NINDS STTR Phase I
Supports small businesses and neuroscience teams pairing with research institutions.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) funds Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grants under the R41 activity code as part of NIH's congressionally-mandated small business program. NINDS is the lead NIH institute for research on neurological disorders, stroke, epilepsy, pain, and brain function, and its small business program specifically supports applied bench research, translational research, and early-stage clinical trials in these areas. Unlike the SBIR program, STTR requires a formal cooperative research relationship and intellectual property agreement between the applying small business and a U.S. nonprofit research institution — a university, hospital, or federal laboratory — before the application is submitted.
STTR Phase I awards use the R41 mechanism and are designed to establish the technical merit and feasibility of the proposed R&D concept. Small for-profit businesses incorporated in the United States are the required applicant type; universities and nonprofits cannot serve as the prime applicant under STTR. The standard NIH SBIR/STTR submission cycle operates three times per year, and NINDS asks that prospective applicants email a brief technology abstract to NINDS_SBIR@ninds.nih.gov at least one month before the applicable deadline so program staff can advise on fit and approach.
Applicants compete across the full scope of NINDS mission areas, including neurodegenerative diseases, neurotrauma, epilepsy, pain, and stroke. The NIH Matchmaker tool at reporter.nih.gov can help identify NINDS program officers and prior funded projects in a given area. Awards flow through Grants.gov and eRA Commons using standard NIH review processes. Phase I success positions awardees for follow-on R42 Phase II funding, and NINDS maintains an active Company Showcase connecting awardees with potential investors and commercialization partners.
Applied bench research, translational research, and early-stage clinical trials for neurological disorders — requires formal collaboration with a US research institution.
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