NEI Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

NEI SBIR Phase I — Feasibility

Supports United States. small businesses testing vision concepts through feasibility-focused grants.

The NEI SBIR Phase I program provides proof-of-concept funding to US small businesses developing innovative vision-related technologies with commercial potential. The National Eye Institute funds research across ten extramural program areas: retina (including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa), cornea, lens and cataract, glaucoma and optic neuropathies, low vision and blindness rehabilitation, strabismus, amblyopia and visual processing, collaborative clinical research, research resources, and training and career development. SBIR awards use the R43 (Phase I) and R44 (Phase II) mechanisms; STTR awards use R41 and R42.

Phase I awards cover total costs — direct costs plus facilities and administrative costs — up to $295,924, following NIH-wide FY2026 SBIR ceilings. Phase I projects run between six months and two years. Three program directors cover the full scope: Retina, Glaucoma, and Low Vision; Anterior Segment (Cornea, Lens, and Dry Eye); and Strabismus, Amblyopia, and Visual Processing. Standard NIH SBIR omnibus deadlines apply — typically September 5, January 5, and April 5 for Phase I applications. Successful Phase I awardees are eligible to apply for Phase II, with a ceiling of $1,972,828 for two years.

Eligibility requires US small business concern status — for-profit, US-incorporated, 500 or fewer employees. The principal investigator must hold primary employment at the small business for SBIR (distinguished from STTR, where PI employment can be at either entity). VC-majority-owned companies may apply via NIH's opt-in path. Applicants are advised to consult NEI's Strategic Plan and the relevant program director before submission to confirm scientific fit and commercial potential. NEI also participates as a co-IC on other NIH-wide FOAs relevant to vision science.