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DOE Phase II Diversity Supplements
DOE SBIR and STTR awardees that receive a Phase II grant are eligible to apply for an administrative diversity supplement to be effective in the summer months of their Phase II during the second year project period. The purpose of the Phase II supplement is
to improve the diversity of the research workforce by recruiting and supporting undergraduate and graduate students from groups underrepresented in federal SBIR/STTR research programs. The available
template and
budget form should be used to prepare an application for the diversity supplement. All first year Phase II awardees should refer to the Phase II Funding Opportunity Announcement to which they received their Phase II award for full instructions on Phase
II awardee eligibility and how and when to submit a diversity supplement.
NIH Support to Diversify Your Workforce
Did you know that the NIH offers funding to diversify the scientific workforce at small businesses participating in the SBIR and STTR programs? If you are a small business with an active SBIR or STTR award, you may be eligible. The diversity supplement for
small businesses (PA-21-345) can
support students, postdocs, and eligible investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in health-related research or in the SBIR and STTR programs.
Find the specific guidelines and a point of contact for your funding institute or center or contact
seedinfo@nih.gov with any questions.
STTR-, SBIR-backed Company Goes Public with $2 Billion Valuation
Benson Hill, a unicorn or startup valued at over $1 billion, recently closed its deal to become a public company. Critical to Benson Hill’s initial success were
several sources of public capital, including STTR awards from NSF and an SBIR award from USDA. The St. Louis-based agricultural technology company uses machine learning and genome editing to facilitate the production of sustainable and healthy crops.
NOAA awards 35 grants to support Small Business Innovation Research
NOAA’s SBIR Program recently awarded approximately $10.7 million in grants to 35 small businesses to support the development of innovative technologies that support NOAA’s mission and the U.S. economy. Some of the topic areas included in 2021 were uncrewed
systems, citizen science and STEM education, fisheries, and weather service improvement. You can visit
NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office website to read more about the recent SBIR awards. The next NOAA SBIR funding opportunity will begin in November. To stay updated on NOAA’s upcoming funding opportunities, follow them on Twitter
@NOAAinnovate Twitter @NOAAinnovate and
join their mailing list (email NOAA.SBIR@noaa.gov with the subject “subscribe”).
Senate Small Business Committee Hearing Reviews SBIR/STTR Programs
On September 22, the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship held a hearing on “A
Review of the SBIR-STTR program.” Jere W. Glover, executive director of the Small Business Technology Council, and Robert Kavetsky, CEO and president of the Energetics Technology Center, provided testimonies on their experiences with the programs. Both
witnesses stressed the critical role the programs play for small businesses to compete in areas such as scientific innovation and national security.
Dept.
of Agriculture (USDA)
Dept. of Defense (DoD)
Joint
DoD SBIR 2021.3/STTR 21.C
-
Multiple DoD Branches/Components: Closes 10/21/2021.
Army
SBIR 21.4 -42, -43, -44
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Pre-Release: October 12, 2021 (via beta.SAM.gov). Opens: October 26, 2021. Closes: November 30, 2021, at 12:00 pm ET
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A214-42: Sensor Synthetic Data Generation
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A214-43: Artificial Intelligence-in Automated Scrap Inspection “MVM”
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A214-44: Datalink-Enabled AI for Fires Optimization
DARPA
SBIR
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HR001121S0007-27: Next Generation Autonomous and Modular Hardware for Biomanufacturing Platforms in Remote Locations. Opened 9/28/2021. Closes 10/28/2021.
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HR001121S0007-28: High Throughput Cell Screening Platforms. Opened 9/28/2021. Closes 11/10/2021.
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HR001121S0007-29: STTR Opportunity: Breakthrough Technologies for Energy Web Dominance. Opened 10/7/2021. Closes 11/30/2021.
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HR001121S0007-30: SBIR Opportunity: Collaborative APIS Through Incentive Design (CATID). Opened 10/7/2021. Closes 11/30/2021.
Dept.
of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
The last remaining submission window close date is 12/2/2021.
SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference and TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo |
Oct. 18 – 20, Washington, D.C. | Registration
is open.
Two-part NIH SBIR/STTR Proposal Development / Commercialization Strategy / Resources Overview | Session #1
Oct. 19, 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET | and Session #2
Oct. 26, 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Spotlight on Manufacturing Webinar Series – Register
for Supply Chain Solutions | Oct. 21, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET | or Celebrando el Mes de Fabricantes
| Oct. 28, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET
Introduction to the NOAA SBIR Program | Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET |
Register
Look for upcoming events at sbir.gov/events.
NSTC Seeks Input on Advanced Manufacturing Strategy
On behalf of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking public input on ways to improve government coordination on advanced manufacturing. The NSTC and OSTP want long-term guidance for federal
programs supporting U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and advanced manufacturing R&D that will create jobs, grow the economy across sectors, strengthen national security, enhance sustainability, contribute to climate change challenges, and improve health
care. This input will inform OSTP and NSTC as they work with federal agencies and other stakeholders to develop the National Manufacturing Strategic Plan. A series of public events has been organized at various technical conferences (in-person and virtual)
from October to December to directly obtain input to the RFI questions. The full text of the RFI with instructions to respond is available in the
federal register and responses are due by December 17, 2021.
