“Can I spend small business funds on research in a foreign country?”

Funding News Edition: February 17, 2021
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Under rare circumstances NIH may allow a foreign entity to perform a small portion of the research work. For example, if supplies, equipment, or a patient population are not available in the United States, NIH may allow that particular portion of the research work to be performed in or obtained from a foreign country.

These unique situations will be considered as exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Contact your program officer or Dr. Natalia Kruchinin, NIAID’s small business program coordinator, to discuss the matter further.

For more information, including how to provide a foreign justification in your application, refer to the SBIR/STTR Instructions for SF 424 (R&R) Application Packages - Version F and 18.5.2.1 Place of Performance in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Also see the Foreign Involvement section of NIH’s Frequently Asked Questions for small businesses.

Contact Us

Email us at deaweb@niaid.nih.gov for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.

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