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FACT SHEET
The Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive three-phase
award system which provides qualified small businesses with opportunities
to propose innovative ideas that meet specific research and
development needs of the Federal government. Enacted in 1982 as part of the
Small Business Innovation Development Act, (and then reauthorized in 1992),
Federal agencies with more than $100 million in extramural R&D were
required to allocate a percentage of their budgets exclusively for small
businesses. This set-aside began in 1983 at 0.2% and is currently 2.5%
resulting in the availability of approximately $1.1 billion in fiscal year
1999 to R&D small businesses.
Objectives of SBIR
·
Stimulate technological innovation
·
Strengthen the role of small businesses in
meeting Federal research and development needs
·
Increase private sector commercialization of
innovations derived from Federal research and development.
Participating Federal
Agencies
·
Department of
Agriculture
·
Department of Commerce
·
Department of Defense
·
Department of Education
·
Department of Energy
·
Department
of Health and Human Services
·
Department of Transportation
·
Environmental
Protection Agency
·
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
·
National Science Foundation
Small Business
Eligibility
·
500 or less employees
·
American-owned and independently operated
·
For profit
Three Phases
SBIR is a three-phase
program of which two are Federally funded. Phase I is a feasibility study
to evaluate the proposed project's technical merit for which an awardee may
receive a maximum of $100,000 for approximately six months. Phase II is the
principal R&D effort which expands on the Phase I results. This
two-year project may receive up to $750,000 in funding. Only Phase I
awardees are eligible to compete for Phase II funds. Phase III is the
commercialization of the Phase II results and moves the innovation from the
laboratory to the marketplace. This requires use of private sector or other
non-SBIR funding.
Evaluation Criteria
·
Scientific and technical quality and
innovativeness of the idea and the significance of the scientific or
technical challenge
·
Ability to carry out the project, i.e.
qualifications of the principal investigator and other key personnel,
adequacy of facilities and equipment, soundness of work plan
·
The impact as evidenced by technical and/or
economic benefits, the likelihood that the work would lead to a marketable
product, or the likelihood the project could attract further funding.
Submission
Each year the ten
participating agencies issue program solicitations describing the technical
areas for which they are interested. The solicitations, their release and
due dates, and submission instructions are available on the Small Business
Administration (SBA) Office of Technology's home page (http://www.sba.gov/sbir).
Another excellent
source of information for updates and individual experiences published by
the Innovation Development Institute is http://www.iknowvation.com.
Examples of Successful South Carolina Projects in 1999
SBIR Phase I
1.
The National Science Foundation, Division of
Design, Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation awarded $100,000 to Alpha
Manufacturing of West Columbia, SC to research Innovation
of Real-Time, Integrative Computer Vision System for Accurate, Full-Field
Characterization of Complex Component Response. The project aims to
develop the theoretical and practical bases for constructing a real-time,
multiple camera, vision-based measurement system capable of providing
accurate, three-dimensional measurements.
2.
The National Science Foundation Division of
Design, Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation awarded $94,760 to Atlantic
Littleneck Clam Farm, in Charleston, SC to continue
research on the Cryopreservation of Clam Larvae.
3.
The Department of Defense extended an SBIR
Phase I award to Star Technology and Research, Inc. of
Mt. Pleasant, SC to research Mechanisms for Tether-Powered Space
Vehicles. The project addresses the DOD's need for a satellite
maintenance vehicle.
4.
The National Institute of Health awarded a
$99,962 SBIR grant to Poly-Med, Inc. of Anderson, SC to research Intra-Vaginal
Controlled Delivery of Misoprostol.
5.
The National Institute of Health awarded an
$ 93,401SBIR grant to Horus Global Healthnet, Inc., of Hilton Head,
SC to continue research and development of Artificial Neural Network
Software for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer.
6.
The Department of Agriculture awarded
$65,000 to Southland Fisheries Corporation to research High-Density
Rotifer Mass Culture Using Micro Algae Pastes. The technology is
intended to reduce labor and equipment costs in the larviculture of marine
finfish by 50%.
7.
The USDA and the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Services (APHIS) awarded $225,000 to Hilton Head Laboratories
for the Development of Photo-Active Dyes as Insecticides for Fire Ants.
The research is aimed at the successful commercial development of a new
class of insecticides based on the concept of photodynamic action that will
be safer for the environment than many currently used materials.
SBIR Phase II
8.
The National Science Foundation Division of
Design, Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation extended a $399,590 Phase
II award to Poly-Med, Inc.for a project on Surface
Modified Polypropylene and Ultra-High Strength Polyethylene Fibers and
their Composites. Potential applications include use as epoxy, composites
for armor plates and appliances; and cement composites for bridge
rehabilitation, cement boards and drainage conduits.
9.
The Department of Agriculture awarded a
$230,00 Phase II award to Southern Sun Propagation Systems,
of Hodges, SC to continue research on The Impact of Carbon Dioxide
Enrichment of Plant Production In an Acclimatron Propagation System.
The technology is expected to shorten production cycles in the domestic
plant tissue culture industry by weeks or even months for certain
species.10. The Department of Energy has awarded a $749,900 Phase II SBIR
Award to Doty Scientific of Columbia, SC for Continued
development of Safeguards, Security and Material Accountability for
Special Nuclear Material.
STTR Phase I
10. The Department of Defense extended an STTR Phase I award to KIGRE,
Inc., of Hilton Head, SC to research a component in the production of
high-efficiency lasers. The project is entitled New Rare-Earth-Doped
Glass Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers for 1.54 um Communications.
Assistance
Operating procedures
vary between the agencies, so it is wise to become familiar with the
agencies by viewing their web sites and/or contacting them as appropriate.
Links to their homepages are provided from the SBA web site mentioned
above. For further assistance with this research funding opportunity, one
should contact the SBTDC's office as indicated below.
Dave Lowder/Stephanie
Noecker
(803) 777-5026/4907
mailto:rip_city@hotmail.com
mailto:stephanienoecker@hotmail.com
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