NIH STTR

NIH STTR Phase I (Omnibus)

Funds United States small businesses partnering with nonprofit research institutions to validate biomedical ideas.

The NIH STTR Phase I Omnibus is the Small Business Technology Transfer program's feasibility-stage grant, issued under activity code R41, and is designed specifically to bridge university and research-institution discoveries into commercial development through a formal small business partnership. STTR Phase I awards carry the same $306,872 total-cost cap and same six-to-twelve-month performance period as SBIR Phase I, but carry a mandatory collaboration requirement: at least 40% of the funded work must be performed by the applying small business concern, and at least 30% must be performed by a formally partnered non-profit research institution — typically a university, federal laboratory, or research hospital. NIH distributes approximately $50 million per fiscal year in STTR Phase I awards under the same omnibus framework as SBIR, reviewed by the same study sections.

The principal investigator may be employed by either the small business or the research institution, provided the PI holds a formal appointment with the small business at minimum 10% effort. VC-majority ownership is explicitly excluded from STTR eligibility — a critical distinction from SBIR Phase I, where VC-majority-owned companies are permitted. Applications proposing clinical trials must use the separate STTR Clinical Trials NOFO (PA-24-248). Standard receipt dates are September 5, January 5, and April 5; successor NOFOs are expected before the September 2026 cycle following the April 2026 SBIR/STTR reauthorization. Participating institutes span all 27 NIH ICs plus CDC and FDA.

STTR Phase I is the dominant entry mechanism for university spinouts translating academic lab discoveries into commercial products. The mandatory research-institution partnership ensures that the founding scientific team's continuing expertise remains embedded in the funded work — making STTR the preferred mechanism when the IP originated in a university lab and the academic PI intends ongoing involvement. Successful Phase I completion positions the team for STTR Phase II (up to $2,045,816), where the 40/30 work-split rule continues to apply.