Innovations for Healthy Living - Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MD 24 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MD 24 006

Innovations for Healthy Living - Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional) is an NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding opportunity (RFA-MD-24-006) aimed at helping U.S. small businesses develop and move toward commercialization a product, process, or service that can measurably improve minority health and reduce, and ultimately eliminate, health disparities. The core idea is to support practical innovations that can be translated into real-world use, not just basic research. Projects are expected to focus on populations that experience health disparities and to address the kinds of barriers that often limit impact in these communities, such as cost, accessibility, usability, trust, and fit with cultural and community norms.

The opportunity is specifically structured under the SBIR mechanism using the R43/R44 pathways, which generally align with phased development. In practical terms, this means applicants can propose early-stage feasibility work and development (often associated with Phase I) and, if appropriate, more advanced research and development steps that move closer to a market-ready solution (often associated with Phase II). The listing states "Clinical Trial Optional," which signals that a clinical trial is allowed but not required; applicants can propose either non-clinical development activities or studies that include clinical evaluation, as long as the project matches NIH expectations for rigor, safety, and applicability.

A central requirement is that the proposed technology or solution should be effective, affordable, and culturally acceptable. That emphasis is important because many health technologies fail to reduce disparities when they are too expensive to deploy at scale, require infrastructure that underserved settings do not have, or are designed without considering language, literacy, cultural practices, community preferences, or the realities of care delivery. Competitive applications will typically demonstrate a clear understanding of the target population, the specific disparity being addressed, and how the proposed innovation will fit into the environments where it needs to work (for example, community clinics, rural settings, home-based care, schools, or public health programs).

Eligibility is limited to eligible United States small business concerns. Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components may be allowed under NIH policy as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. small business applicant may be able to include certain foreign activities if they are justified, clearly described, and permitted under NIH rules, but the applicant organization itself must be a U.S. small business and the project must be administered accordingly.

This NOFO is categorized as a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health. It sits within health-related federal assistance areas (CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers include 93.121, 93.233, 93.286, 93.307, 93.350, 93.361, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.847, 93.866), reflecting the cross-cutting nature of minority health and health disparities work across NIH programs. The opportunity was created on 2024-03-08, and the listed original closing date is 2026-12-09, giving small businesses a longer runway to plan, partner, and prepare a development and commercialization strategy that matches the SBIR model.

Overall, this funding opportunity is designed for small businesses that can show a credible pathway from innovation to adoption, with the explicit purpose of improving health outcomes in populations that have historically experienced unequal access, unequal quality of care, and unequal health burdens. The strongest fits are typically solutions that are ready to be engineered, tested, and positioned for deployment in real settings, with clear evidence that the design choices and implementation plan are grounded in the needs, constraints, and preferences of the communities the project is meant to serve.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovations for Healthy Living - Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.233, 93.286, 93.307, 93.350, 93.361, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.847, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-12-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

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