Overview of NSF SBIR & STTR Programs  

Jesus Soriano, MD, PhD, MBA Program Director, SBIR/STTR

NSF SBIR/STTR Programs

We Invest in For-profit Small Businesses To Catalyze Innovation Through Technology Commercialization

http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/ http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sttr/

NSF’s SBIR Program

•  Seeks to fund transformational, game-changing technology

•  Early stage platforms •  Strong focus on commercialization •  Encourages ties to private sector

Industrial  Innovation  &  Partnerships  –  Small  Business  Partnerships www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/

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Award Information •  Type of Award – fixed-price grants

(SBIR: 6 months; STTR: 12 months) •  Award Amount:

–  Phase I not to exceed $150,000 (STTR: $225,000) –  Phase II not to exceed $750,000

•  SBIR: –  2/3 of the work must be done by the small business –  Balance of work may be done by others

•  STTR : –  Minimum of 40% of research done by the small business –  Minimum of 30% of research done by research institution.

Industrial Innovation & Partnerships 4

SBIR Program Status FY 2012

Ø  632 companies awarded

Ø  Median Company size: 5 employees

Ø  Median Company age: 4 years

Ø ∼ 75% of Phase I companies did not have a previous Phase II award.  

     

Funding and Review Criteria

Ø   High-risk, high-payback innovations Ø  High commercialization potential is a must

Ø  Proposals should demonstrate, ü  Sound research plan ü  Highly qualified technical and business team ü  Marketable product with significant

commercialization potential

Doing  Business  with  NSF  

•  NSF is not the Final Customer; NSF is not buying your product

•  NSF has broad market-driven technology topics: You identify the problem/opportunity, propose the technological solution, and devise your business strategy

•  NSF wants to see you commercialize your research successfully

•  NSF encourages you to find private sector investment (Phase IB and Phase IIB Supplemental funding)

Industrial  Innovation  &  Partnerships  –  Small  Business  Partnerships

www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/

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Top Reasons to Seek SBIR Funding

•  Provides funding for technologies on a path toward commercialization

•  Provides “pre-seed” funding to demonstrate proof-of-concept

•  Not a loan/no repayment •  Provides validation, recognition, visibility •  May be leveraged to attract investment/partnerships •  Allows small business to retain IP •  Values/encourages/facilitates partnerships, which enable

success

Industrial  Innovation  &  Partnerships  –  Small  Business  Partnerships 8

Merit Review Criteria •  Intellectual Merit - Quality of the Research

–  A sound approach for establishing technical and commercial feasibility

–  Qualified technical team –  Sufficient access to resources –  Significantly advances “state-of-the-art”

•  Broader Impact – Potential impact on society –  Commercial and societal benefits –  Marketable product –  Commercialization track record –  Business expertise –  Intellectual Property/Other Competitive advantages

Industrial  Innovation  &  Partnerships  –  Small  Business  Partnerships

www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/

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Commercialization Potential

•  Review Criteria –  The company’s strategic vision –  The addressable market opportunity

•  Is this an enabling technology –  The company/team

•  Business and commercialization experience –  The product features and benefits compared to the

competition –  Financing and revenue model

•  Positioned to attract additional investment

Industrial  Innovation  &  Partnerships  –  Small  Business  Partnerships www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/

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Specific  STTR  Program  Features  

•  Special  STTR  Requirements  –  Coopera(on  research  agreement  between  small  business  and  university/non-­‐profit  research  ins(tu(on  in  place  to  protect  intellectual  property  

–  A  minimum  of  40%  of  budget  resides  with  the  small  business;  a  minimum  of  30%  of  the  budget  goes  to  the  university/non-­‐profit  research  ins(tu(on;  the  remaining  30%  can  be  distributed  as  appropriate  for  the  project  

•  Three-­‐phase  approach:  –  PHASE  I  –  Feasibility  Research  (12  months  -­‐  $225,000)  –  PHASE  II  –  Research  Toward  Prototype  (24  months  -­‐    $750,000)  –  PHASE  IIB  –  Matching  Funds  against  outside  investment  (12  to  24  month  extension  up  to  an  addi(onal  $500,000)  

–  PHASE  III  –  Product  Development  to  First  Revenues    (non-­‐SBIR/STTR  funding)  

Technology Thrusts Detailed topic descriptions and Program Director contact info at:

http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/topics/Combined.pdf

•  Educational Technologies and Applications (EA) •  Information and Communication Technologies (IC) •  Semiconductors (S) and Photonic (PH) Devices and Materials •  Electronic Hardware, Robotics and Wireless Technologies (EW) •  Advanced Manufacturing and Nanotechnology (MN) •  Advanced Materials and Instrumentation (MI) •  Chemical and Environmental Technologies (CT) •  Biological Technologies (BT) •  Smart Health (SH) and Biomedical (BM) Technologies

Important Resources •  Follow NSF SBIR on Twitter @NSFInnovateSBIR    

•  Visit our You Tube Channel: How to Successfully Apply to the NSF SBIR/STTR Program and other webinars: hWp://www.youtube.com/user/NSFInnova(onIIP      

•  Register to our Listserv: send blank email to INNOVATION-SUBSCRIBE-REQUEST@listserv.nsf.gov

•  SBIR/STTR Topics Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/topicshome.jsp

•  Step-by-Step User Guide: submitting a proposal through FastLane: http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/documents/Phase_I_Proposal_Preparation_Booklet.pdf

•  Read out immediately past solicitations: –  SBIR NSF 13-599 http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504961 –  STTR NSF 13-598 http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504962    

Questions?

Contact info:

Jesus Soriano, MD, PhD, MBA Program Director, SBIR/STTR

Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships National Science Foundation

Office: (703) 292-7795 Email: jsoriano@nsf.gov