Grants for Small businesses - Federal

This funding opportunity provides financial support to small U.S.-based businesses for the development and validation of analytical methods to measure biomarkers related to neurological and neuromuscular disorders, with an emphasis on enhancing inclusivity and collaboration in research.

This funding opportunity supports innovative research projects aimed at improving workplace safety and health by addressing significant occupational hazards in various organizations across the United States.

The intent of the Breakthrough Award is to support promising research that has high potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer. The critical components of this award mechanism are:Impact: Research supported by the Breakthrough Award will have the potential for a major impact and accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer. The impact may be near-term or long-term, but must move beyond a minor advancement and have the potential to lead to a fundamentally new approach that is significantly more effective than interventions already approved or in clinical development. Applications are expected to identify the breast cancer patients or at-risk individuals who would ultimately benefit from the proposed research.Research Scope: The Breakthrough Award is structured with four different funding levels. The levels are designed to support major (but not all) stages of research that will lead to clinical application. Each level has a defined research scope. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator (PI) to select the level that aligns with the scope of the proposed research. The funding level should be selected based on the research scope defined in the program announcement, and not on the amount of the budget.The current program announcement discusses the Breakthrough Award Level 4. Funding Levels 1, 2, and 3 are available under other program announcements (HT942524BCRPBTA12 for Levels 1 and 2 and HT942524BCRPBTA3 for Level 3). The PI is strongly encouraged to review the research scope defined under each funding level as described in the corresponding Breakthrough Award program announcements before submitting the pre-application. An application that does not meet the intent of Funding Level 4 will not be recommended for funding, even if it might meet the intent of a different funding level.The following is a general description, although not all-inclusive, of the scope of research projects that would be appropriate to propose under the current program announcement:Funding Level 4: Large-scale projects that will transform and revolutionize the clinical management and/or prevention of breast cancer. Human clinical trials are required. Large-scale trials, such as comparative effectiveness clinical trials, that will transform and revolutionize the clinical management and/or prevention of breast cancer and lead to unprecedented impact on patients lives, may fall under this mechanism. PIs are expected to have experience in successfully leading large-scale projects and demonstrated ability (through personal experience or via a commitment from a collaborating clinical investigator) to implement a clinical trial successfully. Where relevant, applications must demonstrate availability of and access to necessary data, human samples, cohort(s), and/or critical reagents. For proposed research that will require U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involvement, project readiness requirements at the time of application submission include: proof of availability of and access to clinical reagents (e.g., therapeutics) that meet regulatory compliance guidelines, proof of availability of and access to appropriate subject population(s), validated projections for patient recruitment, and submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application to the FDA, if applicable.Funding from this award mechanism must support a clinical trial. A clinical trial is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 46.102 (45 CFR 46.102) as a research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include a placebo or another control) to evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or behavioral health-related outcomes.Studies that do not seek to measure safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy outcome(s) of an intervention are not considered clinical trials.For more information, a Human Subject Resource Document is provided at https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/pdf/Human%20Subjects%20Resource%20Document_DEC2022.pdf.Note: An invited oral presentation is a requirement for application review of Funding Level 4 projects, as described in Section II.D.2.b, Full Application Submission Content.Partnering PI Option: The Breakthrough Award encourages applications that include meaningful and productive partnerships between investigators. The Partnering PI Option is structured to accommodate two PIs. One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The other PI will be identified as a Partnering PI. Both PIs should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed research project including the Project Narrative, Statement of Work (SOW), and other required components. The PIs may have expertise in similar or disparate scientific disciplines, but each PI is expected to bring distinct contributions to the application. The application should clearly demonstrate that both PIs have equal intellectual input into the design of the project and will devote similar and appropriate levels of effort to the conduct of the project. It is expected that funding will be balanced between both PIs unless appropriately justified. New partnerships are encouraged, but not required. The application is expected to describe how the PIs unique expertise combined as a partnership will better address the research question, how the unique expertise that each individual brings to the application is critical for the research strategy and completion of the SOW, and why the work should be done together rather than through separate efforts. To meet the intent of the Partnering PI Option, applicants are discouraged from being named as a Partnering PI on multiple Breakthrough Award Level 4 applications unless they are clearly addressing distinct research questions. Applications where one PI is providing samples or investigational agents while the other PI is performing most or all of the research and analyses do not meet the intent of the Partnering PI Option. