Small Business Funding Opportunities

Overview

Most of the applications that the NIDDK funds are investigator-initiated and are submitted in response to the Omnibus Solicitations of the NIH, CDC, and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). View these parent notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs).

At the same time, the NIDDK has a number of targeted NOFOs and Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) written to support institute priorities or initiatives. The NIDDK accepts several application types (Phase I, Phase II, Direct Phase II-SBIR only, Phase IIB, Fast-Track, and Commercialization Readiness Pilot). Be sure to review the Application Types Allowed in any given funding opportunity. The appropriateness of application type for your planned efforts, the inclusion of a clinical trial, and the responsiveness of your proposed project to the funding opportunity should go into your selection of a NOFO. Furthermore, the size and scope of some application types (e.g., Phase IIB) vary with Institute or Center (IC). More information regarding the NIDDK’s policies on application types can be found in the Program Descriptions and Research Topics document that accompanies the Omnibus Solicitations (Parent NOFOs).

View a list of NIDDK SBIR & STTR NOFOs and NOSIs. This table on the NIDDK website can also be used to view non-SBIR/STTR NOFOs that may be open to small businesses.

Selecting a Funding Opportunity

While the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will ensure your application is routed to the appropriate IC and study section, you must identify a target funding opportunity. Before crafting your proposal, evaluate all of your options, and talk to the Scientific/Research Contact(s) listed in the NOFO about whether your research will be considered responsive.

See a quick primer on the NOFO naming and numbering system. The prefix will tell you something about whether or not there are set-aside funds or a special review group for the funding opportunity.

Be sure to check out the list of targeted funding announcements maintained on the NIH SEED website. Even if your prior research has been supported by the NIDDK, your technology may be relevant to the efforts and missions of many ICs. Many of our SBIR & STTR grantees also have awards from other ICs to support alternative applications of their technology (please bear in mind, there can be no overlap between awards). Lastly, just because you are a small business does not mean you need to limit yourself to SBIR & STTR mechanisms. You may be eligible to compete for other types of awards and should find the right mechanism for the stage, breadth, and timeline of your proposed research or research & development. Find grants and cooperative agreements supported by other funding mechanisms in the NIDDK Current Funding Opportunities table.

Clinical Trials

Through the Omnibus Solicitation, NIDDK currently only accepts SBIR clinical trial (not STTR) applications. These applications can be accepted through the relevant Omnibus Solicitations (Parent NOFOs). If you are proposing human subjects research, please review the NIH Clinical Trial Definition and Case Studies to ensure your application is submitted to an appropriate funding opportunity. Additional details on NIDDK's clinical trial funding opportunities can be found in the Program Descriptions and Research Topics document that accompanies the Omnibus Solicitations (Parent NOFOs). In brief, small businesses are eligible to apply for several non-SBIR/STTR funding opportunities. Comprehensive information on Human Subjects Research at NIDDK can be found here: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/human-subjects-research.

Budget Guidance

For budgetary, administrative, or programmatic reasons, the NIDDK may not fund an application or may decrease the length of an award and/or the budget recommended by a review committee.

Total funding support (direct costs, indirect costs, fees) normally may not exceed the amounts defined by the SBA, which can be found in the “Award Budget” section of the current Omnibus Solicitations. With appropriate justification from the applicant, the NIDDK may consider budgets that exceed these amounts to support research that aligns with an approved waiver topic (see SBA-Approved Waiver Topics).

The NIDDK generally considers:

• Phase I budgets up to $350,000 total costs or project periods up to 2 years.
• Phase II applications up to $2,200,000 total costs or project periods up to 3 years (Phase II budgets generally should not exceed $1,100,000 total costs in any year).
• Phase IIB (see below) applications up to $3,000,000 total costs or project periods up to 3 years (Phase IIB budgets generally should not exceed $1,100,000 total costs in any year).

Applicants considering a requested budget greater than these limits are strongly encouraged to contact program staff with a draft of their Specific Aims page before submitting an application. Guidance and resources for applicants, including Sample Applications, can be found here: https://seed.nih.gov/small-business-funding/how-to-apply/applying/prepare-your-application.

The NIDDK also participates in the SBIR/STTR Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program. Applicants should review the Award Budget section of relevant funding opportunity announcements. For Phase II awardees, especially those developing products that require clinical evaluation or approval by a Federal regulatory agency, the NIDDK strongly encourages potential applicants to apply to NIDDK’s Phase IIB program.

Translational Pipeline

The NIDDK supports projects all the way through the development pipeline, from target identification through clinical trials. In addition to the Omnibus Solicitations, which may be used to support any segment of this pipeline, NIDDK participates in a series of NOFOs to encourage translation of basic discoveries into novel therapeutics. Find these funding opportunities and related resources mapped to critical segments of the therapeutic discovery and development pipeline at NIDDK’s website