Private biotech companies have received only a small fraction of the $10 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 funds intended for biomedical research. In fiscal year 2010 the National Health Institute awarded $196 million dollars of stimulus funding to for-profit organizations, representing 4.2% of the total ARRA funding that passed through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)'s Office of Extramural Affairs, this despite the federal investment's goal of promoting innovation and economic growth in the biopharma sector (Nat. Biotechnol. 27, 587, 2009). Ellen Dadisman, managing director of communications at the Washington, DC–based Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), reasons that this trend is consistent with the NIH's intention to direct awards toward basic research. As BIO members are usually focused on translational technologies, so it seems reasonable that they would receive a minor part of the stimulus funding, says Dadisman. “It is our hope that there will be more opportunities for translational/company grants,” Dadisman adds, stressing that small companies can receive government funding by other channels, such as Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer schemes. Additionally, the awards were sometimes announced with very short notice, limiting the number of applicants that could be ready in time. The ARRA Challenge Grants, for example, were announced on 4 March 2009, and had an application closing date of 7 April 2009.