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| About WSSI | About SBIR/STTR | Getting Started | Wyoming Award Winners | News & Events |
| 1.0 ACTION ITEM - VC/BIO SBIR ISSUE SMALL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES NEED TO SPEAK UP! The Congressional Small Business Committees are considering a significant change in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program that could be detrimental to many SBIR companies, and to the SBIR program as a whole. They are considering allowing "small" technology companies that are in fact controlled by large venture capital firms to be eligible for SBIR awards. Small technology companies need to speak up now to prevent this from happening. Please send Congress your own views or link here for access to a sample letter. Contact information for your elected officials can be found at: www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L Additional information can be found at: http://www.inknowvation.com/TwoCents/2CentsLobby.html return to CONTENTS |
| 2.0 DeltaNu WINS PRESTIGIOUS R&D 100 AWARD DeltaNu has won a prestigious R&D 100 award for 2005. R&D 100 awards are the "Oscars of Invention" according to the Chicago Tribune. DeltaNu manufactures spectrometers for chemical analysis. A new product released earlier this year is the Investigator which is used to follow high speed chemical reactions that are accelerated by microwaves. The microwave process is called microwave assisted synthesis and follows the same principle as a microwave oven. Chemical reactions that take hours by traditional heating methods take place in seconds in a microwave reactor. The primary market for these reactors is drug discovery, where large pharmaceutical companies want to develop new drugs as rapidly as possible. 
One of the problems microwave assisted synthesis faces is that reactions occur so rapidly that traditional chemical analysis techniques are unable to follow the extent of a chemical reaction. To solve this problem DeltaNu developed a spectrometer that can look inside the microwave reactor and determine the concentration of the reactants and products of a reaction as it is taking place. "This innovation is far more sophisticated than the microwave reactors themselves", Keith Carron, CEO of DeltaNu states. "The project took a little over a year to complete by our technical team, and Carron recently installed the first system at one of the worlds largest drug manufactures, AstraZenaca". DeltaNu is working with CEM Corporation in Mathews, North Carolina to sell embedded systems in CEM’s microwave reactors. The image above includes DeltaNu's product development team showing the Investigator with the CEM microwave reactor. Left to right are Mark Watson, Keith Carron, Branden Phillips, and Shane Buller. "We are very gratified to win such a prestigious award", said Rick Cox, VP Sales and Marketing for DeltaNu. "Our core technology and emphasis is Raman spectroscopy, and our R&D team is the engine that drives DeltaNu products to niche markets. This further substantiates that they are one of the most innovative group of engineers and chemists in their field'. As pioneers and a global leader in small footprint and handheld Raman spectrometers, DeltaNu has an insight for developing unique, high performance spectrometers for academics, industry and OEM applications. Since opening its doors in 1997, DeltaNu has teamed with several development partners from the University of Wyoming, and the Wyoming Business Figure 1 DeltaNu's product development team showing the Investigator with the CEM microwave reactor. Left to right are Mark Watson, Keith Carron, Branden Phillips, and Shane Buller. Council recently aided DeltaNu by helping negotiate a bank loan which allowed DeltaNu to move into their new location in Laramie. "DeltaNu is a great example of the kind of technology business we are trying to develop in Wyoming," said Wyoming Business Council Chief Operating officer Bob Jensen. "The Business Council is happy to have been able to help in the growth of DeltaNu. These kinds of technology-based jobs are what we and the university is striving to help generate." DeltaNu has capitalized itself solely form the Small Business Innovative Research grant program. Since its inception DeltaNu has been awarded over $ 3.7 million dollars for R&D. That funding has led to over 6 products that range from educational tools to very advanced chemical ID systems for Homeland Security. DeltaNu’s website at www.deltanu.com describes their technology and products. return to CONTENTS |
| 3.0 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SBIR/STTR NOW OPEN The Department of Energy (DOE) opened its combined FY-2006 SBIR and STTR solicitations on September 21, 2005. Forty-nine main topic areas are available. The closing date is 8:00pm EST, December 2, 2005. The DOE's SBIR/STTR proposal submissions must be made electronically on DOE's Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) located at e-center.doe.gov. All topic and subtopic areas are open to both SBIR and STTR proposals. In fact, grant applications that include a substantial amount of cooperative research collaboration (at least 30%) with a single research institution may be considered for funding in both programs, thereby increasing the chances of winning an award. Applicants may indicate their interest in being considered for both programs by checking the appropriate box on the grant application cover page, Appendix A. There are special principal investigator (PI) requirements in order to submit to both programs. For complete information visit the DOE SBIR web site at www.science.doe.gov/sbir/. return to CONTENTS |
