NCCIH Research Blog

Is it your dream to receive a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant? NIH is launching a competitive 10-week customized coaching program for eligible* researchers called the NIH Applicant Assistance Program (AAP). This free program is geared toward helping small businesses apply for Phase I SBIR or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding by January 2021. The program will provide participants with services such as application needs assessment, mentoring, application preparation support, and application review.

The goal of this program is to increase the number of applications submitted by underrepresented small businesses and to increase the number of these applications that are free of errors or omissions and are deemed complete, compliant, and responsive to the review criteria.

The deadline to apply for this program is September 24, 2020, for those who want to participate in the January 2021 SBIR/STTR application cycle. There will be an online webinar and questions and answers session this month before the application deadline.

Important Dates for AAP

9/15/20         Informational webinar about AAP from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET
9/22/20         Questions and answers (TBD)
9/17/20         Informational webinar about AAP from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET (NEW)
9/24/20         Deadline to apply for AAP customized coaching 
10/19/20       Weekly coaching sessions begin
1/5/2021       Deadline to apply for SBIR/STTR grant

As noted, one of the goals of AAP is to increase participation in the SBIR/STTR program by businesses that are owned or controlled by individuals who are traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. Therefore, NIH is particularly interested in applications from socially/economically disadvantaged small businesses (SDBs), women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and small businesses located in underrepresented states.

*Program eligibility is limited to small businesses who have not previously won an SBIR or STTR award from NIH. Applications must fit within the mission of one of the participating institutes to receive consideration. 

If you have questions, I encourage you to join the informational webinar. (The slides and audio recording will be archived.)

More Information

• Register online for 9/17 webinar (NEW)
• View details of weekly coaching and apply using AAP Application Portal

(Editor's note: A second webinar is now scheduled for September 17.)