Two SBIR Proposal Training Events in June

Event #1

To receive more information or to register online, visit www.sbtdc.org/events/sbir/proposal_prep.

NOTE: All attendees eligible to receive a free review of a draft SBIR proposal by the Greenwood Consulting Group,  good for a year following the event!

Event #2

Summer SBIR/STTR Hands-on NIH grant writing workshop
Four morning sessions start June 16th through the 25th  

Planned as a complement to our June 3rd SBIR Proposal Preparation training session featuring The Greenwood Consulting Group, this 4-part session presented by Nancy Fisher and Jim Peterson (brief bios below) will walk you through each of the components of the NIH proposal process.  The intensive morning series will cover the development of a research plan, assembly of the budget, the importance of supporting documents and the e-submission process.  Assignments will be provided.   At the end of the workshop you should have all the tools you need to develop a much more competitive proposal for submission to NIH for the August 5th deadline.

REGISTRATION: $295 for all 4 sessions - R.S.V.P. John Ujvari via email with your Name, Title and Company Name by June 1st. Limited to the first 10 registrants.

Summer Brings Many SBIR/STTR Opportunities

Below are several agencies that have deadlines this summer.  Check them out to see if their interests align with yours:

NSF:  June 9th - www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09541/nsf09541.htm
DoD:  June 17th - www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir
DHS:  July 2nd - www.sbir.dhs.gov
NIH:   August 5th - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm
USDA:  September 4th  - www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/sbir.cfm
DoD:  September 23rd - www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir

SBIR Proposal Writing Basics: NSF Opportunities

Gail & Jim Greenwood, Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 by Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.

With National Science Foundation (NSF) having a Phase 1 SBIR deadline of June 9, 2009, we suspect that many of you are busily working on your NSF proposals, and could use some advice.  We also think that some of you SHOULD be considering a submission to NSF, given some important changes in this latest solicitation, and need to know why.  Let us explain further.

Broad topics
As a granting agency, NSF does not offer specific topics like those found in the new Department of Defense (DOD) SBIR solicitation. Instead, the four NSF topics are very broad, to encourage you to bring forth innovative ideas to address a wide variety of problems in industry, government, and society.  The topics this time are:

• Biotech & chemical technology
• Education applications
• Information & communication technologies
• Nanotechnology/advanced materials/manufacturing

Some SBIR companies that have become frustrated with Department of Education might want to look more closely at NSF’s Education topic.  NSF may be seen as an alternative or addition to biotech projects being proposed to National Institutes of Health.  And think of all the projects that might be proposed under chemical tech, IT, and advanced materials.  Simply put, NSF offers opportunities to SBIR proposers who have a variety of innovations.

EPA cooperation
NSF is cooperating with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this year to support environmental projects under the NSF SBIR program.  EPA released a memo a while back talking about all of the environmentally oriented projects that they think could be funded under the NSF’s program. “Why doesn’t EPA fund those projects under its own SBIR program?” you logically ask.  Answer:  EPA is a tiny agency with a tiny R&D budget and therefore a tiny SBIR program—they can’t begin to fund everything they would like to with such a tiny amount of SBIR money.  Therefore, NSF has agreed to consider funding some of the important environmental projects that EPA can’t afford.  “So,” you once again logically ask, “who says NSF has so much money that they can afford to fund projects that EPA thinks are important?” 

More money
Among the SBIR awarding agencies, NSF was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Economic Stimulus Plan (aka American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA).  Therefore, NSF has a lot more money with which to make SBIR awards this year.  

In addition to making more SBIR awards, NSF is making BIGGER awards.  Phase I SBIR awards under the current NSF solicitation can be up to $150,000.  That makes NSF the latest SBIR agency to exceed the $100k soft cap on Phase 1 projects.  Most Phase 1 applicants over-propose, so here’s a chance to not lose money while doing a meaty Phase 1 project.  Make sure, of course, that you are including indirect/F&A costs and fee/profit in your cost proposal, but that’s the topic of another proposal writing tip…

Two words of advice
We will close with two words of advice: Call and Letter.  “Call” means that NSF REALLY encourages proposers to contact the appropriate NSF SBIR program manager before preparing their proposals. They often have insights into their agency and its topics, and want to share that information as well as guide you in case your project is on the “fringe” of what might catch the reviewer’s attention.  This contact is not required, but it is very important and you darn well better do it. 

“Letter” means that, although NSF is no longer requiring that Phase I SBIR proposals include letters of support from potential customers, strategic partners, or funders, it is VERY valuable and important to do so.  These letters are often crucial to gaining credibility with the reviewers.  So once again, it is not required, but you need to do it.

Now, aren’t you glad we had this little talk?