ForecastedFederal grantOpen to for-profit businessesRFA-NS-26-028

HEAL Initiative: Optimization of Therapeutic Medical Devices through Team Science Mechanistic Research (RM1)

National Institutes of HealthCloses Oct 30, 2026(17 days left)

Does this fit your business?

This is an NIH forecast for interdisciplinary research teams studying how therapeutic medical devices produce their effects, funding mechanistic clinical trials, animal studies, and computational modeling. It fits healthcare, biotech, and tech organizations with real research capability and cross-disciplinary partners. Retail, construction, and finance businesses with no device research program should not bother.

Best for
Interdisciplinary research teams studying how therapeutic medical devices work, Small businesses and for-profits developing or optimizing medical devices, Universities and hospitals running mechanistic clinical trials or device studies, Nonprofits and tribal organizations partnered on device research
Not for
Retail, construction, finance, and other businesses outside medical device research, Solo applicants without a collaborative, interdisciplinary team, Organizations seeking funding for anything other than research
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Healthcare & BiotechMatches your industry (health, medical, clinical)
87
Strong Match
Technology & SoftwareMatches your industry (tech, software)
73
Good Match
Arts & CultureLimit: Nothing in this notice points to arts & culture
54
Possible Match
Education & TrainingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to education & training
54
Possible Match
Energy & Clean TechLimit: Nothing in this notice points to energy & clean tech
54
Possible Match
Environment & ConservationLimit: Nothing in this notice points to environment & conservation
54
Possible Match
Show all 15 industries
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Food & BeverageLimit: Nothing in this notice points to food & beverage
54
Possible Match
Housing & Real EstateLimit: Nothing in this notice points to housing & real estate
54
Possible Match
ManufacturingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to manufacturing
54
Possible Match
Social Services & NonprofitLimit: Nothing in this notice points to social services & nonprofit
54
Possible Match
Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Nothing in this notice points to transportation & logistics
54
Possible Match
Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to agriculture & farming
53
Possible Match
Finance & BankingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to finance & banking
52
Possible Match
Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Nothing in this notice points to construction & infrastructure
50
Possible Match
Retail & E-CommerceLimit: Nothing in this notice points to retail & e-commerce
49
Possible Match

These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.

What this funds

Money can be used for
Research
Who can apply
Small businesses, For-profit companies, Nonprofits, State and local governments, Tribal governments and organizations, Colleges and universities, Other applicants (see eligibility)

Questions about this grant

When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is October 30, 2026. The notice was posted March 15, 2026 as a forecast, and applications were not yet being solicited at the time of posting.
Who can apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants include small businesses, other for-profit organizations, nonprofits, state, county, city, and tribal governments, public housing authorities, independent school districts, special district governments, and public or private institutions of higher education. Federal agencies, U.S. territories, faith-based and community organizations, regional organizations, and foreign institutions are also listed as eligible.
Can a sole proprietor or single-member LLC apply?
The facts do not say. Small businesses are eligible, but the notice does not specify whether sole proprietors or single-member LLCs qualify under that category.
Can a nonprofit apply?
Yes. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) are eligible, as are private and public institutions of higher education.

Summary

NIH/NINDS forecasted grant for interdisciplinary teams researching mechanisms of action of therapeutic medical devices to improve clinical outcomes. Small businesses, for-profits, nonprofits, governments, tribes, and universities may apply; funds support mechanistic clinical trials, animal studies, and computational modeling.

About this grant

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to investigate the mechanisms of action of therapeutic medical devices with the overall goal of improving clinical outcomes with device-based approaches. Medical devices are essential in managing health conditions, complementing drugs and behavioral interventions, and often offer unique benefits. Despite the commercial availability of numerous medical devices and ongoing development of new technologies, many have shown inconsistent results in preclinical studies, failed translation to humans, and exhibit varied patient outcomes. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms by which medical devices produce a therapeutic effect, to identify physiological markers of neurological conditions, and to assess how device-based therapies influence these markers. Advancing this knowledge will improve device-based interventions, inspire new device designs, and optimize current clinical approaches. Applications will be invited from interdisciplinary teams pursuing innovative research on how medical devices produce a therapeutic effect. Applicant teams will likely exhibit expertise in areas such as engineering, biology, pathophysiology, surgery, clinical care, healthcare delivery, biostatistics, software development, computational modeling, artificial intelligence, regulatory science, and clinical trials. This program will accept projects on investigational devices and those already FDA-approved and in clinical use. Applications are expected to include strategies for developing or optimizing therapies that could significantly improve patient care. Supported research may include mechanistic clinical trials, animal studies, and computational modeling or simulation. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.

Who can apply

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

Topics and uses of funds

Topics

  • Health
  • Science
  • Technology

Program contact

NINDS Translational Devices TeamNINDS-Devices@nih.govPlease contact via e-mail.

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