NIMH SBIR/STTR
Supports United States. small businesses building mental health technologies through recurring NIH pathways.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) participates in the NIH omnibus Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which accept applications from US small businesses developing innovations relevant to mental health science and treatment. Supported R&D areas include digital therapeutics, diagnostics, intervention platforms, neurostimulation devices, and precision medicine tools targeting depression, anxiety, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction-related comorbidities. Multiple receipt dates are offered per year under the omnibus solicitations, giving applicants three or more submission windows annually on the standard NIH due-date calendar.
Phase I SBIR awards (R43) establish technical and commercial feasibility; Phase II awards (R44) fund full R&D through initial commercialization planning. STTR awards (R41 Phase I, R42 Phase II) require a formal research-institution subcontract performing at least 30 percent of the project work. Eligible organizations are US-incorporated for-profit small businesses, generally defined as fewer than 500 employees; universities, nonprofits, and individuals cannot be the applicant organization. Venture-capital-majority-owned companies may apply via the NIH opt-in certification process. In FY2025, NIMH's total extramural budget was approximately $2.5 billion (constant FY2017 dollars), with small business set-asides representing a congressionally mandated fraction of that envelope.
NIMH-specific topic priorities for SBIR/STTR are published as supplemental Funding Opportunity Announcements on grants.nih.gov, which applicants should review alongside the omnibus solicitation. Applicants are advised to contact the relevant NIMH small business program officer before submitting to confirm topical alignment. Applications are reviewed by study sections with expertise in mental health science, and peer reviewers assess both scientific merit and the strength of the commercialization plan. The NIH SBIR program was reauthorized through September 30, 2031.
Small business R&D and commercialization of mental health technologies including digital therapeutics, diagnostics, and intervention platforms for depression, anxiety, psychosis, and PTSD.
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