NIH SBIR Phase I
Funds early stage United States biomedical teams through NIH seed support for feasibility work on prototype ready ideas.
NIH SBIR Phase I awards are non-dilutive grants that support feasibility studies and early-stage technical merit assessments for biomedical and health-related innovations developed by US small businesses. NIH sets aside more than $1.4 billion annually from its extramural R&D budget specifically for its Small Business Programs (SBIR and STTR combined), making it the largest source of non-dilutive e…
Researcher-initiated biomedical and health-related R&D feasibility studies across all 24 participating NIH Institutes and Centers, with topic priorities set by each IC.
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Guides for this application
All guides →SBIR/STTR Grants for Deeptech Startups
A practical guide to SBIR and STTR grants for deeptech startups, including agency fit, Phase I and II logic, eligibility, budgets, and review criteria.
DocumentsNIH Biosketch Guide: Format, SciENcv Steps, and Examples
Learn what an NIH biosketch is, how the format works, what to prepare for SciENcv, and how startup teams should avoid common biosketch mistakes.
Write proposalHow to Write a Specific Aims Page
Learn how to write a specific aims page for NIH, SBIR-adjacent, and translational R&D grants, with structure, reviewer logic, examples, and common mistakes.
Where to applyGrants for Biotech Startups: NIH, NSF, SBIR/STTR, and Non-Dilutive Funding
A practical guide to grants for biotech startups, including NIH SBIR/STTR, NSF, translational funding, evidence, regulatory readiness, and budgets.
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