NIDCD SBIR/STTR Small Business Grants

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of NIH, uses its small-business route to back US companies building technologies for hearing, balance, voice, speech, language, taste, and smell. The program sits inside NIH SEED and follows the standard SBIR/STTR structure, with Phase I testing feasibility and Phase II extending the work that passed the first stage. Eligibility is narrow. The applicant must be a for-profit small business registered and operating in the US; nonprofits, universities, research institutions, and individuals are excluded. STTR requires a formal research institution partner, and NIDCD does not accept competing Phase IIb continuations. Standard NIH omnibus deadlines commonly fall in January, April, and September. The strongest projects are tightly linked to the institute's mission and can show a clear path to commercialization. NIDCD puts particular weight on auditory implant technologies, balance drug-delivery and rehabilitation tools, voice and speech assessment methods, and diagnostic or research tools for taste and smell. That makes the program useful for teams with a focused device or assay and a believable transition from early feasibility to follow-on development.

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