Special Announcement: U.S. Department of Energy Announces $37 Million Available in Grants to Small Businesses

[CC-Conrad Clyburn-MedForeSight]

Colleagues,

Thank you to MedTech-IQ member, Elton Satusky for thoughtfully sharing this funding opportunity. Elton is a valuable resource to the MedTech-IQ community located in Silicon Valley, where he serves as counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), perhaps the "Valley's" leading professional services corporation & law firm...
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The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the availability of $37 million in grant funding from its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for qualified small businesses for research topics related to improving energy efficiency and manufacturing-related innovations. The deadline for submission of applications for the grants is September 4, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time...

Background

The DOE intends to make $8.5 million in Phase 1 grants of up to $150,000 each during calendar year 2009 to SBIR/STTR applicants who they believe can demonstrate the scientific or technical merit of a specific research topic, as well as its commercial potential. Only successful DOE Phase 1 grantees will be eligible to compete for subsequent Phase II awards of up to $1,000,000 each to be made during fiscal year 2010 to small businesses whose Phase 1 research efforts appear promising. The DOE anticipates that one-third to one-half of Phase 1 awardees will receive Phase II awards. Instructions and eligibility requirements for submitting Phase II grant applications will be posted at a later date. The DOE expects to grant approximately 60 Phase 1 awards that will run for up to six months after the projects' start dates in December 2009. The DOE expects that the work proposed for Phase 1 and Phase II will progress to a Phase III, in which non-SBIR capital will be used by the small businesses to pursue commercial applications of the R & D.

Research Topics

All SBIR/STTR grant applications must be submitted in response to a specific technical topic and subtopic announced in the notice. The 10 research topic include:

Topic 1: Advanced Building Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Thermal Load Shifting, and Cool Roofs
Topic 2: Water Usage in Electric Power Production and Industrial Processes
Topic 3: Power Plant Cooling
Topic 4: Advanced Gas Turbines and Materials
Topic 5: Sensors, Controls, and Wireless Networks
Topic 6: Advanced Water Power Technology Development
Topic 7: Smart Controllers for Smart Grid Applications
Topic 8: Advanced Solar Technologies
Topic 9: Advanced Industrial Technologies Development
Topic 10: Advanced Manufacturing Processes

The following links can be used to access the funding opportunity announcement and detailed descriptions of the research areas:
http://www.science.doe.gov/sbir/solicitations/FY%202009/FOA_Notice_...
http://www.science.doe.gov/sbir/solicitations/FY%202009/ARRA_Topics...

The DOE anticipates notifying applicants selected for Phase 1 awards in early November 2009 and making awards by December 2009.

For further information on WSGR provided professional services, please contact John Mizroch ([e-mail]), Marc Gottschalk ([e-mail]), Kimberly McMorrow ([e-mail]), or Sandi Knox ([e-mail]).