Development and/or Validation of Devices or Electronic Systems to Monitor or Enhance Mind and Body Interventions (R43/R44) | PAS 17 022

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS 17 022

The NIH grant opportunity "Development and/or Validation of Devices or Electronic Systems to Monitor or Enhance Mind and Body Interventions (R43/R44)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAS-17-022) is an SBIR-focused program designed to help small businesses create, adapt, repurpose, or rigorously validate technology that supports non-pharmacological mind and body interventions. The core aim is to push practical, technology-driven advances that either measure key biological or behavioral processes relevant to these interventions or actively help people practice them more effectively, consistently, and with better outcomes. In other words, the program is interested in tools that can capture meaningful signals of how these interventions work in the real world and tools that can improve how well the interventions are delivered or adhered to, with an emphasis on mechanistic processes and functional outcomes.

Projects supported under this FOA can take several forms. Applicants may propose entirely new technologies, modifications of already-innovative devices or electronic systems, or new uses for existing devices and platforms that were originally built for other purposes. The FOA also explicitly allows component-level testing, meaning a company does not necessarily need to deliver a fully finished consumer-ready product at the outset. Instead, a proposal can focus on testing individual modules (for example, a sensor, algorithm, feedback interface, or stimulation component) or combinations of modules that could later become part of an integrated system. A major theme is the development of long-term, automated, and potentially wearable solutions, including systems that monitor, stimulate, or provide feedback in ways that help quantify or enhance the processes underlying mind and body approaches.

The "mind and body interventions" covered here are defined broadly but specifically as non-drug approaches. The FOA highlights three main categories: mind or brain-focused interventions such as meditation and hypnosis; body-based approaches such as acupuncture, massage, and spinal manipulation or mobilization; and combined mind-body meditative movement practices such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong. That scope signals that the NIH is open to a wide range of technologies, as long as they connect clearly to measurable processes or outcomes tied to these interventions. Examples of relevant technology directions might include systems that track physiological markers (such as heart rate variability or respiration), behavioral markers (such as movement patterns or adherence), or platforms that guide users through optimized practice using personalized, data-driven feedback. The FOA also accommodates technologies aimed at improving efficacy, which could include adaptive coaching systems, biofeedback solutions, or devices that help standardize delivery and dosage of an intervention in research or real-world settings.

From an eligibility standpoint, this opportunity is intended for small business concerns applying through the SBIR mechanism, using the R43/R44 phased structure commonly associated with feasibility and development stages. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, the announcement notes that "foreign components" as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement may be allowed, which generally means limited, well-justified elements of the project may occur outside the U.S. under NIH rules, but the applicant organization itself must be a qualifying U.S. small business and the project must remain compliant with NIH policy.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, the instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is health (CFDA 93.213). The FOA was created on 2016-10-19, and the original closing date listed is 2020-01-05. The posted summary does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA text and NIH SBIR budget guidelines for the relevant year to understand budget caps, phase limits, and any institute-specific expectations. Overall, the opportunity is geared toward turning mind-body intervention technologies into measurable, testable, and scalable tools, especially those that can operate over the long term, in automated and wearable formats, and that can strengthen both scientific understanding (mechanisms and monitoring) and real-world impact (optimization and efficacy).

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development and/or Validation of Devices or Electronic Systems to Monitor or Enhance Mind and Body Interventions (R43/R44)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for PAS 17 022

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