Tools to Mitigate and Understand the Mental Health Effects of National Disasters: SBIR [R43/R44]

Executive Summary This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) for support of research and development of novel, or the enhancement of existing, commercializable products to mitigate (e.g., tools to be used in assessment, preventive or treatment interventions, and information dissemination) or understand (e.g., research tools) the mental health effects brought on or exacerbated by the aftermath of national disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, including victims and those who responded to their needs. These tools might be used by researchers, mental health professionals, other health care providers, as well as by those in the broader community, including educators, day care providers, family members of victims, etc. These tools must take into account the cultural context of the target population to assure their effectiveness and validity. -Budgets up to $250,000 total costs per year and time periods up to 2 years for Phase I may be requested. Budgets up to $450,000 total costs per year and up to 3 years may be requested for Phase II. -No funds have been specifically set aside for this program; the number of awards and the amount of funds provided for awards will be determined by the quality and number of applications as well as availability of funds. -This FOA will utilize the SBIR (R43/R44) grant mechanisms for Phase I, Phase II, and Fast-Track applications and runs in parallel with a FOA of identical scientific scope, PA-06-336 that solicits applications under the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) (R41/R42) grant mechanisms. -Eligible organizations: Only United States SBCs are eligible to submit SBIR applications. A SBC is one that, on the date of award for both Phase I and Phase II funding agreements, meets ALL of the criteria as described in Section III. -Eligible individuals: Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. On an SBIR application, the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) must have his/her primary employment (more than 50%) with the SBC at the time of award and for the duration of the project. -Applicant SBCs may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct.