The National Science Foundation (NSF) is now open to new Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I applications. Applications for this submission window will be accepted through June 13 at 5 p.m. in the proposer’s time. Phase I projects may be awarded up to $225,000 for periods of 6-12 months.
New! Project Pitch Requirement
One new change for this opportunity is the required three-page Project Pitch prior to submitting full SBIR/STTR proposals.
After submitting project pitches, prospective applicants will know within three weeks if their projects meet the program’s objectives to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve a level of technical risk. They will also get additional guidance and feedback from NSF staff. This new pitch requirement is expected to expedite the agency’s review process.
Each small business can only submit one project pitch at a time and up to two project pitches per submission window. The submission windows for 2019 are March 4-June 13 and June 14-Dec. 12.
Any small business with a pending Project Pitch must wait for a response before submitting another Project Pitch. Any small business that has received an invitation to submit a full proposal must wait for a resolution of the full proposal before submitting a new or revised Project Pitch.
The NSF is providing several live webinars on the project pitch between now and May 8. Register to attend here.
The NSF SBIR/STTR program funds costs related to research and development tasks only. In this context, R&D is defined as:
- A systematic, intensive study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the subject studied;
- A systematic study directed specifically toward applying new knowledge to meet a recognized need; or
- A systematic application of knowledge toward production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.
Phase I Project Types NSF Seeks to Fund
Similar to the Program Pitch, invited full proposals should describe the development of an innovation that demonstrates the following characteristics:
- Involves a high degree of technical risk – for example: Has never been attempted and/or successfully done before; Is still facing technical hurdles (that the NSF-funded R&D work is intended to overcome).
- Has the potential for significant commercial impact and/or societal benefit, as evidenced by: Having the potential to disrupt the targeted market segment; Having good product-market fit (as validated by customers); Presenting barriers to entry for competition; Offering potential for societal benefit (through commercialization under a sustainable business model).
An SBIR Phase I project must be focused on using R&D to determine the scientific and technical feasibility of a new concept or innovation that could be developed into new products, processes, or services. A successful Phase I proposal demonstrates that the NSF-funded R&D will significantly reduce the technical risk involved in bringing these new products, processes, or services to market. The only required deliverable of an SBIR Phase I grant is a report describing the technical accomplishments and outcomes of the Phase I project.
Objectives not responsive to the solicitation include:
- Evolutionary development or incremental modification of established products or proven concepts;
- Straightforward engineering efforts with little technical risk;
- Evaluation or testing of existing products; and basic scientific research unconnected to any specific market opportunity or potential new product, process or service.
- Examples of project objectives that are not appropriate to include as part of an NSF SBIR-funded effort are nontechnical efforts (such as business development, market research, and sales and marketing) as well as manufacturing, indirect research and development, and patent costs. Note that NSF’s Beat The Odds Boot Camp activity represents an exception to these restrictions.
Beat-the-Odds Boot Camp
Applicants have the opportunity to budget for NSF’s “Beat-The-Odds Boot Camp” that is offered to all Phase I awardees. This program is based on the NSF’s Innovation Corps program, and more information can be found here.
All Phase I awardees are strongly encouraged to participate in this activity to ensure a strong understanding of their customers and how to effectively reach them with their new research-based solutions.
Arkansas-based entities interested in responding to this NSF SBIR/STTR funding opportunity are encouraged to contact Rebecca Todd at rctodd@ualr.edu or 501.683.7717.