Small business program promotes technological advances in biomedical research

TY - JOUR

T1 - Small business program promotes technological advances in biomedical research

AU - Striker, Gary E.

N1 - Funding Information: Imagine a day when a new kidney or bladder can be grown in vivo from human urothelial cells. Or imagine a urinary catheter that is resistant to encrustation and bacterial colonization. Consider medical students using virtual reality to hone surgical skill before going on to expensive cadavers, which are in short supply, or to patients. These technological marvels may not be as far into the future as they sound. In fact, researchers are in various stages of developing these technologies, some of them under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (DKUHD). The program was established by Congress, which requires that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and other government agencies target funds for small business research each year. The goals of the program are to increase American small business participation in federal research and development, increase commercialization of technology developed through the program, and foster and encourage participation by small businesses owned by women and minorities. Funding for the SBIR program has been increasing and could be a significant source of support for nephrology researchers. In fiscal year 1994, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) funded approximately $8 million in SBIR grants. More than $3.4 million of that was invested in DKUHD topics, a testament to the outstanding quality of SBIR applications in these areas. Projects addressed hemodialysis membranes, renal function tests, urethral sphincters, urinary catheters, lithotripsy, biologics/reagents, and tissue modeling. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the SBIR program has paid off. In a recent survey conducted by the SBA, more than 30% of DHHS small business awards resulted in commercialization or were judged likely to be commercialized, a success rate that far exceeded the 12% average for all participating agencies. The SBA also found that small businesses using university personnel or facilities and developing a product (versus a service) had more commercialization success. More than 60% of HHS SBIR projects used university personnel or facilities, and more than 86% of government-wide SBIR projects are developing a product. SBIR solicitations are issued each year, and proposals undergo peer review and compete for available funds in the same manner as other applications for National of Health (NIH) support. Projects are performed in three phases. In phase I, the small business has up to 6 months to establish the technical merit and feasibility of a product (or service); in phase II, they have up to 2 years to develop the product; and in phase III, they market the product with private capital. Maximum awards are $100,000 for phase I and $750,000 for phase II. The NIDDK funding target for small business projects in fiscal year 1995 is $13 million. If you have questions about the SBIR program or an idea for a project, I encourage you to consult Charles Rodgers, DKUHD SBIR program director at (301) 594-7717. You may order the SBIR solicitation, which includes the application and instructions, from the PHS SBIR Solicitation Office, 13687 Baltimore Ave, Laurel, MD 20707; phone, (301) 206-9385; fax: (301) 206-9722.

PY - 1995/4

Y1 - 1995/4

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=58149363314&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/0272-6386(95)90141-8

DO - 10.1016/0272-6386(95)90141-8

M3 - Comment/debate

AN - SCOPUS:58149363314

SN - 0272-6386

VL - 25

SP - 660

JO - American Journal of Kidney Diseases

JF - American Journal of Kidney Diseases

IS - 4

ER -