News

The Idaho SBIR/STTR Initiative Newsletter

Featured Company of the Month
August SBIR Tip
Idaho OST Staff Changes
National SBIR Conference Fee Waivers
SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunities
Other Funding Opportunities
Calendar of Events

Remote Diagnostics, Inc.

Dr. Fred Templeton, president of Remote Diagnostics, and his team have recently been notified that their Phase II grant for disease detection in crops to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been awarded. His grant, amounting to over $276,000, will develop their technology for sensing early-stage disease in potato tubers.

After harvesting, potatoes can be stored for up to a year and it is during this time that disease can run rampant. Dr. Templeton explains that an infected crop exhibits infection by changes to its metabolism and the release of volatile chemicals.

Dr Templeton’s technology detects these chemicals in very low quantities, usually in parts per billion (ppb). By detecting the presence of disease at a very early stage of onset, storage managers can change the order in which potatoes are processed. This allows crops to be processed before they are spoiled and healthy crops to stay in the queue. Remote Diagnostics’ technology sends the data over the Internet to a data management system where Dr. Templeton and his team can notify the storage facility of changes that need to be made. Storage managers can adjust the climate in the storage rooms or add non-toxic metabolizers to the potatoes to slow the spread of disease. According to Dr. Templeton, early detection of disease and processing of food before disease can spread can literally save the food industry "millions of dollars."

Based in Salmon, Idaho, Dr. Templeton has received several SBIR awards amounting to over $600,000 for his research. He owns two other companies, Insightek and Bio-Power, Inc., which are also active in grant procurement. You can learn more about Dr. Templeton and his research by emailing him at [email protected].

August SBIR Tip: Obtain Agency Reviews
One of the nice perks of the SBIR/STTR program is that the agency reviewers will provide comments back to small businesses who apply for awards. After spending so much time and effort, it can be helpful to learn what the author did right and what needs to be improved on the proposal. Some of the agencies provide reviewers’ comments automatically, while others require the business request a debriefing. These comments are very important to understand how subject matter experts viewed the proposal and can be useful when applying again or when presenting the idea to others. Reviews should be requested even if the business is successful in receiving an award, as it could strengthen the Phase II proposal. So, be sure to follow up with the federal agencies and find out how you did so you can continue to improve.

Idaho OST Staff Changes
The Idaho Office of Science and Technology (OST) has a new SBIR Coordinator, Jeff Viano. Jeff has been with the office for about six months and is taking over for Rachel Hall, a loaned executive from the Department of Energy at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Rachel’s time with the OST will end September 9th and she will be working in the Boise office of the INL assisting with Lab outreach and community relations in the Treasure Valley. She can be reached at [email protected]. Jeff will be assisted by a brand new member to the OST staff, Brian Dickens. These gentlemen will continue the SBIR newsletter and other outreach efforts to assist companies with obtaining SBIR/STTR grants. Jeff can be reached at [email protected] and Brian at [email protected].

SBIR National Conference Registration Fee Waivers

As many of you know, the next National SBIR Conference will be held November 14-17th in Albany, New York. If you live in an EPSCoR state, the Conference provides five sponsorships per state to cover registration fees (about $350) for small businesses to attend the conference. As Idaho is an EPSCoR state, Idaho small businesses planning to attend the conference qualify for this waiver. For more information, please contact Teresa Braley, [email protected] or (208) 885-5842. For more information on the conference, please visit http://www.SBIRworld.com/Albany.

SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunities
The Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency invites small business firms to submit proposals for a second round of FY 2005 funding under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Research is sought in seven topic areas: (1) handheld biological detection system, (2) uncooperative vehicle stopping using non-lethal methods, (3) distributed buoy vessel detection system, (4) hardware-assisted system security monitor, (5) methods to determine structural stability, (6) portable/transportable directional gamma ray, and (7) directional neutron detectors. Awards will not exceed $100,000 for a period of six months or less. Proposals may be submitted between July 29 and Aug. 29 of 2005. More information is available here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be soliciting proposals from small business concerns for contract awards under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The SBIR program, in part, emphasizes increased private sector commercialization of technology developed through federal R&D and seeks to increase small business participation in federal R&D. Proposals will be due Nov. 4, 2005. More information, including a full list of research topics, is available here. NOTE: NIH SBIR/STTR grant applicants soon will be expected to submit applications online through the government-wide Grants.gov portal. Grant applicants must first complete a registration process. Organizations are strongly encouraged to register with Grants.gov now to ensure that they are ready to take advantage of the electronic submission process, which is expected to take effect for the Dec. 1, 2005, submission date. For more information, click here.

The Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR 2005.3 solicitation has been pre-released at http://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation. During the pre-release period, which ends on September 14, you may contact the topic authors directly (contact information is listed with the topic) to ask technical questions about specific solicitation topics. The DoD will begin accepting proposals on September 15, 2005 and will close to proposals on October 14, 2005 at 6am EST. Plan ahead and submit your proposal early to avoid the risk of website inaccessibility due to heavy usage on the final day. Once DoD begins accepting proposals on September 15, 2005, no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed, but proposers may submit written questions through the SBIR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing. SITIS closes to new questions on October 1, 2005. All questions and answers will be posted through October 14, 2005. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS at http://www.dodsbir.net/sitis during the solicitation period for questions and answers and other information relevant to the topic under which they are proposing.

Additional Research Opportunities
Here are a few other funding opportunities that may be of interest to small businesses.

Nonlinear Responses to Global Change in Linked Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems and Effects of Multiple Factors on Terrestrial Ecosystems: A Joint Research Solicitation- EPA, DOE. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, are seeking applications for research on: (1) when and how climate change stressors produce nonlinear ecological responses in linked aquatic and terrestrial systems and (2) when and how multiple global change factors might alter the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Proposals must address nonlinear ecological responses caused by climate change and variability on the scale of decades or longer. Linked ecosystems are of particular interest to EPA and include: freshwater wetlands, riparian areas, watersheds, and near-coastal environments such as estuaries. Unmanaged and managed terrestrial systems such as forests, grasslands, woodlands, deserts, and field crops are of interest to DOE. Open Period: June 30, 2005-September 29, 2005. URL:
http://www.es.epa.gov.

EPA is soliciting proposals from eligible entities to provide environmental job training projects that will facilitate assessment, remediation, or preparation of brownfield sites. Eligible entities must propose to serve a community that currently receives, or has received, financial assistance from EPA for brownfields assessment, revolving loan fund or cleanup competitive grants. States and certain eligible Indian tribes currently receiving CERCLA Section 128 funding may propose to serve any community within their jurisdiction where the state or Indian tribe is conducting site-specific brownfields work. Approximately $2 million is expected to be available for 10 awards having a project period of up to two years. Governmental entities and nonprofit organizations are eligible to submit proposals, which are due Sept. 16, 2005. More information is available at http://www.fedgrants.gov.

EPA invites applications for funding to support undergraduate fellowships for bachelor-level students in environmentally related fields of study. Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer between their junior and senior years. The fellowship provides up to $17,000 per year of academic support and up to $7,500 of internship support for a three-month summer period. Approximately $622,500 is expected to be available for 15 awards. Applicants who are U.S. citizens, or have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence, must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university. Preapplications are due Nov. 3, 2005. More information is available at es.epa.gov.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invite applications for funding to support applied research for populations around hazardous waste sites. This initiative aims to fill gaps in knowledge by conducting applied research studies related to human exposure to hazardous substances at hazardous waste sites and adverse health outcomes. Approximately $350,000 in FY 2005 funding is expected to be available for one award having a project period of three years. Assistance will be provided only to state supported U.S. Schools of Public Health that are currently accredited by the Council on Education of Public Health and have access to programs in environmental epidemiology, environmental sciences, clinical medicine, and medical informatics. Applications are due Aug. 29, 2005. More information is available at: http://www.fedgrants.gov.