| 4.0 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SBIR 05.3 SOLICITATION NOW OPEN The DoD SBIR 2005.3 solicitation is open for proposal submission from September 14, 2005 through 6 a.m. October 14, 2005. Three DoD components -- the Department of the Navy, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) -- have R&D topics in this solicitation under which Phase I proposals are sought. The Solicitation, which contains detailed information on the parameters of the SBIR program and how to submit a proposal, and Topics are available at http://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation. You may also search the topics by going to http://www.dodsbir.com/Topics. Technical Q&A through SITIS Proposal Submission DoD SBIR Help Desk |
| 5.0 FIVE FREE REGISTRATIONS AVAILABLE TO NATIONAL SBIR CONFERENCE IN ALBANY The National Science Foundation EPSCoR program will cover the registration fees for five eligible Wyoming applicants. In addition, the Wyoming EPSCoR program will provide partial travel reimbursement funds. Complete details regarding the Albany conference are available in Section 7.4 of this newsletter. Contact Jill Kline as soon as possible, to find out if you are eligible. return to CONTENTS |
| 6.0 HHS LED E-GOV PROGRAM MILESTONE SURPASSED - 15,000 FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATIONS PROCESSED AT GRANTS.GOV Grants.gov, the single secure Web site to find and apply for more than $400 billion in Federal grants, has received its 15,000th electronic grant application, reaching a core program goal - less than one year after the receipt of its 1,000th application. This accomplishment signals the adoption of a change in doing business more efficiently, moving from an 80% paper-based grants management process to a potentially 100% electronic process. Managed by Health and Human Services, Grants.gov is one of 24 E-government initiatives operating under the governance of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The award-winning, free Web site centralizes grant information and electronic applications for more than 1,000 grant programs across the Federal government. A public sector model, the Grants.gov E-government initiative, successfully met its customer usage and operational goals. OMB established specific operational objectives for the program that helped Grants.gov meet the 15,000th application goal, including that Federal agencies post all grant opportunity notices and receive at least 25% of their grant applications via Grants.gov. "The agencies have been working hard to post grant application packages on the site," said Rebecca Spitzgo, Grants.gov program manager. "Their hard work posting and getting the word out to their applicant communities has made this achievement possible." Ten agencies, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Interior, and Labor, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration, have already achieved their goal for grant application submissions. HUD alone accounted for over 5,700 application submissions with the recent release of the 2005 Super NOFA. "This electronic application process is clearly how government will do business in the future and I'm proud HUD is leading the way," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "While we're already seeing the tremendous benefits of e-government, we are also continuing to work with the Grants.gov team to reach out to the small number of applicants experiencing difficulty adjusting to this new way of doing business so they have the greatest possible opportunity to access funding." Grants.gov is anticipating an influx of many new users as more agencies reach their electronic submission goals. To ease the transition for new grant applicants adjusting to electronic submissions, Grants.gov is ramping up its online user support tools, user aides, and personalized support through a dedicated Customer Service team. Additionally, many users are learning about Grants.gov via word of mouth from a variety of sources including other applicants and members of the local congressional offices. "With literally thousands of non-profits in Northern Virginia, I'm often asked where people can go to get the necessary federal grant money. The resource I always mention first is Grants.gov." said Congressman James P. Moran, representing District number 8 of Virginia. "Their capable staff, extensive knowledge of the grants process and ability to match worthy organizations with federal grants is unparalleled. They should be the first stop for every non-profit financial officer." Veteran grant applicant Jane Lopez, of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, seconds the Congressman’s statement, and