Overview

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are congressionally-mandated set-aside programs to encourage research and development that has a strong potential for technology commercialization. These programs were developed to meet the following objectives:

• Stimulate technological innovation;
• Meet federal research and development needs;
• Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations developed through federal R&D funding; and
• Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by socially and economically disadvantaged persons and women-owned small businesses.

The Small Business Program at the NIBIB is used to achieve the mission of the Institute by supporting innovative technologies through various stages of commercial research and development. The NIBIB welcomes SBIR and STTR applications from small businesses proposing ideas relevant to its scientific program areas. Please contact program staff if you have questions about which Institute(s) would be the best fit for your project.

Program Structure

Both the SBIR and STTR programs are divided into three phases as shown in the illustration below.