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named on separate awards to the recipient organization(s). Each award will be subject to separate reporting, regulatory, and administrative requirements. For individual submission requirements for the Initiating and Partnering PIs, refer to Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission.Personnel: Applications are expected to include an appropriate and robust research team with the combined backgrounds and breast cancer-related expertise to enable successful conduct of the project.Consumer Advocates: Applications are required to include consumer advocate involvement. The research team must include two or more breast cancer consumer advocates, who will be integral throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Consumer advocates should be involved in the development of the research question, project design, oversight, recruitment, and evaluation, as well as other significant aspects of the proposed project. Interactions with other team members should be well integrated and ongoing, not limited to attending seminars and semi-annual meetings. As lay representatives, the consumer advocates must be individuals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and they should be active in a breast cancer advocacy organization. Their role in the project should be independent of their employment, and they cannot be employees of any of the organizations participating in the application. Their role should be focused on providing objective input on the research and its potential impact for individuals with, or at risk for, breast cancer. The consumer advocates should have a high level of knowledge of current breast cancer issues and the appropriate background and/or training in breast cancer research to contribute to the project.Key Aspects of the BCRP Breakthrough Award Level 4 Mechanism: Preliminary data are required: Inclusion of preliminary data relevant to the proposed clinical trial is required. Study Population: The application should demonstrate the availability of and access to a suitable patient population that will support a meaningful outcome for the study. The application should include a discussion of how accrual goals will be achieved, as well as the strategy for inclusion of women and minorities in the clinical trial appropriate to the objectives of the study. Studies utilizing human biospecimens or datasets that cannot be linked to a specific individual, gender, ethnicity, or race (typically classified as exempt from Institutional Review Board [IRB] review) are exempt from this requirement. Intervention Availability: The application should demonstrate the documented availability of and access to the drug/compound, device, and/or other materials needed, as appropriate, for the proposed duration of the study. Personnel and Environment: The application should demonstrate the study teams expertise and experience in all aspects of conducting clinical trials, including appropriate statistical analysis, knowledge of FDA processes (if applicable), and data management. The application should include a study coordinator(s) who will guide the clinical protocol through the local IRB of record and other federal agency regulatory approval processes, coordinate activities from all sites participating in the trial, and coordinate participant accrual. The application should show strong institutional support and, if applicable, a commitment to serve as the FDA regulatory sponsor, ensuring all sponsor responsibilities described in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 312 (21 CFR 312), Subpart D, are fulfilled. Statistical Analysis and Data Management Plans: The application should include a clearly articulated statistical analysis plan, a power analysis reflecting sample size projections that will answer the objectives of the study, and a data management plan that includes use of an appropriate database to safeguard and maintain the integrity of the data. If required by a Regulatory Agency, the trial must use a 21 CFR 11-compliant database and appropriate data standards.A congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force was formed with the purpose of identifying ways to help accelerate clinical and translational research aimed at extending the lives of advanced state and recurrent patients. As a member of the Metastatic Cancer Task Force, the CDMRP encourages applicants to review the recommendations (https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Congressional-Testimonies/2018/05/03/Metastatic-Cancer-Research) and submit research ideas to address these recommendations provided they are within the limitations of this funding opportunity and fit within the FY24 BCRP priorities.Innovative research involving nuclear medicine and related techniques to support early diagnosis, more effective treatment, and improved health outcomes of active-duty Service Members and their Families is encouraged. Such research could improve diagnostic and targeted treatment capabilities through noninvasive techniques and may drive the development of precision imaging and advanced targeted therapies.The proposed research must be relevant to active-duty Service Members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public. Collaborations between researchers at military or Veteran institutions and non-military institutions are strongly encouraged. These relationships can leverage knowledge, infrastructure, and access to unique clinical populations that the partners bring to the research effort, ultimately advancing cancer research that is of significance to the Warfighter, military Families, and the American public.For the purposes of this funding opportunity, Regulatory Agency refers to the FDA or any relevant international regulatory agency unless otherwise noted.If the proposed clinical trial involves the use of a drug that has not been approved by the relevant Regulatory Agency for the country where the research will be conducted, then submission of an IND application, or equivalent, that meets all requirements under 21 CFR 312 may be required. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide evidence from the IRB of record or the relevant Regulatory Agency if an IND, or equivalent, is not required. If an IND, or equivalent, is required, the regulatory application must be submitted to the relevant regulatory agency by the Breakthrough Award Level 4 application submission deadline. The IND, or equivalent, should be specific for the product and indication to be tested in the proposed clinical trial. For more information on IND applications specifically, the FDA has provided guidance at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/types-applications/investigational-new-drug-ind-application.If the investigational product is a device, then submission of an IDE, or equivalent, application that meets all requirements under 21 CFR 812 may be required. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide evidence if an IDE, or equivalent, is not required. If an IDE, or equivalent, is required, the IDE application, or equivalent, must be submitted to the relevant Regulatory Agency by the Breakthrough Award Level 4 application submission deadline. The IDE, or equivalent, should be specific for the device and indication to be tested in the proposed clinical trial.The types of awards made under the program announcement will be cooperative agreements (31 USC 6305) based on anticipated substantial involvement on the part of CDMRP. Substantial involvement includes assistance, guidance, coordination, and/or participation by CDMRP staff in project activities, including but not limited to, Milestone Meetings wherein recommendations for continued funding will be made based on overall study progress.The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY24 BCRP BTA4 should not exceed $15M. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.Awards supported with FY24 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2025.The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $23.3M to fund approximately one Breakthrough Award Level 4 application. Funding of applications received is contingent upon the availability of federal funds for this program, the number of applications received, the quality and merit of the applications as evaluated by peer and programmatic review, and the requirements of the government. Funds to be obligated on any award resulting from this funding opportunity will be available for use for a limited time period based on the fiscal year of the funds. It is anticipated that awards made from this FY24 funding opportunity will be funded with FY24 funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 2030.

