NEI Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)

The NEI Small Business Technology Transfer program is NEI's collaboration route for U.S. small businesses that need a research institution partner for vision-related R&D with commercialization potential. It sits in the same eye and vision portfolio as retina, cornea, lens, glaucoma, low-vision, and visual-processing work. For FY2026, the NIH-wide ceilings used by NEI are $295,924 for Phase I and $1,972,828 for Phase II, with Phase IIB at the same Phase II ceiling. The standard omnibus deadlines are September 5, January 5, and April 5. The structured eligibility requires a U.S. business and a research partnership, with the PI allowed to be primarily employed by either entity. This route suits teams where the company owns the commercial path and the partner contributes the technical depth that the project needs to move forward. Proposals are strongest when the partnership is specific, the ocular use case is narrow, and the development plan makes the research and commercialization roles easy to separate.

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