James Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC                 October 2, 1996
(Phone: 202/358-1779)


RELEASE: 96-196

NASA SELECTS PHASE II SMALL BUSINESS PROJECTS

     NASA has selected 170 research proposals for negotiation 
of Phase II contract awards for NASA's Small Business 
Innovation Research Program (SBIR).  The selected projects, 
which have a total value of $100 million, will be conducted 
by 144 small, high-technology firms located in 30 states.

     SBIR goals are to stimulate technological innovation, 
increase the use of small business (including women-owned and 
disadvantaged firms) in meeting federal research and 
development needs, and increase private sector 
commercialization of results of federally funded research.

     Phase I project objectives are to determine feasibility 
of research innovations meeting agency needs.  Phase II 
continues 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 two-year performance period.

     A total of 277 proposals were submitted by SBIR 
contractors completing Phase I projects that were initiated 
in 1995.

     The SBIR program is managed by NASA's Office of 
Aeronautics, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, and 
individual SBIR projects are managed by the NASA field 
centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.

                           -end-

EDITOR'S NOTE:  A printed listing of companies selected for 
the program is avaliable in the NASA Headquarters Newsroom 
(Phone: 202-358-1600) and can also be accesssed on the 
internet at URL: 

       http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/nctn/SBIR/SBIR.html