Key points
- NIOSH co-sponsors grants for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
- SBIR helps businesses commercialize innovations from federal research.
- Interested applicants are encouraged to review the list of NIOSH topics.

Background
The HHS program is a partnership among federal agencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health participate. The goals of the program are to:
- Stimulate technological innovation
- Meet federal research and development needs
- Increase private sector commercialization of innovations developed through federal R&D funding
- Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship.
NIOSH participates by funding SBIR grants related to occupational safety and health.
Funding by category
SBIR is a phased program. The main objective Phase I is to establish the technical merit and feasibility of the proposed research and development efforts. Phase II continues the R&D efforts to advance the technology toward ultimate commercialization. At the end of Phase II, small businesses are expected to fully commercialize their product or technology using non-SBIR funds. These funds could be either federal or non-federal.