Novel Tools and Devices for Animal Research Facilities and to Support Care of Animal Models (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 266

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 266

The Novel Tools and Devices for Animal Research Facilities and to Support Care of Animal Models funding opportunity (PAR-19-266) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program aimed specifically at small business-led development projects under the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) mechanism. It supports early-stage, commercialization-oriented research and development that results in practical, usable tools or devices for animal research environments. The overall focus is not on funding animal studies for their own sake, but on creating new technologies that make animal care, handling, and facility operations better, safer, more efficient, and more supportive of high-quality biomedical and bio-behavioral research.

This FOA invites proposals to design, build, and test novel tools and devices that directly improve the welfare of laboratory animals and the daily realities of running animal research facilities. In plain terms, it is looking for innovations that reduce stress and risk during animal handling, streamline routine husbandry and facility management tasks, and strengthen the reliability and quality of experiments that depend on animal models. The opportunity also highlights improvements to facility infrastructure and environmental conditions, meaning it is open to technologies that help maintain or monitor parameters like housing conditions, sanitation, airflow, temperature, humidity, noise, lighting cycles, enrichment, or other environmental factors that can influence both animal well-being and experimental reproducibility.

The funding mechanism is STTR, which is distinct from SBIR in that it requires a formal collaborative relationship between an eligible small business concern and a nonprofit research institution (such as a university, medical center, or research institute). The intent of using STTR here is to encourage technology transfer: pairing the product-development and commercialization capacity of a small business with the scientific or engineering expertise and facilities of a research institution. The award types referenced, R41 and R42, correspond to the typical STTR phased structure (Phase I and Phase II), where Phase I generally supports feasibility and proof-of-concept work and Phase II supports more advanced development and validation toward a market-ready product.

The announcement is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means the proposed work cannot include clinical trials as defined by NIH. This lines up with the purpose of the program: it is centered on tools and devices for animal research facilities and animal model support, rather than interventions tested in human participants. Applicants should still expect to follow NIH rules around animal welfare, ethical use, and oversight where animal testing or validation is involved, but the FOA is not designed for human clinical evaluation.

Eligibility is limited to small businesses. Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) cannot apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply as components. However, the FOA notes that "foreign components" may be allowed as defined in NIH policy, which typically refers to discrete project elements performed outside the United States under a U.S. applicant award, subject to NIH review and approval. In practice, that means the applying organization must be a U.S. small business, but certain justified international collaborations or activities could be permissible if they meet NIH requirements.

In terms of administrative details, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses the grant funding instrument. It falls under the NIH funding activity category of health and is associated with CFDA number 93.351. The opportunity was created on 2019-05-02, and the original closing date listed in the provided data is 2021-04-05. The source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA text and any associated NIH institute/center guidance for budget expectations, project period norms, and programmatic priorities.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted NIH technology-development program for small businesses that can deliver tangible, facility-ready innovations supporting animal care and animal-model-based research. Successful projects are likely to be those that solve clear operational or welfare problems in animal facilities, demonstrate a credible path to adoption by research institutions, and align with the practical constraints of animal care programs (ease of use, durability, cleanliness, compliance, scalability, and measurable benefits to animal well-being and research quality).

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Novel Tools and Devices for Animal Research Facilities and to Support Care of Animal Models (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-05-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for PAR 19 266

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