10/8/2008
NSF Seeks Small Business/University Research Projects
by Mildred Holley, Technology Programs Manager
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released its FY 2009 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Phase I Solicitation. This opportunity is open to Arkansas entrepreneurs and their university or other research institution partners to do research funded by the NSF. Arkansas entrepreneurs have been especially successful in winning awards from this agency. NSF is a significant participant in the SBIR/STTR programs and we encourage all research-capable small businesses to consider this opportunity for early R&D funding.
NSF expects to award $5 million to successful competitors in this solicitation. NSF estimates it will make about 35 STTR Phase I awards. STTR awardees will have 12 months and up to $150,000 to finish their research efforts. This solicitation is for STTR proposals only. A separate SBIR solicitation – with different topics – is open and due December 4, 2008.
NSF is requiring a Letter of Intent from all STTR Phase I proposers. It is due no later than 5 p.m. proposer’s local time on January 14, 2009. NSF begins accepting electronic submission of STTR proposals on January 25, 2009; the deadline is February 25, 2009 (by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time). All Phase I awards will have an effective date of July 1, 2009.
This NSF solicitation has one broad research topic: Multi-Functional Materials. Four subtopics are further described, and proposals must be responsive to one of these to be considered. See the solicitation for complete topical descriptions.
A. Bio-inspired Materials and Systems – materials and systems of interest include biologically related materials and associated phenomena, and biological pathways to new materials.
B. Materials for Sustainability – material research activities that aim at sustainability for the present and future generations of energy independence, water purification, and environmental preservation and remediation, while embracing the goal of economic development.
C. Nanostructured Materials – nanostructured materials are defined as those materials whose structural elements have dimensions in the approximate 1 to 100 nm range.
D. Smart Materials and Structures – smart materials and structures are defined as having one or more properties that can be significantly changed in a controlled fashion – by external stimuli and biological stimuli.
Successful proposers will provide evidence of a commercially viable product, process, device or system that meets an important social or economic need. NSF expects projects to have high potential commercial value and require high-risk efforts. Acceptable projects may address research tools which meet significant commercial market needs or applications that result in multipurpose commercially viable functions.
The complete solicitation can be accessed at www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir. Arkansas entrepreneurs and researchers interested in learning more about this or other SBIR/STTR opportunities are encouraged to contact Mildred Holley at lcfine@ualr.edu, 501.683.7700 or 800.862.2040 (AR only).
Recent | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
Subscribe right now to our FREE
bi-monthly E-News service!
You will receive articles two full weeks before they appear on the Arkansas SBDC web site!
