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SBIR/STTR ALERTING SERVICE * September 4, 2009

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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

-- NSF FY-2010 SBIR Solicitation Released

-- DOT FY-2010 SBIR Presolicitation Notice

-- NIH Commercialization Assistance Program Announcement

-- Senator Ted Kennedy’s Role in the Birth of the SBIR Program

-- SBIR Proposal Writing Tip: Says Who?

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SBIR/STTR NEWS AND INFORMATION

-- NSF FY-2010 SBIR Solicitation Released

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently posted their FY-2010 SBIR Solicitation on their SBIR/STTR website (http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/index.jsp). Participants may submit proposals from November 3, to December 3, 2009. NSF expects to make approximately 200 to 300 fixed amount awards in the amount of up to $150,000 (pending availability of funds).

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.

The four broad topics of this solicitation are listed below. Proposals must address one of the subtopics that are outlined for each of the topics listed. The solicitation states that proposals that are not responsive to the subtopics outlined will be returned without review.

Biotech and Chemical Technologies (BC)

Education Applications (EA)

Information and Communication Technologies (IC)

Nanotechnology, Advanced Materials, and Manufacturing

-- DOT FY-2010 SBIR Presolicitation Notice

The Department of Transportation posted a presolicitation notice for their FY-2010 SBIR program on the Federal Business Opportunities (http://www.fedbizopps.gov) website on September 3, 2009. A portion of the SBIR notice appears below for your convenience. To view the entire announcement, visit https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=df53ac416c291b39c57e9f6af774d317&tab=core&_cview=0.

Notice Type: Presolicitation Notice

Solicitation Number: DTRT57-10-SBIRI

Posted Date: September 3, 2009

Original Response Date: November 16, 2009

Synopsis:

The Volpe National Transportation System Center, (Volpe Center) is issuing a solicitation pursuant to the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, PL 97-219, as amended by PL 99-443 and PL 102-564 and reauthorized by PL 106-554. The solicitation will be issued on or about October 1, 2009. The purpose of this solicitation is to invite small businesses with their valuable resources and creative capabilities to submit innovative research proposals that address high priority requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available on the DOT SBIR Program Internet site. The URL for the 2010 DOT SBIR Program is http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir. The solicitation will be issued through electronic means only; no hard copies will be available.

Primary Point of Contact.:

Darren Shaffer,

Contracting Officer

Phone: 617-494-2332

Fax: 617-494-3024

-- NIH Commercialization Assistance Program Announcement

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently posted the following announcement on the SBIR/STTR News Flash Page of their Small Business Research Funding Opportunities website (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm):

NIH Offers Commercialization Assistance Program to SBIR Phase II Awardees

August 27, 2009

NIH announces the availability of a Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) for its SBIR Phase II awardees from the past six years. Now in its sixth year, this program is designed to help NIH SBIR Phase II awardees transition their SBIR-developed products into the marketplace. The program includes two distinctive tracks that offer customized assistance for both early stage and seasoned companies: Commercialization Training Track and Accelerator Commercialization Track. For details, check the NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-145 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-145.html) and also review the full program description at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/cap/more_on_cap.htm.

-- Senator Ted Kennedy’s Role in the Birth of the SBIR Program

The SBIR Gateway (http://www.zyn.com/sbir/) recently posted a brief write-up describing the role that Senator Ted Kennedy played in helping to establish the SBIR program. As indicted in the paper, Senator Kennedy and his staff drafted the legislation that would lead to the SBIR program becoming instituted at all government agencies involved in research, and helped lead the effort to secure the passage the bill’s passage in 1982. Without his support and leadership, the SBIR may not have become the successful program that it its today.

-- SBIR Proposal Writing Tip: Says Who?

The following proposal writing tip was provided by Gail & Jim Greenwood. Past SBIR proposal writing articles written by the Greenwoods are available on the Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc. (GCGI) web site at http://g-jgreenwood.home.att.net.

SBIR Proposal Writing Basics: Says Who?

Copyright© 2009 by Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Says who?”

