NIST Announces 2019 Opportunities for Small Businesses

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the fiscal year 2019 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Notice of Funding Opportunity. The program encourages domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development (R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. 

The mission of the federal 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.” This year, NIST has expanded the scope of this mission by broadening research topic areas rather than requesting very specific technology solutions. The goal is to encourage more small businesses to participate and allow for greater innovation and creativity.   

Phase I funding aims to establish the technical merit, feasibility and commercial potential of the proposed R&D efforts and to determine the quality of the awardees’ performance before additional funding is granted in later phases of the program. 

NIST’s SBIR program supports research at the frontiers of measurement science to ensure that the U.S. system of measurements is firmly grounded in sound scientific and technical principles. Its research activities provide industry, academia and other federal agencies with measurement tools and standards to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and security. 

Small businesses may apply in the following areas: 

• Advanced Communications, Networks and Scientific Data Systems 

• Advanced Manufacturing and Material Measurements  

• Cybersecurity and Privacy 

• Fundamental Measurement, Quantum Science and Measurement Dissemination  

• Health and Biological Systems Measurements 

• Physical Infrastructure and Resilience  

• Exploratory Measurement Science 

More information on the NIST SBIR Program, including videos that walk potential awardees through the process, can be found on the NIST website. 

NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is a nonregulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. To learn more about NIST, visit www.nist.gov.