The Department of the Air Force is soliciting white papers for innovative technologies to support command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence applications. Of particular interest are technologies that can significantly reduce the time between information technology availability and its employment into R&D programs that support legacy and new military electronic systems. Approximately $49.9 million over fiscal years 2006-10 is expected to be available for awards having a project period of up to two years. Eligibility is unrestricted. White papers are due Sept. 30, 2005. More information is available at: www2.eps.gov.

The Department of the Navy is soliciting white papers proposing technologies to efficiently and effectively address the threat of improvised explosive devices. White papers should emphasize fundamental scientific concepts that can be applied to the detection, neutralization, destruction and mitigation of the effects of these devices. Approximately $30 million over a three-year period is expected to be available for awards ranging from $400,000 to $900,000. Eligibility is unrestricted. White papers are due Sept. 1, 2005; full proposals are due Nov. 15, 2005. More information is available at: http://www.onr.navy.mil.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is soliciting proposals for funding under the Frontiers in Integrative Biological Research program. This program supports integrative research that addresses major questions in the biological sciences. Approximately $8 million in FY 2006 funding is expected to be available for eight awards. Eligible are U.S. academic institutions, nonprofit research organizations, organizations in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities, and consortia of such organizations. Required preliminary proposals are due Oct. 3, 2005; full proposals are due Feb. 15, 2006. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov.

NSF is soliciting proposals for funding under the Enhancing the Mathematical Sciences Workforce in the 21st Century program. This program seeks to increase the number of U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents who are well prepared in the mathematical sciences and who pursue careers in the mathematical sciences and in other NSF-supported disciplines. Approximately $20.5 million in FY 2006 and annually thereafter is expected to be available for 9-15 awards. The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide are eligible to submit proposals, which are due Oct. 12, 2005. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov.

DOE invites applications for funding under the Industrial Technology Program. This program supports high-risk high-reward R&D to reduce energy intensity in U.S. industrial manufacturing and processing by working with industry partners. Approximately $7.6 million over fiscal years 2006-10 is expected to be available for 2-5 awards having a project period of up to four years. Cost-sharing of at least 30 percent is required. Eligibility is restricted to multiple-organization teams; the primary applicant can be any for-profit or nonprofit organization, state or local government, Indian tribe, or institution of higher education. Letters of intent are due Aug. 31, 2005; applications are due Oct. 17, 2005. More information is available at: http://www.fedgrants.gov.

DOE invites applications for its Industrial Assessment Center Program. This program enables small and medium-sized manufacturers – those with energy costs between $100,000 and $2.5 million per year – to have comprehensive assessments performed at no cost to the manufacturer. Teams of engineering faculty and students from the centers conduct assessments and provide training to help regional manufacturers operate more efficiently and improve competitiveness. Approximately $26 million over five years is expected to be available for awards of up to $225,000 per year. Applicant institutions located in the U.S. must be a college or school of engineering that is an integral part of its institutional structure and have at least one of its four-year undergraduate programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission or the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Applications are due Jan. 16, 2006. More information is available at: http://www.fedgrants.gov

NIH invites applications for the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity program. This program supports the entry of undergraduate and graduate students from groups underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research fields into research institutions with significant number of mentors with NIH or other extramural research support. The goal is to increase the number of students from these groups who will obtain a Ph.D. degree. Eligible are domestic public or nonprofit private research institutions that award the baccalaureate, research master’s or doctoral degree in biomedical or behavioral science fields. Approximately $4 million is expected to be available annually to fund 8-10 four-year renewable awards. Applications are due Feb. 1, 2006. More information is available at: http://grants.nih.gov.

