STTR Solutions to Enable Population Genomic Screening (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 24 262

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 262

The STTR Solutions to Enable Population Genomic Screening (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (PAR 24-262) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) small business grant program designed to push practical, commercial-ready innovations that make population genomic screening feasible in everyday primary care. The central goal is to support small businesses, working through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) mechanism, to develop and translate new tools, workflows, platforms, or services that help healthcare systems screen broad patient populations for common and actionable genomic conditions. In plain terms, NIH is looking for solutions that can move genomic screening beyond specialized genetics clinics and into routine primary care, where most people actually receive their medical care and preventive services.

This program uses the STTR phased award structure (R41/R42). The R41 phase generally supports early-stage feasibility and proof-of-concept work, while the R42 phase supports further development, validation, and steps that position the product or service for commercialization. The "Clinical Trial Optional" label means applicants may propose studies that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial if it makes sense for the technology and the development plan, but a clinical trial is not required for every project. That flexibility is useful because some solutions may be primarily software, operational, or laboratory workflow innovations that can be validated without a traditional clinical trial, while others may need prospective testing in real-world settings to demonstrate clinical performance or implementation outcomes.

The intended outcome is a set of deployable, scalable solutions that enable population-level screening for genomic conditions that are both relatively common and medically actionable, meaning that identifying risk can reasonably lead to interventions that improve health outcomes. The NOFO is framed around a primary care context, so solutions are expected to fit the realities of busy clinics and health systems: limited time, varying levels of genetics expertise, tight integration needs with electronic health records, a requirement for clear patient communication, and practical approaches for consent, test ordering, result reporting, and downstream care such as referral to genetics specialists or initiation of evidence-based preventive measures.

Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with STTR rules, and the opportunity is explicitly not open to non-U.S. (foreign) organizations as applicants. In addition, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the notice indicates that foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed in certain cases, which typically means that a U.S. applicant organization might be able to include a discrete foreign activity if it is well-justified and compliant with NIH policy. The administering agency is NIH, the assistance listing (CFDA) number associated with this opportunity is 93.172, and the funding instrument is a grant under the Health funding activity category.

Key administrative details included in the listing are that the opportunity was created on 2024-08-16 and the original closing date is 2024-12-02. The public summary provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so prospective applicants would need to consult the full NOFO text and NIH budget guidance for detailed limits, project periods, and any institute- or center-specific priorities. Overall, the opportunity is best read as an applied translational program: it is not simply supporting exploratory genomics research, but rather aiming to catalyze commercialization-focused development that helps healthcare systems implement genomic screening at population scale in a way that is clinically useful, operationally workable, and sustainable in primary care settings.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "STTR Solutions to Enable Population Genomic Screening (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.172.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-02. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for PAR 24 262

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