Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional | PAR 18 565

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 565

The Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research funding opportunity (PAR-18-565) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation designed to help move promising brain and behavioral research tools out of academic or other non-small-business settings and into the commercial marketplace. It supports projects that take an existing research technology and push it closer to broad adoption by improving practical features that often determine whether a tool is actually used outside the lab. The mechanism is R43/R44, meaning applicants can propose a Phase I (R43) project to establish feasibility, a Phase II (R44) project to further develop and validate the product, or a combined approach depending on the FOA structure and eligibility. Clinical trials are optional, so applicants may include a clinical study when it is appropriate for development or validation, but the opportunity is not limited only to clinical trial work.

The central goal of the FOA is commercialization-oriented translation rather than early-stage discovery. NIH is looking for SBIR proposals that make brain or behavioral research technologies more robust, more user-friendly, and better positioned for dissemination and routine use. In practical terms, that can mean engineering improvements, reliability and reproducibility upgrades, workflow and usability enhancements, software hardening, packaging for distribution, documentation and training materials, interoperability with commonly used systems, quality control processes, and other development work that reduces barriers to adoption. The focus is on turning a research-grade prototype or method into something that can be deployed and supported as a real product or service for the research community (and potentially clinical or applied settings when relevant).

A defining expectation of this FOA is close partnership between the small business and the original technology developers, who are often based at universities, research institutes, or other non-small-business organizations. The intent is to preserve the scientific and technical knowledge embedded in the original invention while bringing in a small business team that can execute product development and commercialization steps. NIH indicates that collaboration can be structured in multiple ways, including using multiple program directors/principal investigators (PDs/PIs) when appropriate, and generally encourages arrangements that ensure sustained, hands-on involvement from both the inventors and the commercialization-focused small business.

Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR requirements. Foreign institutions and other non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement may be allowed under certain conditions, meaning a primarily U.S.-based applicant might still be able to include specific foreign elements if NIH policy permits and if they are well-justified for the project.

From the posted opportunity data, this is a discretionary grant program administered by NIH under CFDA number 93.242, with an original closing date of June 6, 2018, and a creation date of January 9, 2018. While the listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the overall structure signals a typical SBIR pathway: Phase I work to reduce technical risk and demonstrate feasibility, followed by Phase II work to complete development milestones needed for commercialization, scale-up, and broader dissemination.

Overall, PAR-18-565 is aimed at bridging the common gap between a useful brain or behavioral research tool developed in an academic environment and a market-ready offering that researchers can reliably purchase, install, learn, and use. The most competitive projects under this kind of FOA usually pair a strong technical foundation with a credible product-development plan and a clear route to commercialization, while also demonstrating that the collaboration between the inventors and the small business is real, active, and essential to delivering a tool that can succeed beyond the originating lab.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Brain and Behavioral Research (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-06-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for PAR 18 565

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