Worcester Small Business Grant Program

The Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) encourages grant applications aimed at developing, characterizing, or improving research models of human health and diseases; developing biology based new approach methodologies (NAMs) applicable to human health and diseases; or improving access to information about or generated from the use of models of human disease. The models, including NAMs, and related biological materials developed must be broadly applicable to the scientific interests of two or more NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs) and must evaluate diseases and processes that impact multiple organ systems in order to align with the ORIP"s NIH-wide mission and programs. Applications must describe the need for and the potential impact of the proposed resources on the research community across a range of scientific disciplines supported by multiple NIH ICs. Applications to develop models that relate strictly to a specific disease or a select area of research or that do not have a broad impact on the NIH-wide research community will not be accepted. Projects that predominantly address the research interests of one NIH IC but are only peripherally related to the research interests of other ICs will also not be accepted, if submitted in response to this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).

The Advancing Skills, Capabilities, and Expertise for New Development (ASCEND) grant will reimburse Texas employers for training that addresses demand for rapidly evolving skills and local workforce conditions. Each grantee may receive up to $500,000 or a maximum reimbursement of $4,000 per trainee. Funds can be used for work-based learning programs, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and classroom or virtual instruction.

​​​​​​​​​​A flexible and broad-based program, Advantage Maryland (also known as MEDAAF) funds conditional grants, loans and investments to assist economic development initiatives. Uses include business attraction and retention, infrastructure support, brownfield redevelopment, arts and entertainment districts, daycare, revolving loan funds and local strategic planning. Projects must be within Priority Funding Areas and eligible industry sectors. Awards are made on a competitive basis.

Awarded activities will facilitate the translation of novel recording and modulation technologies that can be used to treat and/or diagnose central nervous system (CNS) diseases and disorders and to better understand the human CNS, from proof of concept up to the stage of readiness for first in human (FIH) studies. Technologies may incorporate any signal modality (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, acoustic) or a combination thereof. Diverse team-based applications that integrate appropriate domains of expertise are encouraged.