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SBIR/STTR ALERTING SERVICE * February 6, 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

-- DOT FY 2009 SBIR Solicitation Update and Topic Titles

-- NIH SBIR/STTR Program Notice

-- SBIR Program Update

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SBIR/STTR NEWS AND INFORMATION

-- DOT FY 2009 SBIR Solicitation Update and Topic Titles

The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently posted the following notice on their SBIR web site (http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir):

The next DOT SBIR solicitation will open on February 13, 2009 and close on April 15, 2009.

2009 US DOT SBIR Research Topic Titles (Posted 02/02/09)

Please visit Previous Solicitations for historical details and information on past program solicitations (see http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/previous.html).

The Topic titles are listed below for your convenience. DOT indicates that “These topics indicate the specific areas for which proposals are to be considered for acceptance by DOT. The topics are not listed in any order of priority. Each proposal must respond to one (and only one) topic as described in this section. A proposal may, however, indicate and describe its relevance to other topics.”

DOT OPERATING ADMINISTRATION/TOPIC

POTENTIAL MAXIMUM FY09.1 PHASE I AWARDS

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS -- (5 Awards)

091-FH1 Deployment-Ready Technologies Mitigating Shockwave Development On Roadway Systems

091-FH2 Development of a Thermographic Device for Evaluating Integrity of Steel Bridge Coatings Nondestructively

091-FH3 Vehicle Detection, Counting and Tracking System for Travel Surveys, Traffic Safety Systems, and Traffic Control Systems

091-FH4 Pedestrian Detection, Counting and Tracking Systems for Travel Surveys, Traffic Safety Systems and Traffic Control Systems

091-FH5 Self-Sustaining, Intelligent Pavement Systems

FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AWARD -- (1 Award)

091-FM1 Individualized Fatigue Risk Management in Trucking Operations

PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS -- (2 Awards)

091-PH1 Pipeline Safety:

1. Development of in-field pipeline inspection tools

091-PH2 Hazardous Materials:

1. In-service Testing of Composite Cylinders

2. Nanotechnology Application in Hazmat Transportation

-- NIH SBIR/STTR Program Notice

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently added a Program Notice that may be of interest to SBIR participants on the 'Special Announcements for Small Business Research Opportunities' page on their SBIR web site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm). This page lists NIH SBIR/STTR-Relevant Program Announcements (PA), Requests for Applications (RFA), and Notices that are taken from the NIH Guide Electronic Repository of Special Announcements for Small Business Research Opportunities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html).

The title, announcement number, participating Institute, web address, and a portion of the text of the Notice appear below for your convenience:

NIH Policy Change on Threshold for Negotiation of Facilities and Administrative (F&A)/Indirect Costs for Phase II SBIR/STTR Grants

(NOT-OD-09-038, posted 1/23/09)

National Institutes of Health

Food and Drug Administration

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-038.html

Effectively immediately, SBIR and STTR applicants who propose in the application an F&A rate of 40 percent of total direct costs or less will not be required to provide further justification at the time of award, and F&A costs will be awarded at the requested rate. However, DFAS will retain the authority to require well-documented proposals for F&A rates on an ad hoc basis. If the applicant SBC has a currently effective negotiated indirect cost rate(s) with a Federal agency, such rate(s) should be used when calculating proposed F&A costs for an NIH application. (However, the rates(s) must be adjusted for IR&D expenses, which are not allowable under HHS awards.)

SBCs are reminded that only actual F&A costs may be charged to projects. If awarded at a rate of 40 percent or less of total direct costs, the rate used to charge actual F&A costs to projects cannot exceed the awarded rate unless the SBC negotiates an indirect cost rate(s) with DFAS. DFAS will negotiate F&A/IDC rates for SBCs receiving Phase II awards if the requested rate is greater than 40 percent of total direct costs.

This policy applies to all competing SBIR and STTR applications submitted for fiscal year (FY) 2009 funding (i.e., applications assigned to the October 2008, January 2009 and May 2009 Council rounds) and to all competing awards issued here forward. Non-competing awards funded in FY2009 or earlier will continue to be funded at the committed level if between 25 percent and 40 percent.

-- SBIR Program Update

Rick Shindell from the SBIR Gateway provided an update on the SBIR program in the January 31, 2009 issue of the SBIR Insider newsletter. To summarize some of the items included:

- The future of the SBIR program is still unknown -- it still remains to be seen whether a reauthorization bill will be passed before the March 20th deadline. There continues to be optimism that the program will continue though, due to its popularity.

- There has been some turnover among the members of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, the House Small Business Committee, and the House S&T Committee, but several key supporters of SBIR remain.

- The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) is hosting a Washington Fly-In on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009. All SBTC members are encouraged to come into Washington on that date and meet with their Senate and Congressional offices to educate the staff about the importance of the program, and urge them to make reauthorization a priority for 2009. For more information, visit http://capwiz.com/nsbaonline/issues/alert/?alertid=11752946, or contact Alec Orban at .

The entire newsletter is available at http://www.zyn.com/sbir/insider/sb-insider01-31-09.htm. For more information, contact Rick Shindell at 360-681-4123

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CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

NATIONAL

11th Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference, Omaha, NE, June 30-July 1, 2009. Learn how to tap into the NIH’s R&D funding resources for small businesses interested biomedical and behavioral research and innovation. You will have the opportunity to network with researchers, entrepreneurs, biotech business owners and the NIH Institute and Center Directors. For more information, visit the SBIR section of the Nebraska Business Development Center website at http://nbdc.unomaha.edu/SBIR/, or contact Lisa Tedesco at 402-554-6270 or .

