Pharmaceutical Technologies

The Pharmaceutical Technologies solicitation under the NSF SBIR/STTR program supports innovation in drug discovery and manufacturing processes that enhance the selection, quality, or cost-effectiveness of pharmaceutical and biologic therapies. It focuses on advanced technologies such as novel formulations, scalable production platforms, and process innovations that enable more efficient and reliable development of therapeutics, while explicitly excluding support for clinical trials, pre-clinical or clinical-stage drug candidates, medical devices, schedule I substances, and work driven solely by regulatory compliance. The program continues to encourage breakthroughs in drug discovery and manufacturing but no longer funds the development of specific therapeutic molecules. This solicitation is a total small business set-aside under the SBA mandate, restricted to businesses with fewer than 500 employees, and is categorized under NAICS code 541714 for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences. Administered by the National Science Foundation, the opportunity was posted on May 22, 2026, with a response deadline of July 7, 2027. Proposals must align with the program’s mission to advance foundational technologies that improve pharmaceutical outcomes without engaging in direct therapeutic development or clinical evaluation, ensuring that funds are directed toward enabling platforms and methodologies with broad application potential.