The U.S. Embassy to Angola and Sao Tome e Principe in Luanda is pleased to announce the availability of an open competition funding opportunity to carry out a project to empower lawyers, legal professionals, and human rights defenders to advocate for access to justice for vulnerable populations and provide adequate defense in cases of human rights violations, particularly in cases related to freedom of speech and assembly and arbitrary detention of human rights defenders. The project aims to create a unified vision for the legal defense of human rights in Angola. While the law states that all detainees have a right to legal counsel, either chosen by them or appointed by the government on a pro bono basis, legal professionals report that there are an insufficient number of lawyers to handle the volume of criminal cases. This situation is exacerbated for vulnerable populations (women, youth, underrepresented ethnic groups), detainees outside of Luanda, and cases involving sensitive human rights issues. This project should complement and build upon prior and ongoing work in these areas by international organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but ideally would seek to meet challenges not currently being addressed by other projects.

This competition provides funding and flight testing opportunities for U.S.-based individuals, teams, and organizations to develop innovative space technologies that address critical challenges identified by NASA.

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), GCJ seeks applications to support accountability processes for alleged atrocity crimes committed globally by members of the Wagner Group and analogous Kremlin-backed paramilitaries, including tracking enablers of these entities, which include corporate actors and financial services firms. Accountability processes can include investigations being pursued by national authorities, including by Ukraines Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG), or other domestic authorities, including where national systems may exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction; cases before international and hybrid courts; efforts to achieve corporate accountability through corporate governance, civil, or administrative proceedings; and proceedings before human rights mechanisms.

This funding opportunity supports two established melanoma researchers to co-lead a virtual network that mentors and develops early-career melanoma researchers through collaborative initiatives and professional growth.

The Second Chance Act (SCA) of 2007 (Public Law 110- 199), reauthorized by the First Step Act of 2018, provides a comprehensive response to assist in the transition individuals make from adult confinement facilities (e.g., jails, prisons, detention centers) to their communities so that the transition is successful and promotes public safety. With this solicitation, BJA seeks to fund up to one award to deliver training and technical assistance (TTA) to correctional institutions to improve justice and health outcomes for reentering individuals by leveraging financing mechanisms, including new and existing Medicaid and CHIP opportunities.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for a total of $1,936,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Public Transportation Innovation funds in competitive cooperative agreement awards for projects that enhance mobility innovations for transit. Funds will be awarded for projects that advance emerging technologies, strategies, and innovations in traveler-centered mobility in two distinct areas. Of the total available funds, $968,000 is available for projects to accelerate innovations that improve mobility and enhance the rider experience with a focus on innovative service delivery models, creative financing, novel partnerships, and integrated payment solutions. Another $968,000 is available for projects to develop software solutions that facilitate the provision of integrated demand-response public transportation service that dispatches public transportation fleet vehicles through riders mobile devices or other means.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications from eligible small businesses to develop solutions for commercialization that can be used to enable regional clinician-to-clinician genomic medicine eConsult services. Specifically, we seek products, such as technologies or services, that will allow for the development and sustainment of eConsult services. Eligible United States small business concerns (SBCs) may submit Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I, and Fast-Track grant applications. Small business applicants interested in submitting a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant application should submit to the related funding opportunity, PAR-24-106. SBIR and STTR are phased programs. The main objective in SBIR and STTR Phase I is to establish the technical merit and feasibility of the proposed research and development efforts. An SBIR and STTR Phase II continues the R&D efforts to advance the technology toward ultimate commercialization. At the conclusion of an SBIR/STTR Phase II, it is expected that the small business will fully commercialize their product or technology using non-SBIR/STTR funds (either federal or non-federal). Small businesses that are eligible to submit Phase II applications for projects that were supported with a Phase I SBIR or STTR award are expected to submit the regular Phase II application as a "Renewal" application based on the awarded Phase I SBIR or STTR project. Only one Phase II application may be awarded for a specific project supported by a Phase I award.

