NIA Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI): Entrepreneurial Small Business Transition Award (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA AG 23 029

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 23 029

The NIA Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI): Entrepreneurial Small Business Transition Award is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA) funding opportunity that uses the SBIR mechanism to help small businesses bring on promising early-career scientists while also building those scientists into stronger, industry-ready entrepreneurs. Structured under the R43/R44 SBIR framework (with clinical trials listed as optional), the program is designed to do two things at once: advance product-focused research and development within a small business, and deliberately train and mentor the new scientific lead so they can transition successfully from an academic-style research path into industry and entrepreneurial leadership.

A defining feature of this FOA is that it encourages small business concerns (SBCs) to hire and support postdoctoral fellows and early-stage researchers in a central leadership role, specifically as the Principal Investigator/Program Director (PI/PD). In other words, the award is not only paying for R and D that supports technology and product development, but is also intentionally underwriting the salary and professional growth of a relatively new investigator who is ready to take on responsibility inside a company. The opportunity is built around the idea that many strong translational scientists have the technical skills to create impactful technologies, but often lack structured exposure to commercialization, business development, regulatory strategy, customer discovery, intellectual property planning, and other practical elements of entrepreneurship. This award aims to close that gap by requiring a strong emphasis on entrepreneurial training, mentoring, and career development for the PI/PD as a major component of the project.

The ideal PI/PD profile described in the announcement is a postdoctoral fellow or early-career researcher with demonstrated research strength and technology discovery experience, paired with a genuine interest in building entrepreneurial skills and working in an industry environment. The small business benefits by expanding its scientific staff capacity and pushing its product development forward, while the PI/PD benefits by gaining direct, mentored experience leading applied development work in a commercial setting. The overall intent is to create a talent pipeline where early-career scientists can become effective innovation leaders in the aging and age-related health space, rather than remaining confined to traditional academic trajectories.

From an eligibility standpoint, the program is geared specifically to small businesses as applicants. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. However, “foreign components” may be allowed in certain cases as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning some limited international involvement could be permitted if it meets NIH policy requirements and is appropriately justified, but the applying organization itself must be a qualifying U.S. small business.

Key administrative details included in the listing are that this is a discretionary grant opportunity from NIH, categorized in health, with CFDA number 93.866. The funding opportunity number is RFA-AG-23-029, and the original closing date listed is February 17, 2023. The award ceiling shown is $1,838,436. The core message of the FOA is that NIA is investing not just in technologies that may improve health and wellbeing related to aging, but also in the people who will carry those technologies forward into real-world products, companies, and careers in the biotech and health innovation ecosystem.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIA Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI): Entrepreneurial Small Business Transition Award (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-07-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,838,436.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for RFA AG 23 029

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