Development of a Device to Objectively Measure Pain (R43/R44) | RFA DA 18 012

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 18 012

The grant opportunity titled "Development of a Device to Objectively Measure Pain (R43/R44)" is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding announcement focused on creating a practical technology or device that can objectively detect and quantify pain. In plain terms, the program is looking for innovations that move beyond subjective pain reporting (like 0 to 10 scales) by developing measurement approaches that can indicate whether pain is present and, ideally, how intense it is. The emphasis is on building a real, usable tool or platform rather than conducting basic research alone, which fits the SBIR purpose of turning scientific and technical ideas into products with clear real-world application.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under the SBIR mechanisms R43 and R44, which generally correspond to Phase I and Phase II small business projects. Phase I (R43) typically supports early proof-of-concept work, feasibility testing, and prototype planning, while Phase II (R44) typically supports more advanced development, refinement, and steps toward a deployable product. The overall goal is to push a promising concept along the development pipeline toward something that can be validated and eventually used in clinical, research, or operational settings where objective pain assessment would improve decision-making.

Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with the SBIR program rules. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply under this announcement. However, the announcement notes that foreign components may be allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant organization might be able to include certain foreign elements in the project if NIH policy permits and if they are justified, but the applicant entity itself must still be an eligible U.S. small business.

The funding opportunity number is RFA-DA-18-012, and it falls under CFDA 93.279. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the activity area is categorized under education and health. The original closing date listed for applications was December 5, 2017, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of July 12, 2017. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would normally rely on the full FOA text and NIH budget guidelines for the SBIR phases to understand typical funding ranges and project period expectations.

Overall, this FOA is aimed at supporting small businesses that can translate measurable biological, physiological, behavioral, or other signals into an objective readout of pain presence and severity. A strong project under this program would usually be expected to define a measurable pain-related signal or set of signals, show how those signals can be captured reliably (for example through sensors, imaging, digital biomarkers, or integrated hardware/software systems), and demonstrate a credible path toward validation and real-world use where objective pain measurement could improve care, research quality, or monitoring outcomes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of a Device to Objectively Measure Pain (R43/R44)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for RFA DA 18 012

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