NASA has announced it will award funding to more than 200 small business teams to develop new technologies designed to protect the health of astronauts, lower risk of collision damage to spacecraft, and more.
The new awards from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programme invests in a diverse portfolio of American small businesses and research institutions to support NASA’s future missions.
NASA selected 300 proposals from 249 small businesses and 39 research institutions – including eight Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) – for first-round funding. Each proposal team will receive $150,000 to establish the merit and feasibility of their innovations, for a total agency investment of $45 million.
Phase I SBIR contracts are awarded to small businesses and last for six months, while Phase I STTR contracts are awarded to small businesses in partnership with a research institution and last for 13 months. The full lists of this year’s SBIR awardees and STTR awardees are available online.
“NASA has a key role to play in growing the aerospace ecosystem in our country,” said Jenn Gustetic, Director of early stage innovation and partnerships for Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “Through these early-stage small business awards, we are inviting more innovators into this growing arena and helping them mature their technologies for not only NASA’s use, but for commercial impact.”
Microbial monitoring firm is among the recipients
About 30% of the companies selected are first-time NASA SBIR/STTR recipients, including nou Systems, a women-owned small business based in Huntsville, Alabama.
The first-time NASA SBIR recipient was selected to further develop their technology that will help in microbial monitoring of spacecraft environments.
The closed and unique environment on spacecraft makes microbial monitoring of utmost importance to astronauts’ health. Specifically, nou Systems has proposed a novel approach to automate the DNA monitoring of microbes, helping quickly identify those which might pose a threat to astronauts.
This technology could first find use as part of the International Space Station’s biological testing equipment.
These grants provide funding and mentorship to stimulate creative engagements between MSIs and small businesses and help spur mutually beneficial relationships that result in technologies supporting NASA mission and commercial market development
- Gynelle Steele
“We are proud to work alongside the small businesses and research institutions in need of government investment,” said Steele, Deputy programme executive for NASA's SBIR/STTR programme at NASA Headquarters. “This programme enables NASA to nurture pioneering ideas from a diversity of innovators across the country that may not attract the initial private industry funding needed to thrive.”
"These grants provide funding and mentorship to stimulate creative engagements between MSIs and small businesses and help spur mutually beneficial relationships that result in technologies supporting NASA mission and commercial market development," said Steele. "We are pleased that MPLAN continues to help increase the number of skilled research teams that are better prepared to take their ideas from lab to market and strengthen the STTR programme through their contribution."
NASA selected Phase I proposals to receive funding by judging their technical merit and commercial potential. Based on their progress during Phase I, companies may submit proposals for $850,000 in Phase II funding to develop a prototype, as well as subsequent SBIR/STTR Post Phase II opportunities.
The NASA SBIR/STTR programme is part of STMD and is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.