This announcement is designed to accompany PRMs General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional information on PRMs priorities and NGO funding strategy with which selected organizations must comply, unless otherwise specified in this notice of funding opportunity. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRMs priorities. Submissions that do not reflect the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered. Where there is differing guidance, instructions in this NOFO announcement supersede any divergent guidance in the NGO Guidelines. The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration is seeking proposals from organizations from North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean to create a technical secretariat to support the implementation of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, a hemispheric international forum that promotes safe, orderly, and humane migration and access to protection in the Western Hemisphere. Implementation includes supporting meetings of the Declaration and working groups (known as Action Package Committees), tracking work completed on governments commitments, advancing work with key stakeholders, and other work as defined below.

The "DoD Rare Cancers, Idea Development Award" is a grant aimed at supporting early-stage research ideas with high potential impact, which could lead to significant advancements in the diagnosis, treatment, and improved health outcomes for individuals suffering from rare cancers, with a particular focus on innovative research involving nuclear medicine, women's health, and adherence to rigorous study design standards.

This funding opportunity supports innovative research aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, particularly in relation to military service and traumatic brain injury, targeting independent researchers from various eligible organizations.

This funding opportunity supports independent researchers in studying the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases related to military toxic exposures, benefiting Service Members, Veterans, and their families.

This funding opportunity supports research projects that explore the basic mechanisms and effects of trained immunity in the innate immune system, targeting a wide range of institutions and researchers interested in immune responses and related diseases.

The Equitable and Affordable Solutions to Electrification (EAS-E) Home Electrification Prize offers up to $2.4 million in prizes for innovative solutions that advance the electrification retrofits of residential homes across all building types and geographies. The goal is to make electrification more affordable and accessible in existing U.S. homes, with a focus on equitable solutions for all homeowners, including those in low-income and under-resourced communities. The prize supports design solutions, tools, and technology innovations that enable the switch to electric products and reduce carbon emissions. Low-power electrification solutions are strongly encouraged. The competition consists of two phases: Phase 1 focuses on presenting proposed solutions and up to five winners receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $75,000 voucher to work with DOE national laboratories. Phase 2 involves finalizing teams, demonstrating functional prototype solutions, and up to three winners receive prizes, with a top prize of $1 million. The competition is open to individuals, private entities, nonfederal government entities, and academic institutions. For more information, refer to the official rules document.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations that create and manage equine therapy programs aimed at improving the well-being and quality of life for disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the RNA Modifications Driving Oncogenesis (RNAMoDO) Initiative. It aims to promote mechanistic research in the emerging area of RNA modifications that drive oncogenesis, with a focus on the central role of RNA modifications in translational reprogramming of cancer cells. RNA modifications have been recognized to exert a substantial impact on gene expression and function and their de-regulation has been linked to the cancer phenotype. In particular, recent insights point to a crucial role for mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA modifications in translational reprogramming during tumor initiation, progression, and adaptation to therapy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this reshaping of the translatome caused by dynamic changes in RNA modifications, and especially the interplay between different RNA modifications within and across RNA molecules during translation, are not understood and represent the focus of this initiative. Historically, the research community has largely pursued investigations of RNA modifications by studying single RNA species and modification types. However, elucidating how dysregulation of mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA modifications reprograms translation to drive oncogenesis is not likely feasible for any single research laboratory, but will require the combination of expertise in mRNA, tRNA and rRNA biology, translational regulation, and cancer research. To stimulate progress in this emerging field, the RNAMoDO program will support collaborative research projects, preferably using an MPI structure, on how modifications in mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA molecules can drive the oncogenic process through translational reprogramming. To be responsive to the NOFO, each project will also explore the impact of interactions between modifications residing on the same or different RNA molecules during translation. This Notice of Intent to Publish (NOITP) is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. The NOFO is expected to be published in the early Fall of 2024, with an expected application due date in November 2024. The NOFO will utilize the U01 mechanism for Research Project Cooperative Agreement (Clinical Trial Not Allowed). Potential applicants are encouraged to view the presentation of this initiative to the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors (BSA), available at: (https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=54423) beginning at 1 hour, 32 minutes, 52 seconds. Presentation slides are downloadable at https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/bsa/0324/Maas.pdf.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for a new project, Dignity in Documentation Initiative (DIDI). This effort focuses on global, integrated, and holistic CRSV documentation programming seeking truth and justice for victims and survivors as well as accountability for crimes committed in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. The DIDI must take a survivor-centered and trauma-informed approach, prioritizing the individual needs and efforts of CRSV survivors, while supporting survivor networks, civil society, and community-based organizations. This solicitation will result in the first tranche of these program efforts, with incremental funding envisioned over the life of the 5-year project, depending on the availability of funding.

