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Army’s Prize Competition Series xTechSearch 7 Deadline Extended to November 6
As the U.S. Army marches toward its goal to transform into a multi-domain force by 2035, the service’s premier prize competition program is launching another opportunity for industry to lend their innovative technologies to the cause. The Army xTech Program announced its seventh iteration of xTechSearch, the program’s first and longest-running competition that awards small businesses and non-traditional technology providers with cash prizes for their transformative, dual-use technology solutions. In celebration of the launch of xTechSearch 7, here’s a look at the competition’s history and successes, and how this open call for innovation has propelled Army readiness and modernization. Deadline to submit has been extended to November 6.
DOE Announces New Phase II Awardee Events
Aimed at improving the outcome of commercialization of technologies developed with DOE SBIR/STTR funding, the DOE SBIR/STTR programs office announced the two new Phase II Awardee events: virtual workshops focused on topics that are typical areas of weakness for SBIR/STTR companies and virtual pitch sessions to give Phase II awardees an opportunity to present their technology to potential industry partners. All active DOE SBIR/STTR Phase II, Phase IIA, Phase IIB and Phase IIC awardees are eligible to participate in these virtual events. Learn more here.
Resources for Entrepreneurs from the SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference
Federal agency representatives presented current and upcoming funding opportunities at the Fall SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference. Download the presentations to learn more about the agencies and organizations that participate in America’s Seed Fund.
Would an increase in the quantity of NIH SBIR awards impact their overall quality?
In a recent study titled Does NIH select the right healthcare ventures through the SBIR grant program?, researchers from Rutgers University and the University of Connecticut took advantage of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to conduct a natural experiment. The opportunity was available due to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) decision to use ARRA dollars to fund additional Phase I SBIR awards from general SBIR competitions, and the researchers compared these 19 ARRA-funded awards to the other 479 Phase I awards that were first funded in the same competitions with regular appropriations. The researchers found that for most observable metrics the 479 initial awardees performed at similar, or only slightly elevated, levels compared to the 19 ARRA-funded awards. These results indicate that an increase in NIH SBIR funding — or, as the authors argue, NIH deciding to fund more lower-scoring proposals — would not result in a decrease in award outcome quality. Read more about the study from SSTI.
Making Sense of SBIR/STTR Cost Proposals | November 7, 2022, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM 2022 | Register here.
SBIR/STTR Webinar: Understanding the NIH SBIR/STTR Omnibus | November 10, 2022, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (ET) | Learn more and register.
Accelerating Innovation and Transition with DARPA Regional Workshops (in-person events) | November 14, 2022, 8:30 AM to 12:15 PM (CT) at Texas A&M University and December 12, 2022, 8:30 AM to 12:15 PM (PT) at University of California, San Diego | Learn more here.
New Mexico SBIR/STTR Innovation Summit | December 14, 2022, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (MT) | Learn more and register (in-person event).
Look for upcoming events at sbir.gov/events.
The Florida High Tech Corridor helps Florida’s small businesses tap into the SBIR/STTR program with services that include both in-person and virtual workshops and one-on-one assistance.
xTechHBCU Student Prize Competition Deadline Extended to November 14; Finals to be held at 2023 Black Engineer of the Year Award STEM Conference
The U.S. Army is inviting eligible HBCU Students to participate in the xTech Historically Black Colleges & Universities – Student Competition. xTechHBCU Student is a forum for eligible HBCU students across the U.S. to engage with the Department of Defense, earn prize money, participate in a unique accelerator program, and potentially have an opportunity to develop a prototype or seek a patent for their designed solutions as final winners of the competition. This competition follows on an August 2021 HBCU Faculty competition to identify and fund a diverse group of innovators who have historically been underrepresented in the S&T community. Learn more about the results of the xTechHBCU Faculty Competition.
NSF Announces New $30 million Program to Grow STEM workforce
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) initiative and seeks proposals to address barriers in the STEM workforce by encouraging partnerships among industry, educational, and government organizations. The program estimates giving out 25–35 ExLENT awards that will last up to three years with a total budget of up to $1 million, with a total anticipated funding amount of $30 million. This initiative is part of a larger effort to expand the STEM workforce needed to solve significant societal challenges like climate change and clean energy and address rapidly evolving emerging technologies. Learn more from SSTI and see the full announcement from NSF.
Agencies Seek Public Input on Inflation Reduction Act
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are seeking public input on aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act. USDA is seeking public input on how to use Inflation Reduction Act funding to advance clean energy for people in rural America. Listening sessions to provide comment are being held November 3 and 4, and interested parties may also submit written comments on or before November 28. More information is available here.
