Environmental Protection Agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program April Richards, Program Manager 2017 SBIR Workshop – Villanova University
SBIR Mission & Goals The mission of the SBIR program is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. The program’s goals are four-fold: Stimulate technological innovation. Meet Federal research and development needs. Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by socially and economically disadvantaged persons. Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding.
Federal SBIR Program Set-aside program for small businesses to engage in federal R&D SBIR Budget = % of Agency’s Extramural R&D Budget Approximately $2.5 Billion Information at: www.sbir.gov
11 Federal Agencies have SBIR Programs Department of Defense (DOD) Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) National Aeronautics & Space Admin (NASA) Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Foundation (NSF) -------------------------------------------------------- Department of Agriculture (USDA) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Department of Commerce (DOC) Department of Transportation (DOT) Department of Education (ED) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
SBIR ROAD TOUR 11/12/2018
EPA-SBIR Mission EPA: Protect human health and the environment EPA SBIR: Support development and commercialization of innovative technologies to meet Agency’s mission
EPA SBIR Budget & Awards Award Budget for FY17 ~ $4.0 M Awards are contracts Award Amounts Phase I: Proof of Concept $100,000 6 months Phase II: Develop & Commercialize Technology $300,000 (+Commercialization Option of $100,000) 2 years
EPA’s SBIR Program One of the “small” SBIR Programs Provide awardees with EPA technical connection Focus on commercialization Offer commercialization technical assistance of $5000 in both Phase I and Phase II Offer commercialization option of $100,000 Will help communicate successful projects We are helping save the planet
Next EPA SBIR Solicitation Anticipated Issuance Date – Summer 2017 Closes ~45 days later Information at: www.epa.gov/sbir Apply at: FedConnect
PROPOSED Solicitation Topics Manufacturing Building Materials Water Air and Climate Land Revitalization Homeland Security The full final topic descriptions will be released in the official solicitation.
Proposal Evaluation and Selection Applications Received External Peer Review EPA Internal Programmatic Review Awards
EPA External Peer Review Phase II Commercialization Criteria Commercialization Plan Company/Team Partners/Investors Phase II Technical Criteria Technical Soundness Demonstrations and Performance Evaluation Criteria Life Cycle Impacts and Quality Assurance Plan
EPA Internal Relevancy Review Those proposals highly rated in peer review go onto an internal review Three Criteria: EPA Needs and Program Priorities Significant Environmental Benefits (Sustainability) Broad Application and Impact
Other SBIR Agencies that Support Environmental Technologies Department of Energy (DOE) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Science Foundation (NSF) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Ecovative (Albany, NY) Developed MycoBondTM technology, a replacement for hydrocarbon- derived synthetics in packaging, insulation, and structural cores Utilizes fungal mycelium grown on agricultural waste Biodegradable/Compostable Featured on July 2011 cover of Packaging World and May 20, 2013 New Yorker Launched new furniture line - 2016
PittMoss (Pittsburgh, PA) Received an EPA SBIR Phase I Grant in 1996 Developed a sustainable alternative to potting soil using materials that would be landfilled Introduced on Shark Tank Won a 2016 Tibbets award for excellence in the SBIR Program Integration of hard phases and lubrication phases for dry machining of austenite steels for the automotive and aerospace industries. Unlike existing hard phase and soft phase combination coating techniques, in which the soft phase wears away (leaving just the hard phase), this novel technology eliminates cutting fluids and relieves environmental loading from other sources. This novel coating is synthesized using a combination of electrostatic spray coating, chemical vapor infiltration, and plasma etching. Unique biomimetic-inspired domes plus the reservoir surface morphology of the coating constantly refresh the surface of contact with lubricants, leading to significantly reduced friction and wear.
For More Information… EPA SBIR SBA SBIR website: www.sbir.gov Contacts website: www.epa.gov/sbir factsheet: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-03/documents/march_2017_epa_sbir_program_fact_sheet.pdf SBA SBIR website: www.sbir.gov Contacts SBIR Team: April Richards Richards.april@epa.gov Paul Shapiro Shapiro.paul@epa.gov Patrick Lau lau.patrick@epa.gov