2009 Fall National SBIR Conference, Sparks, 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 Training Workshop Athens, GA, February 11, 2009. The SBIR Assistance Program for the State of Georgia (www.SBIRGA.com) will present this short workshop which will give an overview of how the SBIR and STTR programs work what is involved in a preparing a competitive proposal for SBIR and STTR funding. For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/SBIR-Athens, or contact: John Mills at .

* Phase II Proposal Preparation Workshop, Orlando, Florida, February 12, 2009. This workshop will cover the basics of Phase II, how it differs among the various agencies, how to prepare the Phase II proposal, and what should be covered in the commercialization discussion in the Phase II proposal, as well as information regarding the cost proposal. For more information or to register, contact .

Do’s and Don’ts of Phase I Proposal Writing, Indianapolis, IN, February 17, 2009. This workshop, sponsored by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, will cover proposal outlines; budgeting; effective work plans; and identifying your team. For more information, visit http://www.in.gov/iedc/files/SBIR_Workshop_Series_Feb-Mar.-2009.pdf, or contact DeAnn Reinhart at 812-384-3530 or .

KY SBIR-STTR Phase I Proposal Preparation Workshop - NIH Focus, Louisville, KY, February 17-18, 2009. For more information or to register, visit http://ksef.kstc.com/, or contact .

ALL Companies Have Intellectual Property Assets. Are you working yours to the best advantage? Bozeman, MT, February 19, 2009. If you don’t fully understand your IP or how to leverage its competitive value, this session is for you. Companies will be guided from a business perspective to identify and protect their IP inventory, and to integrate IP strategies into ongoing management and decision-making processes. This workshop includes Win-Win Technology Transfer Between Universities and the Private Sector, followed by a review of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. For more information, contact Gloria O’Rourke at or 406.490.0462.

SBIR/STTR Phase II Proposal Writing Workshop, Scottsdale, Arizona, February 24, 2009. This eight-hour course is designed to provide entrepreneur-authors with a winning Phase II grant writing methodology via specific in-class exercises and interactive feedback from instructors to help them to plan and then complete each section of a Phase II SBIR/STTR proposal. For more information, visit http://www.asutechnopolis.org/courses/view/27, or contact Jessica Groeneveld at , or 480-884-1806.

DCAA Cost Accounting Seminar, San Diego, CA, February 24, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.gov-con.us/.

* Phase I Proposal Preparation & SBIR/STTR Commercialization Workshops, Stillwater, Oklahoma, February 25-26, 2008. Day 1 will cover the basics of SBIR/STTR, then cover a four-step process for developing a competitive Phase I proposal. Attendees, as a group, will review a sample Phase I proposal and comment on its strengths and weaknesses before learning the history of that proposal. Day 2 is aimed at helping you better understand the commercialization side of your SBIR/STTR project. Contact for more information and/or to sign up for either or both days of this information-packed event.

DCAA and Government Contractors Accounting Seminar, Broomfield, CO, March 9-11, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.gov-con.us/.

In’s and Out's of the NIH SBIR/STTR Program, Indianapolis, IN, March 10, 2009. This workshop, sponsored by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, will cover proposal development; overview of NIH; resubmissions and more. For more information, visit http://www.in.gov/iedc/files/SBIR_Workshop_Series_Feb-Mar.-2009.pdf, or contact DeAnn Reinhart at 812-384-3530 or .

SBIR-STTR Conference, with Federal Program Managers, Lexington, KY, March 26, 2009. For more information or to register, visit http://ksef.kstc.com/, or contact .

Contracting Agencies vs. Granting Agencies, Indianapolis, IN, March 31, 2009. This workshop, sponsored by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, will cover benefits and drawbacks; differences in approach, format, submissions, proposal development; and more. For more information, visit http://www.in.gov/iedc/files/SBIR_Workshop_Series_Feb-Mar.-2009.pdf, or contact DeAnn Reinhart at 812-384-3530 or .

SBIR Phase I Solicitation Workshop, Sparks, NV, April 8, 2009. This workshop will address information on how to win grants under the Environmental Protection Agency’s SBIR programs at EPA and the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Meet with James Gallup, SBIR manager for EPA and Joseph Henebury, SBIR Manager at DOT, to find out about their technology needs and funding opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.nsbdc.org/education/calendar/, or contact Dr. Fritz H. Grupe at 775-813-74070, or .

Licensing Your Innovation: Knowledge and Skills to Net the Best Deal, Bozeman, MT, April 15, 2009. Material to be covered includes learning the language of licensing, recognizing your IP value, getting ready to deal, negotiating a license, marketing your IP and managing and leveraging your license. For more information, contact Gloria O’Rourke at or 406.490.0462.

SBIR/STTR Phase I Proposal Writing Workshop, Jonesboro, AR, April 21, 2009. This workshop will focus on the work plan and the commercialization plan. Participants will receive guidance in researching government organizations, topics and financial and administrative requirements and will explore some specific steps to attract commercialization partners. In addition, the workshop will offer tips for approaching and structuring working arrangements with large corporations on government contracts. For more information, contact Mildred Holley at or 501-683-7716.

NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II Grantee Conference 2009, Baltimore, MD, May 18-21, 2009. This conference will showcase awardees to potential industrial strategic partners and Venture Capital (VC) investors, and provide opportunities for networking between grantees and one-on-one interactions with NSF Program Directors. This conference will highlight advanced technologies including biotechnology, information technology, electronics, materials, manufacturing and chemical processing implemented by SBIR/STTR Grantees. For more information, visit http://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112081&org=IIP, or contact Amanda E. Morris at (703) 292-7055, 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.

Other possible upcoming SBIR training opportunities include:

SBIR Workshop, Santa Fe, New Mexico area, February 2009

* 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.