HIV Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program

Overview

The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) supports research by small businesses to develop innovative technologies with high potential to succeed commercially or to provide significant societal benefit. The Division's Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) pursues the same objectives with significant academic research involvement. The SBIR and STTR programs in DAR support research aimed at changing risky behaviors, promoting strategies to reduce HIV transmission, elucidating the pathophysiology of HIV-related neuropsychiatric dysfunction, and investigating processes that influence adherence to treatment in individuals with HIV and mental disorders.

Areas of Emphasis

• Develop and test novel, non-invasive diagnostic approaches to detect neurocognitive dysfunction associated with HIV-1 infection and innovative technologies to study the mechanisms involved in HIV-1 associated neuropathogenesis and persistence of HIV-1 in the central nervous system (CNS).
• Design and test novel therapeutic strategies aimed at amelioration of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and eradication of HIV-1 from CNS reservoirs.
• Discover and develop innovative technologies for targeting therapies to the brain, including antiretroviral drugs and neuroprotective strategies with improved capability to cross the blood-brain barrier for amelioration of HAND.
• Develop novel tools and approaches to identify, recruit, enroll, and/or retain those most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS (e.g., African-American men who have sex with men, adolescents) in HIV prevention research and/or initiatives.
• Develop novel tools to rapidly link individuals diagnosed with HIV to primary medical care, improve patient adherence to antiretroviral medications, and sustain patient retention in HIV medical care.
• Develop tools designed to facilitate the implementation of emerging biomedical HIV prevention methods (e.g., pre-exposure prophylaxis) by addressing provider knowledge, patient adherence, adverse event monitoring, or other aspects.
• Develop innovative tools and training approaches designed to improve the quality and delivery of HIV testing, counseling, and prevention curricula by health care providers, counselors, or educators.
• Develop novel information technology tools designed to improve dissemination and implementation of evidence-based HIV/AIDS behavioral risk reduction and adherence interventions.

Contact

Michael J. Stirratt, Ph.D.
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6116, MSC 9619
301-443-6802, stirrattm@mail.nih.gov

and

Rebecca DelCarmen Wiggins, Ph.D.
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6115E, MSC 9623
301-443-3635, rdelcarm@mail.nih.gov