NIH Supports U.S. Small Business Research

In addition to funding research at academic institutions, the National Institutes of Health supports research by small businesses throughout the United States. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program are two programs established by Congress to support small businesses and commercialization of federally funded research.

Sally Rockey, Ph.D. NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research, posted a blog in December 2012, “Supporting Small Business Across the Country,” noting NIH’s desire to continue outreach efforts to U.S. small business researchers.

As a component of the NIH, NCCAM funds small business research that fulfills the Center’s mission. Basic, preclinical, and early phase clinical studies are eligible. A few examples of projects that might be of interest to NCCAM are:

• Biomarkers that correlate with efficacy of complementary health therapies;
• Standardized, reliable and economical tools that correlate with brain imaging in response to complementary health practices;
• Technical imaging tools or instruments for studying manual therapies;
• Tools for pain management;
• Tools, technology and instruments, including gaming technology, for the accurate assessment of adherence and/or fidelity to the use of complementary health practices, interventions, and products;
• Tools to improve patient-reported outcome measures of complementary health clinical investigations;
• Tools to improve biological and physiological outcome measures of complementary health clinical investigations;

Learn more about NCCAM-specific SBIR interests and view NCCAM small business Funding Opportunity Announcements. Also, the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recently approved a concept clearance that proposed using the SBIR program to improve technologies for natural products research.