NIH invites applications for funding to support Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Fellowships in Cancer Nanotechnology Research. These fellowships support training of individuals from the basic, biomedical, clinical, and information sciences and engineering who are pursuing research that applies nanotechnology development and application for the prevention, detection, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer. Candidates must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the U.S., or have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence, and have received a doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution at the time of award. Approximately $15.5 million over three years is expected to be available for 36 fellowships. Applications are due Nov. 16, 2005. More information is available at: http://grants.nih.gov.

The NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Application for Development and Validation of Technologies for Saliva-Based Diagnostics (RFA-DE-06-003) is due November 14, 2005. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) invites Cooperative Agreement Applications (U01) to support the technological advances needed for rapid, reliable, non-invasive identification of biomarker signature patterns in saliva indicative of local and systemic health status, particularly in regards to early diagnosis of diseases. The focus of such diagnostic technologies must be in disease areas in which saliva based diagnostics can have a major impact. The specific goals of the initiative are to: i) support the development of functional, miniature, portable, self-contained, easy-to-use diagnostic prototype devices for simultaneous multi-analyte detection; and ii) accelerate commercialization of such systems. For more information visit http://grants.nih.gov

The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service is soliciting proposals from 1890 Land Grant Universities and Tuskegee University for funding under the Rural Entrepreneurial Program Outreach Initiative. This initiative, in part, provides technical assistance for business creation in small rural communities with the greatest economic need. Awards of up to $100,000 will be made with a cost-sharing requirement of at least 25 percent. Eligible are 1890 Institutions having a record of successfully implementing similar projects. Proposals are due Aug. 29, 2005. More information is available here.

Please email [email protected] to submit news, events and ideas for this newsletter or to subscribe/unsubscribe from the email distribution list.

Calendar of Events
National SBIR Fall Conferencehttp://www.SBIRworld.com/Albany.Environmental Regulations of Idaho - An Overview of Federal and State Law Boise State University, Boise, Idaho September 13- 14, 2005, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.This two day course is a carefully integrated set of modules intended to develop the knowledge and skills that environmental professionals need to serve as environmental leaders for their organizations. Participants will better understand today's key environmental compliance issues, how to anticipate problems and plan for success. This course provides an overview of a broad range of federal and state environmental regulations, jurisdictions, regulatory compliance, and enforcement. The first day's material will focus on federal environmental regulations. The second day will focus on state environmental regulations, environmental standards, compliance, permitting, and enforcement. The course is intended for environmental professionals, private consultants, public agency administrators, and members of the general public seeking an improved understanding of environmental regulations. Previous regulatory experience or knowledge is not required to benefit from this course. http://www.nwetc.org. Life Sciences Eventhttp://www.watechcenter.org for details.TechHelp Manufacturers Business Luncheon - The New Art of Hiring Smart Bardenay Restaurant, Boise, Idaho Friday, September 9, 2005TechHelp invites Idaho manufacturers, processors and innovators to enjoy lunch at Boise's popular Bardenay Restaurant on Friday, September 9th. Steve and Vicki Wilson of Willow Creek Consultants will discuss "The New Art of Hiring Smart". Food service begins at 11:30am followed by the Hiring Smart presentation from noon until 1pm and questions/networking until 1:30pm. A $15 fee includes lunch. Business owners and managers interested in refining and improving their hiring processes should attend this informative luncheon. Please contact Bill Mullane at (208) 426-2266 or [email protected] for more information or to RSVP. You can also visit http://www.techhelp.org for more information or to RSVP."We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."IDAHO COMMERCE & LABOR PO Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0093 Tel: 208-334-2470; Fax: 208-334-2631 Web: http://www.cl.idaho.gov 05-62000-250DIRK KEMPTHORNE, GOVERNOR ROGER MADSEN, DIRECTOR KARL TUELLER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR & OST EXECUTIVE DIRECTORIdaho Commerce & Labor is an equal opportunity employer. This document is available upon request in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities.[email protected] • Idaho Commerce & Labor

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