Novel Synthetic Nucleic Acid Technology Development (R43/R44)( Clinical Trial not allowed) | RFA HG 20 016

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HG 20 016

The Novel Synthetic Nucleic Acid Technology Development (R43/R44) funding opportunity (RFA-HG-20-016) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation focused on pushing the state of the art in synthetic nucleic acids. It is administered under NIH with relevance to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) mission area, and it specifically supports small businesses proposing technology development projects rather than clinical research. As stated in the title and scope, clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA.

The central purpose of the announcement is to fund the development of genuinely novel synthesis technologies or methods that produce a substantive leap forward in synthetic nucleic acids, defined here as an improvement of no less than one order of magnitude. In practical terms, that means the applicant is expected to aim for about a 10x improvement in one or more meaningful performance dimensions, such as synthesis accuracy and quality, achievable length and complexity of constructs, throughput, speed, efficiency, reliability, or cost. The emphasis is not on incremental optimization of existing approaches, but on step-change advances that materially improve what can be built and how efficiently it can be built.

This FOA is motivated by the idea that major improvements in nucleic acid synthesis can have outsized downstream impact across genomics and many NIH-relevant research areas. Better and cheaper synthesis enables faster experimental cycles, more ambitious synthetic constructs, more robust tool-building, and broader access to advanced genomic capabilities. By lowering cost while improving quality and capability, advances in this space can catalyze scientific progress well beyond the technology itself, because so much of modern biology depends on the ability to design and synthesize DNA and RNA constructs quickly and reliably.

The mechanism is the NIH SBIR phased award structure using R43/R44. In general, the R43 (Phase I) portion supports early feasibility, proof of concept, and de-risking of the technical approach, while the R44 (Phase II) portion supports further research and development toward a more mature, validated product or platform that is closer to commercialization and broad use. The FOA is therefore aimed at small businesses that can translate a technology concept into a development plan with clear technical milestones, measurable performance gains, and a credible path toward a usable synthesis technology or enabling platform.

Eligibility is restricted to small businesses, consistent with SBIR rules. Foreign institutions (non-U.S. entities) are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, a foreign component, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be permitted in some circumstances, which typically means a discrete element of the project may be performed outside the U.S. if it is well-justified and allowed under NIH policy. Applicants would need to pay close attention to NIH’s definitions and requirements if any foreign component is contemplated.

Administrative details in the source data indicate this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health funding activity category, associated with CFDA number 93.350. The FOA was created on March 19, 2020, and the original closing date listed is February 4, 2022. The provided listing does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the excerpt, so applicants would normally confirm budget limits, phase-specific caps, and award expectations in the full FOA text and NIH SBIR guidance.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as targeted SBIR support for small companies working on next-generation DNA/RNA synthesis and synthetic construct technologies, with a clear expectation of large, measurable performance improvements and an explicit boundary excluding clinical trials. The NIH/NHGRI interest is in enabling transformative synthesis capabilities that can reduce costs and expand what researchers can build, ultimately accelerating innovation across genomics and biomedical science.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Novel Synthetic Nucleic Acid Technology Development (R43/R44)( 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): 93.350.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-03-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-02-04. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for RFA HG 20 016

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