continues that, "the grant submission interface with the Federal government is greatly improved by Grants.gov. It’s simple to understand and use, and the electronic submission has brought significant reductions in submission costs - both in time and shipping." Reaching the 15,000 submission milestone indicates that Congressman Moran’s non-profit constituents, Ms. Lopez, and a diverse cross section of state, local, and tribal governments, colleges and universities, non-profits, research institutions, and other organizations, are indeed using Grants.gov to find and apply for Federal grant funds. "We have proven the concept and the value Grants.gov delivers. Now we are continuing the focus on increasing usage," said Spitzgo. "Leveraging our current momentum, Grants.gov is launching its second marketing and advertising campaign to spread the word and build usage across the grant community". Grants.gov is poised to exceed its next target milestone of 45,000 grant application submissions by the end of fiscal year 2006, due to growing usage of the site by Federal agencies and the grant community as a whole. Looking ahead, the Grants.gov program goals for fiscal year 2006 are expected to represent more than a 100% increase in activity and results. Grants.gov is the single website unifying Federal grants. Through Grants.gov, state, local, and tribal governments, colleges and universities, non-profits, research institutions, and other organizations can access, find, and apply for all Federal grants. The award winning website has received eight major honors and awards recognizing the impact, technology and innovation of the site including the FOSE Showcase of Excellence" two years in a row, plus selections as an Innovations in American Government Award top 50 finalist and an American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) best-practice partner. As a collaborative cross-government program, Grants.gov is focused on streamlining grants management for the Federal grant community. Collaborative partners include the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, the Agency for International Development, Corporation for National and Community Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration and 11 Federal grant-making commissions. For more information about Grants.gov, please visit http://www.grants.gov/AboutUs. return to CONTENTS |
7.0 GRANT WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
The Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (WAAESD), Washington State University (WSU), and the University of Idaho (U of I) are pleased to host a two day Grantsmanship Workshop on Sept 28 and Sept 29, 2005. The workshop will be held at the University Inn, Moscow, Idaho. This is a two-day workshop, beginning at 7 a.m. and concluding at approximately 4:30 p.m. The workshop is designed for an audience of researchers, extension specialists, educators, and administrators. The registration fee is for $175.00 for both days. The fee does not include the Hotel, but does include materials, breakfast and lunch both days, and a reception on Wednesday night. The first day will feature USDA Funding Opportunities, with an emphasis on the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP); Higher Education and Multicultural Alliances Programs; Integrated Research, Education and Extension Programs; Children Youth and Families at Risk Program; and Pest Management Alternatives Program (PMAP). CSREES staff responsible for the administration of the various programs will make presentations. The morning session will provide a general overview of competitive funding opportunities available through CSREES. This will include discussion of new developments and special issues that affect CSREES Competitive Program funding and grants administration. The session will also include information on writing more competitive proposals and grant applications. A working lunch will include presentations on tips for writing successful proposals by former Panel Managers of CSREES. Breakout sessions will be offered in the afternoon to provide an opportunity for participants to interact with CSREES program staff and address issues associated with specific projects. Each registrant will have the opportunity to participate in three of the breakout sessions. The second day will feature "Writing Winning Grants" with Tom Fretz and Michael Harrington. Grant writing has changed dramatically over the past decade. While single investigator proposals are still the mainstay for many programs and investigators, increasingly agencies are requesting multi-discipline, multi-functional and multi-institutional proposals with stakeholder input and expectations of the eventual transfer of useful outcomes. The workshop will assist faculty with both research and extension appointments with the development of proposals in agriculture, natural resources, food safety, and nutrition, etc. The day-long workshop is designed for early career and experienced faculty, graduate students and administrators involved in each step of the proposal development and submission process. The workshop will lead participants through the process of developing a successful grant