Funding and Learning Opportunities

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Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination

May 15 Deadline: MedTech Innovator Competition

Apply by May 15: HERE

The MedTech Innovator program involves a four-month virtual accelerator ending in the MedTech Innovator Showcase and Finals at AdvaMed 2016 in Minneapolis, MN. MedTech Innovator 2016 seeks early to mid-stage startups, including medical device, diagnostic, and digital technologies. Startups selected to join the MedTech Innovator accelerator receive:

  • Mentorship by and access to leading investors, manufacturers, providers, payers, IP, regulatory and reimbursement professionals, and others
  • A chance to compete in the 2016 finals for more than $250,000 in awards and prizes
  • A scholarship to the Innovation Showcase at AdvaMed 2016 in Minneapolis, MN
  • Complimentary tickets to the Wilson Sonsini Medical Device Conference in San Francisco, CA

    For information about MedTech Innovator 2016, visit: http://bit.ly/MedTechInnovator2016 


    May 23-25 Meet Us at the National SBIR/STTR Conference

    Sign up for 1-on-1 meetings with NHLBI program and grants management staff  HERE

    Register to meet with us in person at the TechConnect World & National Innovation Summit, and National SBIR/STTR Conference, on May 23-25, 2016 at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, adjacent to Washington DC. For more information go to www.nationalsbirconference.com.  Representatives from multiple NIH Institutes and Centers will also be available for 1-on-1 meetings.


    June 3 Deadline: SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition

     Apply by June 3: HERE

    The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to work with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to announce a third round of the Growth Accelerator Fund competition. In 2016, winners of the contest will receive $50,000 prizes to support their accelerator. Funding will be available to support new and existing life science and health focused incubators with an SBIR/STTR focus. Special consideration will be given to accelerators that support women-owned and/or minority-owned small businesses. More information here.

    For questions, please contact SBA’s Nareg Sagherian, nareg.sagherian@sba.gov


    June 6-9 Join Us at BIO International Convention

    Visit the BIO Innovation Zone and NIH Exhibit Booth (7149)

    Meet with NIH staff at BIO exhibit booth 7149 and check out the BIO Innovation Zone highlighting SBIR/STTR-funded companies (apply by May 16 to represent NHLBI at the Innovation Zone next year). Look for Jennifer Shieh in the BIO 1-on-1 Partnering System to request a meeting and attend these sessions on Tuesday June 7:

    ·         1 pm, Room West 3005: Changing the Mindset: Empowering Academic Investigators to Get Out of the Lab and Understand Commercialization Needs. Moderated by Kurt Marek, Deputy Director, OTAC.

    ·         3 pm, NIH Booth 7149: We Want to Hear From You: Feedback Session for NIH Awardees and Applicants.

    ·         4 pm, NIH Booth 7149: Open House for Women and Minority Entrepreneurs (All are welcome!)

    If you’re not attending BIO but you’re in the Bay Area, we’ll also be at UC Davis on Friday June 3 and at the free Biopharma Entrepreneurship & Innovation Symposium at Genentech on Monday June 6. 

    Let us know you’d like to meet there: NHLBI Small Biz Inquiry form


    June 20 Deadline: Phase IIB Awards to Bridge the Development Gap

     Check out the May 4 webinar: HERE

    Phase IIB Bridge Awards (HL-16-009): http://1.usa.gov/1q9yTyP

    Phase IIB Small Market Awards (HL-17-012): http://1.usa.gov/1v0Wxn1

    Apply for up to $3M to support continued development of your Phase II SBIR or STTR-funded heart, lung, blood, or sleep technology requiring approval or clearance by a Federal regulatory agency. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Phase IIB Bridge and Small Market Award programs aim to de-risk your technology and encourage partnerships between small businesses and investors and strategic partners.

    Letters of Intent due May 20, 2016. Applications due June 20, 2016.

    Questions? Contact Jennifer Shieh, jennifer.shieh@nih.gov  


    June 21 Small Biz Hangout: De-mystifying Small Business Review

    Tuesday June 21, 2 pm EST 

    REGISTER: HERE

    Hear from Scientific Review Officers from the NIH Center for Scientific Review and NHLBI Office of Scientific Review to learn about the NIH peer review process, differences between types of funding opportunities and where they are reviewed, how you can participate as a reviewer yourself, and more.

    To view previous NHLBI Small Biz Hangouts, visit our YouTube playlist.


    New NIH Application Forms: Be Ready for Upcoming Funding Opportunities

    Planning to submit a new or resubmission application to NIH? We have updated our application guide and supplemental instructions. In addition to incorporating policy changes summarized in NOT-OD-16-004, the updated (FORMS-D) application guide has been restructured and streamlined. Updates to form instructions are listed at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-d/general/g.120-significant-changes.htm. Learn more in NOT-OD-16-084.

    It’s also not too early to check that you have all your required registrations (SAM must be renewed annually) and see if the new ASSIST electronic submission option is right for you (it makes collaboration and submission easier). 


    Registration Open for 18th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference

    November 15 - 17, 2016, Orlando, Florida 

    REGISTER: HERE

    You will learn how to develop and win SBIR/STTR awards from the Department of Health and Human Services during an interactive three-day conference. Session topics will include: understanding HHS SBIR/STTR funding solicitations; business/technical assistance options; indirect costs and financial accounting systems; and human subjects and animal research.

    This conference is relevant to a diverse audience, including biomedical entrepreneurs; principal investigators; grants and contracts administrators; and industry partners and investors. Representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Administration for Community Living (ACL), and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will give presentations and answer questions during one-on-one meetings.


    Meet NHLBI Small Business Experts

    5/23 - 5/25  National SBIR/STTR Conference - National Harbor, MD

    6/1  MedTech Conference 2016 – Minneapolis, MN

    6/3  Funding & Resources to Translate Innovation from Lab to Market for Health – Davis, CA

    6/6 Biopharma Entrepreneurship & Innovation Symposium – San Francisco, CA

    6/6 - 6/9 2016 BIO International Convention – San Francisco, CA

    6/21 Small Biz Hangout: De-mystifying Small Business Review – Webinar

    Register Now! 11/15 - 11/17 18th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference - Orlando, FL