Resources for Small Business Awardees

Notice

The SBIR and STTR programs were reauthorized on April 13, 2026. Currently, NIH has no active SBIR or STTR Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs). Future NOFOs are forecasted at Grants.gov prior to opening for applications. The next standard receipt date is September 5, 2026.

In This Section:

Commercialization Resources

Research Resources

NIA small business funding is more than money — it comes with a variety of resources and support, including technical assistance in business development, opportunities for entrepreneurship training, access to data and animal models, and connections to experts that can help your company succeed.

Commercialization Resources

The NIA Small Business Programs team is ready to support your commercialization journey. From business development guidance to market research, discover all that we can offer awardees:

NIA Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR)

The NIA Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) is an accomplished life sciences and business executive who provides hands-on guidance to NIA SBIR/STTR awardees. The EiR works one-on-one with small businesses at pivotal stages of product and company development, offering expertise in areas such as business strategy, fundraising, partnerships, and commercialization. By helping innovators prepare for private investment and strategic collaborations, the EiR strengthens the pipeline of NIA-supported technologies and advances NIA’s mission to accelerate the translation of research into products that improve the health and well-being of older adults.

In addition, NIA engages with internal Specialized Technical Advisors to provide targeted expertise in areas critical to advancing small business innovations. These advisors bring deep scientific, regulatory, and translational experience to help companies address key challenges in product development. The EiR may coordinate with these experts to participate in consultations when specific insights would enhance the guidance provided.

Consults are available to all NIA SBIR awardees at no cost. To request a consult, please contact niasmallbusiness@mail.nih.gov . Please note all sessions are held via phone conference, Teams meetings, and email exchanges.

About the NIA EiR

John P. Reinhart, C.P.A., M.B.A., is the National Institute on Aging’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR). He advises SBIR/STTR awardees and entrepreneurs on strategies to accelerate the development and commercialization of digital health, health tech, and AgeTech innovations. With more than 35 years of experience as a healthcare innovator, investor, and C-level operator, John has built, scaled, and advised transformative ventures at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and aging.

His expertise spans business model innovation, commercialization, fundraising, financial modeling, and public-private partnerships. John has co-founded multiple health technology and wellness ventures, developed and commercialized technologies to train the clinical workforce, and served as a strategic advisor to global longevity initiatives. He is also a published thought leader and frequent speaker on AgeTech solutions, value-based care, and longevity innovation.

About the NIA Specialized Technical Advisors

Ethan Sarnoski, Ph.D., is the National Institute on Aging’s Senior Program Advisor for the Development and Testing of Interventions Targeting Aging Mechanisms. He provides guidance to extramural scientists and industry drug developers on effective strategies to translate aging research into medicine, including indication selection, R&D plan, and competitive analysis. Ethan has previously served as an advisor to leading life sciences and pharmaceutical companies and supported drug development programs through multiple successful preclinical phase transitions.

Nadezda Radoja, Ph.D., is the National Institute on Aging’s Senior Advisor for Regulatory Science and serves as a Program Officer in the Division of Neuroscience. She provides guidance to extramural scientists on effective strategies to translate clinical research into medical products. Nadezda has previously served as a scientific reviewer/team leader at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH).

Following the initial consult with the NIA EiR, awardees may be connected with the NIH SEED Innovator Consultants for more specialized guidance if needed. The SEED EiRs are subject matter experts in business development, regulatory and reimbursement affairs, and intellectual property rights who share their experience and passion through targeted conversations (called Consults) with NIH awardees. A Consult from SEED EIRs is a free resource for small business grant awardees seeking assistance to achieve commercialization milestones.

Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Funding

All small business grant applicants can request additional funding for assistance in making better technical decisions, solving technical problems, minimizing risks, and developing and commercializing new products. TABA supports companies in areas critical to success in the competitive health care marketplace, such as access to technologies or support on product sales, intellectual property protections, market research, and planning. Learn more about how TABA funding can support your small business.

NIA encourages applicants to request TABA funds at the time of application; which do not count toward the budget limit. Requests should be made on the budget form under “F. Other Direct Costs, lines 8-10” and labeled as “Technical and Business Assistance”.

  • Phase I has a cap of $6,500 per year.
  • Phase II has a cap of $50,000 for the life of the project.

Phase I awardees: Request a free TABA Needs Assessment Report if you did not request $6,500 in TABA funds. The report provides a third-party, unbiased assessment of your progress by RTI Innovation Advisors. Requests are considered on a monthly basis to ensure that companies receive timely guidance. Learn more about the report and eligibility.

Companies that did not request Phase II TABA funding at the time of application can contact Mayra Alvarez to discuss adding a supplement.

Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) at NIH Program

Phase I Awardees Only: This entrepreneurship immersion course is a hands-on, real-world training designed to turn scientists into entrepreneurs. Phase I awardee teams spend eight weeks outside the lab, learning to succeed in business through intensive in-person and online courses, mentoring, networking, and market research. Graduates are prepared to focus their business plans, reach their potential customers, and effectively demonstrate the value of their innovation. In addition to training, I-Corps provides up to $55,000 to cover direct program costs.

C3i Program

This 24-week entrepreneurial training course is designed to provide medical device innovators with specialized business frameworks and essential tools for successful translation of biomedical technologies from the lab to the market. Through this program, NIH fosters the development and commercialization of early-stage biomedical technologies by engaging investigators who are interested in better understanding the value of their innovation in addressing an unmet market need. The curriculum and customized mentoring are intended to guide investigators as they assess the commercial viability and potential business opportunity for their innovation.

Virtual Workshops

NIA virtual workshops support the success of small businesses aiming to commercialize innovative technologies and products that address healthy aging and aging-related diseases and conditions. The Entrepreneur Workshop Series and Age-Tech Workshop offer a deeper dive into crucial aspects of the commercialization journey, from opportunity assessment to pitching and promoting your company. And don’t miss our upcoming events — join us in both conversation and community!

Research Resources

NIA makes the following data and animal model resources available to academic researchers and small businesses:

Alzheimer’s Disease Preclinical Efficacy Database (AlzPED)

A knowledge platform for the dissemination of data and analysis to scientists working on preclinical therapy development for Alzheimer's disease.

MODEL-AD Consortium

A multicenter consortium established by NIA to develop next-generation animal models for Alzheimer's disease research.

Aged Rodent Colonies

Colonies of barrier-raised, Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) rodents specifically for use in aging research, available to investigators at academic and nonprofit research institutions.

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