Tech + Innovation Funding Alerts

Updated every first Friday of the month. First published date: June 10, 2021

CrossComm is dedicated to helping innovators create meaningful value through technology. Part of that approach is to share resources that empower our common cause — making a positive impact. Our Tech + Innovation Funding Alerts is a collection of funds and resources, both nationally and locally, aimed at supporting the development of disruptive technologies towards social good. Below you’ll find a list of funding opportunities for innovators in health, science, and social change. For those of you who are local to the Research Triangle region, there is also a section of opportunities just for you. 

If you are a change agent who would like to support technological innovation, and have a resource or grant you would like to include in our alerts, contact DeAnneCanieso@CrossComm.com.

TECH + HEALTH

Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials of Complementary and Integrative Interventions Delivered Remotely or via mHealth
Application Due: May 7, 2023
Increasingly, researchers are incorporating mobile health (mHealth) technologies to remotely deliver interventions, including mindfulness, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and other complementary and integrative health interventions. These remotely delivered interventions may utilize phone delivery, app-based approaches, video delivery, web-based platforms, wearable devices and/or new technologies. For this FOA, the proposed trial must study an intervention that can be delivered in a fully remote manner and all data collected remotely (i.e., no in-person contact between research staff and study participants). The application must propose to recruit a representative sample for the population and condition of interest, and conduct all study activities, including recruitment, intervention delivery, and data collection, remotely. 

Catalytic Tool and Technology Development in Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases 
Application Due: May 7, 2023
The kidney, urinary tract, blood, and blood-forming organs present unique technological challenges. To address these challenges, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) invites applications to develop novel tools and technologies that enable new lines of scientific inquiry and/or treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of kidney, urologic, or hematologic diseases. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to support tool or technology development projects, opening new areas of science or translational research. The projects supported by this FOA could involve proof-of-concept studies, prototyping, optimization of a technology for the unique anatomy or physiology of these organ systems, and refinement of technical specifications for subsequent deployment of the technology in laboratory or clinical settings. 

Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers
Application Due: May 18, 2023
The NIMH Strategic Plan for Research was developed to inspire and support research that takes advantage of recent technological advances and opportunities, and to bring into sharper focus questions and perspectives that will transform the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. This FOA invites applications for center grants to support Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Centers. The purpose of these research Centers is to support transdisciplinary teams of clinical and mental health services researchers, behavioral scientists, social scientists, health information and communications technologists, health systems engineers, decision scientists, and mental health stakeholders (e.g., service users, family members, clinicians, payers) to engage in high-impact studies that will significantly advance clinical practice and generate knowledge that will fuel transformation of mental health care in the United States. 

Laboratories to Optimize Digital Health
Application Due: June 5, 2023; October 5, 2023
Digital health incorporates mobile health (mHealth) and health information technology (smartphones, wearable sensors, internet platforms, and electronic health records) with biological, social, and behavioral data. Digital health technology offers unprecedented opportunities to help consumers, clinicians, and researchers measure, manage, and improve health and productivity. These tools also have the potential to improve our understanding of mental illness, to track the course of illnesses and recovery, and to provide and enhance mental health care. NIMH seeks applications for innovative research projects to test strategies to increase the reach, efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of digital mental health interventions which may impact mental health outcomes, including suicide behaviors and serious mental illness. 

Leveraging Health Information Technology (Health IT) to Address and Reduce Health Care Disparities
Application Due: June 5, 2023; October 5, 2023
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks to support research that examines the impact of leveraging health information technology (health IT) to reduce disparities in access to and utilization of health care services, patient-clinician communication, and health outcomes for populations that experience health disparities in the U.S.The 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan outlines a vision of health IT to improve population health, access, equity, safety, and reduce costs via health IT capabilities such as public health surveillance, telehealth, and remote monitoring (e.g., wearables; web enabled medical devices).

Neuromodulation/Neurostimulation Device Development for Mental Health Applications
Application Due: June 16, 2023; October 16, 2023
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to encourage applications seeking to develop the next generation of brain stimulation devices for treating mental health disorders. Applications are sought that will either 1) develop novel brain stimulation devices or 2) significantly enhance, by means of hardware/software improvements, the effectiveness of brain stimulation devices that are currently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or cleared. Novel devices should move beyond existing electrical/magnetic stimulation and develop new stimulation techniques capable of increased spatiotemporal precision as well as multifocal, closed-loop approaches. Applications seeking to develop new capabilities should focus on significant enhancement of the spatial resolution, depth of delivery, and/or precision of the device. Incremental changes to existing devices (e.g., software updates) are not within the scope of this announcement.

