Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OD 27 009
The Limited Competition: NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) (SB0 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA-OD-27-009) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program aimed at speeding up the path from academic biomedical discoveries to real-world health products that improve patient care and public health. The core idea is to fund a small number of qualified institutions to stand up or renew "REACH Hubs" that function like structured academic entrepreneurship centers. These Hubs are expected to do more than provide small grants; they are designed to supply the organized process, expert guidance, and commercialization-focused support that many promising academic inventions need to become viable products.
NIH envisions each funded Hub as a central connector that identifies the most promising technologies emerging from its institution (and potentially its wider innovation ecosystem), then helps innovators validate those ideas through early, practical product development work. A major emphasis is on proof-of-concept and product definition activities such as feasibility studies, prototype development, and other early experiments that reduce technical and commercial risk. In practice, this means the Hub would run an internal pipeline: sourcing candidate projects, selecting the strongest ones, awarding seed funding to individual research teams, and managing progress toward clear milestones that matter for translation and commercialization.
Beyond seed dollars, the program is explicitly built around providing access to the kinds of resources that academic labs often lack when moving toward market. The NOFO highlights expertise and support in scientific development as well as areas that typically make or break translation, including regulatory strategy, reimbursement and coverage considerations, business development, legal issues (often including IP and licensing pathways), and project management. This structure is meant to help teams shape their technology into a defined product concept that could attract follow-on funding, industry partnerships, licensing deals, or company formation, while also building the practical skills researchers need to operate in an entrepreneurial environment.
A key feature is that the Hubs are intended to operate as a consortium rather than isolated programs. NIH is looking for a network effect: shared practices, cross-Hub learning, and a coordinated push to create repeatable commercialization pathways. The goal is a scalable, systematic infrastructure for early-stage translation, not one-off success stories. Closely related to that is NIH's emphasis on public-private partnerships and the need to bring in additional non-federal funds. The NOFO signals that leveraging industry relationships, philanthropic capital, state or local economic development support, and other outside investment will be critical to a Hub's effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
This is a limited competition, meaning NIH will only invite applications from organizations that meet the eligibility requirements described in the NOFO (with details referenced in Section III: Eligibility). A central eligibility requirement included in the description is that the primary applicant must be a university or other research institution that participates in the NIH Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. For NIH, "participation" is defined concretely: the institution must have been a formal partner to a small business on an STTR award. Eligible applicant types listed include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as specified).
Applications will go through NIH's standard peer-review process, and NIH will only consider funding those proposals judged meritorious through review. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area, with CFDA listings tied to NIH programs (93.310 and 93.859). NIH anticipates making about five awards under this solicitation. The NOFO title notes "Clinical Trial Optional," which generally signals that proposed activities may include clinical trial components if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required for eligibility; the Hub model is broad enough to support a range of early translation activities, from preclinical validation and prototyping to preparatory steps needed to position a technology for later-stage clinical evaluation.
Key logistics included in the posted information are the original closing date of November 10, 2026, and the issuing agency being NIH. An explicit award ceiling is not provided in the excerpted data, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO text for budget structure, allowable costs, project period, and specific program expectations. Overall, the program is best understood as NIH funding institutions to build durable commercialization engines: organized, milestone-driven translation programs that provide seed investment, specialized expertise, hands-on entrepreneurial training, and strong external partnerships, all aimed at turning high-priority NIH-mission technologies into products with a credible path to real patient and public health impact.Apply for RFA OD 27 009
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) (SB0 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310, 93.859.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-09-24.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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.
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FAQs: Limited Competition: NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) (SB0 Clinical Trial Optional) - RFA-OD-27-009
What is this funding opportunity?
This is an NIH grant program that funds a small number of institutions to establish or renew NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH Hubs). The purpose is to speed up translation of academic biomedical discoveries into real-world health products that improve patient care and public health.
What is a "REACH Hub" in this program?
A REACH Hub is a structured, commercialization-focused center housed at an eligible university or research institution. The Hub is expected to run an organized pipeline that identifies promising technologies, funds selected projects with seed support, and provides hands-on guidance and resources to move those technologies toward defined products and commercialization pathways.
