SBIR/STTR Funding

NIDA offers a broad range of funding opportunities that target all stages of biomedical product development (Ideation, Feasibility, and Product Development):

NIDA Entrepreneurial Development Funding Opportunities

To help researchers and entrepreneurs get their idea off the ground, NIDA offers several educational and training programs.

TitleLinksKey Details
Annual “100,00 to Start an SUD Startup” Challenge - A 6-month biomedical mentoring program that aims to test the premise of research ideas that can be fostered into biotech startups. (See past challenge details)Due date: November 2024  
Prize Amount: $10,000
Entrepreneurship Training Program for Substance Use Researchers - Hybrid online and in-person training courses to teach diverse entrepreneurship and product development skills through case studies and dynamic presentations from leaders in the substance use disorder field. Due dates:  
SUD-SPRINT: February 16, 2024  
I4SUD: June 30, 2024  
MIT SUD: Fall 2024
Award Budget: Cost of travel, room, and board

NIH SBIR and STTR Omnibus Solicitation

To help companies develop their innovative ideas, NIDA participated in the SBIR and STTR omnibus solicitation. The funding opportunity targets PI-initiated research (your own idea) that has the potential for technology commercialization and impact on public health.

TitleLinksKey Details
2023 NIH SBIR/STTR Omnibus Solicitation

Standard due dates: January 5, April 5, and September 5

Award Budget: Normally may not exceed $306,872 for Phase I, and $2,045,816  for Phase II, unless proposal fall under one of the approved topics (budget waiver topics)

2023 NIH SBIR/STTR Omnibus Solicitation

Standard due dates: January 5, April 5, and September 5 

Award Budget: Normally may not exceed $306,872 for Phase I, and $2,045,816  for Phase II, unless proposal fall under one of the approved topics (budget waiver topics)

Although NIDA considers a range of innovative technologies targeting substance use disorders, specific topic of interest for the NIDA SBIR/STTR programs include the following:

  • Biomarker Development for SUDs
  • SUD Drug Discovery and Development
  • FDA-regulated Medical Therapeutic and Diagnostic Devices for SUD
  • Technological Approaches to Decrease Stigma Associated with SUDs
  • Digital Health Technologies to Address the Social Determinants of Health in context of
    SUDs
     

NIDA Targeted SBIR and STTR Funding Opportunities

These targeted SBIR/STTR grant solicitations are focused on specific research areas of interest to NIDA. These NOFOs can be RFAs (Requests for Applications); PAs, PARs, and PASs (different kinds of Program Announcements); and RFPs (Requests for Proposals).

TitleLinksKey Details
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Polypharmacology to Discover Pharmacotherapeutics for Substance Use DisordersDue date: July 25, 2024
Award Budget: Budgets up to $400,000 total costs for Phase I and up to $3,000,000 total costs for Phase II may be requested
Tools for Decentralized Clinical Trials for Substance Use DisorderDue dates: March 14, 2024  
Award Budget: Budgets up to $306,872 total costs for Phase I and up to $2,045,816 total costs for Phase II may be requested
Seeking Products to Address Social Needs impacting Substance Use Disorders (SUD)Due dates: March 13, 2024; March 13, 2025; March 13, 2026 
Award Budget: Budgets up to $306,872 total costs for Phase I and up to $2,045,816 total costs for Phase II. Please refer to current Omnibus hard cap levels for FY25 and FY26 applications. 
 
Developing Regulated Therapeutic and Diagnostic Solutions for Patients Affected by Opioid and/or Stimulants use Disorders (OUD/StUD)Due dates: August 15, 2023; February 14, 2024; August 13, 2024; February 14, 2025  
Award Budget: Total funding support may not exceed $320,000 for Phase I awards and $2,500,000 for Phase II awards.
Blueprint Medtech: Small Business TranslatorDue dates: June 19, 2023 (UG3/UH3); June 20, 2023 (U44); Both: October 18, 2023; February 20, 2024, June 20, 2024  
Award Budget: Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project and should only cover the work that will be performed by the PD/PI and their staff.
Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Biologic-based Drug Discovery and Development for Disorders of the Nervous SystemDue dates: August 9, 2023; February 9, 2024  
Award Budget: Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project and should only cover the work that will be performed by the PD/PI and their staff.

Notices of Special Interest

NIDA also participates in Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs), which highlights specific topics or areas of interest. These NOSIs may be released by NIDA or other Institutes/Centers at NIH. 

Archived Funding Opportunities
  • Field-Deployable, Low-Cost Point-of-Need Approaches and Technologies to Lower the Barriers to Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for Substance Use Disorders (SUD) drug discovery and development 
  • Mobile Health Solutions to rectify digital inequality in communities affected by drug addiction 
  • HEAL Initiative: America's Startups and Small Businesses Build Technologies to Stop the Opioid Crisis
  • Digital Technologies to Address the Social Determinants of Health in Context of Substance Use Disorders
  • Novel Approaches to Decrease Stigma of Substance Use Disorders in Order to Facilitate Prevention, Treatment, and Supporting During Recovery
  • Rapid Assessment of Drug Abuse: Smart City Tools 
  • Digital Health Technologies to Address the Social Determinants of Health in Context of Substance Use Disorders (SUD)
  • Blockchain Technology to Improve SUD Care 
  • Virtual Reality Tools to Enhance Evidence Based Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
  • Mobile Technologies Extending Reach of Primary Care for Substance-Use-Disorders
  • Analytical Tools and Approaches for (Multidimensional) Scholarly Research Assessment and Decision Support in the Biomedical Enterprise 
  • Development of a Device to Objectively Measure Pain
  • Nasal Delivery of CNS Therapeutics
  • Wearable to Track Recovery and Relapse Factors for People w/ Addiction
  • Extracellular Vesicle Tools, Technologies, and Products for Neuroscience Research
  • Improved Technologies and Ligands for Non-invasive Brain Imaging
  • Laboratory and Diagnostic Tools to Advance Microbiome-Brain Research
  • Tools and Services for Designing Methodologically Rigorous Animal Studies
  • Tools for Monitoring and Manipulating Modified RNAs in the Nervous System
  • Abuse-Resistant and Abuse-Deterrent Formulations and Devices to Avoid the Abuse, Misuse and Diversion of Prescription Opioids by Patients (SBIR)
  • Pharmacological Development of Treatment Agents and Formulations for Tobacco Dependence