NIAAA SBIR/STTR Program

NIAAA SBIR/STTR — Small Business Alcohol Technology

Supports small businesses creating alcohol-related diagnostics, treatment, and digital health tools.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) participates in the NIH Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs to fund early-stage companies developing technologies that address alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related health conditions. NIAAA accepts applications across Phase I, Phase II, Phase IIB Bridge, and Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) tracks, and explicitly allows clinical trials under all four mechanisms — a distinct feature compared to many other NIH institutes. NIAAA has identified seven priority technology categories for SBIR/STTR: biosensors and wearables for alcohol detection, digital health and telehealth interventions, pharmacotherapy for AUD, diagnostic tools and biomarkers, advanced data analytics, behavioral interventions, and regulatory support tools. In addition, NIAAA has 13 approved topic categories under which it can fund awards exceeding NIH statutory budget guidelines.

Eligibility is limited to US small business concerns, majority US-owned and operated. The STTR variant requires a formal subcontract with a US research institution covering at least 30% of the work. Venture-capital-majority-owned companies may apply through the NIH opt-in certification process. Standard NIH SBIR statutory budget caps apply by phase — approximately $306,000 for Phase I and $2 million for Phase II — though NIAAA's 13 above-cap topic categories allow larger awards where justified. Phase IIB and CRP are bridge and commercialization tracks available beyond standard Phase II; NIAAA is one of the NIH institutes that explicitly accepts both. Contact NIAAASBIRSTTR@mail.nih.gov for topic confirmation and submission timing.

Competitive applicants align their technology to one of NIAAA's seven stated priority areas, quantify the AUD-related health burden their product addresses, and demonstrate a clear regulatory or commercialization pathway. NIAAA program officers expect applicants to show knowledge of the AUD treatment landscape and to articulate how their technology closes a documented gap in detection, treatment, or recovery support. Phase II and above applicants benefit from presenting Phase I outcome data alongside a detailed commercialization plan that accounts for reimbursement pathways and partnerships with healthcare systems.