NHGRI SBIR/STTR
Supports United States. small businesses building genomic tools for screening and precision population health.
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) participates in the NIH-wide Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR, R43/R44) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR, R41/R42) programs, funding small U.S. companies that develop genomics-related products, tools, and technologies with commercial potential. NHGRI's small business program focuses on innovations directly relevant to its mission: advancing genomic sequencing, interpretation software, population genomic screening, and related biomedical applications of genome science. NHGRI periodically issues targeted funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) in addition to accepting applications through the NIH-wide omnibus SBIR/STTR solicitations.
Recent NHGRI-specific SBIR/STTR solicitations included PAR-24-263 (R43/R44) and PAR-24-262 (R41/R42), both focused on population genomic screening, with a December 2, 2024 deadline. Award sizes follow the NIH-wide SBIR/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. SBIR applicants must be U.S. small businesses (no more than 500 employees, for-profit) with the PI holding primary employment at the company; STTR applicants must additionally maintain a formal collaboration agreement with a U.S. nonprofit research institution.
New NHGRI SBIR/STTR solicitations are posted on Grants.gov, which replaced the NIH Guide as NIH's single official source for funding opportunities beginning in FY2026. Applicants should monitor Grants.gov and contact NHGRI program staff before submitting to confirm mission alignment and identify the most current open FOA. The FY2026 NHGRI budget environment has been affected by NIH-wide reductions; verifying that a targeted solicitation is active before investing in an application is especially important for this cycle.
Small business development of genomic technologies, sequencing tools, genomic interpretation software, and population genomic screening products.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see the timeline