As part of the Recovery Act, NIH is funding at least $200 million in FY 2009-2010 for a new initiative called “NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research”. This new program to fund 200 or more grants will support research on “Challenge Topics” that address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research.
Challenge Topics as defined by NIH will focus on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that could benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the research in significant ways. The research should have a high impact in biomedical or behavioral science and/or public health.
Some of the topics within this program include comparative effectiveness research, enabling technologies, enhancing clinical trials, health disparities, information technology for processing healthcare data, science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, smart biomaterials, and translational science.
According to Jo Anne Goodnight, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator, small businesses are eligible to apply for grants under this program. Although the Act provides that the funds to NIH are not subject to the SBIR/STTR set-aside requirements, small businesses are eligible and may apply for Recovery Act NIH funding opportunities.
Small businesses are encouraged to subscribe to the weekly NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts to keep updated on opportunities that are due to be released in the upcoming weeks.
For more information, Go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/challenge_award/index.htm or go to http://grants.nih.gov:80/grants/guide/guide/rfa_files/RFA-0D-09-003.html or email Jo Anne Goodnight at JG128w@nih.gov. The due date for the Challenge Grants is April 27, 2009.
