NIH Quantum Grants

Major advances in medicine that lead to measurable improvements in public health require focused intellectual and financial commitment. The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) established the Quantum Grants Program to make a profound (quantum) impact on the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a major disease or national public health problem through the development and implementation of biomedical technologies within 10 to 12 years. This program challenges the research community to propose projects that have a highly focused, collaborative, interdisciplinary, milestone-driven approach targeted at solving a major medical or public health challenge through technological innovation.

Examples of Quantum grants include computer-designed cardiovascular implants that do not require anticoagulation therapy, a microchip to capture circulating tumor cells for very early cancer detection, self-administered influenza vaccines that could be sent through the mail, an implantable and self-regulating artificial kidney, a bioengineered replacement unit of neural stem cells and vasculature for stroke recovery, and imaging technology for more rapid and personalized treatment of acute ischemic strokes.