National Institutes of Health SBIR/STTR
NIH Changes to the Biographical Sketch: What Your Company Needs to Know for Submission
Effective January 25, 2026, the National Institutes of Health is implementing some significant changes to how Biographical Sketches are prepared and submitted. All Biosketches for Sr/Key Persons uploaded into ASSIST must be certified PDFs that were generated and...
Fast Facts
- NIH is both a “granting” and a “contracting” agency (but 95% of funding goes toward grants)
– See the current dates here.
– The NIH releases a Contract solicitation once per year. See more information here.
- Peer reviewers evaluate proposals
- Offers both SBIR and STTR programs
- Three standard deadlines per year for the Omnibus solicitation: September 5, January 5, April 5; Off-cycle deadlines for targeted Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs); One deadline for contract solicitations, typically in October/November
- Phase I: 6 months – 2 years $306,872 Phase II: 1-3 years $2,045,816
- Offers Phase I, Phase II, FastTrack, Direct to Phase II, and Phase IIB, and Commercialization Readiness Pilot program funding
- Allows for budget waivers to exceed budget caps for special topics
- Typical success rates: Phase I: ~11-19% Phase II: ~25-42%
- Note that different Institutes/Centers may have different requirements
Step 1: Determine target Institute(s) and Communicate with a Program Director (Not required, but recommended)
Determine a target Institute(s) at NIH where your project may have the best fit. BBCetc’s team of NIH consultants can advise regarding best fit for your project and how to approach the Program Director.
Step 2: Full Proposal
A full proposal includes a Research Plan and other components, such as Biosketches, Facilities and Other Resources, Vertebrate Animals Section, PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information, and detailed budgets. You must submit all required components and follow the instructions in the solicitation as well as rules regarding page limits and format.
Step 3: Prepare and submit application
NIH proposals are prepared and submitted through their online portal, ASSIST.
Step 4: Proposal Review and Decision
Proposals are reviewed by members of a Study Section, who will score your proposal in five categories: Significance, Innovation, Investigators, Approach, and Environment. You will receive feedback in a Summary Statement 2-3 months after submission and be notified 6-9 months after submission whether your proposal will be funded.
Proposal Assistance
Shannon Bass
Executive Consultant and Co-owner
Andrea Johanson, Ph.D.
Sr. Principal Consultant
