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","manageGaps":false,"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","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Technical abstract: Ultra scale computing for large-Scale Numerical Simulation requires a new technology for optical communication. VCSELs run out of bandwidth at 56 Gb/s PAM4, and the latency of PAM4 is incompatible with super-computing. Other available technologies are excessively expensive, have high power consumption, are far from proven or they require temperature control. The proposed concept integrates an Electro-Absorption Modulator (EAM) with a Surface-Emitting (SE) laser capable of > 100 Gb/channel NRZ which can be arrayed to > 1 Tb/s for a 10 element array. Using NRZ instead of a more complex format reduces latency dramatically. The proposed device can operate over a wide temperature range, at least 25 C to 125 C and potentially over the full military range without temperature control. The EAM SE laser has a 30% reduction in power per bit compared to VCSEL solutions, and the transmission distance is dramatically improved. The proposed low cost device can be manufactured by the billions. The EAM SE laser array can be flip-chip mounted onto silicon.. This unique device has ten times the reach of VCSELs, more than sufficient for any data center or super computer. The EAM SE laser is made from elements which are already proven and understood, but put together in a manner which achieves the performance ultra-scale computing needs.","benefits":"Potential NASA Applications The proposed EAM SE laser solves the latency, bandwidth, footprint, and power consumption problems of optical communications in ultra scale computing and super computing which are vital to the success of NASA?s mission. In adddition LAN?s and MAN?s can also use the technology because of its substantial range. The device will be flip chip mounted on silicon and it has a temperature range of at least 25C to 125 C so it can handle the heat load which an array encounters on top of silicon driver circuitry. The > 1 Tbps data rates and compact EAM SE laser arrays reduce the number of fiber cores, which have become prohibitive with current VCSEL technology.. The radical approach of the EAM SE laser solves difficult and profound problems with current optical communication technologies using already understood elements. The EAM SE laser can be put into high volume production quickly.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","manageGaps":false,"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","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Technical abstract: Ultra scale computing for large-Scale Numerical Simulation requires a new technology for optical communication. VCSELs run out of bandwidth at 56 Gb/s PAM4, and the latency of PAM4 is incompatible with super-computing. Other available technologies are excessively expensive, have high power consumption, are far from proven or they require temperature control. The proposed concept integrates an Electro-Absorption Modulator (EAM) with a Surface-Emitting (SE) laser capable of > 100 Gb/channel NRZ which can be arrayed to > 1 Tb/s for a 10 element array. Using NRZ instead of a more complex format reduces latency dramatically. The proposed device can operate over a wide temperature range, at least 25 C to 125 C and potentially over the full military range without temperature control. The EAM SE laser has a 30% reduction in power per bit compared to VCSEL solutions, and the transmission distance is dramatically improved. The proposed low cost device can be manufactured by the billions. The EAM SE laser array can be flip-chip mounted onto silicon.. This unique device has ten times the reach of VCSELs, more than sufficient for any data center or super computer. The EAM SE laser is made from elements which are already proven and understood, but put together in a manner which achieves the performance ultra-scale computing needs.","benefits":"Potential NASA Applications The proposed EAM SE laser solves the latency, bandwidth, footprint, and power consumption problems of optical communications in ultra scale computing and super computing which are vital to the success of NASA?s mission. In adddition LAN?s and MAN?s can also use the technology because of its substantial range. The device will be flip chip mounted on silicon and it has a temperature range of at least 25C to 125 C so it can handle the heat load which an array encounters on top of silicon driver circuitry. The > 1 Tbps data rates and compact EAM SE laser arrays reduce the number of fiber cores, which have become prohibitive with current VCSEL technology.. The radical approach of the EAM SE laser solves difficult and profound problems with current optical communication technologies using already understood elements. The EAM SE laser can be put into high volume production quickly.