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First-Time Applicants
Contact Karen Mahon at karen.mahon@nih.gov for questions on contract topics.
Each year, NIH solicits contract proposals from small businesses to spur development of specific innovations that address key research and development priorities. NIA began participating in the annual NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts solicitation in fiscal year 2022.
Key Dates
The NIH SBIR contracts solicitation occurs on an annual cycle. Topics are typically announced in the summer, with proposals due in the fall.
At this time, NIA does not expect to issue contract solicitations for the 2026 cycle.
Eligibility
Small businesses eligible to apply for NIH SBIR grant funding are also eligible to apply for contract funding. The annual NIH SBIR contracts solicitation is open to current and future small businesses and entrepreneurs developing innovative technology ideas for health care.
Active 2025 NIA Contract Topics
View the full 2025 NIH SBIR Contracts Solicitation .
| Title | Objective | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Technologies as Tools to Screen and Monitor Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Related Dementias (ADRD) | Develop and demonstrate the utility of digital technologies as a measure of AD/ADRD screening and monitoring as qualified medical device development tools used to assess medical devices subject to regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 011Number of anticipated awards: 3Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $500,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years |
| Modeling Aging Through Microphysiological Systems (MPS) | Create self-contained systems that maintain 3-D tissue constructs to allow for human-relevant modeling of molecular and cellular aging processes and/or drug discovery for geroprotectants and treatments for aging-related diseases. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 012Number of anticipated awards: 2Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $400,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.25 million for 2 years |
| Leveraging Multimodal and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Advance the Application of Social Robotics in Caregiving | Develop a deployable social robot that is a meaningful advancement over the capabilities of currently available solutions to aid the caregiving process for individuals with disabilities. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 013Number of anticipated awards: 2Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $500,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years |
Past NIA Contract Topics
2024 Topic
View the full 2024 NIH SBIR Contracts Solicitation .
| Title | Objective | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Technology to Facilitate Characterization of the Exposome in Under-Resourced Populations for AD/ADRD Studies | Facilitate the development and adoption of technologies that enable the remote or self-collection of measures to characterize the exposome in under-resourced populations. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 010Number of anticipated awards: 1-2Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $500,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years |
2023 Topics
View the full 2023 NIH SBIR Contracts Solicitation .
| Title | Objective | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| High Throughput CHIP (clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential) Assay as a Powerful Tool to Study CHIP Related Age Associated Diseases | Develop an inexpensive, high throughput assay to detect CHIP mutations for research purposes, which could eventually be translated into a diagnostic/prognostic assay for use in healthcare settings for patient management. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 007Number of anticipated awards: 1-3Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $300,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2 million for 2 years |
| Improving Microphysiological Systems for AD/ADRD Therapy Development | Develop 3-D human MPS that accurately mimic the AD/ADRD microenvironments, including factors that recapitulate the vast complexity of the human brain while emulating the heterogeneity of the disease for use in AD/ADRD drug development. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 008Number of anticipated awards: 2-5Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $500,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years |
| AI/ML Tool for Visualizing Behavioral and Social Science Research | Develop an AI-based tool for literature visualization and hypotheses discovery, which might be marketed ultimately to various institutions that consume scientific research, with an emphasis on AD. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 009Number of anticipated awards: 1-2Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $500,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years |
2022 Topics
View the full 2022 NIH SBIR Contracts Solicitation (PDF, 1.7M).
| Title | Objective | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Improving Central Nervous System Gene Delivery Systems for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Therapy Development | Improve gene delivery systems to overcome current challenges. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 004Number of anticipated awards: 2-5Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $500,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years |
| Geroscience-Based Chronic Wound Treatment Product Development | Develop wound treatment that incorporates geroscience-based therapeutic modalities such as stem cell therapies, senolytics, and inflammation modulators. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 005Number of anticipated awards: 1-2Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $350,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2.5 million for 2 years(Phase II information is provided for informational purposes only to assist Phase I offerors with their long-term strategic planning.) |
| The Development of Mechanism-Based Adult Stem Cell Treatments to Combat Aging Pathologies | Develop a stem cell-based therapeutic with a defined mechanistic understanding of how it promotes regeneration and/or rejuvenation of aging tissues. | Topic number: NIH/NIA 006Number of anticipated awards: 1-2Budget (total costs, per award):Phase I: $350,000 for 12 monthsPhase II: $2 million for 2 years |
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