FY 2017 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program | 2017 NIST SBIR 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 2017 NIST SBIR 01

The FY 2017 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program notice is a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) funding opportunity inviting eligible small businesses to submit Phase I research proposals. It is a discretionary, competitive research and development opportunity intended to support early-stage technical innovation aligned with NIST mission needs. The funding instrument type listed for this notice is a cooperative agreement, meaning NIST may expect to have substantial involvement during the project compared with a standard grant, depending on the specific award terms.

A central requirement of this announcement is topic responsiveness. NIST makes clear that Phase I applications must address one of the specific research subtopics identified in Section 9 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Proposals that do not directly align with one of those Section 9 subtopics are considered non-responsive and therefore are not eligible for funding under this particular solicitation. In practical terms, applicants need to map their technical approach and anticipated outcomes to a named subtopic, rather than submitting general-purpose R&D ideas that fall outside the defined scope.

Eligibility is limited to firms that meet the SBIR definition of a small business concern for research/research and development purposes, as referenced in Section 1.05 of the NOFO, and the business must meet that definition at the time of award. The opportunity is explicitly geared toward small businesses with strong research capabilities in the targeted topic areas, and it is positioned as an entry point for Phase I work, which typically focuses on feasibility, proof of concept, and reducing technical risk prior to larger-scale development in later phases.

The notice also emphasizes strict rules around the principal investigator (PI). At the time of award and throughout the conduct of the proposed research, the PI's primary employment must be with the small business. "Primary employment" is defined here as the PI spending more than half of their time working for the small business. This requirement also implies that the PI cannot hold full-time employment with another organization while serving as PI under this award, since full-time outside employment would conflict with the primary-employment standard described in the NOFO. While exceptions can occur, they are described as occasional and must be approved in writing by the NIST Grants Officer, and that approval involves consultation with the SBIR Program Manager.

Changes to the PI after an award is made are not left to the company’s discretion. If the small business needs to replace the PI on a Phase I award, NIST requires prior written approval from the NIST Grants Officer. This condition is meant to protect continuity and accountability for the technical leadership proposed in the application, since SBIR awards rely heavily on the qualifications and availability of the identified PI.

The NOFO also clarifies an employment-related administrative point relevant to how small businesses staff projects. Personnel obtained through a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) or similar personnel-leasing arrangement may be considered employees of the awardee, which can help firms that use co-employment or leased employment models remain compliant with SBIR staffing expectations, assuming other program rules are met.

From the posted opportunity metadata, the program is administered by NIST under CFDA number 11.620, within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category. The opportunity number is listed as 2017 NIST SBIR 01. The original closing date was March 30, 2017, and the creation date was January 10, 2017. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the excerpt provided, so those details would need to be confirmed in the full NOFO text.

• The National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2017 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.620.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-01-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-03-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 2017 NIST SBIR 01

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: