Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 702
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offered an administrative supplement opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA 18-702) to help currently NIH-funded investigators take part in an entrepreneurship training program called Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i). The supplement is meant to add funding onto an existing NIH award specifically so a research team can participate in C3i, rather than to start a brand-new standalone research project. A key restriction is that this opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supplement is not intended to support the conduct of a clinical trial under this award mechanism.
The central goal of C3i is to help early-stage biomedical technology and medical device innovators move more effectively from a lab-based concept toward a product that can realistically reach patients and clinical settings. Instead of focusing on additional bench experiments, the program emphasizes commercialization readiness: understanding the market, identifying an unmet clinical need, clarifying the value proposition, and mapping a plausible route to adoption. NIH frames this as a way to strengthen the real-world impact of federally funded research by equipping investigators with business frameworks and practical tools that are not typically covered in traditional scientific training.
C3i is structured around an entrepreneurship-focused curriculum paired with customized mentoring. In practice, that means participating teams are guided through the process of evaluating whether their innovation has commercial potential, what problem it solves, who the customer and stakeholder decision-makers are, and what barriers (technical, regulatory, reimbursement, workflow integration, competitive landscape) could prevent it from being adopted. The mentoring component is intended to help investigators pressure-test assumptions and shape a more credible business opportunity narrative, including early thinking around product positioning and translation strategy. The program is particularly oriented to medical device translation, where success often depends on demonstrating a clear clinical use case and a feasible path through development and implementation constraints.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH scientific or research staff before applying. That guidance signals that NIH expects potential applicants to confirm fit with the program and to clarify administrative supplement expectations, such as what costs are allowable, whether the parent grant is suitable for this add-on support, and how participation in C3i aligns with the aims of the existing NIH-funded project. Since this is an administrative supplement, eligibility and review commonly depend on the status and scope of the parent award, and NIH staff input can help avoid misalignment before submission.
Eligibility spans a wide range of domestic U.S. organization types that commonly receive federal assistance, including state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, as well as certain tribal governments and tribal organizations. The announcement explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
At the same time, there are clear foreign restrictions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. In addition, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed, which reinforces that the work supported under this supplement must remain fully domestic in scope and performance.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant program under NIH, tied to health-related CFDA numbers (93.242, 93.286, 93.847, 93.853, 93.865). The original closing date listed is August 1, 2018, and the opportunity was created March 6, 2018. The announcement does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided source data, which is not unusual for administrative supplement notices where budgets and the number of supported participants can depend on available funds and the pool of qualified supplement requests.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NIH support for commercialization education and mentorship rather than additional scientific experimentation: it aims to help NIH-funded device and technology innovators gain the practical, market-oriented perspective needed to evaluate and strengthen the translational and commercial pathway for their innovations, without funding clinical trial activity under the supplement.Apply for PA 18 702
- The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Administrative Supplements for Participation in the Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i) Program (Admin Supp - 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): 93.242, 93.286, 93.847, 93.853, 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-03-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-08-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Funding Opportunity Number PA 18-702?
PA 18-702 is an NIH administrative supplement opportunity designed to provide additional funds to investigators who already have an active NIH award, so their research team can participate in the Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i) entrepreneurship training program.
Is this opportunity a new standalone research grant?
No. It is an administrative supplement, meaning it adds funding to an existing NIH award. It is intended to support participation in C3i rather than to launch a brand-new, standalone research project.
What is the purpose of the C3i program?
C3i is intended to help early-stage biomedical technology and medical device innovators move from a lab-based concept toward a product that can realistically reach patients and clinical settings. The program focuses on commercialization readiness rather than additional bench research.
What kinds of activities does C3i emphasize?
The program emphasizes practical commercialization topics such as understanding the market, identifying an unmet clinical need, clarifying the value proposition, and outlining a plausible path to adoption in real clinical environments.
Does the supplement fund additional lab experiments or scientific studies?
The opportunity is framed primarily as support for commercialization education, mentoring, and readiness work rather than additional bench experimentation.
Are clinical trials allowed under this supplement?
No. The opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supplement is not intended to support the conduct of a clinical trial under this award mechanism.
What is meant by "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" in this announcement?
It means the supplement mechanism is not intended to pay for or support clinical trial conduct as part of this administrative supplement request. The supported effort is focused on entrepreneurship training and commercialization planning instead.
What is the structure of the C3i program?
C3i is structured around an entrepreneurship-focused curriculum combined with customized mentoring. Participating teams receive guidance and feedback intended to strengthen the credibility of the commercialization and translation pathway for their innovation.
What types of questions or topics does C3i mentoring help teams work through?
Mentoring is described as helping teams evaluate commercial potential, define the problem being solved, identify customers and stakeholder decision-makers, and surface barriers to adoption such as technical challenges, regulatory constraints, reimbursement considerations, workflow integration issues, and competitive landscape risks.
Is C3i especially aimed at any particular innovation area?
Yes. While it is broadly about biomedical technology translation, the description highlights a strong orientation toward medical device translation, where success often depends on a clear clinical use case and a feasible path through development and implementation constraints.
Who should consider applying for this administrative supplement?
It is aimed at currently NIH-funded investigators and teams who want to strengthen the commercialization readiness of an early-stage biomedical technology or medical device concept by participating in C3i.
Do applicants need an existing NIH award to be eligible?
Yes. Because this is an administrative supplement, it is intended to be added onto an existing NIH award rather than used as independent funding.
Why does NIH encourage contacting NIH staff before applying?
NIH strongly encourages prospective applicants to contact NIH scientific or research staff to confirm program fit and clarify administrative supplement expectations, including alignment with the parent award and questions about what costs may be allowable.
How does the parent NIH award affect the supplement request?
Because this is an administrative supplement, eligibility and review commonly depend on the status and scope of the parent award, and on whether participation in C3i aligns with the aims of that existing NIH-funded project.
What organization types are eligible to apply?
The eligibility description includes many domestic U.S. organization types that commonly receive federal assistance, including state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, certain tribal governments, and tribal organizations.
Are any specific institution categories explicitly listed as eligible?
Yes. The announcement explicitly calls out categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign organizations eligible to apply?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization include non-domestic components under this supplement?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign components allowed in any form?
No. The announcement states that foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. This reinforces that the work supported under the supplement must be fully domestic in scope and performance.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
How is this opportunity categorized from a funding standpoint?
It is categorized as a discretionary grant program under NIH and is presented as an administrative supplement opportunity tied to health-related assistance listings (CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.286, 93.847, 93.853, 93.865).
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
The announcement references CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.286, 93.847, 93.853, and 93.865.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on March 6, 2018. The original closing date listed is August 1, 2018.
Does the provided information include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The provided source data does not include an award ceiling or an expected number of awards, which can be common for administrative supplement notices where amounts and participation depend on available funds and the pool of qualified requests.
What is the main benefit NIH is aiming for with this supplement?
NIH frames the supplement and C3i participation as a way to strengthen the real-world impact of federally funded research by equipping investigators with commercialization frameworks and practical tools that are not typically part of traditional scientific training.
What is this opportunity best understood as supporting?
It is best understood as NIH support for commercialization education and mentorship to help biomedical technology and device innovators evaluate and strengthen translational and commercial pathways, without funding clinical trial activity under the supplement.
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