EPA also announced a coordinated stakeholder engagement strategy to help shape the implementation of the first-of-its-kind Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund created by the Inflation Reduction Act. More information on that effort is available here.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen earlier participated in a virtual roundtable with investors and stakeholders to discuss how the public and private sectors can work together to leverage incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act to mobilize the large amount of capital that is needed to build a clean energy economy. The roundtable is part of a series of discussion the Treasury Department is hosting as it solicits input from the public to inform its work implementing the Inflation Reduction Act. More information on those efforts is available here.
Best Practices from NCAI and REACH Sites Shared in Study
This study presents outcome data for technologies supported by the NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovations (NCAI) program and the Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) program and describes practices that the programs used to support their investigator communities. While NHLBI and NIH invested in a long-term evaluation program to monitor and learn from sites’ experiences resulting in a wide range of metrics and instruments designed and data collected that is still being evaluated, this study presents information learned to date. Read about the findings here.
EPA Awards More than $3M to Small Businesses for Continued Development of Innovative Environmental Technologies
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3,169,239 in funding to eight small businesses to further develop and commercialize their environmental technologies, delivering economic and environmental benefits to the communities they serve. Awarded projects include an air purifier that reduces the risk of transmitting viruses and bacteria, a forecasting tool that reduces unwanted pesticide drift, software technologies for improved recycling, and a process for producing a sustainable low- carbon building material. Read more.
NOAA SBIR Helps Small Business Find Traction and Long-Term Success
Small business owner Vincent Kelly, founder and director of Green Eyes, LLC, which specializes in automated water monitoring equipment. The company received a NOAA SBIR Phase I award in July of 2007, which supported a 6-month feasibility study and proof-of-concept research based on the company’s technology idea, and a Phase II funding award in August of 2008, that helped in the development and foundation for many of the company’s products. Learn more about the role the SBIR funding played in the company’s development here.
Wearable, Drug-Free Treatment Provides Safe Access to Pain Management for Rural Populations
ZetrOZ Systems is the global leader in developing and manufacturing non-invasive medical devices to accelerate tissue healing and relieve pain for chronic musculoskeletal conditions. The company accomplishes this with Sustained Acoustic Medicine – or SAM® – devices to deliver Long Duration Low-Intensity Ultrasound. A nationwide network of SAM device users includes injured professionals and college athletes, and patients seeking treatment for work-related injuries. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approved the use of SAM® devices for veterans who have not experienced joint pain relief from other medical therapies. Now, 30 Veterans Affairs medical centers and six military installations currently prescribe SAM®, and over half of their patients are members of minority groups in rural communities. ZetrOZ Systems continues to support research and development into conditions insufficiently addressed by current treatments. The company has received federal funding from the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and NASA to develop products like SAM® successfully. The full success story is available here.
Solar Roadways continues to advance road surface technology
Some technologies, such as transportation infrastructure, require long periods of steady development and demonstrations. Solar Roadways makes panels that can sustain heavy-weight traffic, generate electricity, power and integrate smart lights and signs, melt ice and charge electric vehicles. The company received its initial SBIR Phase I from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2009, successfully completed a pilot project in Sandpoint, Idaho in 2016, received additional SBIR awards from Transportation and Defense, and has raised more than $2 million in crowdfunding. In 2022, the company received approvals from the Federal Communications Commission (and a similar organization in Canada) for the radios in their solar road panels. Learn more about Solar Roadways and how SBIR has helped them advance.
HIGHLIGHTED OPPORTUNITIES
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FY 2023 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 2 Topics will be released on November 7, 2022 and a Topic Webinar will take place the week of November 14.
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Orbital Prime ISAM: In-space Servicing Assembly and Manufacturing Direct-To-Phase-II SBIR
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Direct-to-Phase-II Open Call for Innovative Defense-Related Dual-Purpose Technologies/Solutions with a Clear Air Force or Space Force Stakeholder Need
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Applications for I-Corps at NIH Program for current Phase I SBIR/STTR awardees and Fast-Track awardees in the first phase of their award due November 16, 2022.
About America’s Seed Fund Update
Our goal is to provide a range of information that will be valuable to the SBIR/STTR programs’ various stakeholders, and future issues will include features on program data, impacts and policies, and more. If you have suggestions, let us know at technology@sba.gov.
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About SBA Office of Innovation and Technology
The U.S. Small Business Administration serves as the coordinating agency for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs – also known as America’s Seed Fund. SBA also manages the related Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program and Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. Learn more at sbir.gov.
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