Pilot program to accelerate national institutes of health evaluation process

(a) In general Section 9(hh) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(hh)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Pilot program to accelerate the National Institutes of Health SBIR and STTR awards (A) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall establish a pilot program to reduce the time for awards under the SBIR and STTR programs of the National Institutes of Health. (B) Award procedures In carrying out the pilot program under subparagraph (A), the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall develop simplified and standardized procedures across all relevant awarding offices at the National Institutes of Health and reduce the amount of time between the provision of notice of those awards and the subsequent release of funding with respect to the awards to be as close to 90 days as possible. (C) Merit review (i) In general Under the pilot program under subparagraph (A), the Director of the National Institutes of Health may, with respect to awards under the SBIR and STTR programs of the National Institutes of Health, use such peer review procedures (including consultation with appropriate scientific experts) as the Director determines to be appropriate to obtain assessments of scientific and technical merit and potential for commercialization. (ii) Deemed The use of peer review procedures under clause (i) shall be deemed to fulfill any requirements applicable to the award under the SBIR or STTR program of the National Institutes of Health under sections 406(a)(3)(A) and 492 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284a(a)(3)(A), 289a). (D) Termination The pilot program under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on September 30, 2030.. (b) Evaluation report Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives an evaluation of the pilot program established under paragraph (3) of section 9(hh) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(hh)), as added by subsection (a), including an analysis of the peer review procedures used under subparagraph (C) of that paragraph and the effects on award times.