NIAMS SBIR/STTR

NIAMS STTR — Small Business Technology Transfer

Supports small businesses partnering with research institutions on arthritis and musculoskeletal science.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) STTR program (R41/R42) funds cooperative research conducted jointly by a U.S. small business and a research institution — with commercial potential in arthritis and rheumatic diseases, musculoskeletal and bone disorders, and skin conditions. NIAMS is an NIH institute with an annual extramural budget of approximately $500 million, supporting roughly 1,500 grants and cooperative agreements. Unlike the SBIR program, STTR requires that the small business and a domestic nonprofit research institution (university, federal lab, or equivalent) enter a formal collaboration agreement and jointly execute the proposed research.

NIAMS STTR applications are accepted three times per fiscal year: April 5, September 5, and January 5 — the same windows as the NIAMS SBIR program. Phase I (R41) awards establish feasibility; Phase II (R42) awards expand Phase I results with a full R&D program. Award caps follow NIH-wide STTR ceilings: Phase I up to $295,924 total costs over six months to two years; Phase II up to $1,972,828 total costs over two years. The lead applicant must be a U.S. small business concern with no more than 500 employees. The research institution partner must perform a defined minimum portion of the work as specified in NIH-wide STTR policy. The program officer for both NIAMS SBIR and STTR is Xibin Wang, Ph.D.

Applications and current open solicitations are searchable via the NIAMS funding portal and at sbir.nih.gov/niams. A NIAMS-specific Commercialization Readiness Program (SB1) and Phase II Cooperative Agreement (U44) are also available for projects advancing toward market entry. Applicants should note that the FY2026 President's budget proposed reorganizing NIAMS into a new National Institute on Body Systems; verifying the current status of NIAMS solicitations before submission is prudent for FY2027 planning.