The SBIR/STTR program is designed to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector to meet federal research and development needs. With an overarching goal of infusing technology into NASA’s programs and projects, the SBIR/STTR program strives to be efficient in its operations.

Four NASA Centers administer the SBIR/STTR program for each of the four Mission Directorates and their Mission Directorate Representatives (MDRs), who are responsible for solicitation technical contents, proposal reviews, and ranking:

Aeronautics		Glenn Research Center
Exploration Systems		Langley Research Center
Science		Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Space Operations		Ames Research Center

In addition, these Centers also are responsible for needs that cut across multiple directorates, including communication (Glenn) as well as small satellites and human life sciences (Ames).

Each of the 10 NASA Centers establishes and maintains close working relationships with the programs and projects at that Center, focusing on promoting and facilitating the infusion of SBIR/STTR technology into NASA missions. These efforts are led by the SBIR/STTR technology integration manager (STIM), who is responsible for coordinating and facilitating:

• Technology needs identification
• Solicitation content development
• Proposal evaluation and prioritization
• Project progress monitoring
• Utilization/Infusion

Phase III Funding

The financial resources needed must be obtained outside of the funding set-aside for SBIR and STTR. A federal agency must fund Phase III activities for follow-on development or for production of an innovation beyond Phase II for its own use. Private-sector investment also may fund the Phase III effort to make it commercially available.

STTR

STTR, though modeled after the SBIR program, is a separate activity and is separately funded. Offerors must be teams of small businesses and research institutions that will conduct joint research. Research institutions are nonprofit research organizations, federal laboratories, or universities. The goal of Congress in establishing STTR is to transfer technology developed by universities and federal labs into the private marketplace through the entrepreneurship of a small business. The small business and its partnering institution are required to sign an agreement on how intellectual property will be shared between them. Phase I STTR projects receive up to $100,000 in funds for a one-year effort; Phase II projects can receive up to $600,000 (plus up to $150,000 in additional dollar-to-dollar funding from a NASA project).

Aligning with Goddard's Needs

It is also important to note that the SBIR/STTR Program does not support routine engineering, design, development, analysis, system studies, literature searches, marketing surveys, or studies to identify a problem or its solution. The program also does not provide financial support for commercial development from an existing product or patent. The emphasis of Goddard's SBIR/STTR Program is to ensure that the projects are aligned with Goddard’s roles, mission, and technology needs; to link small business expertise with Goddard’s technology needs; to promote the utilization of developed technology into Goddard programs; and to advocate the SBIR/STTR Program and publicize its significant accomplishments. Our goal is to ensure that small business innovations are part of Goddard's culture and success.

Areas of Responsibility

The Goddard SBIR/STTR Program is directed to address Science and Exploration and to develop the technology needed for such missions.

Goddard's SBIR/STTR Program established a council with representatives from the Science and Exploration Directorate (Code 600) and the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate (Code 500) as well as the Flight Projects Directorate (Code 400). Goddard SBIR/STTR personnel work through these respective representatives to develop the solicitation topics and subtopics, identify proposal reviewers, coordinate proposal evaluations, provide the center's ranking document, and appoint Contract Officer Technical Representatives (COTRs) to manage the awarded contracts.

The success of Goddard's SBIR/STTR Program is measured by technology infusion/utilization, SBIR/STTR Phase III contracts, commercial success stories, patents, licenses, etc. (see Innovation*, Spinoff*, and NASA Tech Briefs* for GSFC SBIR/STTR success stories).

For more information about the SBIR/STTR Program, visit the NASA SBIR/STTR Web site*.