NHLBI Funding & Resource Opportunities

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Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination

March 5 Deadline - Summer 2018 Innovation Corps (I-Corps) at NIH

Apply by March 5, 2018: PA-18-517

SBIR and STTR Phase I grantees are invited to join the Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) at NIH program.  I-Corps™ at NIH  supports biomedical innovation and translation, with the goal of expediting the product  development of technologies that address the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. The 8-week, hands-on program provides funding, mentoring, and networking opportunities to teach participants  how to focus business plans and move a technology closer to those who need it most.

For more information or questions on the I-Corps™ at NIH program, please visit NCI SBIR Development Center or contact:

Mike Pieck, PhD, mike.pieck@nih.gov
Health Scientist Administrator, Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination, NHLBI

Dates to remember:

March 5, 2018 – due date to apply to ICorps™ at NIH, Phase I grant must be active through at least June 1, 2018

April 9, 2018 – Phone Interview

April 30, 2018 - Notice of Award

June 18-21, 2018 - Course Kick-off

June 27, July 11,18 & 25, August 1 & 8, 2018 - Web-Ex Courses

August 13 & 14, 2018 - Course Close-out/Lessons-Learned


April 5 Deadline - NIH SBIR/STTR 2018 Omnibus (Parent) Grant Solicitations

 SBIR:  PA-18-573  & PA-18-574

STTR:  PA-18-575 & PA-18-576

NIH has launched a new series of initiatives to enhance the accountability and transparency of clinical research. ALL applications, including SBIR/STTR, proposing any specific aims that meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial must now be submitted to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that specifically states it accepts clinical trials. These initiatives target key points along the whole clinical trial lifecycle. READ the PHS 2018-2 SBIR/STTR Program Descriptions and Research Topics and learn more about these changes:  HERE

Deadlines: April 5, 2018; September 5, 2018; January 7, 2019; April 5, 2019

New NIH "FORMS-E" Grant Application Forms and Instructions for Due Dates On or After January 25, 2018. Read the Full Notice: NOT-OD-18-009

Two informational webinars archived:

1. HHS SBIR/STTR PHS 2018-2 Grant Omnibus Clinical Trial Webinar

2. HHS SBIR/STTR PHS 2018-2 Grant Omnibus Non-Clinical Trial Webinar

For more information, please contact NHLBI SBIR through our NHLBI Small Biz Inquiry Form and checkout our YouTube channel:  NHLBI Small Biz Hangouts


Unfunded NIH Applicants get a Second Chance

NIH has partnered with Leidos Health’s Life Sciences to accelerate the biomedical research and development enterprise by matching high-scoring (e.g., those within the 30th percentile), unfunded NIH applications with private biomedical foundations and/or industries seeking to fund promising research through the Online Partnership to Accelerate Research (OnPAR).  

To learn more, please visit OnPAR


Did You Know?

The US Small Business Administration has developed resources to educate small businesses on many topics.  Specific programs that may be of interest to you include:

  • Legal Requirements for Small Business
  • How to Write a Business Plan
  • Market Research
  • Finding and Attracting Investors
  • Encore Entrepreneurship for Women

The full list of links to course materials including webinars and any associated worksheets or additional materials can be accessed: HERE


March 20 - FDA Webinar & Updated Final Guidance Documents

Webinar - Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 3:00 PM ET

Combination Product Updates for “Acceptance and Filing Reviews for Premarket Approval Applications” and “Refuse to Accept Policy for 510(k)s”  

On January 30, 2018, the FDA issued updated final guidance documents:

These guidance documents explain the procedures and criteria the FDA intends to use in accepting or refusing a 510(k) or PMA submission. It includes checklists to identify the necessary elements and contents of a complete application. 

On February 20, 2018 the FDA issued the final rule on:

New Guidance Documents of Interest to the NHLBI Community

NOTE: FDA provides a comprehensive database of all draft, final, and withdrawn guidance documents


August 13 & 14 - FDA Pediatric Medical Device Development Public Meeting

August 13-14, 2018, FDA White Oak Campus

REGISTER to attend this free event via webcast or in-person  

Medical device development for children continues to lag behind that for adults. The purpose of the meeting is to identify strategies that enhance the medical device ecosystem toward development and innovation of devices that serve the complex needs of children, and thereby accelerate medical device innovation for all Americans.


Oct 30 - Nov 1 Save the Date: Meet with NHLBI at the HHS SBIR/STTR Conference

20th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference

October 30 - November 1, 2018

Dallas, Texas

Registration Not Yet Open

This conference is relevant to a diverse audience, including biomedical entrepreneurs; principal investigators; grants and contracts administrators; and industry partners and investors.

Top 3 Reasons to Attend:

1.  Meet one-on-one with HHS SBIR/STTR program managers

Over 100 federal staff, including representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Small Business Administration (SBA), Administration for Community Living (ACL), and HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will be holding one-on-one meetings and giving presentations. You will have the chance to get one-on-one feedback about your technology proposal!

2.  Hear from successful HHS SBIR/STTR awardees 

Gain first-hand knowledge from experienced and successful applicants, potential funding partners and companies during interactive workshops and sessions. These sessions include a diverse group of successful awardees, including women-owned small businesses and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses.

3.  Learn how to develop a competitive application

Many sessions focus on how to develop and submit your SBIR/STTR application. Topics include:

  • How to submit your SBIR/STTR grant proposal electronically via ASSIST
  • FDA regulatory requirements for drugs and devices
  • Important considerations to protect your intellectual property
  • Top 10 Dos and Don’ts for SBIR/STTR proposal development
  • Understanding indirect costs and financial accounting systems
  • What you need to know about human subjects and animal research
  • The differences between SBIR grants and contracts

Meet NHLBI Small Business Experts

03/0303/06CRT 2018 – Washington, DC