NIAMS SBIR/STTR

NIAMS's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases' route for small businesses turning research into commercial health technologies. The institute uses it for arthritis, musculoskeletal disease, and skin disease innovation under NIH's small-business framework. The program runs both SBIR and STTR tracks. SBIR uses the R43 and R44 phases and stays inside the small business, while STTR uses R41 and R42 and requires a formal research institution partner. The institute also points to SB1 commercialization readiness awards and U44 cooperative agreements for Phase II follow-on work. Applications follow three annual submission windows on January 5, April 5, and September 5, and the program is active on a rolling basis. NIAMS directs applicants to NIH's small-business portal rather than a separate institute-only announcement stream. This is the right fit for a U.S. company with a commercializable idea in arthritis, musculoskeletal health, or dermatology. The program rewards applicants who understand the difference between company-only SBIR work and partnered STTR work, and it is built for teams that can translate a research result into a product path. Because the process stays aligned to NIH-wide small-business rules, applicants usually benefit from checking the current FOA before they submit rather than assuming one permanent open call.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.