through the Omnibus Solicitation, which covers a broad range of NIA research topics and investigator-initiated ideas. For small businesses and research organizations working on solutions for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD), NIA has targeted solicitations for SBIR and STTR that allow for higher budget limits of up to $500,000 for Phase I and $2.5 million for Phase II. These opportunities are part of NIA’s unprecedented research and development budget to develop AD/ADRD interventions and therapeutics.

The following opportunities are currently open:Omnibus Solicitation

2022-2 NIH SBIR Omnibus Solicitation – Clinical Trial Required 

• SBIR (PA-22-177)
• STTR (PA-22-179)

2021 NIH SBIR Omnibus Solicitation – Clinical Trial Not Allowed

• SBIR (PA-22-176)
• STTR (PA-22-178)

Targeted Funding Opportunities

A2 Pilot Awards: AI/TECH + Aging including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia

• Request for Applications
• FAQs
• Applications due August 15 by 5:00 p.m. ET

Advancing Research on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD)

• SBIR (PAS-19-316)
• STTR (PAS-19-317)

Commercialization Support

Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program: 

• SBIR & STTR PA-20-128 (SB1, Technical Assistance) — Clinical Trial Not Allowed
• SBIR & STTR PA-20-129 (SB1, Technical Assistance, and Late Stage Development) — Clinical Trial Not Allowed
• SBIR & STTR PA-20-130 (SB1, Technical Assistance, and Late Stage Development) — Clinical Trial Required 

For a list of all  NIA SBIR and STTR funding opportunities, deadlines, and budget limits, visit the NIA Small Business Program funding page.

NIA’s SBIR and STTR programs offer non-dilutive, no-strings-attached funding up to $2.5 million (depending on funding opportunity) to commercialize products addressing aging and aging-related diseases and conditions. Small businesses and research organizations retain intellectual property rights for their innovations, NIH’s rigorous peer-review process lends validation and visibility to early-stage companies, and the prestige associated with these awards can help attract more funding from other partners and investors.

Tips for Applying

Clear all administrative requirements:
Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and must complete all required registrations prior to submission. Register your small business with Grants.gov, SBA Company Registry, SAM.gov (including your UEI number), and NIH eRA Commons as soon as possible. Principal investigators must also individually register with NIH eRA Commons. Companies eligible to certify as a women-owned small business or a minority-owned small business should obtain certification.

Build and submit a strong application:
Follow the SBIR/STTR Application Guide (to ensure proper grant application content and format. Check the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT) system to ensure your proposal does not overlap with funded research. You can also find examples of successful applications on a variety of topics.

Submit before the deadline:
Completing all the required steps can take a month or two, so don’t wait until the last minute. Plan ahead to help ensure your application moves forward for consideration successfully.