Innovative Screening Approaches and Therapies for Screenable Disorders in Newborns 
Application Due: June 16, 2023; October 16, 2023
This FOA encourages research relevant to the development of novel screening approaches and/or therapeutic interventions for potentially fatal or disabling conditions that have been identified through newborn screening, as well as for "high priority" genetic conditions where screening may be possible in the near future. Having an accurate screening test, as well as demonstrating the benefits of early intervention or treatment, are important criteria for including a condition on a newborn screening panel. Expanded knowledge of the genetic and molecular basis for various conditions, as well as technological innovation, can potentially increase the ability to screen for many disorders. Unfortunately, the pace of developing effective treatments lags behind the pace of developing new screening technologies, which unfortunately limits the benefits of screening for some disorders.

Developing Digital Therapeutics for Substance Use Disorders 
Application Due: August 4, 2023
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to accelerate the development of Digital Therapeutics (DTx) to treat Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Advances in technology offer unprecedented opportunities to develop clinical-grade mobile, web, or other software-based platforms designed to deliver treatments that are safe and effective for SUD. FDA authorization of DTx can play an important role in increasing the availability of treatments to patients with SUD, although there are other pathways for dissemination of this class of intervention. The primary objective of this FOA is to move DTx to their next step in the development process, with the ultimate goal of generating new, FDA authorized, disseminated treatments for SUDs.

Developing Regulated Therapeutic and Diagnostic Solutions for Patients Affected by Opioid and/or Stimulants use Disorders
Application Due: August 15, 2023
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages grant applications from small business concerns proposing research projects, directed towards commercialization, for the development of novel, evidence-based, FDA-regulated medical products addressing the needs of patients suffering from opioid use disorders (OUD) and/or stimulant use disorders (StUD). Applications received under this FOA may fall within two scientific areas, namely: (1) pharmacotherapeutics (small molecules and biologics) and (2) medical therapeutic and diagnostic devices, including software as a medical device. This FOA strives to contribute to the effort against the national opioid and psychostimulant emergency and offer new medical products for individuals, families, and communities affected by this devastating crisis.

HEAL Initiative: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management
Application Due: September 4, 2023; January 4, 2024
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) aims to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis by supporting the development of therapies and technologies directed at enhanced pain management through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. This FOA is focused on applications directed at improving pain treatment, including the development of new non-addictive medications and devices and objective pain measurement. In addition, NIH is interested in new screening tools and models focused specifically on pain and development of pain therapies. 

Advancing Research on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD)
Application Due: September 5, 2023, January 5, 2024
The aim of this FOA is to encourage research on, and the commercialization of, novel therapies, devices, products, and healthcare programs and practices to prevent the onset of AD/ADRD, and to reduce the burden that AD/ADRD places on individuals, their families, and society at large. Examples of topics appropriate for such programs include, but are not limited to, the following: Rapid development of novel, engaging, computer-based cognitive-training programs based on empirically-established approaches using cognitive training to target a specific neural system/functional domain; Augmentation of existing computerized cognitive interventions that can be individually tailored to engage, adapt, challenge, and optimize functional cognitive abilities to enhance cognitive functioning and performance of activities of daily living; and Development of interventions to remediate age-related cognitive decline, especially using technology platforms with wide acceptance among older adults.

Technologies for Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities
Application Due: September 6, 2023
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites eligible United States small business concerns (SBCs) to submit Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant applications that propose to develop a product, process or service for commercialization with the aim of improving minority health and/or reducing and ultimately eliminating health disparities in one or more NIH-defined populations that experience health disparities. Appropriate technologies should be effective, affordable, and culturally acceptable.

Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology
Application Due: Ongoing through September 30, 2027
While working to implement Cures Act provisions, ONC identified gaps with respect to leveraging EHR data to support population-level analyses and delivery of services, as well as integrating clinical knowledge into routine clinical practice. The reasons for these gaps range from a lack of data standards and interoperability to the digitization, integration, and presentation of new evidence into clinical workflows in safe, useful, and useable ways.Therefore, this funding opportunity will support innovative and breakthrough solutions critical to maximize the potential of health IT and achieve the goal of a transformed healthcare delivery system through various methods, such as:Determining the fundamental questions, the answers to which will identify barriers to nationwide interoperability and electronic exchange of health data.Engaging the health IT industry, along with academic researchers, to identify and develop innovative solutions that address barriers to interoperability.Disseminating findings from research while fostering collaboration, advancement, and implementation of solutions and lessons learned with the health IT industry.

TECH + SCIENCE

NOAA Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2024
Application Due: May 30, 2023; October 5, 2023
NOAA Ocean Exploration is soliciting proposals for ocean exploration-related projects. Proposals should feature application of new or novel use of existing ocean technologies or innovative methods that could increase the scope and efficiency of acquiring ocean exploration data and expanding its availability and use. NOAA Ocean Exploration is particularly interested in proposals for technologies that are platform agnostic (work across multiple platforms) and/or address novel methods (for example machine learning and artificial intelligence) to analyze existing publicly accessible large datasets.

NLM Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Application Due: June 5, 2023, October 5, 2023
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) supports innovative research and development in biomedical informatics and data science. This funding opportunity focuses on biomedical discovery and data-powered health, integrating streams of complex and interconnected research outputs that can be translated into scientific insights, clinical care, public health practices, and personal wellness. The scope of NLM's interest in these research domains is broad, with emphasis on new and innovative methods and approaches to foster data driven discovery in the biomedical and clinical health sciences as well as domain-independent, scalable, and reusable/reproducible approaches to discovery, curation, analysis, organization, and management of health-related digital objects

BRAIN Initiative: Research Resource Grants for Technology Integration and Dissemination (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Application Due: June 14, 2023
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports efforts to disseminate resources for integration into neuroscience research practice. The resource(s) should be relevant to the goals of the BRAIN Initiative as outlined in the "BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision" and "The BRAIN Initiative 2.0: From Cells to Circuits, Toward Cures" and shared broadly to the neuroscience community. The resource(s) should address compelling needs of neuroscience researchers that are otherwise unavailable or impractical in their current form. Activities must include dissemination of an existing resource, and may include one or more of the following activities: distribution of tools and reagents; user training on the usage of new technologies or techniques; providing access to existing technology platforms and/or specialized facilities; minor improvements to increase the scale/efficiency of resource production and delivery; minor adaptations to meet the needs of a user community.

The Digital Humanities Advancement Grants
Application Due: June 15, 2023
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Digital Humanities is accepting applications for the Digital Humanities Advancement Grants (DHAG) program. The program supports innovative, experimental, and/or computationally challenging digital projects leading to work that can scale to enhance scholarly research, teaching, and public programming in the humanities. These funds may support DHAG projects that further the IMLS mission to advance, support, and empower America’s libraries, archives, museums, and related organizations.

Novel Tools and Devices for Animal Research Facilities and to Support Care of Animal Models
Application Due: September 5, 2023
To consistently maintain an optimal environment for research animals, there is a need for devices in animal facilities that can precisely and accurately monitor the environmental conditions. Devices that can sensitively identify types and levels of various pathogens, allergens, and/or other pollutants are especially desired in environments supporting laboratory animals. Additionally, needed are noninvasive or minimally invasive bio-logging devices for real-time monitoring of the behavior, food/water consumption, and bodily functions of animals. Such devices should be discreet, robust, easy to apply, and mobile, while being sensitive enough to register the physiology of different animals.

Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation for the Astronomical Sciences National Science Foundation
Application Due: November 15, 2023
The Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation for the Astronomical Sciences (ATI) program provides individual investigator and collaborative research grants for the development of new technologies and instrumentation for use in ground-based astronomy and astrophysics.The program supports achieving the science objectives of the Division of Astronomical Sciences. The development of innovative, potentially transformative, technologies and instruments are sought, even at high technical risk.Supported categories include (but are not limited to):advanced technology development, concept feasibility studies, and specialized instrumentation to enable new observations that are difficult or impossible to obtain with existing means.Proposals may include hardware and/or software development and/or analysis to enable new types of astronomical observations.

Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities
Application Due: December 15, 2023
This program aims to bring together humanities scholars, advanced graduate students, librarians, archivists, museum staff, computer scientists, information specialists, and others to learn about new tools, approaches, and technologies, and to foster relationships for future collaborations in the humanities. NEH encourages you to develop proposals for multidisciplinary teams that include the necessary range of intellectual, technical, and practical expertise. You may draw partners and collaborators from the private and public sectors and may include appropriate specialists from within and outside the United States.

The MIT Sea Grant College Program 
Application Due: Various Deadlines and Ongoing
The MIT Sea Grant College Program is a Federal-Institute partnership that brings the research and engineering core of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to bear on ocean-related challenges. Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Sea Grant College Program promotes the conservation and sustainable development of marine resources through research, education, and outreach.

TECH + SOCIAL CHANGE

Cultural and Community Resilience
Application Due: May 16, 2023
The Cultural and Community Resilience program supports community-based efforts to mitigate climate change and COVID-19 pandemic impacts, safeguard cultural resources, and foster cultural resilience through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experience. The program prioritizes projects from disadvantaged communities in the United States or its jurisdictions, and NEH encourages applications that employ inclusive methodologies. This NOFO covers the January and May 2023 deadlines.

FY 2023 Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime
Application Due: May 22, 2023
OVC seeks applications that demonstrate innovative strategies to create, expand, or enhance the use of technology to interact directly with crime victims; or provide information, referrals, crisis assistance, and long-term help. Funding under this initiative may support technology development and maintenance to facilitate efficient service delivery or communication; staff required to operate, update, and maintain the proposed technology platform or service; training and technical assistance on the purpose and use of the technology (including outreach and public awareness activities); and staff engaged in coalition-building and outreach activities regarding the use of technology.

NHPRC-Mellon Planning Grants for Collaborative Digital Editions National Archives and Records Administration
Application Due: June 7, 2023
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), with funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, seeks proposals for its planning grant program for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies.  With an overarching goal to broaden participation in the production and publication of historical and scholarly digital editions, the program is designed: To provide opportunities that augment the preparation and training of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color new to the work of historical documentary editing, especially those currently working in history or related area and ethnic studies departments. To encourage the innovative and collaborative re-thinking of the historical and scholarly digital edition itself—how it is conceived, whose voices it centers, and for what purposes.

Digital Projects for the Public
Application Due: June 14, 2023
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Public Programs is accepting applications for the Digital Projects for the Public program. This program supports projects that interpret and analyze humanities content in primarily digital platforms and formats, such as websites, mobile applications and tours, interactive touch screens and kiosks, games, and virtual environments. All projects should demonstrate the potential to attract a broad, general, nonspecialist audience, either online or in person at venues such as museums, libraries, or other cultural institutions.

Galvanizing Health Equity Through Novel and Diverse Educational Resources (GENDER) Research Education
Application Due: June 27, 2023
Specifically, this FOA aims to support courses that develop skills in multidimensional and intersectional health-related research and healthcare delivery. The format of the courses may involve a traditional in-person approach, online activities, a hybrid of both approaches, or other methods. The over-arching goal of this ORWH R25 program is to support educational activities that complement and/or enhance the training of a diverse workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research.   

UNICEF Venture Fund
Application Due: Ongoing
The UNICEF Venture Fund makes $50–100K early stage investments in technologies for children developed by UNICEF country offices or companies in UNICEF programme countries. By providing flexible funding to early-stage innovators, it allows UNICEF to quickly assess, fund and grow open-source technology solutions that show potential to positively impact the lives of vulnerable children.

TECH + RESEARCH TRIANGLE

NCBiotech: Company Funding, University Technology Development
Application Due: Varies
NCBiotech offers several funding programs designed to fill gaps in technology development and company growth. These funds help university researchers and companies conduct critical studies and reach significant development milestones that enable them to attract follow-on funding.

One North Carolina Small Business Program
Application Due: Varies
The One North Carolina Small Business Program helps fund North Carolina businesses in capital-intensive, high-risk industries in science, technology, engineering and math.  If your company wins a Phase I federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grant (SBIR/STTR), your money can go farther with matching dollars from our One NC Small Business Program.

First Flight Venture Center and BARDA DRIVE Health Security Accelerator
Various Projects
First Flight connects you with BARDA through the DRIVe (Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures) initiative, a part of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). DRIVe’s mission is transforming Health Security by accelerating the research, development, and availability of transformative countermeasures to protect Americans from natural and intentional health security threats.