A new interactive mapping tool from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showcases some of the many small businesses that have developed successful healthcare products with the help of NIH small business funding, which totals over $1 billion annually according to NIH statistics. Highlighting 50-plus small businesses across the United States, the interactive map links to the story behind healthcare products and services that the NIH small business program has supported through grants.
NIH small business funding, for example, helped set the stage for BioMedomics of North Carolina to pivot from a rapid blood test for diagnosing sickle cell disease to a rapid COVID-19 blood test that provides results within 15 minutes. The company recently teamed up with BD to distribute the test in the U.S pending authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The interactive tool can also help users find stories by stage of development, funding institute, woman- or minority-owned businesses, and more.
“It’s important to show how NIH funding and support helps innovators convert their laboratory discoveries into solutions that address some of the nation’s highest healthcare priorities,” said Dr. Matthew McMahon, director of NIH’s Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) office. “In the end, the public benefits by gaining access to a stream of innovative new therapies and cures.”
SEED’s mission is to educate and support innovators to advance their research from bench to bedside. The mapping tool complements the existing suite of tools for exploring the collection of over 1,500 life science and healthcare companies that NIH invests in each year. Together these tools illustrate the significant value and effectiveness of federal investments in science and technology.
