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Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I

Status: Archived

Archived funding opportunity

This document has been archived. See NSF 24-579 for the latest version.

Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Synopsis

Introduction to the Program:

The NSF SBIR program focuses on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit. Unlike fundamental research, the NSF SBIR program supports startups and small businesses in the creation of deep technologies, getting discoveries out of the lab and into the market.

The NSF SBIR Program funds research and development. The program is designed to provide non-dilutive funding and entrepreneurial support at the earliest stages of company and technology development.

Synopsis of Program:

The SBIR program is intended to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds to build a strong national economy by stimulating technological innovation in the private sector; strengthening the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results; and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses.

The SBIR program at NSF solicits proposals from the small business sector consistent with NSF's mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.

The program is governed  by Public Law 114-328 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2017). SBIR/STTR policy is provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the SBIR Policy Directive. A main purpose of the legislation is to stimulate technological innovation and increase private sector commercialization. The NSF SBIR/STTR program is therefore in a unique position to meet both the goals of NSF and the purpose of the SBIR/STTR legislation by transforming scientific discovery and innovation into both social and economic benefit, and by emphasizing private sector commercialization.

Because the program has no topical or procurement focus, the NSF offers very broad solicitation topics that are intended to encourage as many eligible science- and technology-based small businesses as possible to compete for funding. The topics are detailed on the program website. In many cases, the program is also open to proposals focusing on technical and market areas not explicitly noted in the aforementioned topics.

Program contacts

Henry Ahn
Biomedical (BM) Technologies and Medical Devices (MD)
hahn@nsf.gov 703-292-7069 TIP/TI
Peter Atherton
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Information Technologies (QT)
patherto@nsf.gov 703-292-8772 TIP/TI
Anna Brady-Estevez
Chemical Technologies (CT), Energy Technologies (EN), and Distributed Ledger (DL)
abrady@nsf.gov 703-292-7077 TIP/TI
Diane Hickey
Information Technologies (IT)
dhickey@nsf.gov (703) 292-8875 TIP/TI
Steven Konsek
Advanced Materials (AM), Power Management (PM), Nanotechnology (N), Semiconductors (S), Photonics (PH), and Other Topics (OT)
skonsek@nsf.gov 703-292-7021
Rajesh Mehta
Environmental Technologies (ET)
rmehta@nsf.gov 703-292-2174 TIP/TI
Elizabeth Mirowski
Advanced Manufacturing (M)
emirowsk@nsf.gov (703) 292-2936 TIP/TI
Alastair Monk
Pharmaceutical Technologies (PT) and Digital Health (DH)
amonk@nsf.gov (703) 292-4392 TIP/TI
Muralidharan S. Nair
Robotics (R), Space Technologies (SP), and Wireless Technologies (W)
mnair@nsf.gov 703-292-7059 TIP/TI
Erik Pierstorff
Biological Technologies (BT)
epiersto@nsf.gov (703) 292-2165 TIP/TI
Benaiah D. Schrag
Internet of Things (I) and Instrumentation and Hardware Systems (IH)
bschrag@nsf.gov (703) 292-8323 TIP/TI

Awards made through this program

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