Useful Stats: Top Industries by State for Net Establishment and Job Creation, 2005-2019
Understanding the industry-level dynamics of business and job creation can help pinpoint which industries in regional economies may be hotspots for innovation activity. This edition of Useful Stats builds on previous SSTI analysis of business and job creation
by state and examines data from the Census Bureau’s recently updated Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) on net establishment and job creation in 2019 at the state and industry levels.
Specifically, this analysis examines net establishment creation and net job creation at the 2-digit NAICS code level. Professional, scientific, and technical services — the industry which contains the most SBIR companies — was the top industry for net establishment
creation in 2019 for six states (California, Colorado, Delaware, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming) and the top industry for net job creation in three states (Idaho, Massachusetts, and Virginia).
Read the full story here.
Report Outlines Steps for U.S. to Improve Competitiveness in Basic Energy Sciences
The supremacy of the U.S. research enterprise is being challenged by China and other Asian countries, and a new draft report from the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (BESAC) at the Department of Energy (DOE) concludes that U.S. leadership in basic
energy sciences will continue to diminish without intervention. Specifically, the report finds that to stay internationally competitive in basic energy sciences the U.S. must: increase total funding for R&D, spanning from basic and fundamental research to
experimental development; focus multi-disciplinary research on several key areas of energy sciences; increase the nation’s ability to attract and retain the world’s top scientists and engineers; and, facilitate interactions among basic, applied, and industrial
researchers to accelerate the translation of research into socially beneficial technologies.
Read the full story here.
2021 Growth Accelerator and SBIR Catalyst Competitions Award $5.4 Million in Prizes
SBA
announced the winners of the 2021 Growth Accelerator and SBIR Catalyst competitions. There are 84 awardees for the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and eight winners for the SBIR Catalyst competition. This is the first year for the SBIR Catalyst
competition and it is aimed at spurring local, regional, and national networks of entrepreneurial support organizations focused on including underrepresented communities within the innovation economy. Together the awardees received $5.4 million in awards to
speed the launch, growth, and scale of deep-tech small businesses across the country. The winners come from 48 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, and have been awarded based on their proposals for innovative ideas that
inclusively support entrepreneurs researching and developing STEM-related innovations. A full list of the winners is available on
SBIR.gov’s accelerator page.
The Federal
and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program funded 33 organizations this year, building the SBIR/STTR ecosystem through outreach, technical assistance, and financial support. Meet three of the FAST awardees:
The
Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) is the lead organization in Virginia for SBIR/STTR support and features programs that identify and accelerate opportunities for Virginia’s small technology businesses to obtain SBIR, STTR, and other
government contracts.
TechConnectWV
aims to increase the number of SBIR/STTR proposals and awards to fund innovative technology ideas from West Virginia-based applicants.
The
Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network’s FAST grant will provide specialized training, mentoring, and technical assistance for research and development-focused small businesses.
Find local assistance near you at: sbir.gov/local-assistance.
In 2017, re:3D’s Houston and Puerto Rico facilities were impacted by hurricanes within a month of each other. From this tragedy, re:3D realized the value onsite manufacturing provides in disaster response/resiliency and the benefits of new job creation, education,
and supply chain reduction. SBIR funding from the Air Force provided the necessary resources for the hardware company to complete the significant research required to modify its existing large-scale 3D printers. SBIR funding also enabled re:3D to investigate
applications of the hardware to create functional goods from trash which led to the design and printing of functional objects from discarded water bottles. re:3D’s innovation and resilience led to new jobs for those displaced by recent earthquakes and they
now have over $8 million in sales and a customer base that includes users from more than 50 countries. re:3D is also a 2020 Tibbetts Award Winner.
Get inspired by more SBIR company stories at
sbir.gov/news/success-stories and learn about the 2020 Tibbetts Award winners at
https://www.tibbettsawards.com/.
Find more funding opportunities and specific topic areas at
sbir.gov/funding.
Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
Dept. of Defense (DoD) –
All open topics
DARPA
SBIR
-
HR001121S007-27 Next Generation Autonomous and Modular Hardware for Biomanufacturing Platforms in Remote Locations. Opened 9/28/2021. Closes 10/28/2021.
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HR001121S007-28 High Throughput Cell Screening Platforms. Opened 9/28/2021. Closes 10/28/2021.
Joint
DoD SBIR 2021.3/STTR 21.C
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85 topics opened on 9/21/2021. Closes 10/21/2021.
Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Targeted funding opportunities from HHS on specific topics with various upcoming due dates can be found
here.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
-
NSF
SBIR and
STTR Phase I.
Project Pitches are always accepted. The last remaining submission window close date is 12/2/2021.
About America’s Seed Fund Update
Our goal is to provide a range of information that will be valuable to the SBIR/STTR programs’ various stakeholders, and future issues will include features on program data, impacts and policies, and more. If you have suggestions, let us know at
technology@sba.gov.
Share with a friend or colleague — individuals interested in subscribing to the newsletter can sign up at
http://bit.ly/JoinSBIRList.
About SBA Office of Innovation and Technology
The U.S. Small Business Administration serves as the coordinating agency for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs – also known as America’s Seed Fund. SBA also manages the related Federal and State
Technology (FAST) Partnership Program and Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. Learn more at
sbir.gov.
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