The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The NASA Science Missions Directorate seeks technology for cost-effective high-performance advanced space telescopes for astrophysics and Earth science applications. These applications require instruments with large aperture light-weight highly reflecting mirrors and precision optical surfaces to gain a better understanding of how the universe works. The hard and soft X-ray mirrors have stringent surface requirements. If awarded a Phase I our plan would be to combine previous knowledge of OptiPro's UltraSurf metrology system with newly developed software. Our goal would be to create a robust solution for combining the measurement data of the mirrors with corrective machine grinding and polishing process toolpaths. This proposal includes the investigation utilizing non-contact probes on OptiPro's machining platforms to quantify the potential opportunities for in-situ mirror measurements. Understanding these surface irregularities and what in the manufacturing processes causes them is critical for improving the current TRL's. OptiPro Systems will develop a metrology system and software, that would provide feedback for manufacturing these precision mirrors and include final metrology measurement of global form error and mid-spatial content. Comparison of in-situ and off-line metrology will be key for improving the manufacturing processes. We envision that the work performed in Phase I would lead to a software and metrology solution to be built and delivered to NASA if awarded a Phase II. OptiPro's technologically advanced optical manufacturing capabilities along with our support partnership with the University of Rochester Mechanical Engineering Department, gives us a very strong team and a clear path towards solving the difficult challenges for measuring these large complex mirrors and cylindrical shells. Our goal is to provide an innovative and complete manufacturing solution for the companies that are fabricating these optical components for NASA.","benefits":"UltraSurf and in-situ machine metrology will be key technologies for advancing the state of the art for accurate and cost effective fabrication of many current and future NASA optical components. These applications may include the measurement of forming mandrels used to produce multiple segmented shell mirrors for the International X-Ray Observatory (IXO) and (NXGO). The aspheric and freeform optical surfaces required by LISA and WFIRST will also benefit from the metrology advances made with this endeavor. UltraSurf and in-situ metrology would also be very useful for measuring of the segmented types of telescope systems such as the Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST). As NASA space exploration requirements evolve so too will the need for better quality optical elements. The continued advancement of UltraSurf and the available probe solutions will be critical in keeping up with these requirements. As OptiPro (a U.S. machine builder) through this SBIR effort develops new metrology solutions there is the added advantage that many companies not just OptiPro, have the opportunity to benefit from a successful project. This has been well proven in our Navy Phase III SBIR commercialization results.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The NASA Science Missions Directorate seeks technology for cost-effective high-performance advanced space telescopes for astrophysics and Earth science applications. These applications require instruments with large aperture light-weight highly reflecting mirrors and precision optical surfaces to gain a better understanding of how the universe works. The hard and soft X-ray mirrors have stringent surface requirements. If awarded a Phase I our plan would be to combine previous knowledge of OptiPro's UltraSurf metrology system with newly developed software. Our goal would be to create a robust solution for combining the measurement data of the mirrors with corrective machine grinding and polishing process toolpaths. This proposal includes the investigation utilizing non-contact probes on OptiPro's machining platforms to quantify the potential opportunities for in-situ mirror measurements. Understanding these surface irregularities and what in the manufacturing processes causes them is critical for improving the current TRL's. OptiPro Systems will develop a metrology system and software, that would provide feedback for manufacturing these precision mirrors and include final metrology measurement of global form error and mid-spatial content. Comparison of in-situ and off-line metrology will be key for improving the manufacturing processes. We envision that the work performed in Phase I would lead to a software and metrology solution to be built and delivered to NASA if awarded a Phase II. OptiPro's technologically advanced optical manufacturing capabilities along with our support partnership with the University of Rochester Mechanical Engineering Department, gives us a very strong team and a clear path towards solving the difficult challenges for measuring these large complex mirrors and cylindrical shells. Our goal is to provide an innovative and complete manufacturing solution for the companies that are fabricating these optical components for NASA.","benefits":"UltraSurf and in-situ machine metrology will be key technologies for advancing the state of the art for accurate and cost effective fabrication of many current and future NASA optical components. These applications may include the measurement of forming mandrels used to produce multiple segmented shell mirrors for the International X-Ray Observatory (IXO) and (NXGO). The aspheric and freeform optical surfaces required by LISA and WFIRST will also benefit from the metrology advances made with this endeavor. UltraSurf and in-situ metrology would also be very useful for measuring of the segmented types of telescope systems such as the Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST). As NASA space exploration requirements evolve so too will the need for better quality optical elements. The continued advancement of UltraSurf and the available probe solutions will be critical in keeping up with these requirements. As OptiPro (a U.S. machine builder) through this SBIR effort develops new metrology solutions there is the added advantage that many companies not just OptiPro, have the opportunity to benefit from a successful project. This has been well proven in our Navy Phase III SBIR commercialization results.