The key aspects of this award are: Impact: The SRA is intended to support research designed to have a major impact on the health and well-being of melanoma survivors, their families, and/or caregivers. Impactful research will accelerate the movement of promising ideas into clinical applications or other real-world applications and advance the field of melanoma-specific quality of life and survivorship. Study Design: Applications should clearly articulate and justify the chosen study design. Studies proposing retrospective analyses or prospective enrollment should clearly describe the architecture of the study (e.g., descriptive, correlational, field experimental, meta-analyses) and the study population(s). The study population(s) should be representative of the people who are anticipated to benefit from the research. If applicable, questionnaires should be described in sufficient detail to justify interpretation of potential results. Melanoma Consumer Collaboration: For the purposes of the SRA, a melanoma consumer is defined as a melanoma survivor, family member, and/or caregiver who can provide lived experience expertise to the research project team. Applicants to the SRA are required to establish a collaborative research approach with the melanoma consumer community to maximize the impact and translatability of the research for the benefit of the intended melanoma community(ies). The research team must include at least one melanoma consumer or a melanoma-community supporting organization who will be integral to the planning, execution, and implementation of the proposed research. The role of the melanoma consumer collaborator(s) should include providing objective input on the research question being addressed; the study design, execution, and evaluation; and the potential impact of the research outcomes on the health and well-being of melanoma survivors, their families, and/or their caregivers. The melanoma consumer collaborator(s) should be active participants and integrated into the research team; their participation should not be limited only to passive activities (e.g., attending seminars or quarterly team meetings). Additional information and resources for establishing a collaborative research approach with the melanoma consumer community is provided below.Other Important Considerations:Collaborative Research Approaches: Collaborative research approaches create partnerships between scientific researchers and, for the purposes of the SRA, melanoma consumers to create knowledge useable by both sets of stakeholders. Recognizing the strengths of each partner, scientific researchers and melanoma consumers collaborate and contribute equitably on all aspects of the project, which may include needs assessment, planning, research intervention design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. Collaborative research approaches feature shared responsibility and ownership for the research project to ensure non-tokenistic involvement of the melanoma consumers within the research team. Research results are jointly interpreted, disseminated, and fed back to affected communities and in some instances may be translated into interventions or policy.Collaborative relationships with the melanoma consumer community may be established through integrating melanoma consumers and/or melanoma-community supporting organizations into research teams as co-researchers, advisors, and/or consultants. Examples for implementing collaborative research approaches are listed below, but each research team may pursue other options as appropriate for the proposed research: The research team includes at least one melanoma consumer who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. The consumer(s) should be able to speak to the needs of the melanoma consumer community, not just speak to their own personal experiences. The research team establishes partnerships with at least one community-supporting organization that provides advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Community-supporting organizations may include advocacy groups or other formal organizational stakeholders that can speak to the needs of the melanoma consumer community. The research team assembles a melanoma consumer community advisory board. The advisory board may include melanoma consumers, a coalition of community-supporting organizations, or any combination thereof that provides advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the overall program and/or individual research projects.