Paul Foerman, News Chief
NASA Public Affairs
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
(228) 688-1880
Paul.Foerman-1@nasa.gov
|
November 20, 2007
| RELEASE:
STS-07-131
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NASA SELECTS SMALL BUSINESS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
NASA has awarded contracts to 302 small business proposals that address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The awards are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Program, known as SBIR, and the Small Business Technology Transfer program, known as STTR.
The SBIR program selected 276 proposals for negotiation of phase 1 contracts, which have a total value of approximately $27.6 million. The selected SBIR projects will be awarded to 205 small, high-technology firms in 31 states. Three of the proposals will develop technologies for the Innovative Partnership Program at NASA's Stennis Space Center:
- "Attribute Image Map Fused 3-D Web-Objects Technology and Software Toolsets," with American GNC Corp. of Simi Valley, Calif.;
- "Intelligent Flamefinder Detection and Alert System (IFDAS)," with International Electronic Machines Corp. of Albany, N.Y.; and
- "Sensor Area Network for Integrated Systems Health Management," with Mobitrum Corp. of Silver Spring, Md.
The STTR program chose 26 proposals for negotiation of phase 1 contract awards. The selected STTR projects have a total value of approximately $2.6 million. The STTR contracts will be awarded to 24 small high-technology firms in 14 states. As part of the STTR program, the firms will partner with 22 universities and research institutions in 15 states. Three of the research proposals will be managed by Stennis' Innovative Partnership Program:
- “Process-Hardened, Multi-Analyte Sensor for Characterizing Rocket Plum Constituents Under Test Environment,” written by Innosense LLC of Torrance, Calif., in collaboration with the University of Tennessee;
- "Hydroxyl Tagging Velocimetry for Rocket Plume," written by MetroLaser Inc. of Irvine, Calif., in collaboration with Vanderbilt University; and
- "Non Intrusive, On-line, Simultaneous Multi-Species Impurity Monitor in Hydrogen," written by Mississippi Ethanol LLC of Winona, Miss., in collaboration with Mississippi State University.
SBIR and STTR are part of the Innovative Partnerships Program Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington, which works with U.S. industry to infuse pioneering technologies into NASA missions and transition them into commercially available products and services.
The SBIR program supports NASA's mission directorates by competitively selecting ventures that address specific technology gaps in mission programs and strives to complement other agency research investments. Results from the program have benefited several NASA efforts, including air traffic control systems, Earth observing spacecraft, the International Space Station and the development of spacecraft for exploring the solar system.
The SBIR program is a highly competitive, three-phase award system. It provides qualified small businesses – including women-owned and disadvantaged firms – with opportunities to propose unique ideas that meet specific research and development needs of the federal government.
These contract awards are for Phase 1, which is a feasibility study with as much as $100,000 in funding to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea. The SBIR awards may last as long as six months. The STTR awards may last as long as one year. Phase 2 expands on the results on the development of Phase 1; awards are for as much as $600,000 during as long as two years. Phase 3 is for the commercialization of the results of Phase 2 and requires the use of private sector or non-SBIR federal funding.
Contractors submitted 1,500 Phase 1 SBIR proposals and 166 Phase 1 STTR proposals for competitive selection. The criteria used to choose the winning proposals included technical merit and feasibility; experience, qualifications and facilities; effectiveness of the work plan; and commercial potential and feasibility.
NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., manages the program for the Innovative Partnership Program office. NASA's 10 field installations manage individual projects.
For a list of selected companies, visit:
http://sbir.nasa.gov
For more information about the Innovative Partnerships Program, visit:
http://www.ipp.nasa.gov
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
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