“Says me, that’s who!”

Sounds like the final exchange before a recess-time brawl between two school bullies, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it is instead a summary of the exchange between an SBIR proposal writer and the reviewer who is deciding whether to fund this proposal. The writer made a statement in his or her proposal that the reviewer doubts or questions in terms of its validity or source. And while neither the writer nor the reviewer will walk away from this exchange with a black eye, the writer is likely to be hurt a lot worse: they may find that their proposal is not recommended for funding, in part because of unsubstantiated claims.

So what is the problem here? The SBIR proposal writer has failed to gain the respect of the reviewer because they did not include adequate references in their Phase 1 or 2 SBIR or STTR proposal.

We have reviewed recently several Phase 1 proposals in which the small companies make some fairly bold and perhaps even controversial comments in support of their proposals, but then fail to support those claims with references. These statements usually show up in arguments about the importance of the proposed project, or the innovation in that project, or the drawbacks in a competitor’s product. They also often show up in the background description where the proposer is supposed to convince the reviewer that they have a strong grasp on the relevant work of others related to the proposed project.

Bold statements and assertions need to be backed up. We recommend that you never make such a statement without including at least one reference that lends credibility to your claim. Ideally, the reference should be from a world-famous, Nobel Award winner. Realistically, it may be from some lesser person or organization, but it should be from a credible source. Therefore, it should be from someone other than the owner/principal investigator/president of the proposing small business, or a subcontractor or consultant on the proposal. This might be excused, however, if that person is a world-renowned expert in this area, or the reference is at least from a journal that is peer-reviewed or held to some similarly high publication standard.

A couple of final words of advice about your references:

First, make sure they are recent. Quoting material published in 1974 is not going to be very credible these days.

Second, not all of the references should be from websites. Such a list of references makes it look like you are an expert on using Google (rather than an expert in your field), and such references probably do not meet the “high publication standards” criterion.

Finally, do not generate a reference list that is more than 2 or 3 pages long. To do so means you likely are scrimping on other important parts of the proposal, especially if you are dealing with an agency with a short (e.g., 20 page) proposal maximum.

Gail and Jim Greenwood may be reached at the following address:

Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.

1150 Junonia

Sanibel, FL 33957

(239) 395-9446 (voice & fax)

(email)

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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

SBIR/STTR Proposal Preparation - NIH focus, Chicago, IL, September 10-11, 2009. This two day session provides detailed instruction on proposal preparation, including both technical and commercialization plans and proposal submission procedures. Differences between agencies are addressed. Core principles of preparing fundable SBIR/STTR proposals are stressed. For more information, visit http://www.bbcetc.com/training.html, or contact Biotechnology Business Consultants at 734-930-9741 or .

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 .

* 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 .

SBIR/STTR Proposal Preparation - NIH focus, Ann Arbor, MI, September 16-17, 2009. This two day session provides detailed instruction on proposal preparation, including both technical and commercialization plans and proposal submission procedures. Differences between agencies are addressed. Core principles of preparing fundable SBIR/STTR proposals are stressed. For more information, visit http://www.bbcetc.com/training.html, or contact Biotechnology Business Consultants at 734-930-9741 or .

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.

SBIR/STTR Proposal Preparation - NIH focus, Cleveland, OH, September 23-24, 2009. This two day session provides detailed instruction on proposal preparation, including both technical and commercialization plans and proposal submission procedures. Differences between agencies are addressed. Core principles of preparing fundable SBIR/STTR proposals are stressed. For more information, visit http://www.bbcetc.com/training.html, or contact Biotechnology Business Consultants at 734-930-9741 or .

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.

SBIR/STTR Proposal Preparation - NIH focus, Louisville, KY, October 6-7, 2009. This two day session provides detailed instruction on proposal preparation, including both technical and commercialization plans and proposal submission procedures. Differences between agencies are addressed. Core principles of preparing fundable SBIR/STTR proposals are stressed. For more information, visit http://www.bbcetc.com/training.html, or contact Biotechnology Business Consultants at 734-930-9741 or .

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 .