* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SBIR/STTR ALERTING SERVICE * August 21, 2009
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The SBIR/STTR Alerting Service is a free service that provides bi-weekly notification of SBIR and STTR solicitation announcements, news and information, and Internet resources relevant to the SBIR/STTR programs. This service is provided by the Economic Development Office of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
Back issues of the SBIR Alert are available at www.pnl.gov/edo/opportunities/sbir.stm. Subscription instructions appear at the end of this newsletter.
NEWS IN THIS ISSUE
-- Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines!
-- NSF FY-2010 STTR Solicitation Released
-- PHS 2010.1 SBIR Contract Solicitation Opens
-- NIH NCI Phase II Bridge Award Announcement
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SBIR/STTR NEWS AND INFORMATION
-- Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines!
Just a reminder that proposals in response to the following 3 agency solicitations are due in less than 2 weeks:
NASA SBIR 2009 Phase I Solicitation - All Phase 1 proposal submissions must be received no later than 5:00 p.m.EDT on Thursday, September 3, 2009, via the NASA SBIR/STTR Website (http://sbir.nasa.gov). The server/electronic handbook will not be available for Internet submissions after this deadline. Any proposal received after that date and time shall be considered late and handled according to NASA FAR Supplement 1815.208.
USDA FY 2010 Phase I SBIR - Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on the Phase I deadline of September 3, 2009, as indicated under section 6.1 of the program solicitation (see http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir.html). Note the USDA warning: “Applicants must allow additional time for electronic submission and plan ahead. It is recommended that applicants begin submitting their completed application at least two days prior to the deadline.”
DOE SBIR/STTR Solicitation - Applications must be received by September 4, 2009, 08:00 PM Eastern Time. You are encouraged to transmit your application well before the deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered for award. Submit electronic applications through the “Apply for Grants” function at www.Grants.gov. If you have problems completing the registration process or submitting your application, call the Grants.gov helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or send an email to . The Funding Notice with complete application instructions is available at the DOE SBIR/STTR website (http://www.science.doe.gov/sbir/)
-- NSF FY-2010 STTR Solicitation Released
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently posted their FY-2010 STTR Solicitation on their SBIR/STTR website (http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/index.jsp). Participants may submit proposals from October 17 to November 17, 2009. NSF expects to make approximately 35 fixed amount awards in the amount of up to $150,000.
This STTR solicitation has only one topic: Multi-Functional Materials (MM). Multi-functional materials combine multiple functions including mechanical, electronic, photonic, optical, biological, and magnetic functions, and are capable of exhibiting diverse controllable and predictable physical responses when subjected to various external conditions. Multifunctional materials are expected to bring important breakthroughs in various technological fields. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation should explicitly explain the multi-functionality of the proposed material(s) to be developed. Proposals must also address one of the following 5 subtopics:
A. Bio-inspired Materials and Systems (BMS)
B. Materials for Energy Generation and Storage (ME)
C. Materials for Sustainability (MS)
D. Nanostructured Materials (NM)
E. Smart Materials and Structures (SMS)
Proposers may contact NSF program managers prior to submission. The names and email addresses of the contacts for each of the subtopics are included in the solicitation.
-- PHS 2010.1 SBIR Contract Solicitation Opens
The Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) SBIR solicitation for contract proposals opened on August 19, 2009. The deadline for receipt of proposals is November 9, 2009. The solicitation is only available electronically through the NIH Small Business Research Funding Opportunities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm) Web site in PDF or WORD file formats.
Firm fixed price contracts of up to $100,000 for Phase I, and up to $750,000 for Phase II are available for dozens of research topics offered through the various Institutes and Centers as outlined in the solicitation.
If you have technical questions about a particular contract topic and general questions on the administration of an SBIR contract, the solicitation directs you to the appropriate contracting officer listed in Section 10.
-- NIH NCI Phase II Bridge Award Announcement
Embedded in section 12 of the PHS 2010.1 SBIR Contract Solicitation is the following announcement:
NCI Phase II Bridge Award
The National Cancer Institute would like to provide notice of a recent funding opportunity entitled the SBIR Phase II Bridge Award. This notice is for informational purposes only and is not a call for Phase II Bridge Award proposals. This informational notice does not commit the government to the development of a Phase II Bridge Award mechanism for, or making such awards to, contract awardees. Successful transition of SBIR research and technology development into the commercial marketplace is difficult, and SBIR Phase II awardees often encounter significant challenges in navigating the regulatory approval process, raising capital, licensure and production, as they try to advance their projects towards commercialization.
