BHGC Approach - To Specialize or Not?

We value the insights that NIH Seed posts on their social media. Recently, they have been providing some great “myth busting” content about commonly held misconceptions of SBIR/STTR application processes. Several months ago they addressed the myth that projects get submitted to specific institutes and that the applicant needs to select the institute they are applying to. The truth, of course, is that SBIR/STTR grants are submitted directly to the NIH and that the Center for Scientific Review then assigns your application to a specific institute and study section.

This is a critical insight from the NIH. Considering this, why does Blue Haven Grant Consultants (BHGC) emphasize institute alignment and program officer feedback in our approach, including our initial project evaluation process?

We explore that question in this post. Looking for the short answer? Aligning your application to a specific institute benefits your team/project by providing clarity, strengthening your application by encouraging specificity, and helping identify additional funding opportunities beyond the SBIR/STTR omnibus solicitation. 

Creating Clarity

Contemplating where your project fits in the breadth of topics the NIH supports can be daunting. Imagining an approach that appeals to all institutes simultaneously can lead to a vague vision of your innovation and how NIH funding will advance it toward commercialization. Strong grant applications are built upon clear and robust project visions. By aligning your project with a specific NIH institute early in your grant writing process your ability to demonstrate the impact of your innovation will simplify, easing the grant writing task ahead of you.

Furthermore, aligning with an institute can help you obtain the most relevant feedback for refining your project. Each institute has dedicated program officers serving as subject matter experts. When you have a strong sense of your project's best-fit institute, you can seek targeted feedback from these program officers. Encouraging this initial program officer meeting is a key part of the BHGC approach.

Finally, a compelling and concise application makes the reviewer's job easier by clearly demonstrating a strong fit with the institute's goals. Integrating these goals into your project's vision significantly increases the likelihood of proposal funding.

Encouraging Specificity

Strong SBIR/STTR grant applications rely on well-defined specific aims, milestones, and timelines. By aligning your project with a particular NIH institute, you can enhance the specificity of these crucial components. Each institute often has distinct preferences regarding project duration, key performance indicators, and the focus of specific aims that resonate with their funding priorities. A broad appeal to the NIH may overlook these institute-specific nuances, potentially weakening your application's score across key evaluation criteria.

As covered in a prior post, clearly articulated specific aims are essential for providing NIH reviewers with a clear project roadmap. Aligning your application with an institute empowers your team to develop this roadmap based on the institute's needs and the insights gained from conversations and feedback from their program officers.

Alignment Opens Opportunity 

While most SBIR/STTR applications target the omnibus solicitation, most NIH institutes offer additional funding opportunities to support specific priorities and goals. Early institute alignment not only encourages clarity and specificity but also facilitates the exploration of these supplementary funding priorities and their relevance to your project. By generally applying to the NIH SBIR/STTR omnibus solicitation, your team might inadvertently overlook institute-specific funding beyond the omnibus. These non-omnibus solicitations can offer comparatively greater funding amounts or longer project durations.

Furthermore, aligning with a specific institute can help identify previously funded projects and funding opportunities outside the SBIR/STTR program. While BHGC primarily focuses on SBIR/STTR grants, we can assist your team in exploring and pursuing alternative or off-cycle support for your project. 

BHGC Advantage - Aligning with Institutes

Ultimately, while NIH SBIR/STTR grant applications are submitted directly to the NIH rather than specific institutes, a well-crafted application significantly aids reviewers in assigning it. The enhanced clarity of the project vision, the specificity of the development roadmap, and the identification of funding opportunities are key benefits of our approach. This is why we work directly with our clients to evaluate their innovation and align it with the appropriate institute. 

Is your team ready to explore if the BHGC Advantage is right for your project? Schedule a free consultation to start on your SBIR/STTR application path.