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SBIR Training in North Carolina
Become more competitive when submitting an SBIR or STTR by registering for our variety of SBIR/STTR training sessions at: www.sbtdc.org/events/sbir/workshops2009.
UPCOMING EVENTS INCLUDE:
April 16th - SBIR Introduction & Grantmanship Overview
by John Ujvari & Jerry Heindel (NIH Program Manager)
Hamner Institute, RTP
9:00-11:00am
May 6th - Webinar: SBIR Introduction
by John Ujvari
3:00-4:00pm
MAY 13th - Webinar: It's in the Fine Print - Post Award Requirements
by Susan Martin, Hughes Pittman and Gupton
12:00 - 12:30pm
EARLY JUNE - SBIR Phase 1 Proposal Preparation
Sigma Xi, RTP
9:00-4:30pm
NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research
From JoAnne Goodnight, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator
As you are aware, on February 17, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). As part of the Recovery Act, NIH has designated at least $200 million in FYs 2009 - 2010 for a new initiative called the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research, to fund 200 or more grants (contingent upon the submission of a sufficient number of scientifically meritorious applications). This new program will support research on Challenge Topics which address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research that will benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds. Challenge Areas, defined by the NIH, focus on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. The research in these areas should have a high impact in biomedical or behavioral science and/or public health.
Small businesses are eligible to apply for grants under this program. I encourage you to explore details of this opportunity. Note: The due date is April 27, 2009. Learn more...
The Role of Intuition in SBIR/STTR
By Lisa Kurek, Managing Partner, BBC Inc.
Let me get right to the point. There is NO role for intuition in SBIR/STTR. Whether you are trying to decide which agency will be interested in your particular product and technology, or are completing the application forms, don't rely on intuition. Why not? Let me give you two examples:
Example #1: If you rely on intuition to guide you as to which agency would be appropriate for your particular product or technology, you might look no further than to the Department of Energy if you were developing new battery technology. Certainly a potential fit. But did you know the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is interested in battery technology too? If you relied on intuition alone, you might never look to NIH, Department of Defense or National Science Foundation as possible funding sources.
Example #2: If you are using the SF424R&R forms for submission of an SBIR through grants.gov, mandatory fields are highlighted in bright yellow. Yet there is at least one form field required for NIH SBIR/STTR proposals that is not highlighted in bright yellow. If you do not complete this field, you will receive a submission error that must be fixed before NIH will accept your proposal. Most applicants I have worked with that rely on intuition to complete these forms ignore this particular field only to be met with an error after submission.
This leads me to two corollaries to "Don't rely on intuition":
- "Do your homework" and
- "Read the Instructions!"
Following this advice will expand your funding horizons and save you tremendous aggravation as you navigate the submission process.
SBIR Impact Report from the National Academies
To improve our understanding of the program's operations, achievements, and challenges, the Congress asked the National Academies to conduct a "comprehensive study of how the SBIR program has stimulated technological innovation and used small businesses to meet federal research and development needs" and make recommendations on still further improvements to the program. To meet this mandate, an extensive green field research effort was undertaken.
The project is releasing a series of assessments of the program operations at the five leading R&D agencies representing some 96% of program expenditure. These agencies include the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation. The study has also prepared an additional report that provides a comprehensive overview of the program. This overview report as well as the reports focused on the programs at the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation have been released and are available on the National Academies Press Web site.
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