The NCI views the SBIR program as a long term effort; thus, in order to help address these difficult issues, the NCI has developed the SBIR Phase II Bridge Award under the grants mechanism. The previously-offered Phase II Bridge Award was designed to provide additional funding of up to $3M and up to three additional years to assist promising small business concerns with the challenges of commercialization. The specific requirements for the previously-offered Phase IIB Bridge Award can be reviewed in the full RFA announcement (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-08-021.html).
The NCI anticipates expanding the Phase II Bridge Award program in the future to also include awardees funded under the SBIR contract mechanism. Pending its planned continuation, it is anticipated that the Phase II Bridge Award program will be open to contractors who successfully complete a Phase I award as a result of this solicitation, and who are subsequently awarded a Phase II contract (or have an exercised Phase II option under a Fast-Track contract).
Provided it is available in the future, NIH SBIR Phase II contractors who satisfy the above requirements may be able to apply for a Phase II Bridge Award under a future Phase II Bridge Award grant/cooperative agreement funding opportunity announcement (FOA), if they meet the eligibility requirements detailed therein. Selection decisions for a Phase II award will be based both on scientific/technical merit as well as business/commercialization potential.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
NATIONAL
2009 Fall National SBIR Conference, Reno, NV, November 2-5, 2009. The conference will bring together federal program administrators from all of the SBIR participating agencies, venture capital and angel investors, large companies, secondary market and traditional lenders, university and federal laboratory representatives and other experts who provide assistance or are interested in doing business with early-stage ventures. Participants will also hear presentations by SBIR award winners who have successfully commercialized their research, and learn about opportunities while networking with peers involved in innovation. For more information, visit https://www.cisweb1.unr.edu/cxs/CourseListing.asp?master_id=1542&master_version=1&course_area=CON&course_number=129&course_subtitle=00, or contact Dr. Fritz H. Grupe at 775-813-7407 or .
REGIONAL
DCAA Cost Accounting Seminar, QuickBooks, Indirect Rates and ICE workshop, August 24th-25th, 2009. This seminar will cover Cost Accounting/Basics, Procurement, Contract Compliance, Direct/Indirect Costs, Structure Specific Indirect Rate Pools, Labor Tracking Issues, Travel Regulations, Equipment, Unallowable Costs, and more. For more information, visit http://www.gov-con.us, or contact 303-800-9115 ext 2 or .
SBIR/STTR Phase I Writing Proposal Workshop Technology/Product Roadmap Planning Program Scottsdale, AZ, August 27-28, 2009. This workshop is an exclusive eight-hour session targeting early-stage, first-time or unsuccessful writers of SBIR/STTR Phase I proposals. It offers participants a structured SBIR/STTR grant-writing methodology demonstrated to be highly successful. For more information and to register, visit www.asutechnopolis.org, call 480-884-1804 or e-mail .
FLC Far West / Mid-Continent Conference, San Francisco, CA, August 31-September 2, 2009. This conference will focus on the changing federal landscapes in energy and high technology projects. Various perspectives on these changes will be presented by DOE, DoD and NASA. We will also explore the challenges and opportunities brought about by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and its effect on the FY-2010 R&D programs and budgets. Updates on S&T Programs and Education will presented from SBIR to STEM to TIP. For more information, visit http://www.zyn.com/flcfw/meeting/, or contact Rick Shindell at 360-582-9106 or .
* Phase I Proposal Preparation Workshop, Boise, Idaho, September 16, 2009. This workshop will address the basics of SBIR/STTR, then cover a four-step process for developing a competitive Phase 1 proposal. It will also offer an opportunity to critique an actual Phase 1 proposal, and comment on its strengths and weaknesses before learning its history (and what can be and cannot be gleaned from sample proposals). For more information or to register, contact .
How To Win SBIR Awards (SM), Harrisonburg, VA, September 14, 2009. This workshop will provide a strategic understanding of the SBIR and STTR Programs; tools for deciding if you or your firm should pursue SBIR/STTR; and information on how to successfully develop business in SBIR/STTR. For more information or to register, visit http://sbir.us/course.html, call (410) 315-8101, or email .
