Getting Money to Survive and Thrive – Federal Programs and Resources Available to Support the Bioeconomy

April 20, 2020 |

Research and Development

Research and Development (R&D) includes any activity associated with creating new innovations in existing products, services, or procedures or the discovery of new innovations that lead to the creation of new products.  This would include the development of a pilot scale facility. Certain R&D programs and resources limit the assistance to specific purposes/topics and applicants.

Depending on the Federal Programs and Resources, assistance is provided in various forms including grants, cooperative agreements and partnership agreements.

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

There are eleven Federal agencies who participate in the SBIR program.  The mission of the SBIR program is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in the form of grants in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. The program’s goals are four-fold:

  • Stimulate technological innovation
  • Meet Federal research and development needs
  • Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged persons
  • Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding

Each of the eleven agencies individually issue request for applications that outline application procedures, timeframes for applying, and priority/topic areas of interest.

More information here.

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program

The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is another program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include joint venture opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. The unique feature of the STTR program is the requirement for the small business to formally collaborate with a research institution in Phase I and Phase II.  STTR’s most important role is to bridge the gap between performance of basic science and commercialization of resulting innovations.

The programs’ goals are to:

  • Stimulate technological innovation
  • Foster technology transfer through cooperative R&D between small businesses and research institutions
  • Increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal R&D

There are five federal agencies that participate in this program. Each agency individually issues request for applications that outlines application procedures, timeframes for applying, and priority/topic areas of interest.

More information here.

USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Office of Technology Transfer (OTT)

OTT works with ARS scientists to ensure their research has the maximum impact on the U.S. agricultural community.  ARS scientists form research partnerships with university and industrial researchers, actively markets ARS technology, seeks intellectual property protection for ARS inventions when such protection will enhance technology transfer, and licenses ARS intellectual property to companies interested in commercialization.

More information here.

DOE National Laboratories and Technology Centers

The DOE National Laboratories and Technology Centers are a system of facilities and laboratories overseen by the United States Department of Energy for the purpose of advancing science and technology to fulfill the DOE mission. The National Labs’ unique ability to partner with private industry and academia— through research agreements, national user facilities, and technology transfer programs—drives technology solutions to the marketplace, creates jobs, and spurs economic growth and supports energy security and independence.

More information here.

USDA and DOE Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) Program

BRDI is a grant funded program administered jointly by DOE and USDA. The research and development technical areas the BRDI Initiative supports are:

  • feedstock development
  • biofuels and biobased products development
  • biofuels development analysis.

Funding Availability is announced through a Request for Applications published in the Federal Register.

More information here.

Continue reading on next page for pre-commercial/demonstration scale development programs and commercial scale programs still available.

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