| Volume 4, | Number 1 | March/April 1996 |
Small Business Innovation Research
In October 1995, NASA announced the selection of Phase I and Phase II research proposals for the negotiation of contract awards in NASA's 1995 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. A total of 309 research proposals were selected for Phase I negotiation, and 156 research proposals were selected for Phase II negotiation.
NASA received 1,947 proposals from the Phase I solicitation. The combined award total for the 309 Phase I contracts is expected to be about $21 million. Phase II selected projects have a total value of approximately $92 million and will be conducted by 127 small, high-technology firms located in 23 states. Also, a total of 369 proposals were submitted by SBIR contractors completing Phase I projects, which were initiated in 1994.
The SBIR program was established to stimulate technological innovation, increase the use of small businesses (including minority and disadvantaged firms) in meeting federal research and development needs, and increase private sector commercialization of federally funded research. The SBIR program is managed by NASA's Office of Space Access and Technology at NASA Headquarters, while all individual SBIR projects are managed by the NASA field centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Phase I projects are reviewed for technical merit, feasibility and relevance to NASA research or technology requirements. Selected firms are awarded fixed-price contracts valued up to $70,000 each to perform a 6-month Phase I feasibility study. Companies that successfully complete the Phase I activities are eligible to compete for Phase II selection the following year. Phase II continues the development of the most promising Phase I projects. Selection criteria include technical merit and innovation, Phase I results, value to NASA, commercial potential and company capabilities. Funding for Phase II contracts may be up to $600,000 for a 2-year performance period.
A listing of companies selected for this program can be accessed electronically at 800/547-1811 or on the Internet at:
Phase I
ftp://coney.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/sbir/awards/text/95ph1.txt
Phase II
ftp://coney.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/SBIR/awards/text/94ph2.txt
Award Distributions by Topic
| 1995 Phase I | 1994 Phase II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic Title | Awards | Topic Title | Awards |
| Aeronautical Propulsion and Power | 8 | Aeronautical Propulsion and Power | 7 |
| Aerodynamics and Acoustics | 17 | Aerodynamics and Acoustics | 8 |
| Aircraft Systems, Subsystems, and Operations | 21 | Aircraft Systems, Subsystems, and Operations | 13 | Materials and Structures | 34 | Materials and Structures | 18 |
| Teleoperators and Robotics | 12 | Teleoperators and Robotics | 3 |
| General Aviation | 9 | Computer Sciences | 10 |
| Mission Operations and On-Board Autonomy | 15 | Information Systems | 7 |
| Instrumentation, Sensors, and Optics | 59 | Instrumentation and Sensors | 34 |
| Spacecraft and Sensor Platforms | 29 | Spacecraft and Sensor Platforms | 7 |
| Space Power | 9 | Space Power | 7 |
| Space Access and Propulsion | 31 | Space Transportation | 13 |
| Human Habitability and Biology in Space | 27 | Human Habitability and Biology in Space | 12 |
| Ground Operations and Support | 13 | Quality Assurance, Safety, and Reliability | 5 |
| Satellite and Space Systems Communications | 10 | Satellite and Space Systems Communications | 8 |
| Space Applications and Microgravity Science | 15 | Microgravity Sciences and Applications | 4 |
Small Business Technology Transfer
NASA's Office of Space Access and Technology announced the selection of twelve research proposals for immediate negotiation of Phase II contracts in NASA's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) pilot program. The selections are in support of the technical topics included in NASA's 1994 solicitation-Interactive Document and Data Review Tools, General Aviation Software and Systems, and Small-Scale Robotics. Two NASA field centers participated in the 1994 program: Goddard Space Flight Center and Langley Research Center.
STTR contractors completing Phase I projects submitted a total of 19 proposals on these research topics. All proposals were peer-reviewed for both technical merit and commercial potential. Selections were based on the following factors: scientific and technical merit, results of Phase I, evidence of commercial potential and capability of the small business concern.
The objective of a Phase I project is to determine the feasibility of the proposed research. Phase II continues the research of the most promising Phase I projects. Each of the four selected Phase II proposals will be awarded a fixed-price contract, valued up to $500,000, with a 2-year performance period.
The STTR program is similar to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, except it requires a small business concern to conduct cooperative research and development in a partnership with a research institution. At least 40 percent of the work must be performed by the small business concern, and at least 30 percent of the work must be performed by the research institute.
New Appointment
| Ismail Akbay has been appointed the interim executive director of the National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC) located on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit College in West Virginia. Akbay's previous experience includes almost 20 years managing the Technology Transfer/Technology Utilization Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Akbay is currently president of Akbay Associates Inc., a firm focusing on the transfer of federally funded technologies into the private sector. |
Topic: Interactive Document and Data Review Tools
| Small Business Concern | Research Institution | ||
| DigiNet Research Inc. | San Antonio, TX 78230 | Univ. of Houston | Houston, TX 77204 | Grafikon Ltd. | Silver Spring, MD 20901 | Univ. of Maryland | College Park, MD 20742 | Innovative Aerodynamic Tech. | Poquoson, VA 23662 | Old Dominion Univ. | Dept of Computer Science Norfolk, VA 23529 |
Quality Information Systems, Inc. | Los Angeles, CA 90064 | Univ. of California at Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA 90024 |
Topic: General Aviation Software and Systems
| Small Business Concern | Research Institution | ||
| Airborne Research Associates | Weston, MA | Massachusetts Institute of Tech. | Lincoln Laboratory Lexington, MA 02173 |
| ARNAV Systems, Inc. | Puyallup, WA 98373 | Research Triangle Institute | Hampton, VA 23666 |
| IntegriNautics Corporation | Stanford, CA 94309 | Stanford Univ. | Dept. of Aeronautics & Astronautics Stanford, CA 94305 |
| Knowledge Based Systems. | College Station, TX 77840 | Texas Eng. Experiment Station | Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843 |
| Seagull Technology, Inc. | Cupertino, CA 94014 | Stanford Univ. | Dept. of Aeronautics & Astronautics Stanford, CA 94305 |
Topic: Small-Scale Robotics
| Small Business Concern | Research Institution | ||
| Aeromover Systems Corporation | Dexter, MI 48130 | Eastern Michigan Univ. | Office of Research Administration Ypsilanti, MI 48197 |
| Amherst Systems, Inc. | Buffalo, NY 14221 | State Univ. of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo | Amherst, NY 14228 |
| Endorobotics Corporation | Warren, NJ 07059 | Univ. of California at Berkeley | Sponsored Projects Office Berkeley, CA 94720 |
For more information about the SBIR program, contact Paul Mexcur at NASA Headquarters. Phone: 202/358-4498, E-Mail pmexcur@hq.nasa.gov Or about the STTR program, contact Carl Ray at NASA Headquarters. Phone: 202/358-4652, E-Mail cray@hq.nasa.gov Please mention that you read about it in Innovation.