In an effort to to provide more timely and transparent peer review, the NIH has been implementing many changes to both the review process as well the proposal structure. Previously, a new scoring system was put in place. The 5 point system was replaced by a 9 point system, and reviewers are now required to provide a numerical score for each of 5 categories. These scores are presented to the applicant on the review statement, along with comments, providing a more transparent view of the review process.
The latest change is a restructured research proposal with shorter page limits. The proposal structure will now be more aligned with the review criteria, and the shortened page limit will, ideally, allow the reviewers more time with each proposal. The changes are as follows:
- Specific Aims section is now limited to 1 page only.
- Three sections of the Research Plan (Background & Significance, Preliminary Studies, and Research Design & Methods) are now combined into 1 section, Research Strategy, with 3 sub-sections, Significance, Innovation and Approach. Preliminary Studies and Progress Reports must be discussed under Approach.
This section is limited to 6 pages for Phase I and 12 pages for Phase II.
- The Commercialization Plan has been limited to 12 pages.
In addition, the Facilities section must now explain how the scientific environment will contribute to the probability of success for the proposed project. Lastly, a Personal Statement has been added to Biographical Sketch section.
Changes are effective for ALL proposals submitted after January 25, 2010
Practically, how does this effect your application and chances for success? If you are clear as to the commercial aspect of your technology, and can articulate that, as you would to any investor, it will actually make your work much simpler. If however, you are are still determining how to apply your science to the commercial market, you are in for a challenge. No longer can you use the Background section to talk about the scientific basis of your discovery. You must spend the majority of the proposal discussing it’s Significance and Innovation as it applies to the marketplace.
Changes to the Facilities section are in an attempt to ensure that applicants actually have appropriate commercial space in which to perform the work. These grants are not to fund academic endeavors.
For new applicants, such as post-docs or former graduate students, that want to experiment in the world of start-ups, the Personal Statement section provides as specific section is which to address their strengths such as inventor status.
As always, if you would like to discuss these changes, or your application, feel free to contact our office.
The FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was has reached the House and Senate floor and should be voted upon this week.
What does that have to do with SBIR? Apparently 2 pages of language were inserted in this document to reauthorize not only the DoD SBIR/STTR program until 9/30/2010, but to also extend the Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP) as well.
Unfortunately, this does not apply to the other 10 agencies SBIR/STTR programs, which are still up for reauthorization.
BioProductCampAtlanta – a 360 degree perspective of the life cycle of a drug or device.
Why are we doing this? The purpose of this event is to develop leaders in our industry and promote the commercialization of our innovations. It will allow current and future entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain access to the full spectrum of the information they need to launch a pharmaceutical or medical device technology.
Saturday – October 3, 2009 8:30 am – 1:30 pm
Georgia Tech Research Institute
250 14th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Twitter hashtag: #biopca
Cost: Free and is brought to you by the Center of Innovation for Life Sciences and generous industry sponsors.
Registration courtesy of Georgia Bio
What is it? BioProductCampAtlanta has its roots in the tradition of the BarCamp. “BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from participants who are the main actors of the event.
These kinds of events are self assembling in real time. The participants make the agenda on the day of the event – so come ready with a presentation and a laptop so you can share your knowledge. Service providers are encouraged to present but please refrain from using your company’s logo on your Powerpoint deck. You are here to share and learn – not sell your business. BioProductCampAtlanta is designed to develop leaders in our life science industry and promote the commercialization of our innovations.
For more information go here.
The NIH in conjunction with the CDC has released their annual contract solicitation. Unlike most NIH SBIR/STTR announcements, the contract solicitation requests applications on specific topics and will not accept investigator initiated research projects. Participants in this solicitation include seven Institutes/Centers from the NIH and five Centers from the CDC. Topics are specific but include research areas such as Imaging of Cancer Stem Cells to Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis. (Did I get your attention? And no, I’m not kidding.)
Budgets vary by topic and range from $100,000 to $250,000 for a Phase I and $750,000 to $2M for a Phase II. Do not ask for one penny over the budget cap! FastTrack applications will be accepted.
Applications, unfortunately, are paper based and due on the desk of the NIH at 5:00PM, November 9, 2009.
For more information go here or contact us to discuss your application.
Applicants have begun
posting comments indicating they have received notice of Phase II award. I know it has been a long wait for many. I hope some of you are celebrating!
You can find a full list of awards here.
Once again the SBIR program has been saved by Continuing Resolution (CR). The House passed the Senate’s CR S.1513 which will postpone the program until September 30, 2009. Debates on the merit of VC involvement, increased award amounts and Phase III programming will continue.
Stay tuned …
Did you know that if you are submitting an SBIR or STTR to the NIH in response to a PA (program announcement) that you can request your grant be reviewed by a specific study section? In fact it's encouraged.
NIH SBIR and STTR grants are reviewed by Special Emphasis panels coordinated by the Center for Scientific Review. To take a look at the current SBIR Special Emphasis panels go
here. Use the cover letter component to request the most appropriate study section and one or more appropriate funding Institutes or Centers.
This reduces the burden on NIH staff and affords you the best chance at determining your own fate.
… and it’s to the advantage of SBIR GA.
ATDC (The Advanced Technology Development Center), Georgia
Tech’s VentureLab program and SBIR GA are all being merged under the umbrella
of ATDC. ATDC is one of the
nation’s most successful incubators having assisted more than 120 entrepreneurs
raise more than a billion dollars in investments. Membership in ATDC affords companies top-notch coaching,
consulting and networking in addition to a community of entrepreneurs from
which they could learn. Most
member companies are “early-stage”.
Georgia Tech’s VentureLab is more like a NICU assisting Georgia Tech faculty
with commercializing technology they developed in the laboratory. VentureLab staff coach, feed and
breathe life into projects in the hope of creating a successful start-up.
Today it was announced that the new ATDC is open for
business. We will now be assisting
entrepreneurs around the state both virtual and brick and mortar. Membership is open to any Georgia technology
company at any stage. Our desire is
to assist more Georgia entrepreneurs navigate the start-up world.
What will this mean for those interested in SBIR and STTR
funding? SBIR GA will continue to
deliver the same great service to Georgia researchers/companies needing SBIR
Assistance! Being connected to
these two powerful entrepreneurial entities will hopefully foster a sense of community
for those seeking funding to grow their company. Connie Ruffner, Julie Collins, and John Mills will continue
to guide you through the SBIR/STTR process.
Read more about the merge here.
The NIH has announced it has once again contracted with Foresight Science and Technology to provide 50 SBIR Phase I awardees with Technology Niche Analyses (TNA™). Only FY09 or FY10 SBIR awardees are eligible to apply. Each company is only eligible for one assessment even if you have received multiple awards. The earliest start date for Group A is July 27th.
Each TNA™ will examine the commercial potential and market for the product/service being developed using NIH SBIR funds. This report can be beneficial in identifying partners, investors or customers.
In an effort to make the peer review process more transparent the NIH has been phasing in new guidelines for grant review. Of interest to the SBIR/STTR applicant the scale on which an application is scored has been changed.
Instead of being scored 1 to 5 (exceptional to poor) and the average multiplied by 100, SBIR/STTR grants are now scored 1 to 9 (exceptional to poor) with the average multiplied by 10. In addition, applications that were not discussed in study section will now receive their initial criterion score as part of their summary statement. This may give you some insight into why your application was not discussed.
But what do these new scores mean? How can you know whether your application is likely to be funded? Previously a score of 180 or below meant you had a pretty good chance of being funded. If you extrapolate that to a 90 point system would a score of 32 or below translate into an awarded grant?
Only time will tell.