The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. NIDA-supported science addresses the most fundamental and essential questions about drug abuse, which range from the molecule to managed care and from DNA research to community outreach.

There are four major goals of the SBIR program:

1. stimulate technological innovation;
   
2. use small business to meet federal research and development needs;
   
3. foster and encourage participation by minorities and disadvantaged persons in technological innovation; and
   
4. increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal R&D.
   
   

The goals of NIDA's SBIR/STTR programs focus on bridging the gap between performance of basic science and commercialization of resulting innovations. NIDA's research topics range from basic to clinical research, behavioral and prevention research, and science education. Applications are also encouraged for other areas of research.