NIH Solicitations Open
The Department of Health and Human Services has released their PHS 2005-2 SBIR/STTR Grants solicitation. This is their all-year omnibus grants solicitation that includes NIH, CDC, and FDA. The submission dates are April 1, August 1, and December 1, 2005 EXCEPT for AIDS-related research which have submission dates of May 1, 2005; September 1, 2005; and January 2, 2006.
The NIH solicitation is one of the largest and most complex programs in the SBIR arena. It often differs significantly from other SBIR agencies due to the nature of the health field. NIH research topics are generally not meant to be "all inclusive," and each institute may have an interest in SBIR/STTR participation for items that serve the mission of the institute, even if there is no topic listed in the solicitation.
There are many changes listed in this year's HHS/NIH/CDC/FDA SBIR/STTR solicitation. All interested parties should carefully read Part I of the Program Information, Grant Application Instructions & Preparation Requirements document located on the NIH SBIR website (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm).
For the last six years the NIH has held a major NIH SBIR/STTR conference in June at their headquarters in Bethesda, MD. It is anticipated that they will hold their 7th Annual SBIR/STTR Conference this July. This conference is highly recommended for those who want to maximize their understanding of how to compete for the vast NIH SBIR/STTR opportunities.