2009 SBIR Beyond Phase II: Conference & Technology Showcase Orlando, FL, September, 21-25, 2009. The Beyond Phase II Conference showcases the SBIR Program’s Phase II awardees’ technologies and provides a forum for commercialization opportunities. The event brings together current SBIR Phase II companies, key technology and acquisition personnel from government, and industry to enable the transition of SBIR-funded research and development into products for military, government and private sector commercial markets. For more information, visit https://www.beyondphaseii.com/index.aspx, or contact Andy Talbert at or 703 412-3152.
How To Win SBIR Awards (SM), Newark, DE, October 1, 2009. This workshop will provide a strategic understanding of the SBIR and STTR Programs; tools for deciding if you or your firm should pursue SBIR/STTR; and information on how to successfully develop business in SBIR/STTR. For more information or to register, visit http://sbir.us/course.html, call (410) 315-8101, or email
SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II Grant Proposal Course Pomona, CA, October 6-7, 2009. Day one provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR funding process and helps individuals prepare to write a comprehensive grant proposal. Day two will help individuals understand the SBIR/STTR Phase II grant proposal process and will give participants key tools to use in preparing their proposal. For more information, visit http://www.ceu.csupomona.edu/courses/dynamic_content/certificates/default.aspx?certid=2073 or http://www.ceu.csupomona.edu/courses/dynamic_content/certificates/default.aspx?certid=2074, or Contact: Rebecca Pang at or 909-869-4495.
DCAA Government Contractor Compliance Conference, October, 12th-14th 2009. This seminar will cover Cost Accounting/Accounting Basics, Internal Controls, Adequate Accounting System, Structure Specific Indirect Rate Pools, Labor Tracking Issues, Travel Regulations, Equipment, Unallowable Costs, and more. This seminar may also be attended online. For more information, visit http://www.gov-con.us, or contact 303-800-9115 ext 2 or .
* Phase I Proposal Preparation Workshop, Orlando, Florida October 22, 2009. This workshop will cover the basics of SBIR/STTR (including recent developments in the programs), a four step process for preparing a Phase 1 proposal, and give you an opportunity to critique an actual Phase 1 proposal. Contact for more information or to register.
National SBIR/STTR Conference, Reno, Nevada, November 3-5, 2009. Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc. will offer an abbreviated version of their Phase 2 proposal preparation workshop on the afternoon of November 5th. The workshop will cover the basics of Phase 2, differences among the agencies' Phase 2 programs, advice on preparing the Phase 2 proposal, and basics of technology commercialization. For more information, contact .
* SBIR/STTR Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 Proposal Preparation and/or Cost Proposal &Government Accounting Workshops, Newark area, New Jersey, November 18-20, 2009. It is expected that this event will include an overview of the SBIR/STTR programs and how they are evolving, and continues into a simple four step process for developing a competitive Phase 1 proposal. It will then offer either a Phase 2 proposal preparation workshop, or a cost proposal/government accounting workshop, or both. To be kept informed of this event as it takes shape, contact .
Other possible upcoming SBIR training opportunities include:
SBIR/STTR Workshop, Gainesville, Florida, Winter 2009 (tentative)
SBIR/STTR Phase 2 Proposal Preparation Workshop, Orlando, Florida, February 11, 2010
* Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc will provide training at these workshops. Any attendee of one of these workshops is entitled to a free critique of his or her draft SBIR or STTR proposal. If you have questions, contact Gail or Jim Greenwood at (239) 395-9446 (voice & fax) or , or visit their web site at www.g-jgreenwood.com.
If you are sponsoring or are aware of SBIR workshops in your area and would like to post an announcement feel free to contact us.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SOLICITATIONS CURRENTLY OPEN
SBIR
NASA SBIR 2009 Phase I Solicitation
Due September 3, 2009
http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/SBIR.html
USDA FY 2010 Phase I SBIR
Due September 3, 2009
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir.html
DOE SBIR/STTR Solicitation
Due September 4, 2009
http://www.science.doe.gov/sbir/
PHS SBIR Phase I Contract Solicitation
Due November 9, 2009
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm
PHS-2009-2 SBIR/STTR Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA
Due December 5;
AIDS and AIDS-Related Due January 7, 2010
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm
STTR