Innovation and Commercialization Office

Potential applicants for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding receive guidance on their funding proposals and answers to application questions. New or previously unfunded applicants for SBIR/STTR funding may apply to receive an NHLBI Research Supplement through the Innovator to Entrepreneur Program (ITEP) for New or Previously unawarded applicants an initiative supported by NHLBI and managed by I&C.

The NHLBI is interested in Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) activities that advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders. 

Academic and small business innovators currently funded with NHLBI SBIR/STTR awards may apply for the following resources to advance their heart, lung, blood, and sleep innovations:

NHLBI Investor Partnering Platform 

Current SBIR/STTR grantees are strongly encouraged to join the free AI-powered NHLBI Partnering Platform to connect with investors, service providers, and other potential partners that can assist them with their technology development and commercialization. 

I&C’s Awardee Product Development Advisory Services

• Product development mentorship. Scientific, business, and investor experts help facilitate the commercialization of innovations through Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIR) and/or mentor network consultations.
• Pitch coaching and conference support. Select NHLBI SBIR/STTR awardees receive conference registration fee support, coaching to improve their business development and pitch presentations, and opportunities to spotlight innovations at conference “showcases.”

Contact: Julia Berzhanskaya, Ph.D., Innovator Support Coordinator, nhlbi_sbir@mail.nih.gov

I&C-supported Awardee Opportunities

• Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) at NIH Program. Currently funded SBIR/STTR Phase I grantees may apply to receive supplemental awards that include an entrepreneurial immersion course and support for travel and other training program costs. The program fosters the development of early-stage biomedical technologies, teaches researchers how to gain a clearer understanding of the value of their inventions in the marketplace, and educates researchers about ways to move their technologies from the research lab into the commercial world.
• Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i) Program. In this NIH program led by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. NHLBI-supported investigators may apply to participate in one of three components: a 10-week online entrepreneurial education platform (non-SBIR/STTR grantees only) or a 24-week in-depth entrepreneurial training experience in validation/execution.
• SBIR/STTR Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program Technical Assistance and Late Stage Development. The CRP program supports innovations that were previously or are currently funded SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase IIB projects by helping transition these projects to the commercialization stage. It does this by providing additional support for technical assistance and later stage research and development not typically supported through Phase II or Phase IIB grants or contracts.
• Phase IIB Bridge SBIR RFA. The Phase IIB Bridge Program supports companies funded by prior SBIR or STTR Phase II awards in pursuing the milestone(s) necessary to advance their heart, lung, blood, and sleep-focused technologies to regulatory clearance/approval and commercialization by promoting partnerships between SBIR Phase II awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners.
• Phase IIB Small Market SBIR RFA. The Phase IIB Smal Program supports companies funded by prior SBIR or STTR Phase II awards in pursuing the milestone(s) necessary to advance their heart, lung, blood, and sleep-focused technologies targeting rare diseases and/or young pediatric populations to regulatory clearance/approval and commercialization by promoting partnerships between SBIR Phase II awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners.
• NIH Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Programs. NHLBI small business awardees may apply to these programs for help in identifying and addressing their most pressing product development needs. The programs offer funding, needs assessments, and consulting services. 

Digital Education (videos)
Available to all, these videos offer guidance on a broad range of product and business development topics (e.g., improving one’s business pitch, patent litigation) relevant to NHLBI innovators. Videos can be viewed by going to the I&C’s playlist on NHLBI’s YouTube channel.

Online Resources
The I&C works closely with SBIR and STTR offices at other NIH institutes, offices, and centers, as well as the NIH Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) group. To connect innovators to online resources that can help them translate their discoveries into biomedical products, these offices compiled a list of useful links with answers to common questions. Innovators can find an array of information about protecting intellectual property, among other topics, as well as relevant guidance documents and points of contact at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). SBIR/STTR applicants are encouraged to visit the SEED Office Preparing Your Application webpage before submitting. 

I&C coordinates SBIR/STTR activities across NHLBI, and lends its expertise to other programs that support academic and small business innovators, including Catalyze and the Center for Advancing Point of Care Technologies in Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Diseases (CAPCaT).

I&C manages the NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovations (NCAI) and NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH). These programs help translate selected academic discoveries into commercial products through entrepreneurial training, feedback from federal and industry experts, funding to support early-stage product definition studies, and project management support.