The Department of Health and Human Services, specifically the National Institutes of Health, is seeking proposals for the development of novel tools and devices for animal research facilities and to support the care of animal models. The Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) is encouraging applications from small business concerns (SBCs) for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects in this area.
The goal of this solicitation is to improve animal welfare, ease the management of individual animals and animal colonies, and enhance the monitoring and control of environmental conditions that affect outcomes and reproducibility in animal model research. The variation of extrinsic factors between different animal facilities has been cited as a source of irreproducibility in animal research, and this solicitation aims to address this issue.
The solicitation highlights the need for devices that can accurately monitor challenging environmental conditions such as humidity, vibrations, odors, and ultrasonic noise. Additionally, there is a need for devices that can identify various pathogens, allergens, and pollutants in environments supporting laboratory animals. Noninvasive or minimally invasive bio-logging devices for real-time monitoring of animal behavior, food/water consumption, and bodily functions are also desired.
Other areas of focus include the development of tools to ease the handling and restraining of animals, as well as the connection of diet, environmental conditions, and physiological measurements to understand the effects of extrinsic factors on experimental outcomes. The solicitation emphasizes the importance of innovation and the potential for adapting technologies from one field to another.
The solicitation is open for applications, with multiple due dates throughout the year. Funding specifics and project duration can be found in the solicitation document available at the provided links. Applicants are advised to discuss their projects with the Scientific/Research contacts before submitting an application.