What is the main goal of the REACH program?
The main goal is to create durable, repeatable infrastructure for early-stage translation and commercialization at academic institutions. NIH is aiming for systematic commercialization pathways rather than isolated one-time successes.
Is this a grant for individual research projects or for institutional programs?
This opportunity is designed to fund institutions to operate REACH Hubs (institutional programs). The Hub then typically identifies, selects, and supports individual projects internally through a milestone-driven pipeline.
How does NIH expect a Hub to support technologies?
NIH expects a Hub to (1) source candidate technologies, (2) select the strongest projects, (3) provide seed funding to project teams, and (4) manage progress against clear milestones tied to translation and commercialization.
What types of activities does the program emphasize?
The program emphasizes early, practical product-development steps that reduce technical and commercial risk. Examples described include proof-of-concept work, feasibility studies, prototype development, and other early experiments that help define the product and strengthen the path to commercialization.
Besides seed funding, what support is a REACH Hub expected to provide?
The NOFO highlights structured access to expertise and commercialization-enabling resources, including scientific development support as well as regulatory strategy, reimbursement and coverage considerations, business development, legal issues (often including IP and licensing pathways), and project management.
What outcomes is the program trying to enable for supported technologies?
The Hub structure is intended to position technologies to attract follow-on funding, industry partnerships, licensing opportunities, or company formation, while building entrepreneurial and commercialization skills among researchers.
Is this opportunity considered a limited competition?
Yes. It is explicitly described as a limited competition, meaning NIH will only invite applications from organizations that meet the eligibility requirements described in the NOFO (referenced as being detailed in Section III: Eligibility).
Who is eligible to be the primary applicant organization?
A central eligibility requirement described is that the primary applicant must be a university or other research institution that participates in the NIH Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.
What does "participates in the NIH STTR program" mean for eligibility?
NIH defines participation concretely in the description provided: the institution must have been a formal partner to a small business on an STTR award.
What types of organizations are listed as eligible applicants?
The eligible applicant types listed include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as specified in the description).
How many awards does NIH expect to make?
NIH anticipates making about five awards under this solicitation.
Who is the issuing agency?
The issuing agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the program name and solicitation number?
The opportunity is titled "Limited Competition: NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) (SB0 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is identified as RFA-OD-27-009.
What is the closing date listed for this opportunity?
The posted information lists an original closing date of November 10, 2026.
What does "Clinical Trial Optional" mean here?
The title indicates that clinical trial components may be included if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required for eligibility. The Hub model is described as broad enough to support early translation activities ranging from preclinical validation and prototyping through preparatory steps that position a technology for later-stage clinical evaluation.
Will applications be peer reviewed?
Yes. Applications will go through NIH's standard peer-review process, and NIH will only consider funding proposals judged meritorious through review.
What is the funding mechanism category and area?
The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area.
What CFDA listings are associated with this opportunity?
The posted information references CFDA listings 93.310 and 93.859.
Is an award ceiling (maximum budget) provided in the information shown?
No. The excerpted information notes that an explicit award ceiling is not provided, and that applicants would need to consult the full NOFO for budget structure, allowable costs, project period, and specific program expectations.
Does NIH expect REACH Hubs to work alone or as part of a larger network?
NIH intends the Hubs to operate as a consortium rather than as isolated programs, emphasizing shared practices, cross-Hub learning, and coordinated approaches that create a network effect.
How important are partnerships and non-federal funding to this program?
Partnerships and outside support are emphasized as critical. The description highlights the importance of public-private partnerships and leveraging additional non-federal funds such as industry relationships, philanthropic capital, state or local economic development support, and other outside investment to strengthen effectiveness and sustainability.
What is the program ultimately trying to build at funded institutions?
NIH is funding institutions to build durable commercialization engines: organized, milestone-driven translation programs that combine seed investment, specialized expertise, entrepreneurial training, and strong external partnerships to move NIH-mission technologies toward products with credible patient and public health impact.
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