submission, with many hints gained for years of experience on all sides of the process. We will discuss what constitutes a successful proposal, how to participate in the review process, proposal organization, and the development of integrated team proposals and much more. Equally important, to the successful proposal, the workshop will also highlight those common errors - or what should be avoided. Practical hints will be presented, many which will not be found in a traditional agency lead grantsmanship workshop. For example, which proposal tends to be the most successful in the review process - the first proposal into the agency or the last? The recently developed and revised text, Principles of Grantsmanship - Version 2, as well as other handouts will be used. For additional information contact the University of Idaho; Phone: 208-885-7173; Email: Agres@uidaho.edu
THE GRANT INSTITUTE The Grant Institute’s Grants 101 Course is an intensive and detailed introduction to the process, structure, and skill of professional proposal writing. This course is characterized by its ability to act as a thorough overview, introduction, and refresher at the same time. In this course, participants will learn the entire proposal writing process and complete the course with a solid understanding of not only the ideal proposal structure, but a holistic understanding of the essential factors, which determine whether or not a program gets funded. Through the completion of interactive exercises and activities, participants will complement expert lectures by putting proven techniques into practice. This course is designed for both the beginner looking for a thorough introduction and the intermediate looking for a refresher course that will strengthen their grant acquisition skills. This class, simply put, is designed to get results by creating professional grant proposal writers. Participants will become competent program planning and proposal writing professionals after successful completion of the Grants 101 course. In three active and informative days, students will be exposed to the art of successful grant writing practices, and led on a journey that ends with a masterful grant proposal. Grants 101 consists of three (3) courses that will be completed during the three-day workshop. FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAM PLANNING PROFESSIONAL GRANT WRITING GRANT RESEARCH REGISTRATION
· The Grant Institute’s Guide to Successful Grant Writing · A to Z Grant Writing · The Grant Institute Grant Writer’s Workbook with sample proposals, forms, and outlines REGISTRATION METHODS
2) By Phone - Call toll free (888) 824 - 4424 to register by phone. Our friendly Program Coordinators will be happy to assist you and answer your questions. 3) By E-mail - Send an e-mail with your name, organization, and basic contact information to info@thegrantinstitute.com and we will reserve your slot and send your Confirmation Packet. |
8.0 UPCOMING CONFERENCES/TRAININGS/SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS
The Wyoming GRO-Biz (Government Resources and Opportunities for Business) office will be holding a Veteran Owned Business Conference October 19, 2005 in Rock Springs. The Conference will be held at the Holiday Inn and will be a one day event starting at 8:00 a.m. and concluding at 5:00 p.m. Participating agencies include: General Services Administration (GSA), Veterans Administration, Army Corps of Engineers, Hill AFB, and the National Park Service. There will be opportunities to attend training sessions or to meet one on one with officials from the various agencies. All presentations and training will be targeted to veteran owned businesses and the opportunities they have in the government contracting arena. The luncheon will include a presentation by a representative from The Center for Veterans Enterprise. GRO-Biz is a partnership program funded by the Defense Logistics Agency, Wyoming Business Council, University of Wyoming and included with the Small Business Development Center. GRO-biz helps Wyoming's businesses sell their services and products to federal, state, and local governments.. GRO-Biz's marketing specialists help identify opportunities and understand the process from start to finish, so you can compete for a share of this business. Resources available are trained counselors, computer bid information and databases of procurement history that may help you with pricing and a knowledge and understanding of government contracting procedures. Armed with these valuable tools and skills, GRO-Biz is ready to help your business or service grow through government contracting. All Services are Free and Confidential.
Investing In A Brighter Future, Building Tech-based Economies Overview: For a few days this fall, more than 300 of the nation's greatest thinkers and practitioners for building tech-based economies will convene in Atlanta. All of them will find answers in Atlanta - at the premier professional development event of the year for the tech-based economic development community. The only question remaining is will you be among them? Complete information is available on the SSTI's website at: www.ssti.org/conference05.htm.
