Barbara Selby
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                      
December 20, 1991
(Phone:  703/557-5609)                                     
EMBARGOED UNTIL NOON

Release:  91-210

NASA SELECTS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PROJECTS

     NASA announced today the selection of 70 research 
proposals for immediate negotiation of Phase II contracts in 
NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR).  
These proposals were submitted by 65 small, high technology 
firms located in 21 states.

     Selections were chosen competitively from 220 proposals 
submitted for Phase II continuations of SBIR Phase I projects 
initiated in 1990.  Total value of these awards will be about 
$33 million.

     SBIR objectives are to stimulate technological innovation 
in the United States by using small business, including 
minority and disadvantaged firms, to help meet federal research 
and development needs and to encourage commercial applications 
of federally funded research innovations.  

     SBIR Phase II continues development for the most promising 
Phase I projects which have demonstrated technical feasibility 
and highest potential value to NASA as research innovation.  
Selection criteria include technical merit and innovation, 
Phase I results, value to NASA, commercial potential and 
company capabilities.  Funding for each Phase II contract can 
be as much as $500,000 for a period of performance of up to 
2-years.

     Additional Phase II selections, to be announced in 
February 1992, are expected to bring the total number of 
selections to more than 130 and the total procurement value to 
about $65 million.

     The SBIR program is managed by NASA's Office of Commercial 
Programs, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and all 
individual SBIR projects are managed by nine NASA field 
centers.

                            - end -

EDITOR'S NOTE:  A listing of companies selected for this 
program is available at NASA Headquarters (Phone:  
202/453-8400) and all NASA field centers.