What to expect at SSTI’s 9th Annual Conference
CAN YOU NEGOTIATE THE BEST DEAL? - There's more to licensing your innovation than you might think. Plan to attend: MonTEC, 1121 E. Broadway, Missoula, MT Workshop presenter Marti Elder is a seasoned licensing agent and commercialization consultant who, as principle of her Bozeman-based company, has worked with clients in Montana, throughout the nation and internationally.
Elder will guide workshop participants through the licensing process by sharing her expertise on a range of topics, including: Complete workshop information is available at: sbir.state.mt.us/Licensing or contact Linda Brander @ (406) 841-2749 or lbrander@mt.gov.
Whether you are new to the Program, have received your first Phase I, or are a multiple award winner, the sessions offered in Albany this Fall will help you enhance your participation in the SBIR/STTR Program. Sessions will focus on information you need in order to take Your Concept all the way through the Program to Commercialization. Tips on how to Leverage Resources to make the most of Your Potential will be provided during the three tracks of programming. Complete conference information is available at: 2005 National Fall Conference The Advance Full Registration Fee, received by October 25, is $350. Registrations received after October 25 and On-Site will be $425. In addition to Full Conference Registration, one or multiple-day Registrations are available, as are discounts for multiple attendees (3 or more) from a single small business (less than 500 employees). Please note that pre-Conference registration will close on Tuesday, November 1. After this date, registration will only be available On-site in Albany. |
| 9.0 COMPETITION TIP: DEVELOP ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIPS!!! Learning SBIR customer needs, interests and procedures is key to submission of winning proposals. Similarly, informing SBIR customers about a small businesses capability, experience and culture is vital to getting helpful feedback for the competition process. Both of these need one-on-one relationships in order to be achieved. One-on-one relationships between SBIR customers and small businesses need to be nurtured over time to develop customer confidence and respect for small businesses and their people. These relationships do not develop after only a few visits or interactions, but generally take years to evolve. Developing these relationships is part of the small business commitment necessary to compete effectively in the SBIR Program - or for that matter in any highly competitive business opportunity. While one-on-one customer relationships can be highly beneficial for the small business (and the customer), they also can have negative consequences. For example, customers that perceive small businesses that are not adequately competent, committed, serious, disciplined or well managed will be influenced accordingly in judging SBIR proposals and work. The best remedy for these perceptions is TO BE highly competent, committed, serious, disciplined and skilled in management - and to work at BEING PERCEIVED as such by the customer. Frequently, we encounter small businesses that have competed (or plan to compete) in the SBIR Program, but have put no effort into developing one-on-one relationships with customer personnel. Usually, these small businesses have yet to win in the SBIR competition. The stellar small business SBIR role models almost always have mature one-on-one relationships with their SBIR customers. Final decisions on SBIR proposals (especially those near the win/loss margin) are based on judgments by people, and relationships with them matter. So, as part of the commitment to the SBIR competition process, develop one-on-one relationships with cognizant agency personnel. Doing so will provide a competitive edge in a highly competitive game!!! This competition tip first appeared in the October 15, 1999 issue of the Wyoming SBIR Newsletter. Follow this link to a complete set of Competition Tips. return to CONTENTS |
| 10.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PUBLICATION INFORMATION TO BE ADDED TO OR REMOVED FROM THE DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR THIS NEWSLETTER, SEND NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO jillkline@vcn.com. Prepared by: Jill Kline, WSSI Outreach Coordinator, 307.682.2660 or toll free in Wyoming, 866.703.3280, jillkline@vcn.com, and Gene Watson, WSSI Program Manager, 307.742.7162, ewatson@wyoming.com. This newsletter is published every other week as part of the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI). The mission of the Initiative is to increase the number of federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program awards to Wyoming. The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) funds the initiative which is administered by the University of Wyoming Research Office. Please contact Jill Kline (see contact information above) with your comments. return to CONTENTS |
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